1 When my mother was pregnant with me, the Harrington family was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. But the moment her pregnancy test came back positive, our family’s fortune shifted as if a divine hand had cleared our path. Warehouse stock that had been collecting dust for months sold out to a major European client within a week. A massive joint venture that had been stalled for six months was suddenly signed, with the partner voluntarily cutting their own profit share by two percent. Even our banks reached out, offering long-term loans with unprecedentedly low interest rates. My grandfather declared I was the family’s golden child, our lucky star. On the day I was born, he transferred twenty percent of the company’s shares directly to my name and announced to the entire board: “This child will be the future head of Harrington Enterprises.” Because of this, I grew up shielded from the harsh realities of the world, never having to compromise on anything. Until my twentieth birthday. My brother brought a woman named Vivian home to our estate for the party. While my brother went back inside to grab some dessert for me, she stood behind me near the edge of the outdoor pool. Without warning, she kicked me straight into the freezing water. “You’re just a girl destined to be married off to some other family anyway,” she sneered as I splashed. “What makes you think you have any right to inherit the Harrington empire?” I hauled myself out of the pool, dripping wet, shivering as the cold wind hit my skin. I glared at her, my voice laced with ice. “I don’t care who you are, sweetheart, but you might want to start planning your own funeral.” Vivian blinked, as if she had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. She let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Who do you think you’re threatening? You’re just a spoiled brat Grandfather ruined. You think you’re invincible?” Before I could tear her apart verbally, my brother, Austin, walked out carrying a plate of mango mousse. The moment he saw me standing by the edge of the pool, dripping wet, his face went completely white. He dropped the plate, the porcelain shattering on the stone tile, and rushed over. “Audrey! What happened? How did you fall in?” He immediately threw his tailored blazer around my shoulders, his hands hovering over my face in panic. “Are you alright? Come on, let’s get you inside to change.” I pushed his hands away, refusing to speak. I kept my eyes locked on Vivian. Vivian’s demeanor changed in a heartbeat. Her eyes welled with tears, her shoulders trembling delicately. “Austin… the moment you walked away, Audrey accused me of trying to steal her spotlight. She threatened to throw me into the pool. I was so terrified that I pushed her back, and she fell… Austin, please don’t be mad at me.” Austin’s brows furrowed as he turned to look at me. “Audrey, is that true?” Looking at my brother, completely blinded by this woman’s pathetic act, I let out a dry, humorless laugh. We had grown up under the same roof for twenty years. He knew my character, my pride. Yet he believed a stranger over me without a second thought. It was truly pathetic. I pushed my wet hair back from my forehead. “No. She kicked me in.” Austin’s face hardened instantly. He turned back to Vivian. “Vivian, is that true? Did you kick Audrey?” Vivian sobbed harder, her body practically collapsing into Austin’s chest. “Austin, please believe me, I would never… I just met her today. We have no history. Why would I do something so horrible to your sister?” She wept so violently she seemed to lose her breath, clinging to his shirt. “If Audrey doesn’t want me here, I’ll just leave. I don’t want to cause trouble…” Austin, completely intoxicated by her tears, didn’t question a single word. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and glared at me. “Audrey, you’ve gone too far! Even if you don’t like Vivian, you shouldn’t lie like this to ruin her reputation!” My heart went entirely cold. I didn’t cry, and I didn’t scream. I just looked at him and smiled. “So, you believe her over me?” Austin’s scowl deepened, his tone dripping with impatience. “Audrey, Vivian is gentle and honest. She wouldn’t lie about this. If you felt threatened by her presence, you could have just told me and I would have taken her home. You didn’t need to resort to such a cheap, vindictive trick.” A dull, suffocating pain bloomed in my chest. This man, the brother I had trusted for two decades, felt like an absolute stranger. I took off his damp blazer and threw it at his feet. “Austin, I am telling you one last time: she kicked me. I am not lying.” Seeing my anger, Vivian let a tiny, triumphant