Harold's eyes went wide, disbelief flickering across his face. He could hardly process the changes in Hayley—how prison had changed her from timid and quiet to someone so self-assured, someone who now commanded every room she entered.
Noticing the fear clouding Harold's features, Hayley felt a surge of cold amusement. If she hadn't been so trusting back then, so easily manipulated, so terrified of exposing the truth to her grandfather, she would have never ended up behind bars.
In the whole Morgan family, Harold stood apart. He didn't care much about bloodlines, not really. What mattered to him were the years of resources he had poured into shaping Emmalyn.
His gaze darted to Emmalyn, standing quietly at his side.
He'd spent years grooming her into the perfect, accomplished woman.
The marriage alliance with the Evans family was the lynchpin of his ambitions.
As long as Emmalyn married Kaden, it wouldn't matter if she wasn't a Morgan by blood. The connection alone would be enough to silence any complaints from their relatives.
Determined to keep his composure, Harold forced a smile. "Hayley, you're taking this the wrong way. You just got out. Why don't you get cleaned up, have something to eat, and settle in a little?"
"Hayley," Emmalyn chimed in, her voice laced with carefully crafted hurt. "I know you've never liked me. I get it—after all, I was adopted. You even went to prison because of me. Of course you have every reason to resent me. But you have to admit, Mom and Dad really do care about you."
"Care about me?" Hayley's eyes sharpened as a cold laugh slipped out. "Is that what you call it? Letting me take the fall for you and throwing me into Unit One Prison like I was disposable?"
"Hayley, we had no other choice back then. We were desperate." Harold rubbed his temples and let out a long breath. "Emmalyn grew up protected. She would never have survived prison life. And if you hadn't called her asking for cake, she wouldn't have been distracted while driving. That accident wouldn't have happened."
A bitter scoff escaped Hayley before she could stop herself.
So Emmalyn was too delicate for prison, but she wasn't. That was his logic.
Blaming her for the accident was almost insulting. She never even ate cake.
Once favoritism took root, there was no fixing it. No explanation she offered ever mattered. They had already chosen who to believe, and without hesitation, they sent their own daughter to prison.
Harold reached into his pocket, pulled out a bank card, and held it out to her. "Take this. There's enough money on it to help you get back on your feet. You've been gone for four years. Things have changed."
Hayley let out a quiet laugh and flicked the card onto the floor. "You really think this makes up for it?"
"Hayley!" Carole snapped, stepping forward. Before she could say anything else, Harold shot her a warning look, silencing her instantly.
Carole's eyes flicked to the clock, nerves prickling. The Evans family would be arriving any minute, and the last thing they needed was Hayley causing a scene.
"Hayley, I was caught off guard earlier. Here's a black card with a million on it. Will that do?" Harold tried to sound casual, forcing a tight smile as he held out the card.
Hayley arched a brow, her hands staying at her sides. "You seem pretty eager to get me out of the way. Is someone important about to show up?"
The brief flicker of panic across their faces gave her all the answer she needed. She let out a low chuckle. "Thought so. For the record, a million barely scratches the surface."
"Don't push your luck, Hayley." Carole's voice sharpened. "That's more than enough for you to waste. Just take it and go."
Hayley's smile vanished, her tone turning icy. "Push my luck? I'm a real Morgan. Everything in this house should belong to me. Are you planning to hand the Morgan legacy to an adopted daughter?"
"Fine. Ten million." Harold's jaw clenched as he sucked in a breath.
Carole and Emmalyn stood frozen in disbelief, but with the Evans family's visit looming, neither dared protest.
Hayley's lips curled in a smirk. "Now that's more like it, Dad." She slid a slip of paper toward him. "Transfer the ten million here."
Harold barely glanced at the account details before passing them off to his secretary, ordering the transfer without another word.
Moments later, Hayley's phone chimed with a notification—ten million, just as promised.
"Does this finally meet your standards, Hayley?" Harold asked.
"Yes."
"Good. Now get out of this house."
Hayley only grinned wider, eyes glinting with mischief. "I appreciate your generosity, truly. But remind me—when exactly did I say I was leaving?"
Harold's patience snapped. "Enough!" His temper flared, voice booming through the room. "If you refuse to learn, then you'll have to face the consequences. Guards!"
In an instant, the bodyguards closed in around Hayley, forming a wall of muscle and intimidation.
Carole's voice rang out, trembling with fury. "Hayley, you may be my daughter by blood, but your disrespect and arrogance can't go unpunished. It's time you learned your place."
From her safe spot behind the others, Emmalyn peeked out, a smug smile curling her lips. Hayley was given a chance, but she blew it.
With ten million in her account, Hayley could have walked away with her head held high. Instead, she chose defiance, and Harold's patience finally snapped.
Emmalyn watched, convinced Hayley would be nothing more than a stepping stone on her own path to security and power.
Yet Hayley stood in the middle of that circle of bodyguards, calm and collected, showing not even a flicker of fear.
She rolled her shoulders, as if warming up before a challenge. "Dad, Mom, do you want to know what prison taught me in those four years?"
Harold and Carole exchanged uneasy glances, unsettled by the quiet force that now radiated from Hayley.
It was almost impossible to believe this was the same girl they'd brought back from the countryside. Back then, they had wanted her to take the blame for Emmalyn; that was why they had taken her in.
What gave her such confidence now?
"Cross me and you'll wish you hadn't."
Hayley's eyes flashed, ready for anything, when suddenly the butler's voice echoed from the entrance.
"Mr. Evans has arrived!"
Harold's expression changed in an instant. "Hurry, show Mr. Evans in!"
He turned back to Hayley, his tone flat. "There's an important guest here. Go to your room for now. We'll handle this later."
Hayley's lips curled into a cold smile. "And if your honored guest is here for me?"
Her words earned a chorus of laughter from Harold, Carole, and Emmalyn.
"Hayley, don't flatter yourself," Harold scoffed, a note of contempt in his voice. "Mr. Evans is far too distinguished. You've just been released from prison. How could someone like him possibly be here for you?"
Emmalyn watched her with a pitying shake of her head, certain Hayley's time behind bars had made her delusional, desperate for the attention of any man, even Kaden.
Still, she wore an expression of gentle regret. "Hayley, Mr. Evans is here to propose to me. I never meant to take your place, but Mr. Evans and I care for each other. If you stay out of his way, I'll go along with whatever else you want."
Hayley couldn't hide her amusement at Emmalyn's performance and rolled her eyes.
"See how reasonable Emmalyn is? Just go to your room and don't make us look bad," Harold said, anxiety threading through his voice.
Still, Hayley stood her ground, arms crossed and completely unmoved.
"Must I discipline you in front of everyone before you learn to obey?" Harold roared.
"Mr. Morgan, quite the temper you have!"
All eyes turned as Kaden strode in.
Hayley's gaze met Kaden's, her lips curling into a knowing smile. In that moment, she felt a thrill. Finally, the real show was about to begin.
