Brenna, now having taken off her mask, offered a polite nod. “Yes. I haven’t even introduced myself properly. Nice to meet you, Mr. Mitchell. I’m Brenna Harper.”
A new wave of approval swept through the Mitchells. Not only was Brenna stunning, but she was also brilliant and accomplished. To become an expert in medicine despite such difficult circumstances spoke volumes about her resilience.
A quiet sense of admiration settled over the Mitchell family.
Meanwhile, standing just outside the door, Isabella and Ruby fumed with frustration. How had Brenna managed to secure such a good connection with the Mitchell family?
Isabella had always believed that after losing Jordy as a fiance, Brenna would be doomed to a life of mediocrity. But now, Brenna was going to marry the wealthiest man in the world. No. She refused to let Brenna marry Ethan!
“Mom! Look at this! How could this be happening?” she said to Ruby.
But Ruby wasn’t thinking the same thing as her daughter. While Isabella stewed in resentment, Ruby saw an opportunity. If her adopted daughter married the son of the Mitchell family, her family could take advantage of the situation. They could play the role of Brenna’s gracious adoptive family, perhaps even secure powerful connections that would elevate their status.
A slow, calculating smile crept onto Ruby’s face, a stark contrast to Isabella’s angry expression.
Isabella pouted. “Mom, why are you smiling? Have you forgotten how we treated her before? Now that she has the Mitchell family supporting her, she’ll want revenge! We can’t let her climb any higher; we have to stop her from marrying Mr. Mitchell!” she said.
But Ruby had a different perspective. She said, “You don’t get it, Isabella. No matter how she feels about us, one thing remains true-our family raised her. She can’t erase that fact. If she turns her back on us completely, she’ll be seen as an ungrateful person.”
Isabella scoffed. “I don’t think you’re right. She was nothing more than a servant in our home-worse than a maid. What right does she have to rise above us? Mom, I want her to crawl back to us in humiliation. And did you see the way she left yesterday? Do you honestly think she’s the kind to show gratitude? If anything, we should be worried about how she plans to bring us down.”
Ruby sighed, exasperated by her daughter’s shortsightedness. “You’re not looking at the big picture. If we play this right, we could gain so much more. And if we align ourselves with Brenna, you could end up marrying someone way better than Jordy!”
The two went to stand outside Room 111, anticipating Brenna’s exit from Room 101, eager to mend ties and win her favor.
Mere minutes later, the Mitchell family walked Brenna to the door, treating her with utmost respect, while Ethan personally accompanied her toward the elevator.
“Brenna, Brenna!” Ruby rushed toward Brenna, her face stretched into an eager smile. Afraid Brenna might brush past her, she reached out, gripping Brenna’s arm to stop her. “Brenna, how can you just walk past me without a word? That’s very impolite.”
Brenna watched Ruby’s exaggerated display with a blank expression. She had already anticipated this-Ruby was trying to cozy up to her now that the Mitchell family held her in high regard. Ruby was shamelessly attempting to use her as a stepping stone to get closer to the Mitchell family.
Unmoved, Brenna pressed her lips together into a thin line, unwilling to engage with Ruby.
Ruby faltered for a moment, but for the sake of her family’s future-and, more importantly, Isabella’s chances of marrying into wealth-she swallowed her pride and pressed on.
“Mr. Mitchell,” she continued in a sweet tone, “I heard what you said earlier. Look, Brenna’s biological parents are from some poor, rural place. They have no money, no status-completely unworthy of being associated with you. But Brenna? She’s so skilled in medicine, all thanks to our careful upbringing.”
Ethan’s face remained impassive, his expression as cold as ice. Since Brenna had chosen not to correct Ruby’s claims, he had no intention of doing it either. He just remained silent.
A few feet away, Isabella subtly adjusted herself, brushing a few strands of hair over her shoulder, ensuring she looked her best. She stood poised, hoping Ethan’s eyes would fall on her.
She kept her lips curved in a polite smile, careful not to appear rude. Every so often, she stole glances at Ethan, hoping to catch even the slightest hint of admiration in his eyes.
And then, it happened-Ethan glanced in her direction. Her heart pounded, thrilled by the idea that he had finally noticed her. She straightened up, smiled dazzlingly, and even took a small step forward as if that would bring her more fully into his view.
