Chapter 6

I scanned the people present.

Besides my biological parents, there was Aaron Maxwell and his family of three – his wife and middle-school-aged son – as well as Eleanor Maxwell's family of three.

Her husband, Robert Thorne, the head of the Thorne family, was also there.

The rest were just me and my two daughters.

They weren't shy at all. Even in this environment, where they clearly weren't entirely welcome, they were perfectly at ease.

This was due to their personalities and their upbringing.

The Maxwell family chose to protect Eleanor's identity, partly for their reputation and partly because they had to consider the Thorne family, their in-laws of over twenty years.

Even though Eleanor and Robert were both in their forties, their intertwined interests ran deep, and they had a daughter together.

Regardless of whether there was love when they married, social standing was certainly a factor. Announcing now that the wife of many years was a fake heiress would cause both families to lose face.

So, considering their combined interests, they decided to slight me, the daughter they'd just found and with whom they had no real emotional bond.

At 45, no matter how emotional one might be, it's hard to be as naive as in youth, to blindly believe in "blood ties" or "family." It was hard to develop deep feelings for them.

They probably just couldn't fool me anymore.

The dinner table was interesting, a lavish feast.

A ridiculous semblance of peace was maintained, under the guise of a happy occasion.

It was essentially a group of middle-aged people trying to appease two elderly ones.

Aaron and his wife, Vivian, were clearly unwelcoming. Their son, Sam, and Eleanor's daughter, Izzy, were good friends, sitting together in a clear alliance.

As for Eleanor’s identity, it seemed less critical now.

Even she was confident that her situation wouldn't worsen just because she wasn't a biological Maxwell.

So, they didn't pay much mind to me, the "real heiress."

"Seraphina, I heard you also have a husband and a son. Where are they? For such an important reunion, why didn't they come along?"

It was Eleanor's voice.

I paused, noticing everyone else's eyes on me.

"They're both busy with work right now and couldn't spare the time," I replied.

"Work?" Vivian Maxwell, Aaron's wife, exclaimed, "Eleanor, I heard your son is only 20. He's already busy with work? Did he not even get a college degree?"

"No, he didn't," I said, stating the truth.

That kid was only in his second year of university. He was so busy with work that the leave he'd taken from school was so long, I worried he'd be asked to leave.

I saw some of them exchange knowing, almost mocking smiles.

"Well, there's no need for a child to start working so young. Why not have him come back to the family company? We can arrange a position for him?"

Eleanor's daughter, Izzy Thorne, who had been quiet until now, spoke up:

"Doesn't Uncle Aaron's company require at least a bachelor's degree for most hires now?"

"Not at all, there are some positions that don't depend on academic qualifications," Aaron and his niece chimed in, exchanging a glance at me. "I just don't know if my 'sister' here would even consider those roles. If not, we can arrange something for your husband too."

I looked at Richard and Evelyn Maxwell, the heads of the family. They nominally scolded their children twice, but it was just lip service.

"No, thank you," I gave them a chilly smile. "They're doing perfectly fine as they are."