Chapter 181- Hardin's Real Identity
HARDIN’S POV
The figure stepped out of the shadows, her silhouette slowly coming into view. My heart slammed against my chest as my eyes focused on the woman. Recognition hit me like a truck, but my mind struggled to make sense of it.
The woman was from the bakery—the one I’d brushed off so casually. But now, standing here in this warehouse, the smug smile on her face made it clear this wasn’t a coincidence.
“Hello, Hardin,” she greeted, her voice dripping with venomous amusement.
I took a step forward, positioning myself between her and Ariana. My fists clenched at my sides, the fury boiling beneath my skin almost blinding.
“What the hell is this?” I growled. “What are you doing here? Why do you have Ariana and her mother?”
The woman tilted her head, studying me like I was some puzzle she’d just solved. Then, she let out a humorless laugh that echoed through the room.
“You still don’t know, do you?” she said, her tone almost pitying.
“Know what?” I spat, my voice cold and sharp.
She took a step closer, her heels clicking against the concrete floor. The air around her felt suffocating, thick with malice. Ariana’s hand gripped my arm from behind, her trembling fingers the only thing grounding me.
“I knew you’d come,” the woman said. “From the moment I saw that cross-diamond bracelet on your wrist, I recognized you.” Her eyes flicked to my wrist, and I instinctively covered it. “You’re trouble. You always were.”
My heart pounded harder. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh, Hardin.” She let out a bitter laugh. “You have no idea who you really are, do you?”
The words hit me like a sucker punch. My hands balled into fists, my jaw tightening as I tried to process what she was saying.
“Stop speaking in riddles and get to the point,” I demanded.
Her smile twisted into something sinister. “You’re a Henry, Hardin.”
The air in the warehouse felt heavier, colder, as I locked eyes with the woman. Her lips curled into a sinister smile, a look of triumph that sent an icy chill down my spine.
“You’re a Henry, Hardin,” she repeated, her voice laced with venom.
I blinked, my mind spinning. A Henry? The name alone was enough to stir something deep inside me, but I didn’t know why. I’d heard of the Henrys, of course—the Millers’ fiercest rivals—but what the hell did that have to do with me?
“You’re lying,” I growled, my fists clenching at my sides.
Her laugh was cold and sharp, echoing in the cavernous space. “Oh, I wish I were, boy. But the truth is far more entertaining, isn’t it? You don’t even know who you are.”
Ariana shifted behind me, her fingers tightening around my arm. I could feel her fear, but it was nothing compared to the storm raging inside me.
“I know exactly who I am,” I snapped. “And I’m nothing like you.”
Her smirk deepened, and she took another step closer. “Oh, but you are. You’re more like me than you’d care to admit. After all, you’re family.”
The word hit me like a punch to the gut. I staggered back a step, my mind refusing to process what she’d just said.
“You’re lying,” I said again, but my voice wavered this time.
She tilted her head, her eyes glinting with cruel amusement. “Am I? Think about it, Hardin. Doesn’t it make sense? The cross-diamond bracelet on your wrist? The one your precious mother left behind before I…” She paused, savoring the moment, “...took you.”
Took me?
The world around me tilted, my knees threatening to buckle. Memories I’d buried long ago came rushing back—fragments of whispers, shadows of faces I couldn’t quite place. And the box…
The box someone had sent me months ago. I’d shoved it into the back of my closet, too afraid to open it, too terrified of what I might find.
“You’re lying,” I muttered, but even I could hear the doubt creeping into my voice.
Her smile widened, a predator’s grin. “Oh, I wish I were. But the truth is far more delicious, isn’t it? Your parents—your real parents—were Henrys. They were weak, too blind to see what was best for the family. So I took you. I made sure my son would inherit everything.”
I shook my head, the words bouncing around in my skull like bullets. “No… no. That’s not possible.”
“Oh, it’s more than possible,” she said, her tone turning icy. “It’s the truth. You, Hardin, were never meant to exist. But here you are, threatening everything I’ve built.”
My chest heaved as anger bubbled to the surface, drowning out the shock. “You… you took me from my family? You separated me from my parents?”
Her face hardened, the smugness giving way to something colder. “They were fools. They didn’t deserve you. I did what I had to do.”
Ariana stepped forward, her voice trembling. “You’re sick. You took a child—”
“Silence!” the woman barked, her voice cracking like a whip. “You have no idea what I’ve sacrificed. What I’ve endured to keep this family’s legacy intact.”
I took a step closer, my fists shaking with barely contained rage. “You think that justifies what you did? You tore me away from my parents. You ruined my life!”
Her lips curled into a sneer. “Oh, spare me the theatrics. You don’t even remember them. You’ve spent your entire life in the shadows, playing the orphan. And now, you dare to stand in my way?”
I wanted to scream, to lash out, but her words kept twisting in my head. She was my aunt? My real parents… they were alive?
“Why now?” I demanded, my voice raw. “Why tell me this now?”
She laughed bitterly, gesturing around the room. “Because it’s too late for you to do anything about it. You’ve walked straight into my trap, Hardin. And I can’t have you ruining my plans.”
The words sent a cold shiver down my spine. “What are you talking about?”
Her smile returned, darker this time. “Oh, you’ll find out soon enough. But first…” She stepped back, clapping her hands.
From the shadows, two more figures emerged.
I froze, my breath catching in my throat as they stepped into the dim light. The way they moved, the confidence in their posture—it sent alarms blaring in my head.
Ariana gasped, her grip tightening on my arm. I felt her fear, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the newcomers.
“Allow me to introduce my associates,” my aunt said, her voice dripping with malice. “They’ve been instrumental in bringing you here.”
I opened my mouth to demand answers, but the words caught in my throat. Something about the way they stood, the way they looked at me… It was like they knew me.
But who the hell were they?
And why did it feel like my entire world was about to come crashing down?
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