Chapter 20 The Counterfeit Heiress Turns the Tables 19

After enduring the agony of silence and avoidance for some time, she finally succumbed to her impulses and sought him out, only to find herself continually shut out or ignored. Her heart sank into despair, yet she clung to the faintest glimmer of hope, which was extinguished the moment she witnessed that scene.

Indeed, Alex's tactics were masterful, effortlessly stealing him away with a subtle dance of push and pull.

Though resentment lingered deep within her, she was powerless to alter the course of events. In the aftermath of their breakup, she couldn't help but wonder if, had she been born into the same privileged background as Alex, would she have possessed the ease to attain her desires?

Alas, she was not. Born into a single-parent household, devoid of a father's love and plagued by her mother's indifference, she found herself consumed by a profound resentment towards the injustices of fate.

"Why are you here?" Ethan's eyes betrayed a trace of irritation upon seeing her. If not for her, he and Alex would not have reached this impasse.

"Rest assured, I'm not here to beg for your forgiveness." His impatience stung, prompting her to preserve the last shreds of her dignity. "I shan't trouble you again."

"..."

"Once, I felt myself pitiful, but after meeting you, I thought I was the happiest person alive. Yet, it was all but a fleeting dream!" She wiped away her tears, her voice laced with sorrow. "I do not regret loving you, but I grieve over the unfairness of fate. If I possessed Alex's lineage, I would have fought tooth and nail to reclaim you. Yet, lacking the strength to compete, I yield."

"My feelings for her are not rooted in her lineage," Ethan stated sincerely.

Tian Tian scarcely believed his words. In this world, who else but her former self would dare believe in the purity of love?

However, it mattered little now, for she had already suffered a crushing defeat.

"I shall leave this city, nevermore to haunt your thoughts." There was nothing left for her here...

"Where are you going?" Ethan asked, instinctively concerned.

"It is of no concern to you," Tian Tian replied firmly. "Let us part ways here."

"..."

"I wish you every happiness and a swift reunion with her." With those words, Tian Tian fled, leaving Ethan plagued by guilt.

Regardless, he had been the one to inflict the pain.

As Tian Tian ran, tears streaming down her face, she collided with someone—none other than Fu Licheng, who had accompanied her on her job search.

"Tian Tian, where have you been? I've been searching for you... Why are you crying? Who hurt you? Tell me, and I'll make things right..."

"Fu Daige, please take me away. I don't want to stay here for even a moment longer. Take me far away from here!" Overcome by emotion, Tian Tian threw herself into Fu Licheng's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Caught off guard by her sudden embrace, Fu Licheng's face flushed crimson as her softness pressed against his chest. Stumbling over his words, he promised, "I'll take you away. Wherever you want to go."

"Really?" Tian Tian asked, her tear-stained eyes filled with hope. Witnessing her vulnerability, Fu Licheng felt an overwhelming urge to protect her, affirming without hesitation, "Yes, really."

"Fu Daige, you're so kind to me." Tian Tian smiled, her beauty dazzling as it illuminated Fu Licheng's heart, causing it to skip a beat.

The following day, upon arriving at the office, Alex's first order of business was to arrange a meeting with Shen Zhen to discuss a collaboration. Initially hesitant, Shen Zhen was swayed by Alex's alluring proposal, ultimately agreeing to a face-to-face discussion scheduled for the next afternoon at 2:30.

That morning, after breakfast, Keller's grandfather and Alex's father departed for work, leaving Alex to organize her meticulously prepared documents at home.

An inexplicable unease lingered within her, perhaps fueled by nerves.

Alex's mother entered, carrying a neatly ironed outfit. Noticing her daughter's preoccupation, she inquired with concern, "Darling, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Mom, I'm fine, just a bit tired."

"If you're tired, why don't you take a nap? I'll wake you up for lunch."

"Okay," Alex nodded, and her mother left, placing the outfit aside.

Lying on the bed, Alex dozed off, only to awaken at noon. Surprised that her mother hadn't called her, she brushed her hair and stepped out of her room.

As she neared the staircase, she overheard Fu Licheng and Tian Tian's voices, causing her to pause abruptly.

Why were they here? Suddenly recalling something, she hastened to the stairwell, making a commotion that went unnoticed by the others.

The scene before her weighed heavily on her heart.

This day had finally arrived.

She witnessed Alex's mother's emotions spiral out of control as she seized Fu Licheng's collar, demanding answers. Alex's father, who had returned unnoticed, sat on the sofa, head bowed, his expression hidden from view.

"It can't be true! This can't be true! How can Alex not be my biological daughter? This diary—you must have forged it!"

"Aunt, I understand this is difficult to accept. But the diary is genuine," Fu Licheng said sincerely. "If not for Tian Tian stumbling upon it by chance, the truth might have remained buried forever."

"..."

"Aunt, Tian Tian is your true daughter. She's suffered greatly without a father, and now even her birth mother refuses to acknowledge her. Isn't that too cruel?"

"Fu Daige, please stop. I know it's hard for Mrs. Andra to accept... Even I can't believe it's true..." Tian Tian's eyes were swollen from crying, her fragile appearance evoking profound pity. "Perhaps we're mistaken..."

"Yes, you must be mistaken. Alex is my daughter. How could I not recognize my own flesh and blood? I..." Alex's mother mumbled, her words incoherent even to herself.

Years of nurturing Alex as her beloved daughter, her life's treasure, now shattered by the revelation that she was not of her blood but sent by her husband and rival as a cruel vengeance. How could she bear such a betrayal?