Chapter 543 He Is Not My Father's Son
Harper could only catch a glimpse of a woman's profile and a bit of a wedding dress up ahead, but she was pretty sure it was Audrey.
Maybe it was the white wedding dress that did the trick, but Audrey's usually pale face looked elegant, and even her profile seemed lively and delicate.
Just before stepping into the elevator, Audrey turned and spotted Harper. For a split second, surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly masked it.
Harper figured Audrey would jump at the chance to throw some shade. But to her surprise, Audrey didn't come over; she just looked away and let her assistant help her into the elevator. If it weren't for Audrey's face, Harper would've doubted her own eyes. It was rare for Audrey to pass up such a golden opportunity to mock her.
Once the elevator doors shut and the wedding dress was out of sight, Harper felt like the whole thing was just too coincidental. Since getting kicked out of Northfield by Francis, she never thought she'd be at their wedding.
Just as she was lost in thought, Audrey's assistant, who had spoken earlier, rushed over and snapped, "I'm talking to you, why are you still holding up your phone?"
Harper looked around; there was no one else behind her and Ronald, and she was the only one with a phone. That's when she realized the assistant was talking to her.
Harper explained, "I wasn't taking pictures; I was just using my phone."
But the assistant lunged to grab Harper's phone, only to have her wrist caught by Ronald. Ronald shoved her away and growled, "Watch your behavior!"
"You!" The assistant yelped, her wrist hurting from the twist, and she angrily called out to a passing waiter, "How do you handle things here? Didn't you say no phones were allowed in the venue today?"
The waiter glanced at Harper and, being rational, asked, "Excuse me, which room are you in?"
After Harper gave her room number, the waiter's demeanor changed to one of respect, "I'm sorry, it was a misunderstanding. You can go back to your room to rest."
The assistant protested, "Why should they leave without me checking the phone?"
The waiter quickly stopped the assistant, "This lady is our VIP guest and is allowed to use her phone. Besides, you have no concrete evidence to prove she took pictures of the bride."
The waiter was being fair, and Harper, not wanting to make things harder for him, turned to the assistant and asked, "If my phone doesn't have the photos you claim, what will you do? What price are you willing to pay for your actions?"
The assistant was left speechless. After a brief pause, she snapped, "It's best if you don't have them. What price? If you're so confident, just let me see your phone, and we'll know."
Harper almost laughed. Sure enough, Audrey's assistant was just as unreasonable as Audrey, acting like the whole world should cater to her.
Harper gave her a cold look, "Why do I need to prove my innocence? If you think I took pictures, show me the evidence. You make the accusation, you provide the proof. Such a simple principle, you should understand. I won't waste my time on such pointless matters."
Harper shut the assistant up with just a few sharp words. Way more effective than Ronald's clenched fists. After all, Ronald couldn't really hit a woman.
After that, Harper went back to her room and didn't come out again, even had dinner delivered.
While eating, she turned on the financial channel out of habit, only to see Francis's grand wedding plastered all over the screen. She forgot that almost every channel in Northfield was broadcasting Francis's over-the-top wedding.
The TV showed the noon reception, guests pouring in, the venue decked out with a ridiculous amount of flowers. Clearly, a ton of money had been blown on this wedding. Francis, looking sharp in his suit, and the beautiful Audrey, walked hand in hand to the podium at the entrance.
At this point, Harper had seen enough. She wasn't into self-torture, and being pregnant, she needed to keep her emotions in check. No need to make herself miserable. Distance makes the heart grow indifferent; not caring about the other person's life was already a big step forward.
Just as she was about to turn off the TV, the broadcast's background sound suddenly cut off. Keith, dressed in a white suit and looking all refined and elegant, walked slowly onto the stage, clapping his hands.
"Today is truly a great day," Keith said, looking at Francis and Audrey with a fake smile, "On behalf of the Getty family, congratulations, Francis."
Immediately, the place erupted in whispers. People were wondering what did he mean by representing the Getty family.
There had been some internal disputes within the company, and to keep the Getty Group's reputation intact, these incidents had been kept under wraps. So even though there were some rumors, many business partners in the audience didn't know Keith's identity.
Standing high up, Francis looked seriously ticked off. Keith and Ryan had been explicitly banned from entering, along with some shareholders. But now, all these people had received invitations.
Francis turned to look at Audrey in her wedding dress and said calmly, "You sent the invitations."
It wasn't a question; his tone was dead certain.
Audrey's heart raced, and her fingers clenched tightly as Francis saw right through her.
Indeed, Keith had asked Audrey to send out dozens of invitations as the bride, distributing them to all the shareholders. But she wouldn't admit it and kept up the act. "Francis, I don't know what you're talking about."
Francis sneered and turned away, clearly uninterested in Audrey's excuses or her act. Audrey, full of arguments, was left speechless by Francis's contemptuous glance. Instantly, she felt awkward and her expression soured.
Since that was the case, she decided to drop the act. After all, Francis was about to fall from grace. In the future, she could manipulate Francis however she wanted.
