Honey, You're a Billionaire?

Harriette's heart burned with rage. The words of those around her were harsh but painfully true. Not only that, but the public only knew Rose as Oliver's adopted granddaughter and was unaware of her true identity. If they discovered that Rose was of Young family blood, they would surely raise her on an even higher pedestal. One could only imagine what would happen to Harriette by then.

She locked her gaze on Rose, who stood confidently in the spotlight, and her hand involuntarily clenched into a fist.

Rose's radiant charm remained the same as before, and her brilliance would likely only grow stronger in the future.

As for Harriette, she couldn't help but wonder if she would forever be overshadowed by Rose even with a new face. She hadn't forgotten the reason she decided to change her face in the first place.

From Kelly to Harriette, she had made this transformation with a clear goal in mind. This time, she was determined to get what she wanted. Lowering her gaze, she started contemplating her next steps. Meanwhile, within the crowd, another person was equally displeased.

Standing beside Eleanor, Lizzie's smile remained fixed in place but had long since lost its warmth. Eleanor's murmurs of surprise reached her ears.

"Rose? So it was her all along... When Clover came to the manor to pick her up, I knew there was something special between them, but I didn't realize...

"I should have figured it out sooner, but I guess I'm getting old, and my mind isn't as sharp as it used to be... ha ha..."

Despite Eleanor's soft, self-deprecating mutterings, her delight was evident. It was as though she had stumbled upon a hidden gem and discovered it just in time.

Certain that Rose had no intention of leaving, Eleanor refocused her attention on Elijah. After all, this once-legendary figure of the Xanth family had long retired from the business world.

He was in Regalia for Clover's acknowledgment of Rose as his sister, and there was no telling when he would return to the Xanth family.

She scanned the crowd, relying on her years of experience in recognizing people. Soon, she spotted a man dressed in casual attire, deliberately keeping a low profile. Even so, his distinguished presence set him apart from the crowd. Standing beside him was someone she had not expected-Jonathan.

Eleanor's surprise was palpable. However, her initial shock gave way to a nod of satisfaction. Her grandson had a knack for meeting her expectations, and there he was, already standing by Elijah's side just as she had spotted him. Unbeknownst to Eleanor, Jonathan had not only positioned himself next to Elijah but had also handed him something ten minutes earlier.

Jonathan glanced at the badge now gripped tightly in Elijah's hand. After a moment of contemplation, he chuckled softly.

"Mr. Xanth, you might want to return that to me."

Elijah's gaze remained fixed on Rose, his hands clenching the badge even tighter. Ignoring Jonathan's comment, he asked, "Where did you get this?"

Jonathan's mind drifted back to that night in Aquastead. He said, "A fascinating woman used it to buy my time for one night, but I prefer to call it a token of love."

Elijah frowned and turned to give Jonathan a long, probing look. After a moment, his voice trembled ever so slightly as he uttered, "It's her?"

Elijah's gaze shifted back to Rose, and Jonathan followed his gaze.

"Yes, it's her."

Those two simple words seemed to unleash the tightly wound emotions Elijah had been desperately suppressing.

Rose wasn't a stranger to him. After all, he had met her at Aurora Crest just yesterday where her eyes had struck him as uncannily similar to someone from his past.

Now, seeing Rose in that black dress with her hair in a high ponytail, for a fleeting moment, it was as if he were looking at her-Henrietta.

Although these factors alone weren't enough to ascertain her identity, the badge in his hand left no doubt that she was who he thought she was.

Observing Elijah's expression, Jonathan knew he had recognized her.

As for the coin... Jonathan lowered his gaze as he continued, "At first, I thought it was just an ancient coin, but one day, I stumbled upon something hidden within it."

"It was her!" Elijah interjected with certainty. "She must have altered it intentionally. I remember how much she disliked the badge's design, yet she couldn't bring herself to discard it.Content © NôvelDrama.Org 2024.

"I know it held great significance to

her. It seemed like she was always

running away from something related to this badge. Turning it into an ancient coin is exactly the kind of thing she would do."

As memories of the woman he had loved all his life flooded his mind, a gentle light filled Elijah's eyes.

"I've spent years searching for her. The only information I managed to uncover was that she was pregnant back then. But after that...

"It was as if she vanished from the face of the earth. No matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find a trace," he admitted.

These were words Elijah had never

shared with anyone-not even

Clover. Yet, here he was, pouring his heart out to the man who had given him the badge. He could sense that Jonathan shared a deep connection with Rose.

Jonathan thought of Celeste. "Well, perhaps she changed her name and her appearance..."

"You mean..." Elijah had never considered this possibility. He stared fixedly at Jonathan, "What else do you know?"

Jonathan knew more than he let on, but as long as Elijah had a lead, he would find the rest on his own.

Facing Elijah's intense stare, Jonathan said calmly, "Mr. Xanth, all I can tell you is that Rose's mother's name is Celeste. As for the rest..."

"Celeste..." Elijah repeated the name in his mind before replying, "I understand." He would find out the rest himself.

"Thank you," he said, glancing at Jonathan before his gaze shifted to the bandaged area beneath Jonathan's jacket. Though partially hidden, the faint outline of the injury was still noticeable.

It was clear that he had recognized Jonathan as the man who had saved Rose twice at Aurora Crest, even sustaining injuries in the process.

This expression of gratitude stemmed not only from the information Jonathan had provided but also from his selfless protection of Rose.

As Rose and Clover approached, hand in hand, Elijah's heart began to race.

"Mr. Xanth, the badge..." Jonathan's voice sounded beside him. "I'm sorry, but that's a token of her affection for me, and I don't want to give it to you."

Elijah was taken aback for a moment. "You do realize that I'm her..." He trailed off, knowing that asking for the badge back would only reveal just how much Jonathan cared for Rose.

They exchanged a brief smile of understanding before Elijah handed the badge back to Jonathan, who soon vanished into the crowd.

By then, Clover and Rose had arrived in front of Elijah.

"Uncle Elijah, this is the person I wanted you to meet. Her name is Rose Shaffer, and she's not just someone consider a sister-she is my sister from now on," Clover said excitedly as he pushed Rose forward for Elijah to get a better look at her.

He was certain that his uncle would grow fond of Rose once he got to know her.

"Rosie, the person I want you to meet is him. He is―"

"I've met him before!" Rose exclaimed, cutting off Clover's enthusiastic introduction.

The moment she laid eyes on him, she had been momentarily stunned. Turning to Clover, she exclaimed happily, "Clo, I know him!"