smirk slip across her lips before burying her face back into Austin’s neck. “Austin, look at her… she’s so aggressive. Maybe I really should just go before I ruin your family.” She made a show of trying to pull away, stumbling slightly for dramatic effect. Austin held her fast, his gaze toward me turning into pure resentment. “Audrey, stop making a scene, alright? Today is your birthday. There are hundreds of guests inside. Do you have to make things so ugly? Look, just apologize to Vivian, and we can put this behind us. I won’t even tell Mom, Dad, or Grandfather.” Apologize? I almost laughed out loud. I was the one who had been assaulted, and now I was being ordered to apologize to the culprit? What kind of warped logic was this? I wiped the remaining water from my cheek. “Austin, you can be as blind as you want, but I am not stupid. Apologize to her? In your dreams.” I turned toward the mansion. “But since you’ve chosen to protect her, make sure you’re ready to handle the consequences.” Inside the estate, our butler gasped when he saw me. He immediately ordered the maids to fetch warm towels, a dry dress, and running hot water for a bath. Sitting in front of the vanity, looking at my reflection, my gaze slowly turned to steel. Since the day I was born, everyone had credited our success to my good luck. It had allowed my family to assume that my achievements were just the universe throwing me a bone. Perhaps it was time to show my claws. It was time to prove that my position in this family wasn’t built on luck, but on raw, unyielding capability. Vivian thought I was just a girl to be discarded. She thought the Harrington empire belonged to Austin. I was going to show her exactly what this “discarded girl” was capable of, and whether her precious heir could actually protect her when the storm hit. By the time I changed and walked back downstairs, the grand ballroom was still filled with music, laughter, and expensive champagne. Grandfather was sitting on a velvet sofa, conversing with several prominent board members. Seeing me, he immediately waved me over. “Audrey, sweetheart, come here. Say hello to Mr. Barlow.” I walked over, offering a polite smile. Grandfather took my hand, his brow furrowing as he felt my skin. “Why are your hands so cold? Where have you been?” Before I could answer, Austin and Vivian walked into the ballroom from the terrace. Vivian’s eyes were still red, her hand resting delicately on Austin’s arm, playing the perfect victim. Austin walked up to Grandfather, smoothing over the tension with a casual tone. “Grandfather, there was a minor misunderstanding out by the pool. Vivian accidentally bumped Audrey into the water. Audrey was a bit shaken up, which is why she took so long to come back down.” With one sentence, he dismissed a deliberate assault as an accident, and framed my absence as a childish tantrum. Vivian bowed her head, her voice soft and trembling. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Harrington. It was entirely my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going. Please don’t blame Austin.” Grandfather’s expression darkened instantly. He turned to me. “Audrey, tell me what happened.” I stood close to Grandfather, resting my hand on his arm, and recounted the entire event calmly. I didn’t exaggerate, and I didn’t leave anything out. I repeated Vivian’s exact words. Grandfather’s face grew black as thunder. He slammed his heavy mahogany cane against the marble floor. The loud crack echoed through the massive ballroom. The music stopped, and the chatter died instantly. Every eye in the room turned toward Austin and Vivian. Austin’s face pale, but he tried to stand his ground. “Grandfather, that’s not true. Vivian would never say those things. Audrey must have misheard.” “Misheard?” I looked at Austin, a cold smile playing on my lips. “There are high-definition security cameras facing the pool. Let’s pull up the footage and see who is telling the truth.” Grandfather slammed his hand on the armrest. “Exactly. Project the security footage onto the main ballroom screens right now.” The butler, who had been waiting nearby, immediately went to execute the order. But less than two minutes later, he returned, his face pale and his voice barely a whisper. “Sir… the security feed for the pool terrace… the lines were cut. They’ve been offline since last week.” The ballroom fell into a suffocating silence. The color returned to Vivian’s face. She looked at me with a sudden surge of arrogance, stepping out from behind Austin. “Audrey… you insisted there was footage. But the cameras have been broken for a week. You must have known that. What are you trying to do? Are you trying to