Chapter 79
Richard's POV
The evening air was crisp as we reached Dad's car. He paused before getting in, his face thoughtful.
"We need to properly thank the Wilson family for their investment," he said. "This isn't just business—it's the beginning of a crucial relationship."
"I was thinking of selecting some gifts tomorrow," I replied. "Something substantial."
"Spare no expense," Dad emphasized. "The Wilson family commands respect across every industry. We need to show them the highest level of appreciation."
I remembered the elegant woman I'd glimpsed at the airport a month ago—the one with that special aura. There was something about her that had stayed with me, though I couldn't quite place why.
"I'll handle it personally," I assured him.
Thirty minutes later, Harrison Estate dining room.
The crystal chandelier cast warm light over our family dinner when the doorbell rang urgently. Mom looked up from her soup, annoyed.
"Who could that be at this hour?" she muttered.
Our housekeeper appeared in the doorway. "Sir, there's a delivery person—a woman in a baseball cap with an express package. She insists it's urgent."
Dad frowned. "At eight PM?" But something made him stand. "I'll handle it myself."
I watched him leave, continuing my conversation with Mom about tomorrow's board meeting. A few minutes passed before we heard Dad's footsteps returning, but they were slower, heavier.
He appeared in the doorway holding a manila envelope. Grandmother Aria looked up sharply from her wine glass.
"What is it, Holden?"
Without a word, Dad opened the envelope and pulled out several official documents. His hands trembled slightly as he read.
Then his face went white as marble.
"You goddamn fool."
The slap came so fast I barely saw it. Dad's hand connected with my cheek with a crack that echoed through the dining room. My head snapped to the side as the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
"Holden!" Mom gasped, her spoon clattering to the floor.
Grandmother Aria half-rose from her chair, her face shocked. "Good God—"
Dad threw the papers onto the table. Official marriage certificates. Emma's birth certificate. And a DNA paternity test report between Emma and Richard.
All bearing official seals.
All completely legitimate.
All proving what I'd been hiding for six years.
---
The silence stretched like a taut wire. Mom's face cycled through confusion, then pure fury. Grandmother Aria sank back into her chair, one hand pressed to her chest.
"Richard," Dad's voice was deadly quiet. "Explain. Now."
I wiped blood from my lip, tasting copper and defeat. There was no point in lying anymore.
"Laura and I are legally married," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "That's the truth."
"The truth?" Mom's voice cracked like a whip. "The truth is you've been lying to this family for six years?"
"Grandfather didn't approve of Laura," I continued, meeting their horrified stares. "He said she was beneath our social standing, that marrying her would damage my prospects—"
"So you married her in secret and paraded Grace around like a fool?" Grandmother Aria's voice shook with rage.
"Laura and Emma are innocent in this," I said firmly. "Whether you like it or not, Emma is Harrison blood."
---
Mom's second slap was harder than Dad's. My cheek burned as she stood over me, trembling with fury.
"Innocent?" she shrieked. "That woman nearly destroyed your prospects before! She was a nobody, a gold-digger—"
"She's my wife!" I shouted back, standing to face her. "The mother of my child!"
The words hung in the air like poison gas. Mom staggered backward, her face crumpling as the full implications hit her.
Grandmother Aria had gone completely still, her sharp mind clearly calculating the scandal potential. She said weakly, "If this gets out, it will be a major blow to the company and family reputation."
"It won't," I said quickly. "We can manage this—"
Dad's phone rang, cutting through the chaos. An unknown number. He stared at it for a moment before answering.
"Holden Harrison."
A woman's voice came through clearly, calm and controlled: "Mr. Harrison, this is Laura. I assume you and your family have seen the documents by now?"
Dad's grip tightened on the phone. In the deadly silence of our dining room, we could all hear her perfectly.
---
Margaret's POV
"You shameless bitch—" I took the phone from Holden.
"Now, now," she interrupted, her tone calm yet carrying a dangerous edge. "That's no way to speak to your daughter-in-law."
"You will never—never—set foot in this house as long as I'm alive," I hissed.
Her laugh sent chills down my spine. "Oh, Margaret. You still don't understand, do you? I'm not asking for permission anymore."
Holden's face was grim. He'd aged ten years overnight.
"What do you want?" Holden demanded.
"Simple. Recognition. Respect. If Richard doesn't start honoring the promises he made to me, I'll take half of everything he owns in the divorce. Emma is his child too, whether you like it or not."
I felt the blood drain from my face. "You gold-digging whore—"
"Careful, Margaret. I have recordings of every conversation Richard and I have had about how this family has treated me. Every cruel comment, every dismissal, every time he promised things would change."
Holden's businessman instincts kicked in. "What's your price? Name a figure. Take the child and disappear."
The silence on the other end stretched for several heartbeats. When Laura spoke again, her voice was ice-cold.
"You think you can buy me off? After everything I've given him? Richard promised me a real marriage, a real life. He promised Emma would grow up as a Harrison, not hidden away like some dirty secret."
"That was before—" Holden started.
"Before what? Before you decided Grace was more useful?" Laura laughed sarcastically. "I know exactly what Grace was to you people. A reliable tool. Well, guess what? Once everything is exposed."
My heart hammered against my ribs. "What are you threatening?"
"I'm not threatening anything, Margaret. I'm making a promise. If Richard doesn't start treating me and Emma like the family we are, I'll go public with everything. The fake marriage to Grace, the real marriage to me, how this family has treated us for six years."
Holden's face had gone ashen.
Laura finished sweetly. "Along with Harrison Group's reputation. Imagine the headlines: 'Harrison Group CEO's Secret Marriage Scandal' or 'Harrison Group Built on Lies.' How do you think your investors will react to that?"
Richard finally responded. "Laura, what exactly do you want to do?"