Chapter 1566 The Cruel Irony of Fate
She hated it—how could human trafficking exist in this world? How could someone snatch a child right off the street?
And why, of all people, did it have to happen to her?
She had never recovered. The nightmares had haunted her for years, driving her to train relentlessly, to become stronger at any cost. In her dreams, she had stopped the disaster countless times, had managed to hold onto her brother's hand, only to wake up feeling like reality itself was nothing but an illusion.
"Selena, can you believe it? He's still alive, waiting for me. Sometimes I swear I can hear him calling me," Daisy Lynn whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Selena pulled a tissue from the box and offered it to her, but Daisy didn't take it. Instead, she lay back and slowly closed her eyes, tears continuing to flow unchecked.
Not knowing what to say, Selena quietly slipped out, giving Daisy the space she needed.
Back in her own bedroom, Selena found herself wide awake, struck by the cruel irony of fate. Her phone rang—Shelley calling to ask when she'd be returning home.
"I'm not sure yet, Shelley. Are you... really getting married?" Selena asked.
There was a brief silence before Shelley laughed softly. "Yes, and if you don't come back soon, you'll miss it entirely."
Guilt washed over Selena. Shelley was her best friend, but during her time in Silver Bay City, so much had happened that she'd barely shared a meal with her. Now she might miss her wedding.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," she promised.
"Selena, I just wanted to let you know. I understand you're busy there. By the way, you asked me to look after Ann? Well, there seems to be something going on between her and Paul—or rather, Ann's been pursuing him one-sidedly. Emily's spread it all over our circle, and Paul hasn't bothered to clear things up. He's actually getting married to Elara from the Reed family. Elara's back in the country, and both families are meeting soon."
Selena froze, realizing how out of touch she'd become with events back home.
Wasn't Paul the one who supposedly despised women? How was he suddenly getting married?
"How is Ann holding up?" she asked.
"Hard to say. She's throwing herself into her work. Your company's landed some major contracts lately. Everyone in the industry speaks highly of her, at least professionally."
Selena understood—Ann still couldn't let go of Paul. She couldn't blame her. Even in Silver Bay City's elite circles, Paul stood out. And he had shown Ann kindness once. If he'd been cold-hearted from the start, Ann would never have fallen for him.
Before Selena could ask anything else, a loud thud came from outside her room.
"Shelley, I'll call you back. Something's come up." She ended the call quickly.
After hanging up, Shelley rubbed her temples wearily. The television blared headlines: "Harper Group Jewelry CEO Behind Bars—Heiress to Wed the Mastermind?"
The story had dominated everything from TV news to Twitter's trending topics all day.
Shelley grabbed the remote and switched off the TV. Her phone chimed with a message from Ann, who had been checking in occasionally since that incident at the gala.
Ann had clearly seen the news. So she texted: [Are you okay?]
Shelley replied: [I'm fine. Just relaxing at home.]
Ann stared at the response, tempted to ask what exactly had happened with the Harper family.
Whoever had orchestrated everything had done so masterfully. Within days, the Harper Group had announced the transfer of all shares to an outsider, followed immediately by CEO Benjamin Harper being taken in for questioning.
Rumors connected it to a car accident years ago that had killed three people—allegedly caused by Benjamin Harper himself. The media hadn't reported specifics, but everyone said Philip was involved.
It seemed bizarre that the rational, intelligent Benjamin Harper, who adored his only daughter Shelley, would suddenly hand his empire to an outsider rather than to her—especially one who wasn't even her husband yet. Until the wedding took place, Philip remained an outsider.
Ann had seen Philip at last night's gala—a rising star with impressive tactics. His former rough edges had been polished away, replaced by an elegant demeanor that made him stand out. In the short time since becoming Harper Group's CEO, he had acquired several competing companies, making quite a name for himself.
Despite extensive media coverage, few in their circle knew the truth. Ann worried about Shelley and wondered what was really happening between her and Philip.
But from Shelley's response, it was clear she didn't want to talk about it.
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