drive me to suicide just to get your way?” Austin seized the opportunity, his brow furrowing with disappointment. “Audrey, Vivian already apologized for the accident. Why must you keep dragging this out? I tried to save your dignity, but you insist on making a scene. I suggest you drop it while you still can.” I looked at Vivian’s smug expression, and the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place. Out of all the cameras on this massive estate, only the pool terrace was offline. And Vivian just happened to attack me in that exact blind spot. If this wasn’t a coordinated setup, I was a fool. But with hundreds of high-profile guests watching, dragging out a dispute without concrete proof would only make me look hysterical. It would damage my standing as the heir. I suppressed the fury burning in my chest and let out a soft, mocking laugh. “Fine. Since the cameras are convenient offline, it’s my word against yours. Arguing further would only make me look like a bully.” I raised my glass to the room, my voice carrying clearly across the silent hall. “I apologize for the disruption, everyone. It was just a minor misunderstanding. Please, enjoy the rest of the evening.” The guests, relieved by the transition, quickly picked up their conversations, though their curious glances still drifted toward us. Grandfather’s hands were shaking with anger, his knuckles white on his cane. I squeezed his hand gently, whispering, “We will handle this tonight, Grandpa. Let’s keep up appearances for the guests first.” Looking at my calm, calculated expression, Grandfather managed to suppress his rage. He glared at Austin and Vivian, dismissively waving his hand. “I am too old for these childish dramas. I am retiring for the night. But let it be known; if I find out anyone has laid a hand on my granddaughter, they will learn exactly how ruthless I can be.” With that, his assistants escorted him upstairs. Once the crowd dispersed, Vivian walked over to me, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. She reached out to touch my arm. “Audrey, thank you for being so understanding…” I stepped back, avoiding her touch entirely. I walked past her without granting her a single glance. My retreat wasn’t out of fear. It was strategy. I knew that without proof, throwing a tantrum would only play into their hands. It was far better to let them believe they had won, to let them grow careless, while I uncovered who was pulling the strings. For the rest of the night, I played the perfect host, laughing and drinking with our associates. Austin tried to approach me several times, but I avoided him effortlessly. Believing I had accepted defeat, he spent the rest of the night introducing Vivian to our extended family, practically presenting her as the future lady of the estate. Looking at them, I realized my brother was entirely unfit to run this company. A man with his temperament would bankrupt Harrington Enterprises within two years. As soon as the party ended, I called my personal assistant, Alistair, into my study. Alistair had been with me for years; he was brilliant, highly capable, and fiercely loyal. He had managed all my private investments outside the family firm, a secret known only to Grandfather. “Ms. Harrington, you called?” Alistair asked, noting my tense expression. I sat at my desk and laid out everything that had happened by the pool. “I need you to investigate two things immediately. First, Vivian. I want her entire background; her family, her education, how she met Austin, and every detail of her schedule. Leave nothing out. Second, find out who was responsible for the estate’s security maintenance this past week. Find out who handled the pool terrace lines, and who authorized leaving them offline.” Alistair took swift notes. “Should we keep this from your brother?” “Absolutely,” I replied, taking a slow sip of water. “Keep it from my parents as well. This investigation must be entirely silent.” “Understood. I’ll have the initial reports by tomorrow morning.” “One more thing,” I added, recalling Vivian’s arrogance. “Check if Austin has been in contact with any outside investment firms lately, particularly those hostile to Harrington Enterprises. And run a check on his personal accounts for any massive, unusual transactions.” I wanted to believe in family. But his behavior tonight went far beyond being blinded by infatuation. If he was merely stupidly in love, I could handle him. But if he was actively plotting to destroy our family legacy… Well, he had just earned a permanent spot on my blacklist.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “507056”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel
Leave a Reply