The Turning of Destiny's Wheel
Elena's consciousness slowly loosened as the coldness of the rain water began to numb her skin. Her view blurred, leaving the streetlights looking like a faded glow of dim light drawing away. In the midst of the thundering storm, she faintly heard the screeching sound of car tires braking sharply, followed by footsteps approaching in a hurry.
"Miss! My goodness, Miss Elena!"
"Quickly call a doctor! Prepare the medical car right now!"
That panicked and authoritative baritone voice became the last thing Elena remembered before her world completely turned pitch black. The man was Robert Harrington, the legendary conglomerate owner of the Harrington Group. Along with his procession of tight bodyguards, Robert directly carried Elena's freezing, slender body, bringing her away far from the streets heading toward the grand Harrington mansion which was tightly isolated from the public.
Three days later, Elena woke up in an extraordinarily vast bedroom with a high ceiling adorned by a crystal lamp. The soothing aroma of sandalwood replaced the fishy smell of the rainstorm which chanced to linger in her mind.
Elena blinked her eyes, trying to adjust herself to the room's light. She stayed silent for a moment, observing the silk sheets enveloping her body. This was not the Miller family house, let alone Arthur's residence.
"Thank goodness you have woken up, Child."
The voice made Elena turn her head slowly. Beside her bed, sat a middle-aged man in a neat suit. The lines of his face radiated an extraordinary authority, yet at this moment, his eyes appeared red and glassy staring at Elena.
Elena tried to sit up, even though her head still felt a bit dizzy. "You are... Mr. Robert Harrington?" she asked hesitantly. Of course she knew this man. Who in this city did not know Robert Harrington? The man was a business legend respected even by the Miller family and Arthur Vance. The Harrington Group was a giant that could never be touched by their companies.
"Yes, that is correct," answered Robert, his voice trembling withholding emotion. The old man reached for Elena's hand with an extraordinarily gentle manner, as if Elena were a valuable object that was easily broken. He then put forward a thick, black leather folder. "Read this. This is the answer to all my searching all this time."
With a hand that was still a bit trembling, Elena opened the file. Sheet after sheet she turned, trying to digest the series of medical sentences inside it. Until finally, her eyes were fixed on a sheet of DNA test result paper. There, a match was clearly written with an absolute probability of ninety-nine point nine percent.
"When you donated your rare blood for me at the hospital a few months ago, the medical team realized a match impossible to occur between strangers," Robert explained, tears finally falling wetting his wrinkled cheeks. "You are my lost biological granddaughter, Elena. My flesh and blood."
Elena was stunned. Her eyes widened staring at the writing on top of that paper, then shifted to stare at Robert. Her heart beat rapidly, pumping blood quickly to her whole body. Her hand squeezed the edge of the folder until her knuckles turned white.
The Miller family adopted her from a small orphanage on the outskirts of the city. She had always been taught that herself was an useless outcast child, who was only fit to receive crumbs of affection and be turned into a business pawn. Yet now, the most powerful man always hailed by her adoptive father and feared by her ex-husband instead sat crying in front of her, calling her 'granddaughter'.
The shock was too grand, making Elena mute for a long enough time. There was no refusal, there was no denial. She only... did not expect it. The series of suffering she experienced all this time felt too contrasting against the reality currently displayed in front of her eyes.
Slowly, the extraordinarily deep feeling of heartbreak from Arthur's and the Miller family's betrayal was as if becoming the fuel tempering her soul. Instead of crying lamenting the past, Elena's pair of eyes which in the past always lowered sorrowfully now radiated a different flash. There was a newly lit fire of determination there. She closed the folder, let out a long exhalation, then stared straight toward Robert.
"Grandfather," called Elena with a voice that was still a bit hoarse, yet far firmer than the Elena of the past. That word slid out just like that, feeling unfamiliar yet strengthening. "I... I am still trying to understand all of this. But if this indeed is my destiny, I ask you one thing."
Robert wiped his tears, shocked as well as relieved seeing his granddaughter's calmness. "Say it, Darling. Grandfather will give anything."
"Please keep my identity and presence a secret from the public. Close all access of information about me for a temporary period of time," said Elena with a cold look. "I do not want the Miller family nor Arthur Vance to know that I am still alive, let alone being here. Let them think I am already ruined."
Robert nodded firmly. "Then, what is your plan?"
"I want to learn, Grandfather. Teach me the entire ins and outs of the Harrington dynasty business. I want to build my own strength from behind the shadows. The weak and obedient Elena died that night," she answered resolutely.
A few weeks passed. In front of a large mirror inside the mansion's dressing room, Elena stood upright staring at the reflection of her own self. The worn-out house dress had now changed to a black formal blazer suit with sharp and elegant cuts. Her hair which was usually let to fall messily was now in a neat bun, displaying her strong jaw and a pair of eyes full of authority.
She touched the mirror surface. With this, she officially cut the entire chains of her past.
Elena turned around and approached Robert who was already waiting for her at the threshold of the door.
"I swear, Grandfather," said Elena, her voice sounding so final. "If one day later they come knocking on my door with regret, that door is already tightly closed. There is no more forgiveness, what remains is only ruin for them."
Robert smiled proudly, seeing the soul of a true Harrington had been born again inside his granddaughter. "The time has arrived, Elena. They must know with whom they are playing."
Elena took steps with certainty, tracing the long corridor heading toward the main meeting room of the Harrington Group. The grand double doors made of luxurious teak wood in front of her opened wide, displaying the line of directors who directly stood up to welcome her presence. Today, for the first time, Elena entered not as a discarded wife, but rather as the legitimate heir and the shadow leader ready to take over control.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the city, Arthur Vance was celebrating the smoothness of his new project together with Victoria. In a different place, the Miller family was busy fighting quarreling over the remnants of their ruined assets. They all lived the day with arrogance, without ever knowing that the greatest storm which would collapse their world was preparing to strike from behind the grandeur of the Harrington Group.