On the stage, Keith stood tall, soaking in the various expressions of doubt and disdain from the crowd. His lips curled into a proud smile; today, he could finally take his revenge and make Francis taste the impending downfall.
"As a member of the Getty family, I have a few words to say to everyone."
Keith's statement caused an even bigger stir. Keith had gone from representing the Getty family to being a Getty. What on earth was going on?
The crowd's expressions varied, but Francis remained remarkably calm. Audrey glanced over secretly, deeply puzzled as to why Francis seemed so calm as if he knew everything.
But Audrey's surprise was fleeting. After all, she would soon witness a spectacular scene, and just thinking that Harper must be watching the wedding somewhere made her particularly happy.
The reason Audrey didn't mock Harper earlier was because she was anticipating the upcoming drama. Moreover, Francis had someone watching her, preventing her from wandering around, otherwise, she wouldn't have missed the chance.
However, it seemed Francis didn't know Harper was back.
Looking at Francis's calm demeanor, she thought about his so-called punishment, which was merely sending Harper abroad and banning her from Northfield. What kind of punishment was that? It wasn't as severe as Audrey's. He had left the stillborn by her bedside, causing her to have nightmares every night.
For two consecutive nights, she dreamt of Jonathan, his body charred and terrifying, coming to settle scores with her. In the dream, Jonathan, who had always obeyed her, dared to strangle her and question why she didn't protect their child.
Looking at Francis's incredibly handsome face, Audrey always felt an overwhelming sense of unease deep inside. Something was off.
But before she could think more, Keith's words shocked everyone. "Dear shareholders, I have something important to share with you. Francis is not my father's son. He..."
The audience held their breath, unable to believe what they were hearing.
Keith paused for effect, cleared his throat, and continued, "He lost his parents at a young age and was adopted by my father out of charity."
Then, Keith projected a paternity test on the big screen. It clearly stated that the two individuals tested had no blood relation.
He added, "This test is notarized, and my father is willing to undergo another test at any time."
After a long silence, the audience erupted in discussion.
"Oh my God, Mr. Francis Getty isn't Mr. Ryan Getty's son?"
"No wonder the two of them fight like enemies in the company. I always thought those fights are for nothing since the son is bound to succeed the father's heritage. Turns out Mr. Francis Getty is not his biological son!"
"I heard rumors that Mr. Ryan Getty had an illegitimate child. Looks like the rumors were true."
"He's not an illegitimate child anymore; he's the sole heir of the Getty family."
These comments were loud enough to be heard on stage. Keith's lips curled into a proud smile. After so many years, he finally had his moment of triumph.
Keith continued, "The reason I'm revealing this today is because Francis has maliciously occupied a position that doesn't belong to him and refuses to return it to my father. My father adopted him out of kindness, but Francis has been excluding me and trying to take over our position, pushing my father and me out."
Keith turned to the calm and composed Francis and sneered, "Do you think this is reasonable, Mr. Getty?"
The way he said "Mr. Getty" was dripping with sarcasm.
Anyone else would have been ashamed or furious. But Francis remained calm, as if he wasn't the subject of the discussion.
Despite Keith's confidence, he was starting to feel uneasy. How could Francis remain so expressionless, giving Keith no clue about his emotions?
At this moment, Ryan also took the stage to show his support. To repair his image after previous disputes with Francis, Ryan played it smart this time, coming up with tears in his eyes, "Francis, even though we have no blood relation, I have a lifelong duty to guide you as your father. You may disregard my kindness in raising you, but you shouldn't have treated Keith so harshly, using so many tactics!"
Ryan wiped his tears and said in a choked voice, "As your father, I bear some responsibility for how you've turned out, but this time, you've truly disappointed me!"
Ryan's performance was that of a father who was heartbroken by his son's actions.
If their story were true, Francis would indeed be heartless. Morally, he would be harshly condemned. And legally, Francis had no right to inherit the Getty Group.
Given Francis's silence, people were unsure of his stance. Ryan, growing impatient, pretended to be magnanimous, "Francis, to consider your feelings and ensure your healthy growth, I never told you about your adoption. But now, my biological son has been so excluded by you that I have no choice but to clarify things. I hope you can correct your mistakes and return the Getty Group to its rightful place. Of course, if you still wish to work at the Getty Group, you are welcome, and I will keep a position for you."
Ryan's words sounded generous, but he was confident that Francis would never stay. With Francis's intelligence, he should know the kind of exclusion he would face if he stayed, making it impossible for him to remain. He wouldn't be that foolish.
"Mr. Getty." Francis used the same sarcastic tone to address Ryan. Then, he looked up and asked Ryan, "Ryan, that name was given to you by Grandpa, right?"
Ryan's face turned pale, and he immediately retorted, "You bastard, I'm still your father, and you dare call me by my name. It seems you're determined to continue your mistakes."
This made Francis laugh even more. That contemptuous laugh came out without hesitation.
Francis looked down and said, "Mr. Getty, do you really not know who is continuing their mistakes?"
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