Template placeholder with Chapter 364

Chapter 364:

Shepard stared at Brielle as if she had lost her senses. “You do realize Wyatt is married, don’t you? That woman with him tonight was his wife,” he said.

“I know he’s married, but what’s the big deal? People get divorced all the time, don’t they?” Brielle said.

Observing Brielle’s shameless demeanor, Shepard realized why she had been so determined to be at the banquet tonight.

Her audacity left Danielle reeling, her vision clouding with anger. She couldn’t believe such a shameless remark could come from a young woman in their family. If Brielle were her daughter, she would have been tempted to give her a harsh scolding.

But Weston, hearing this, didn’t direct his disapproval at Brielle. Instead, his eyes flashed with blame toward Wyatt. “How could a married man still manage to make my daughter fall for him like this p>

Shepard had intended to discuss the airport land deal with Weston, but those words stopped him cold. Without another word, he left the room with his mother.

Back in his room, Shepard’s anger simmered.

The painting in Weston’s study, a secret he alone had seen, remained unknown even to Danielle. As a result, no one in the Chadwick family questioned Brielle’s true identity.

Though Amelia bore an uncanny resemblance to the woman in the painting, Shepard had never considered she might be his half-sister — until he sent Marlon to Kretol to dig into Amelia.

Upon discovering that Ricky wasn’t Amelia’s biological father, Shepard began to suspect that Amelia might really be his half-sister.

𝘉𝘦 p𝗮𝗋t 𝗼𝖿 𝗈𝘶𝗿 𝗰𝗈𝘮m𝘂nit𝗒 оո

But if that were true, then what about Brielle’s paternity? To complicate matters further, Brielle possessed the keepsake that belonged to his half-sister, lost years ago.

These thoughts knotted Shepard’s mind, leaving him torn over whether to tell Weston about Amelia’s resemblance to the woman in the painting.

Unbeknownst to him, Weston would meet Amelia before he could tell him about the matter.

The next morning.

As Amelia and Wyatt were still asleep, the phone on the nightstand buzzed. Wyatt glanced at the ringing telephone, noting an unknown number, but decided to answer it anyway.

“Mr. Stewart, this is Weston Chadwick. Can we meet p>

“Is there something you need, Mr. Chadwick p>

“I want to discuss something regarding my daughter,” Weston replied.

Since Brielle had declared her wish to marry Wyatt, Weston hadn’t slept a wink. Convinced Wyatt was at fault in this matter, he had tracked down Wyatt’s number and called him first thing in the morning.

Wyatt assumed Weston wanted to address the previous night’s confrontation, so he agreed to meet.

Amelia, stirred by the noise, decided to join him, given her role in the conflict with Brielle.

After preparing, they arrived at the private dining room where Weston waited, sipping coffee.

As they entered, Weston’s eyes flicked to the door. Recognizing Wyatt, he understood Brielle’s reckless words from the night before. But when he saw Amelia behind Wyatt, his cup slipped from his hand, crashing to the table.

Hot coffee splashed across his hand, yet he didn’t seem to feel it at all. He shot to his feet, the table jolting as he moved.

“Katrina!” he gasped, his voice thick with emotion as he lunged toward Amelia, hand outstretched.

Wyatt swiftly stepped in, stopping Weston. Amelia was startled by Weston’s sudden advance.

“Katrina, it’s me! You p>

“Mr. Chadwick, are you sure you’ve got the right person?” Wyatt cut in, his tone icy, pulling Amelia behind him.

Hearing that, Weston snapped back to the moment, his fervor cooling as reality set in.

A heavy silence blanketed the room. Weston had come to discuss Brielle, but now, his focus was locked on Amelia.

Recalling Shepard’s reaction when he had first seen her, and now Weston’s, Amelia began to suspect something.

Before she could speak, Weston asked, “Who is Katrina Davis to you p>

“You know my mother?” Amelia said.

“Your mother? You’re Katrina’s daughter!” Weston’s voice rose, and Amelia nodded.

“May I see a photo of her p>

Weston’s tone carried an urgent, almost desperate edge, making Amelia a bit shocked.

After a moment, she unlocked her phone and showed him a few photos of Katrina from her gallery.

Weston, losing his composure, grabbed the phone to study the photos. When he finally set it down, his eyes were rimmed with red, heavy with sorrow.

“Is your mother doing well now p>

Amelia’s expression shifted subtly.

Wyatt took Amelia’s phone back from Weston and faced Weston. “Amelia’s mother passed away three years ago p>

Weston’s face drained of color. He stared at the couple, his voice trembling with disbelief. “She was barely in her forties. How could she have passed away already p>