Chapter 41: The Two Fathers

 

Isabella didn't leave quietly. She screamed. She threw a Ming vase (which shattered). She threatened to sue everyone. But in the end, two of Sebastian’s burly bodyguards simply lifted her by her arms and carried her out the front door like a bag of trash.

"This isn't over!" Isabella screamed from the driveway as they tossed her Louis Vuitton bags onto the gravel. "I am a Vance! You can't do this to me!"

Inside the library, the silence was heavy.

Richard Vance sat in the armchair, holding the old photo of Catherine, weeping silently. He looked ten years older. The arrogant tycoon was gone; only a regretful old man remained.

"I didn't know," Richard whispered, his voice cracking. "Catherine... she left a note saying she met someone else. She said she was happy. I thought... I thought I was letting her go."

"She lied," Harper said softly, standing by the window. "She lied to protect me. And to protect you from your family."

Richard looked up at her. He saw Catherine’s strength in her eyes. "Harper... I know I have no right to ask. But... will you give me a chance? I missed thirty years. I want to make it up to you."

He stood up shakily. "I will rewrite my will. You are my only biological child. Half of the Vance fortune is yours. The other half... well, Isabella is legally my daughter, but after what she did..."

"I don't want your money," Harper interrupted.

Richard froze. "What?"

"I don't want the money. I don't want the shares. And I don't want to change my name." Harper walked over to him. "I am Harper Evans. That is the name on my diploma. That is the name Sebastian fell in love with."

She took a deep breath. "But... I would like to know about my mother. Mr. and Mrs. Evans only knew her as an employer. You knew her as... Catherine." "If you want to be part of my life, start there. Tell me who she was. Not as a bank transaction, but as a person."

Richard’s eyes welled up with fresh tears. He nodded vigorously. "Yes. Yes, of course. She loved lavender ice cream. And she hated rain..."

---

[The Real Dad]

Later that night. Harper knocked on the door of the guest suite. Inside, Mr. and Mrs. Evans were sitting on the edge of the bed, looking like they were waiting for a sentencing. Their bags were packed.

"Harper," Mr. Evans stood up nervously. "Did... did Mr. Vance leave?"

"He's gone," Harper closed the door.

"Did you... go with him?" Mrs. Evans asked, her voice trembling. "He can give you a better life, Harper. You are a princess. We are just..."

"Stop," Harper walked over and sat between them. She took their rough, calloused hands in hers.

"You think I'm going to leave you for a guy I just met?" Harper raised an eyebrow. "Just because he has a private jet?"

"But he is your father..."

"He is my biological father," Harper corrected. "But Dad," she looked at Mr. Evans, "you are the one who taught me how to ride a bike. You are the one who carried me to the hospital when I broke my arm. You are the one who woke up at 4 AM to make broth so I could go to college."

She looked at Mrs. Evans. "And Mom, you are the one who stayed up all night sewing my prom dress because we couldn't afford a new one."

Harper rested her head on Mrs. Evans's shoulder. "DNA makes you relatives. Love makes you family." "You are my parents. Always. Nothing changes that."

Mr. Evans burst into tears. He hugged his daughter and his wife, sobbing loudly. "My good daughter... my good girl..."

Outside the door, Sebastian sat in his wheelchair, listening. He smiled. He knew he had chosen the right woman. She had a heart of gold that no amount of money could buy.

---

[The Fallen Star]

While the Sterling Villa was filled with warmth, Isabella Vance was sitting in a cold, cheap motel room on the outskirts of the city.

Her credit cards were declined. All of them. Richard had moved fast. He had frozen her assets pending an investigation into her charity fraud. Her "friends" in high society weren't answering her calls.

She stared at her reflection in the cracked mirror. Her makeup was smeared. Her hair was a mess. She had lost everything. The money. The status. The man.

"Harper Evans," she hissed, scratching her own reflection with a sharp fingernail. "It's all her fault. If she hadn't appeared..."

Buzz. Her phone rang. It was an unknown number.

"What?" she snapped.

"Miss Vance," a rough voice answered. "I heard you're having a bad day."

Isabella frowned. "Who is this?"

"Someone who hates Sebastian Sterling as much as you do."

Isabella paused. "Julian?"

"Julian is an idiot," the voice sneered. "I'm... an old friend of the family. I used to work for Shen Yuanfeng before he went to prison."

"What do you want?"

"I want revenge. You want your life back. We can help each other." The voice dropped to a whisper. "I heard there is going to be a wedding soon. A grand, royal wedding." "Wouldn't it be a shame... if the bride didn't show up?"

Isabella’s eyes lit up in the dim light. A wedding. Yes. That was the perfect stage. If she couldn't be the bride... then no one would be.

"I'm listening," Isabella whispered, a twisted smile forming on her lips. "Tell me the plan."

---

[The Date]

One month later. The Sterling Estate was buzzing with activity. Designers, florists, and caterers were running around like ants.

Sebastian and Harper sat in the garden (now fully restored with new roses). Sebastian was holding a calendar.

"So," he circled a date. "October 12th."

"My birthday?" Harper asked.

"Your birthday," Sebastian nodded. "And the day your mother brought you into this world. I think it's the perfect day to start our new life."

He looked at her. His legs were much stronger now. He could walk with a cane for about an hour a day. "I promise you, Harper. On October 12th, I will walk you down the aisle. No cane. No wheelchair."

Harper kissed him. "You don't have to prove anything, Sebastian."

"I know," Sebastian smiled, his eyes full of love. "But I want to. I want to stand tall when I take you as my wife."

He didn't know that in the shadows of the city, a plan was already in motion to turn that dream wedding into a nightmare.