Chapter 224: Oliver’s resistance

Words : 1192 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 224: Oliver’s resistance Nathan’s jaw clenched. He had expected his father to react with hope, maybe even joy, at the possibility of finding his daughter after all these years. But instead, Oliver was defensive. Dismissive. Cold. It was as if he didn’t want to find Raya, as if she were trouble. "Why are you so resistant?" Nathan demanded, his voice rising. "Why don’t you want to find out the truth? Don’t you want Raya to come back?" "That’s enough!" Oliver shot to his feet, his voice thundering through the hall. "You sound just like your sick mother. That woman is not Raya." Nathan didn’t back down. "Then explain it. Why are you so sure?" Oliver’s face twisted as he yelled, "Because Raya is already dead." The words crashed into the room like a wave, slamming the air out of it. Silence fell. Nathan took a step back, his face frozen in shock. "What...?" His chest tightened, pain twisting in his gut. He could barely process what he had just heard. Everything in him screamed that something wasn’t right. "During the rescue operation at the time," Oliver said rigidly, "the police found several burned bodies of children. The identities were confirmed. Raya was one of them." Nathan recoiled as if struck. "No. That’s a lie." His voice cracked with disbelief. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears, hands clenched into trembling fists. "I went through every piece of that missing person report," he snapped. "There was nothing about dead children. Nothing about Raya." Oliver’s expression hardened. "That’s because I shut the case down. I buried it. I didn’t let the truth come out." "You what?" Nathan’s voice rose, shaking with rage. "You hid it from us? From Mom? Why? Why would you do that?" "Because Margaret was already breaking," Oliver shouted back, his frustration boiling over. "I knew if she found out, it would destroy her. So I kept the truth to myself. If you don’t believe me, go talk to the officer who handled the case back then. He’ll tell you what happened." Nathan stood frozen, his mind reeling. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else. ’Raya... dead?’ He had spent searching every corner for even the smallest sign. And now, all of his hope was being shattered in a single moment. "No," he whispered, shaking his head. "No... this isn’t true. I don’t believe it. She is not dead." "Nathan..." Megan reached for his hand. "Please. Don’t let this get to you—" But Nathan pulled away, his expression raw with pain. He stormed out of the house. Megan’s fingers curled tightly into fists, fury simmering beneath her skin. Nathan, who had always adored her, who treated her like a cherished little sister, had suddenly turned cold, all because of Anne, who might be his real sister. The name alone sent a flare of resentment through her. If Anne were indeed the long-lost daughter of the Granet family, everything would change. The brother who once doted on her, the father who always made her feel special, they’d turn their hearts to Anne. Megan would be pushed aside. She’d no longer be the princess of this family. ’No,’ she told herself. ’I won’t let that happen. Whether or not Anne is related to this family, I’ll make sure she never gets close enough to matter.’ Putting on a mask of innocence, she turned to Oliver. "Dad, why is Nathan so upset with me? I was only trying to help him feel better." "Don’t worry about him," Oliver grumbled. "He is just caught up in that fantasy of finding Raya. It’ll pass." Megan exhaled softly, pretending to be thoughtful, but inside, she was relieved. If Raya really was dead, her place in the Granet family was secure. She sat down beside Oliver. "Still, maybe you should listen to him," she suggested. "Just take the paternity test. That way, everything will be cleared. If Anne is really Raya, it’d be nice to bring her home, right?" But Oliver’s face darkened. He shot her a sharp look. "There is only one daughter in this family," he snapped. "And that’s you. I don’t know any Raya. Don’t bring her up again." He stood abruptly and stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him. Megan’s innocent facade melted away. Her lips curled into a sneer, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. "That’s right," she muttered. "I am the real daughter of this family. No Raya. No Anne. No one will ever take my place." Nathan slid into the driver’s seat, his features tight with anger. He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number. As soon as the call connected, he barked an order, "Find the officer who handled Raya’s kidnapping case back then. I want the full story. Everything. No more lies." As the call ended, he tossed the phone onto the dashboard. His grip tightened on the steering wheel as he pulled away from the manor. By the time he returned to the hotel, he found Margaret sitting anxiously on the edge of the sofa, her hands clenched in her lap. The moment Nathan stepped through the door, she rushed to him, grabbing his hands with hope blazing in her eyes. "Did you talk to Oliver?" she asked urgently. "Is he willing to speak to Dimitri?" Nathan hesitated. His heart twisted as he looked at her—her eyes desperate, searching his face for the answer. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell her what Oliver had said. He couldn’t crush her hope. He forced a weak smile. "Dad is still bitter about the Beaumonts," he said carefully. "He won’t talk to Grandpa Dimitri." Margaret’s face darkened. "Why is he like this?" she muttered. "He has always been cold when it comes to Raya—like she wasn’t even his child." Her voice was strained. "He didn’t search for her properly back then. He let the trail go cold. And now—now, when there is finally a chance to find her, he turns his back again? He doesn’t want to know if Anne is Raya. He doesn’t care." Her shoulders shook, tears threatening to fall. "I hate him." She gritted her teeth, shaking in fury. Nathan wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "Mommy, please, calm down. Sit here for a moment." He guided her to the sofa and poured her a glass of water from the bottle on the table, and handed it to her. "Here. Drink this." Margaret took the glass with shaky hands and sipped, but the anger still burned hot inside her. "Don’t be anxious," Nathan said, crouching in front of her. "I’ll handle it. Once Anne and Augustine return, I’ll go speak to him myself." He took the glass from her hands and put it aside. "We’ll do the DNA test, whether or not Dad supports it." Taking her hands in his, he added, "I don’t care what he thinks anymore. We deserve to know the truth. And I will find it." Margaret’s tense shoulders loosened a little, her breathing slowing. "You are right. We won’t bother Oliver anymore. It’s no use. We’ll find Raya without him."

Chapter 224: Oliver’s resistance

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