Chapter 42: Chapter 42
Screech!
The sharp scream of brakes tore through the air.
The white Panamera came to an abrupt stop. The violent force of the sudden braking threw Elise forward, only for the seatbelt to snap taut across her body and yank her back into place.
"Elise, are you okay?" Zoey immediately turned to check on her. "Did your stomach hit anything?"
"I’m fine."
Instinctively, Elise placed a hand over her abdomen and shook her head.
"Thank God we were both wearing seatbelts. Otherwise we’d be walking around with swollen foreheads right now."
Already furious, Zoey unbuckled her seatbelt.
"Seriously, what kind of idiot drives like that? I’m getting out and finding out who this lunatic thinks they are."
Still muttering curses under her breath, she shoved open the car door and stormed outside.
Elise released her own seatbelt and followed.
The driver’s door of the black Maybach opened, and a tall figure dressed in black stepped out.
Elise stopped in her tracks.
The man paid no attention to Zoey’s furious complaints. His eyes, bearing an unmistakable resemblance to Elise’s, were cold and unreadable. After a brief glance around, his gaze settled on her.
A faint crease appeared between Elise’s brows.
Why did it have to be him?
"You forgot what day it is today?"
His tone was icy, carrying an unmistakable edge of reproach.
Zoey frowned and looked from the man to Elise, then back again.
Did they know each other?
She sidled up beside Elise and lowered her voice.
"Friend or enemy?"
Elise’s fingers tightened slightly at her side. "Neither. That’s Ethan Harper, the eldest son of the Harper family."
She paused. "My half-brother."
Zoey fell silent.
Great. Family drama. Those were always the worst kind.
Expressionless, Elise looked at Ethan.
"I honestly don’t know what day you’re talking about. Why don’t you just tell me?"
"It’s Dad’s birthday." Ethan’s gaze remained fixed on her. "Mom called you several times. Why didn’t you answer?"
"I was working." Her response was flat. "I already have plans tonight. I’m not going back."
At that, a flash of irritation finally broke through Ethan’s calm façade.
"You’re his daughter. How can you skip his birthday celebration?"
"It’s hardly the first time." Elise shrugged. "I’ll have someone send a gift later."
"You think Dad cares about your gift?"
Disapproval filled Ethan’s voice.
"Elise, he already knows about your divorce from Dylan. Let me be blunt. If you and Dylan actually separate, then your mother loses all value in his eyes."
And in their father’s world, losing value meant becoming disposable.
For Leah, there could be no crueler outcome.
Elise’s expression darkened. Looking at Ethan, disgust flickered openly in her eyes.
"You really are your father’s son."
A mocking laugh escaped his lips.
"And you’re still a member of the Harper family. Whether you like it or not, your marriage affects the family’s interests. If this weren’t about that, do you honestly think I’d waste my time coming here?"
Of course he wouldn’t. Elise knew that better than anyone.
The Harper siblings had never been united. In a family built entirely on ambition and profit, siblings were competitors before they were relatives.
When she was younger, she had once hoped Ethan would be the protective older brother she had always wanted.
That illusion died when she was six. Back then, she had accidentally fallen into the family swimming pool. Ethan was the only person nearby.
She still remembered screaming for help... But he never did. He simply stood at the edge of the pool and watched her struggle beneath the water.
Watched her panic. Watched her drown.
Fortunately, a housekeeper had discovered her in time and pulled her out.
She had been sitting on the ground afterward, soaked and sobbing uncontrollably, when Ethan walked over and crouched beside her.
His eyes had been cold, almost contemptuous.
"Elise," he had said, "the Harper family only values the strong. If you’d died today, it would only prove you were weak enough to deserve it."
He had been seventeen years old. Old enough to know exactly what he was saying.
From that day onward, Elise understood something important––Ethan was not family. He was a rival.
In the Harper family, affection carried a price tag. Blood ties were weapons. Every relationship existed within a hierarchy of competition. Her childhood home had always been that twisted.
The most ironic part was that despite raising his children this way, their father still gathered them together every year for elaborate birthday celebrations.
Outsiders admired the Harpers. People called them a model family. A powerful dynasty. A close-knit household.
Only the Harpers themselves knew the truth––the harmony was carefully manufactured. Every lavish birthday banquet was merely another networking event disguised as family unity, a tool their father used to strengthen his position in the business world.
The hypocrisy was laughable.
Yet every member of the family continued participating in the performance.
When she was younger, Elise couldn’t understand why. As she grew older, she finally learned the answer––everyone attended because everyone wanted something.
Connections. Influence. Opportunities.
In the Harper family, anyone who lacked leverage eventually became expendable.
Elise had been the only exception... Because she had chosen Dylan.
Back then, the entire family mocked her. They accused her of backing the wrong man. Of sacrificing the family’s future. Of being selfish.
She had accepted every accusation and remained by Dylan’s side anyway.
Then Dylan became CEO of Bennett Group.
Suddenly, the same people who had criticized her changed their tune overnight.
From that point on, Elise became the one child the Harper family treated differently.
She had not attended her father’s birthday banquet in years. Their father had never dared demand the presence of Mrs. Bennett.
So why insist this year?
The answer was obvious... The divorce. The moment the family learned about it, interference became inevitable.
If conflict was unavoidable, perhaps it was better to face it head-on.
At least with everyone gathered in one place, she could make her position clear once and for all.
After a moment of thought, Elise turned to Zoey.
"Go home first."
Zoey immediately frowned. "What about you?"
"When this is over, I’ll call you."
Her friend still looked uneasy. "Are you sure? Your brother doesn’t exactly seem trustworthy."
A faint smile touched Elise’s lips.
"Don’t worry. I know exactly what I’m dealing with."
Then she turned toward Ethan.
"Fine. Let’s go. I’ll attend the celebration."