Ruby, oblivious to her daughter’s efforts, was fully invested in talking to Brenna and Ethan.
“Brenna, don’t go back to the Harper family. You’ve been with us for twenty years-you’re used to our ways. Come back home, and I’ll give you the best room and buy you the finest clothes. That way, you’ll be a perfect match for Mr. Mitchell. You know the Harper family can’t provide that for you. Besides, you’ve called me ‘Mom’ for more than two decades-I’ll even prepare a proper wedding gift for you, unlike your real parents, who probably can’t even swing anything decent for you…”
“Mrs. Barrett, that won’t be necessary. The Harper family treats me well. There’s no need for any of that,” Brenna said flatly, casually pulling her arm from Ruby’s grasp and stepping back to create deliberate distance between them.
Ruby’s smile stiffened as Brenna took a step back. Panicked, she reached out again, desperate to grab Brenna’s arm. “Oh, why are you calling me Mrs. Barrett? I’m your mother! Call me ‘Mom’ like you used to. We’re family, aren’t we?”
Brenna let out a cold chuckle. “Family? Don’t you think that’s a huge word? You refused to send me to school, made me stay home designing car parts to earn money for you, and treated me like free labor. And now, you have the audacity to call us a family?”
Watching the exchange, Ethan recalled the previous day-Brenna in cheap clothes worth barely two hundred dollars, while Isabella flaunted herself in high-end designer attire.
It was obvious how the Barrett family had exploited Brenna before. Now, they were desperately trying to latch onto her because she had value to them.
Disgusted, Ethan stepped forward, positioning himself between Brenna and Ruby. “We have things to do,” he said coldly. “We’ll be leaving now.”
Ruby forced another ingratiating smile, sensing Ethan’s displeasure but refusing to give up. “Mr. Mitchell, Brenna was raised by us. If you’re planning to marry her, shouldn’t you get our consent first? I’ve been Brenna’s mother for over two decades. How can you be so rude to me? Apologize to me, and I’ll let this go.”
Ethan glared at her. “You have the nerve to say you raised Brenna?”
Ruby snorted and replied, “Of course! If I hadn’t been so strict with her, how would she have become who she is today? Without me, would she even know medicine? Could she have treated your grandfather? She only has these skills thanks to me. Or are you suggesting she magically learned everything overnight after moving in with the Harper family? Let’s be real-I raised her, and she has helped your family. My contributions can’t be ignored.”
Ruby lifted her chin with defiance and arrogance. There was no way she would let Brenna sever ties with the Barrett family now that Brenna had secured a good relationship with the Mitchell family.
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She turned to Brenna expectantly. “Am I wrong? Didn’t I raise you? Shouldn’t you be grateful to me?”
Brenna let out a quiet laugh. “You’re right. I should be grateful and repay you. Tell me, how should I repay you?”
Ruby’s expression softened slightly. “That’s more like it.”
Brenna’s expression remained icy. She had no intention of maintaining any connection with the Barrett family. “Mrs. Barrett, over the years, I’ve made billions for the Barrett family. Without me, your business would still be a small workshop barely worth a few hundred thousand. The Barrett family has achieved everything they have now thanks to me. If we’re talking about repayment, I’d say I’ve already given you more than enough. When I walked out of your house yesterday, I made it clear-we’re even.”
After saying that, she stepped into the elevator.
Ruby called after her desperately, “Brenna, don’t say that! No matter what, you’ll always be my daughter!”
Isabella remained lost in thought, leading Ruby back into the hospital room with a displeased expression. Deep down, she understood that even if Ethan and Brenna weren’t engaged, she had no chance to be with Ethan. The more she dwelled on it, the more resentment she felt. Brenna should have been struggling after leaving the Barrett family-so how had she managed to align herself with the prestigious Mitchell family?
Isabella said, “Mom, Brenna only has some knowledge of medicine, which happens to be useful for Mr. Mitchell’s recovery. That’s the only reason the Mitchell family values her. I doubt they truly consider her a match for Ethan. They’re probably just being polite to her. Once Mr. Mitchell recovers, Brenna will go back to being the same penniless woman from a small, insignificant town.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.