Chapter 4

The hospital room went dead quiet.

Then Dad exploded:

"That’s impossible!"

He went pale when he saw the bankruptcy notice, trying to steady Mom:

"It’s fine! Even if Maxwell Corp goes under, Grandpa will help us! He has to!"

The door slammed open. Grandpa Arthur strode in, stone-faced, with a frail old woman trailing behind him.

The woman spotted Dad and collapsed to her knees, wailing:

"My poor boy! I’m so sorry I left you in the snow that night. I’ve been looking for you everywhere!"

Dad recoiled, shoving her away:

"What are you talking about?! I’m the Maxwell heir! You’re crazy!"

He turned to Grandpa, voice shaking:

"Dad, tell her! I’m your real son, right?"

Grandpa’s eyes swept the room, finally landing on my bruised face. He motioned me over.

I walked over silently. He took my hand and announced:

"From this day forward, Avery is the sole heir to the Maxwell fortune."

"She’s proven herself at the company, and she’s my only true blood descendant."

Dad’s face lit up. He rounded on the old woman:

"Did you hear that? Avery’s my daughter—she’s a Maxwell! Who paid you to lie?"

He spun to me, eyes blazing:

"Avery! What did you do? Did you brainwash Grandpa? I’m supposed to be the heir!"

The old woman wiped her tears, sniffling:

"How can you say that? If I hadn’t left you on the Maxwells’ doorstep, you’d have starved to death!"

Dad grilled her, demanding to know about birthmarks or identifying features.

The woman stammered, clearly making things up.

Dad pounced on her hesitation:

"We’re in a hospital—let’s do a DNA test right now!"

He didn’t notice Grandpa’s icy stare.

When the DNA results came back, Dad crumpled to the floor.

Jasper went berserk. He charged at me, fist raised:

"Avery! You rigged this!"

Grandpa’s bodyguards intercepted him, shoving him onto the floor.

Dad lost all his dignity. He crawled to Grandpa, begging:

"Dad, please! You can’t throw me away like this!"

He was over fifty, still clinging to Grandpa’s coattails.

Grandpa sighed, his eyes flicking to Seraphina:

"You couldn’t see what was right in front of you. Avery’s my granddaughter, and you let them hurt her."

Dad snapped out of his stupor and charged into Seraphina’s room.

Seraphina’s eyes flew open as he backhanded her off the bed:

"You idiot! Your little games cost me everything!"

She clutched her cheek, tears instantly welling:

"Dad? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to..."

Even Mom, who’d always coddled her, pointed a shaking finger:

"You selfish little liar! How could you frame Avery? You deserve to rot in that backwoods shack!"

They dragged Seraphina out.

She broke free and lunged at me:

"Avery! What did you do to me..."

This time I didn’t hold back. I kicked her down and turned to Richard and Eleanor:

"While I’m still calling you Mom and Dad—get her out of my sight."