Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

In the Barnes family, the recent revelation had kicked up a storm. For over two decades, the uneven distribution of resources had simmered with resentment. The bombshell that the two most promising heirs weren't even Barnes blood was a scandal that rocked the high society of Beaconsfield. It was a disgrace that threatened to undermine the family's standing in the community. How could the Barnes name retain its prestige in Beaconsfield now?

Daisy, forehead slick with sweat, dared not utter a word in her defense. Alivia, kneeling beside her, was utterly dumbfounded. Just recently, she had been relieved that their secret had remained undiscovered, but now, it was laid bare for all to see.

The shock that Kenzo, her brother, was also not a true Barnes had her reeling. "What on earth is going on?" she wondered fearfully, leaning closer to Daisy for support, while Jose, red-faced with anger, bellowed for Collin.

"Collin! Get him back here now!"

The Barnes estate descended into chaos, with family members lashing out at Daisy and Alivia with every insult under the sun. The suppressed anger of years was unleashed with a vengeance, fingers practically jabbing in the faces of the two women. Collin arrived soon after, his shock surpassing everyone else's. To find out that his star son and the daughter he'd painstakingly raised had no ties to him was shattering.

"You! You"

The usually composed man fainted from sheer fury.

Jose could only look at Daisy with disgust. With this scandal breaking, the Barnes family, known for their etiquette and historical scholarship, would struggle to hold their ground. This would become the joke of the inner circle, and the support they used to receive would likely be diverted elsewhere.

has no place for you,"

knees, the events unfolding too rapidly to

defend herself. "Grandfather, my achievements have nothing to do with my birth. I am still the youngest manager at the research institute. Besides, I'm about to

finish, someone burst in, their

issued an official statement. They claim Mr. Dorsey never had any relations with Ms. Alivia, and all rumors suggesting otherwise

are not

presence, his private account following only Brielle, unverified and

The statement from Dorsey

International was carefully worded,

was no relationship between Max and Alivia. It went on to explain the origin of the rosary, a gift from Max's mother Martha, given to Alivia during better times. The announcement

Alivia's manipulative tactics, borne out of unrequited love, had severed any remaining

a toxicology report from Max's medical examination, the implications of which

immediate, calling for her removal from her prestigious position. Her misuse of substances and moral failings made her unfit