Chapter 3: The Inheritance No One Expected
Chapter 3: The Inheritance No One Expected
The wedding was forgotten.
No one cared anymore.
Alexander stepped toward the center of the ballroom.
"Most of you know me."
Heads nodded.
"But very few know Mariana."
He gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"She is not merely my goddaughter."
"She is the sole heir of Eleanor Whitmore."
The room exploded into whispers.
Ryan blinked.
Whitmore?
Rebecca nearly fainted.
Alexander continued.
"Years ago, family greed erased her identity after her mother's death."
"They stole her inheritance."
"I spent twenty-five years searching for her."
He smiled proudly.
"I found her the day Ryan threw her into the street."
Mariana quietly laughed.
"Funny how life works."
Alexander raised another document.
"As of today..."
"The Whitmore Foundation..."
"The Whitmore Hotels..."
"Whitmore Investments..."
"All belong to Mariana."
Every reporter inside the ballroom rushed forward.
Vanessa slowly sat down.
She suddenly understood.
Ryan hadn't abandoned an infertile wife.
He had abandoned one of the wealthiest women in California.
Ryan whispered,
"I've lost everything..."
Mariana corrected him.
"No."
May you like
"You lost everything three years ago."
"You just didn't realize it until today."
