Harriet glanced up, leaning back in her swivel chair with a playful scoff, rolling her eyes as Vera stood across her desk. Tilting her head, Harriet raised an eyebrow, meeting Vera's stern gaze.
"What a surprise. Need a diagnosis for your heart or something?" Harriet teased, shrugging as she gestured to the chair opposite her. "Go on, have a seat, Vera."
Vera chuckled, settling into the chair and placing a brown envelope on Harriet's desk, nudging it toward her. "Take a look at what I found," Vera said, nodding at the envelope.
Curious, Harriet reached for the envelope, pulling out a stack of documents. Her breath caught as she skimmed through the pages, while Vera leaned her chin on the back of her hand, watching with a mildly bored expression.
"What is this?" Harriet asked, her jaw tightening. "And how on earth did you get it?"
Vera sighed, leaning back. "Connections, Harriet. I dug deep into that building case. Turns out, there's a connection between Markus and Ellieâthey've been planning to secure Zoey's inheritance," Vera replied with a faint smile. "Markus is quite the schemer, isn't he? Trying to win on all fronts."
Harriet swallowed. "Waitâso, Markus planned all this? Proposing to Zoey, getting Ellie pregnant?"
"Close, but consider this: what if Ellie was the mastermind, sharing her knowledge of Zoey's inheritance with Markus? From what I uncovered, Markus's family was once well-off, but their business recently went bankrupt," Vera explained. "That's when he started seeing Ellie behind Zoey's back. He even proposed to Zoey while still involved with Ellie. If he'd managed to marry Zoey, he would've gained access to her inheritanceâthough some legal hoops would still be in place. Ellie's intervention changed that outcome."
Harriet ran a hand through her hair, leaning forward. "But why would Ellie interfere if she'd benefit in the end? Letting Markus marry Zoey would still keep him close to her."
Vera chuckled softly. "Harriet, hasn't it clicked? Ellie has a child with Markus. That could be why she stopped the engagement. And consider yourself luckyâthe engagement ended, and now Zoey's with you." Shaking her head, Vera added, "Ellie and Markus's own marriage kept getting delayed, likely because Markus was still pursuing Zoey for her inheritance."
Just then, a soft click sounded as the office door opened. Both women looked up.
"Zoey," Harriet murmured, her pulse quickening.
Zoey's brow furrowed, her gaze shifting between them. "Were you two talking about me? Because I definitely heard my name...and Ellie's," she said, eyeing them both intently.
Harriet rubbed her temple, realizing she'd completely forgotten to let Zoey know about the meeting. Vera cleared her throat, looking amused.
"It's about that situation I mentioned last time, sweetheart," Harriet said, rising to approach her.
Zoey's eyes narrowed. "You mean...the one involving my father?" she asked, holding Harriet's gaze. Harriet nodded, guiding her to the chair in front of Vera.
"Vera's here to explain what she uncovered in the investigationâabout the building, and everything else," Harriet said, bracing herself, already dreading Zoey's reaction to the truth.
Zoey rubbed the tip of her nose as she gazed out the café window, a soft sigh escaping her as she leaned back, waiting for Harriet to bring their order. She shut her eyes, still piecing together everything Vera had shared.
"Still turning over the news?" Harriet's voice pulled Zoey's attention as she set down the tray and took a seat beside her.
Zoey sat up, looking at Harriet with a deep breath. "I don't know if I should believe any of it. I mean... it's a lot," Zoey murmured, clicking her tongue as she rested her head on Harriet's shoulder.
"Why not believe it, sweetheart?" Harriet asked, her hand resting on Zoey's knee, gently rubbing it in comfort.
Zoey shook her head, reaching for Harriet's hand. "I guess I just can't believe my father left me an inheritance, you know? I've been working hard to pay off debts and save moneyâand I finally did it. Now, suddenly, there's this inheritance. And not a small one, either. Millions," she chuckled, almost in disbelief.
"Doesn't that sound good? You could relax a little and enjoy life," Harriet murmured, leaning her head against Zoey's.
"But it's not my hard-earned money. And with Ellie scheming to get it, I'm not sure I even want it," Zoey admitted. She could picture Ellie losing her cool, maybe even going after Harriet or herselfâthough Harriet seemed untouchable to Ellie.
"Still, it's your choice what to do with it," Harriet said, watching Zoey as she straightened and turned to face her.
"What would you do with an inheritance like that?" Zoey asked, smiling softly at Harriet.
Harriet tilted her head with a playful scoff. "Oh, maybe buy a fleet of cars and motorcycles?" She laughed, shaking her head. "Honestly, since I can earn my own money, I'd probably donate most of it. Put it somewhere it could do some good."
Zoey chuckled, clicking her tongue. "Should I just give it to Ellie then?" she teased, laughing.
Harriet shrugged. "If you think that'll bring you peace, sure. But would it really help you in the long run?"
"It might finally free me from their presence," Zoey replied, laughing softly. "I just want a simple life, you know? I don't need much, and it's not like I can't afford what I want on my own. But... Ellie would probably just use it to gain influence, to control things."
"Do what feels right with it, Zoey. Whatever makes your heart lighter," Harriet said, patting her head. "As long as it makes you happy, I'll back you up all the way."
Zoey leaned closer, playfully poking Harriet's nose. "I know. You've always been there, right from the start."
"Now, shall we eat? I'm starving," Harriet laughed, setting Zoey's food in front of her.
Zoey smiled, looking at Harriet, warmth spreading through her. Maybe I don't need the inheritance after all. Having you beside me fills all the empty spaces, she thought to herself.
"Maybe I'll give it some serious thought before deciding," Zoey said, taking a sip of her drink. "It's my father's hard-earned money, after all. I'm not inconsiderate enough to let it go to wasteâmight as well find something meaningful to put it toward."
Harriet sliced a piece of bread, speared it with her fork, and offered it to Zoey. "That's the right approach. Take your time; you've got options, and I'll be here to protect you if anything unexpected comes up," Harriet replied, smiling warmly.
"I love you," Zoey suddenly blurted, catching Harriet off guard. A blush crept up Harriet's cheeks as she froze for a moment.
"Goodness, sweetheart," Harriet murmured, setting down her utensils and taking a sip of her drink to recover.
Zoey laughed softly, reaching out to gently brush Harriet's flushed cheek. "You're adorable when you blush like that."