Chapter 288
Richard’s face was etched with fury as he blocked Isabella’s path. This holiday gathering, meant to showcase the Harding family’s prestige, had devolved into a vulgar spectacle. For generations, the Hardings had maintained an impeccable reputation on Wall Street–he would not allow that legacy to be tarnished by such a disgraceful woman.
“Stay right where you are,” he commanded, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. “Nobody leaves until this is all explained!”
With a sharp gesture, he summoned his security team. “Take Miss Scott to the guest room and ensure she gets dressed. I have questions that require answers.”
The security personnel surrounded Isabella like prison guards escorting a dangerous inmate. Despite her continued struggling and protests, they marched her down the hallway and into one of the guest rooms.
Throughout this debacle, Isabella wept silently, not uttering a word. Her meticulously planned scheme–months in the making–had almost succeeded. She had been mere seconds away from victory, just one step away from permanently securing her position in the Harding family.
What had gone wrong? Her mind raced frantically. Henry had been completely drugged, his eyes unfocused, barely able to stand straight. Logically, he should have been overcome with uncontrollable desire for the first woman he saw–her. Yet somehow, inexplicably, he had walked past her naked body without a second glance, directly toward Sophia. How was that possible?
Inside the guest room, Grace tried her best to comfort her. “Isabella, please put on some clothes,” she said gently, handing her a clean dress. “Whatever happened, you can’t face everyone naked.”
Isabella took the dress mechanically, her mind still processing this catastrophic failure. Everything had been perfect–the timing, the dosage, the witnesses. Catherine had promised the plan would work. They had considered every possible contingency except one: Sophia’s unexpected appearance.
Meanwhile, in the main hall, Richard approached his wife with undisguised rage. His eyes burned with a cold fury that Catherine had never seen before in nearly thirty years of marriage. Without warning, his hand flew through the air, landing a resounding slap across her face.
The sound echoed through the now–silent room. Guests froze mid–conversation, servants stood paralyzed, all eyes fixed on the couple.
“All these years,” Richard said, his voice dangerously low, “I’ve treated you with respect and consideration. Even during our worst arguments, I valued your dedication to our son. But this-” his voice broke slightly, “-this is unforgivable.”
Catherine’s hand flew to her stinging cheek, her eyes wide with shock. In their entire marriage, Richard had never raised a hand to her.
“Do you understand why I struck you?” he continued, towering over her. “As a member of the Harding family, you conspired with an outsider! What exactly is Isabella to you that you would risk our family’s reputation? That you would sacrifice our honor for her?”
Catherine opened her mouth to explain, but the words died on her lips. What could she possibly say? That Isabella was her illegitimate daughter? That she had been desperately trying to secure Isabella’s position in the family before her decades- old secret was exposed?
“Richard, please,” she finally managed to whisper. “It’s not what you think. Let me explain-*
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Chapter 288
“Silence! Richard cut her off. “I don’t want to hear your lies. Do you think I’m blind to your schemes? I’ve allowed many things to pass unchallenged for the sake of family harmony, but no more!”
William’s aged but powerful voice interrupted the confrontation. “Enough of this public spectacle,” he said firmly, leaning heavily on his cane. “Since everyone has witnessed this debacle, we need to address it properly. We need to determine who’s responsible and who intended to harm our family’s reputation.”
He turned to his security team. “Gather every Harding family member in the main hall. And bring in medical professionals. We will get to the bottom of this tonight. The Harding reputation, built over a century, will not be destroyed by these two women.”
Within minutes, the great hall was packed with family members, friends, and staff. To ensure everyone could witness the proceedings, technicians had set up a projector, displaying security footage on a large screen.
William took a microphone. “What happened today might seem like a joke to some of you, but I assure you it is not. For the sake of the Harding family’s century–old reputation, I need to clarify this situation.” He paused, scanning the crowd. “If there are any journalists present, you may record everything. I have only one requirement: report the truth. Nothing more, nothing less.”
He then passed the microphone to Richard, giving him a reassuring nod to take control. Richard stepped forward, his face grim but composed.
“To understand what happened on the second floor, let’s review the security footage,” he announced.
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