Chapter 223: The long-lost daughter of the Granet family

Words : 1126 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 223: The long-lost daughter of the Granet family After dropping his mother off at the hotel, Nathan made his way to the Granet manor. The sky had begun to dim by the time he pulled into the familiar estate. Inside the hall, he found his father, Oliver, sitting on the sofa with a phone to his ear. The moment he spotted Nathan at the doorway, he said, "I’ll call you later." He ended the call. "Nathan?" Oliver blinked, surprised. "I thought you left already. Didn’t you say your mother was unwell? How is she now?" Nathan exhaled, weariness weighing down his words. "She tried to take her life again." Oliver’s face stiffened. "Thankfully, Helga was there," Nathan added. "She acted fast and took her to the hospital immediately. Mommy is fine now." Oliver shook his head with a frustrated groan, rubbing his temples. "Still chained to the past," he muttered. "It has been twenty years. Twenty. If Raya were still alive, we would’ve found her by now." His voice grew sharper. "It’s because of her madness that our marriage fell apart. And now she is dragging you into her misery, making your life difficult. How long is this supposed to go on?" Nathan understood his father’s anger, but he also carried the weight of his mother’s pain. "She is drowning in guilt, Dad," he said gently. "She blames herself for what happened to Raya. That kind of pain doesn’t just fade." "She keeps talking nonsense," Oliver scoffed under his breath. "She is in town," Nathan said slowly. "At the hotel." Oliver sneered bitterly. "She is in town and still refuses to come here, isn’t she? She’ll stay in a hotel but not set foot in this house. I did everything I could to find our daughter. Does she still hold me responsible for what happened back then?" "Dad, please..." Nathan stepped closer, his voice softening. "Try to see it from her side. For her, it’s not over. Raya’s absence has haunted every day of her life. She hasn’t let go because she can’t. She has been living in constant pain, longing to see Raya again. All these years, we have had no leads, not a single trace. We don’t even know if she is still alive. But..." Nathan paused, stepping closer to his father. Oliver’s eyes lifted, sharp and suspicious. Nathan hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "I met someone recently, and she looks remarkably like Raya. Her features resemble Mom." Oliver stiffened as Nathan’s words sank in. A flicker of shock crossed his face, quickly chased by suspicion. "Who is she?" he asked. "Did you speak to her?" Nathan shook his head slowly. "I tried. But I didn’t get the chance. That’s why I came here—I need your help." Oliver’s brows drew together, his confusion deepening. Nathan pulled out his phone. "Let me show you something." He brought up a photo of Anne and Augustine, standing close, smiling at the camera. He held it out. Oliver barely glanced at it before scoffing. "Why are you showing me this?" He pushed Nathan’s hand away, irritation flashing in his eyes. "That man, Augustine," Oliver growled, "is nothing but trouble, stirring up chaos at the party like that. Because of him, his family’s name was dragged through the dirt. He humiliated the entire family in front of everyone, and the whispers haven’t stopped since." His anger was building now, resentment spilling over. "And the Beaumonts," he went on, sneering, "they are shameless. First, the old man wanted Megan for Augustine. Now Gabriel wants to pair Megan off with his son, Denis. As if we are desperate to marry her into their family. It’s insulting." He clenched his fists on his knees, jaw tight. "And Denis—he is so gullible. Falling for a scheming girl. He doesn’t deserve Megan." "I know you are angry with the Beaumonts," Nathan said, his tone persuading. "But put that aside for just a second and look at this photo again." He brought the phone in front of Oliver, gently insisting, "Look at her features—her nose, the shape of her cheekbones, her forehead. All of it... it’s just like Mom’s." Oliver’s gaze flicked to the screen. For a moment, his expression shifted slightly. "I was shocked when I first saw her," Nathan added. "It felt like I was looking at Raya’s older version. Mom believes Anne is Raya. And honestly... I think she might be right." Oliver took the phone from Nathan and studied the photo more closely. At first, his expression remained unreadable, but as he focused on Anne’s face, something shifted in him. The resemblance to Margaret was undeniable. ’Could it really be her?’ he wondered, his mind racing. ’Is this just a coincidence, or is this woman truly Raya?’ Megan had just returned home when she heard Nathan say that Raya was Anne. She froze at the doorway, stunned. Her grip tightened around the strap of her handbag. Disbelief twisted through her gut. ’No way.’ Her mind screamed. ’How could Anne be that Raya? The long-lost daughter of the Granet family?’ Across the room, Oliver was still lost in thought, trying to piece the impossible puzzle together. Nathan spoke again with urgency. "We need to do a paternity test, but I don’t know how to approach Anne. What if it goes wrong? What if she gets offended? She is the Beaumonts’ daughter-in-law now, and I have no connection with Augustine." He leaned forward and grabbed Oliver’s hand. "Please, talk to Grandpa Dimitri. He’ll understand. If anyone can help us do this properly, it’s him." But before Oliver could respond, Megan’s sharp voice rang out through the hall. "What test?" Both men turned sharply. Megan stepped toward them, her brows furrowed, eyes full of suspicion. "What are you talking about?" "It’s nothing," Oliver said quickly, brushing it off with a wave of his hand. "You just got home. Go rest." "I’m not going anywhere," Megan snapped. "I heard what you said. I want to know." Nathan smiled. "Megan, I think I’ve found my sister." "It’s not certain," Oliver cut in sharply. "You think just because she resembles Margaret, she must be Raya? That’s absurd. There are plenty of people in this world who look alike. It doesn’t mean they are blood related." Megan, standing off to the side, felt a flicker of relief at his words, but Nathan was stunned. He stared at his father, confused and frustrated. "But what if she is Raya?" Nathan pushed. "Isn’t that reason enough to do a paternity test—just to be sure?" Oliver’s patience snapped. "So what now? You are going to start testing every woman who looks vaguely like your mother?" he snapped. "You are just like your mother—stubborn and blind."

Chapter 223: The long-lost daughter of the Granet family

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