Honey, You're a Billionaire?

Miles' voice was steady as he continued, "Grandpa adored Harriette, both publicly and privately. She had always been the true eldest daughter of the Young family. If you need proof, there's someone here who can confirm it." "Who?" someone in the crowd asked.

Miles' gaze landed on a figure in the corner of the room, drawing everyone's attention to the person he was looking at. A murmur of recognition swept through the crowd.

"Mr. Finch?" Indeed, the man standing before them was none other than Jonathan.

Then, realization dawned on them. "That's right! Ms. Young and Mr. Finch were childhood sweethearts. If anyone could vouch for Ms. Young's identity, it would be him." However, the crowd wondered if Jonathan would be willing to involve himself in this delicate matter.

At that moment, Jonathan appeared uninterested, his attention seemingly fixed on the ring he was absentmindedly toying with. His indifference was palpable, dimming Harriette's hopeful gaze.

Upon seeing this, Anastasia felt a glimmer of hope. Despite her earlier misstep with Jonathan, she silently prayed that he would remain a passive observer in the Young family's affairs.

Just as Miles was about to call out to Jonathan, Harriette's raspy voice cut through the tension first. "Jonathan, it's been a while."

Her smile was a blend of hope and apprehension as she addressed him. Harriette yearned to capture his attention, yet feared what he might see or see through.

Nonetheless, given their history as childhood sweethearts, she thought it was only appropriate for her to greet him.

Her voice hung in the air, and the room seemed to hold its breath as silence enveloped them. Jonathan didn't respond immediately, making the silence stretch out uncomfortably. Finally, Miles' patience wore thin. "Jonathan, Etta is back!"

This statement seemed to stir Jonathan from his reverie. His eyelids fluttered as he glanced at Miles before turning his gaze to Harriette.

"She's back? But didn't we cross paths recently?" he questioned, his tone slightly puzzled.

Seemingly afraid of being misunderstood, he hurriedly explained, "After the Finch and Maize family's wedding the other day, I bumped into someone. Wasn't that you? Why did you just run away without even saying hello?"

Harriette was caught off guard when Jonathan openly mentioned what had happened that day, but she quickly regained her composure, her smile brightening with a hint of joy.

"So, you recognized me back then, huh?" she asked softly. "I didn't greet you because it had been so long, and I wasn't sure how to face you... especially with my voice..." she confessed, her words trailing off as a flicker of sadness crossed her eyes.

Noticing her distress, Miles quickly interjected, "Jonathan, since you've recognized her as Harriette, would you mind confirming her identity for everyone here?"This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Jonathan met Miles' gaze, and after a brief pause, he raised his eyebrow slightly. "Indeed, she is Harriette the eldest daughter of the Young family once known by that name."

His words hung heavy in the air, and the implication was clear-Anastasia was not the true eldest daughter of the Young family. No one present dared question his word.

A triumphant smile spread across Harriette's face, while Anastasia visibly faltered. She swayed slightly, dizziness overcoming her as she stammered, "No... that's not true... I... I..."

"Then how did she become the Young family's eldest daughter?" someone in the crowd muttered, still puzzled.

After all, for as long as they had known, Anastasia had always been presented as the eldest daughter of the Young family. Her face, her presence it had been ingrained in their minds. Some people even recalled the banquet where Oliver first introduced Anastasia to the public eye.

Miles' voice cut through the murmurs, explaining, "During that banquet, Grandpa didn't bring Anastasia, but she appeared at the event anyway.

"By chance, she saved someone's life, and when that person asked for her identity, she instinctively replied that she was the eldest daughter of the Young family."

His tone dripped with sarcasm. He had suspected back then that Anastasia had attended the banquet on purpose and taken on an identity that wasn't hers.

Miles' gaze hardened as he delivered his accusation. "She deliberately took over the identity that rightfully belonged to Harriette!"

"No! It wasn't like that!" Anastasia instinctively protested, but after Jonathan confirmed that Harriette was indeed the eldest daughter of the Young family, her confidence began to crumble.

The disdainful glances from the crowd bore down on her, making her feel even more vulnerable.

Nevertheless, she mustered what little strength she had left to speak up, even if her words felt empty.

"I didn't mean to take her identity on purpose. Harriette was gone... I just wanted to honor her memory..."

"Honor her?" Miles repeated, his voice laced with cold disbelief. "By taking her identity for yourself?"

"No... that's not what I meant..." Anastasia tried to explain, but the growing murmur of the crowd drowned out her voice.

"Who tries to honor someone by stealing their identity?" one person muttered.

"Exactly! If she truly wanted to remember Harriette, she should've let everyone know she existed in the first place," another remarked.

"She's really crossed the line here-taking advantage of someone's disappearance to claim their identity. How is that different from someone who's preying on the vulnerable?"

"I have to agree with Mr. Young. This was deliberate. After all, when the real eldest daughter was still around, everyone knew about her."

"We all heard that the eldest daughter was well-mannered and had a close bond with Mr. Finch."

"Now that the real one's back, what should we do with the imposter?"

The incriminating voices grew louder, each comment accompanied by piercing stares that disintegrated Anastasia's resolve.

"No, it's not like that..." she muttered, her voice trembling.

Unable to face the crushing judgment any longer, she pushed her way through the crowd and fled.

The remaining crowd turned their attention to Harriette, noticing her slightly furrowed brow and the unconcealed worry on her face.

"Miles, do you think Anastasia will be all right? never meant for things to unfold like this. If she loved being the Young family's eldest daughter so much, she could have

continued... I..."

"You are the true eldest daughter! She is not!" Miles interrupted her firmly, his tone leaving no room for debate.

Harriette's expression remained troubled and tinged with guilt. "If I had known this would happen, I would not have returned... But I missed Grandpa and you far too much."

Miles took her hand gently. "Don't worry. From now on, you're back where you belong... at the Young family's side."

He wanted to say, "by my side", but as the words formed in his mind, he suddenly thought of Rose. His gaze shifted to her.

Rose had been silently observing everything, still struggling to process it all. Harriette... That name had been familiar to her for a long time.

She knew Harriette as the sister Miles cherished and even more so as Jonathan's childhood companion. She had seen photos of Harriette, bright and full of life.

However, she never anticipated the person in those pictures, believed to be gone, would be here before her now.

"Harriette has returned..." she thought.

"Rosie, let me introduce you to someone," Miles said, guiding Harriette toward Rose.

Miles couldn't shake the faint feeling of guilt that had begun to settle in his chest as they approached. He forced a smile as he spoke.

"Rosie, this is-"

"Miles, there's no need for introductions. We've already met," Harriette interrupted.