Chapter 269
""Cassie..."" Leo urged with desperation, ""You have to come back with me. If you're under my watch, I can protect you. Your identity won't stay a secret for long. A lot of people in the Chapman family knew about your mother's relationship with me.""
Cassie was taken aback.
Carter Harrison explained, ""The Chapmans have vast assets. There’s a lot of envy among the heirs. As Leo's daughter, you have a claim to the inheritance, and some would do anything for a piece of that power.""
Her frustration was twofold: not only did she have no interest in wealth, but the sudden emergence of a 'father' had become an added burden in her life.
""Mr. Chapman, don't worry, I'll talk to her. For now, let's go visit Isabella's grave,"" Carter Harrison changed the subject.
Cassie agreed to join them. On the way, Leo shared many memories of knowing Isabella.
Yet Cassie felt far from moved; she simply asked, ""Why did you and my mother break up, then?""
""More than twenty years ago, I was just a powerless puppet in my family's plot. I accidentally got involved with my now-wife, Vera, and when your mother found out, she left me. Not long afterward, I heard she passed away.""
Leo's expression turned bitter. ""After that, I drifted through life aimlessly until Vera got pregnant. Out of responsibility to her and the child, I agreed to get married.""
The more Cassie heard, the more upset she became; it sounded like a cliché soap opera plot, with her mother as the unfortunate casualty.
After paying their respects at the grave, she made her excuses and left early.
Watching her retreating figure, Leo sighed deeply. ""Cassie doesn't seem to want to acknowledge me.""
""She's had a tough year because of the Brooks,"" Carter Harrison tried to explain.
""I know. I blame myself for being too late. But I'm determined to bring her into the Chapman fold to make up for lost time and take good care of her,"" Leo spoke guiltily.
---
The next morning, after wrapping up a meeting, Cassie returned to her office to find Carter Harrison already there waiting.
""Mr. Harrison, you knew he was my dad all along, didn't you?"" Cassie cut straight to the chase. ""Are you also hoping I'll return to the Chapmans?""
Carter Harrison didn't beat around the bush. ""Cassie, only by going back to the Chapmans can you uncover who really harmed your mother. I've always suspected that woman Vera.""
Cassie felt the headache building. She had barely ended one battle, and now she was being drawn into another family feud. It was a weariness she couldn't quite express.
""Did she really hate my mom that much?""
""Vera is ruthless. She is the eldest daughter in the Wades,"" Carter Harrison sighed, speaking frankly. ""If you don't want to dig into it, that's fine. Your mom's been gone for years, and the past has blown away like dust. Leo and Vera are close now; they're not easy targets.""
Cassie fell silent.
Carter Harrison stood up. ""I'm here just to share what I know, but understand this: if Vera learns about you, she'll be the first to strike. It's better to be at Leo's side than alone and vulnerable.""
""Leo has a wife and a daughter of over twenty years. What can I do against them with just a blood relation?"" Cassie managed a wry smile.
Carter Harrison spoke earnestly, ""Leo truly loved your mother, and he's never forgotten her over the years. He'll protect you.""
Cassie was silent for a long time after that.
---
Night fell.
At the Foster family's villa.
David took the medicine from her palm, his dark eyes clouded with complexity. ""So you're Leo's daughter. I'm the one reaching above my station now.""
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