Chapter Eighteen: A Thorn in Bloom
The early morning sun filtered through the pale curtains of the lake house, bathing the room in golden warmth. Kimberly, who had rarely shown interest in leaving the comfort of her quiet sanctuary, surprised both Ana and Harry when she softly murmured, "I want to go to the main house… to see grandma."
Ana and Harry exchanged a quick glance. Then Harry smiled gently. "Of course. Let's go."
The mood in the main house shifted the moment they arrived.
Lady Mina rushed to announce their presence to the Old Madame, who sat in her regal chair, draped in elegant shawls, sipping her morning tea. The grand old matriarch, proud and poised, rarely showed strong emotion qbut when Kimberly rolled in, guiding her wheelchair with surprisingly firm fingers on the auto-control button, the sight stopped her heart.
"Kimberly?" Her voice cracked as she slowly rose to her feet.
Kimberly gave a shy smile. "Good morning, Grandma."
Old Madame's composure crumbled. Tears pooled in her aged eyes and rolled down her cheeks unashamedly. She knelt down as far as her knees would allow, taking Kimberly's hands in hers.
"My sweet child… look at you! You moved—your fingers!" she cried, sobbing softly as she gently stroked her granddaughter's trembling hands. "You're… healing!"
Lady Mina stood frozen in disbelief while Ana quietly held back her own tears, touched by the genuine love between grandmother and granddaughter.
"Call the doctors," the matriarch ordered immediately. "We need a full evaluation. This is a miracle!"
Harry gently stepped forward. "I've already arranged for it, Grandmother. We're taking her to the hospital later today."
The Old Madame gripped Harry's arm and gave him a proud nod. "Good boy… you always think ahead."
The reunion was tender, until a chilling voice cut through the warmth.
"I don't think you should be here with the family when you're not part of it. Don't forget your position, Miss Ana Lyle."
Sasha stood nearby, her eyes narrowed and her voice sharp with arrogance. Her disdain for Ana was palpable. She no longer bother to hide her hostility behind her pretentious smile.
Ana's shoulders sank as she bowed her head in shame. But before Harry could respond, a surprisingly fierce voice broke the silence.
"Ana is my friend," Kimberly snapped, her voice laced with steel. "And she'll be by my side wherever I go. She's not a pretentious snake like some people. She has a noble heart."
Sasha paled. Before she could fire back, a sweet voice floated through the air.
"Hello, everyone."
The tension shifted immediately as all eyes turned to the elegant figure stepping into the hall. Soraya stood there, as graceful and glamorous as ever in her flowing designer dress, her soft curls bouncing as she walked forward with a bright smile.
"Hello, Kimberly. Do you still remember me?" she asked warmly.
Kimberly's eyes lit up. "I still remember you, Sister Soraya!"
Soraya laughed in delight. "You were so little the last time I saw you. Look at you now, all grown up."
Ana stood quietly beside Harry, grateful for the momentary distraction, but Soraya's eyes soon fell on her. Her smile faltered for a moment as recognition dawned. She had seen Ana before with Harry. Her expression stiffened.
"You are…?"
"She's the hired surrogate for my and Harry's child," Sasha replied with a syrupy tone laced with venom.
Ana's face burned with awkwardness, but before Soraya could say anything, Harry subtly stepped between them, blocking her view.
Soraya tilted her head thoughtfully. So this is the girl Harry was kissing that night…
She smiled politely, but her eyes darkened. She's just a girl but she managed to ensnare Harry? She's no one to be underestimated.
"Harry," Soraya purred, "have lunch with me today. I'd like your advice on something important."
"I don't have time," he said flatly.
The rejection was sharp and immediate, and it left Soraya speechless. Sasha, watching from the side, burst into laughter, basking in Soraya's embarrassment.
"Kimberly needs her medication. We'll be leaving now," Harry said, his tone final.
He gave his grandmother a soft hug and left the house with Ana and Kimberly in tow. Sasha, too agitated to stay behind, made an excuse and slipped out soon after.
Only Soraya remained with the Old Madame, who gladly welcomed her presence. The elderly matriarch had always admired Soraya's intelligence, elegance, and poise qualities she felt the younger generation often lacked.
Later, back at the lake house, after feeding Kimberly her medication and settling her in bed, Harry turned to Ana.
"Come with me," he said.
"I want to stay with Kimberly for a bit," Ana replied softly.
Harry sighed, but didn't push. Instead, he took her hand and gently pulled her toward the door. "Then at least see me off."
She followed him reluctantly, but the moment they stepped outside the room, Harry shut the door and cornered her against the wall.
"Harry...someone might see us... "
He silenced her with a kiss, deep and demanding. His hand slid around her waist, holding her firmly as their tongues met in a dance of urgency. Ana whimpered against his lips, her body trembling from the intensity. When he finally pulled away, both were breathless.
He leaned his forehead against hers, his voice rough and low. "I'll be in the study."
He kissed her forehead gently and walked off.
Ana leaned against the wall for a long moment, her heart pounding. She adjusted her dress, her lips still tingling from the kiss, and returned to Kimberly's room.
The moment she walked in, Kimberly arched a brow. "You're red as a tomato. Your lips look swollen."
Ana laughed nervously and tried to hide behind her hair.
"You and my brother," Kimberly said, grinning. "Are you two… together?"
Ana's smile turned shy. She nodded. "We love each other a lot."
Kimberly teased, "So did you fall for him the moment you saw him?"
Ana laughed again, nodding, then shaking her head, then nodding once more, making Kimberly giggle.
"Well, I knew your brother before," Ana said softly.
"Really?!" Kimberly's eyes widened.
Ana sat by her bed and began telling her everything, how Harry had saved her in the past, their strange encounters, and the night he kissed her under the moonlight.
Meanwhile, in a quiet café across town, Malia sat at a secluded corner booth. A man slid into the seat across from her, placing a brown envelope on the table.
"Did you get everything I asked for?" she asked coolly.
"Yes, ma'am. Everything you need to know about her is in there."
He slid an envelope across the table.
"Everything you asked for," he muttered. "She's got quite the file."
Malia opened the folder, her blood racing with excitement. Photos, background checks, and transcripts stared back at her like ammunition begging to be fired.
She flipped through the pages, birth records, school reports, hospital bills. Reina's background was unremarkable at first glance. Born to a struggling single mother, no known father, raised in the slums of the city. But then...
"Employed at 'Velvet Kiss' Nightclub. Occupation: Entertainer (Pole Dancer)."
Malia gasped.
"Oh… darling Ana," she murmured, smirking. "You've been very naughty."
The investigator leaned in. "There's more. She didn't just dance. She was their top attraction. Regular VIP clients. Heavy tips. And one man in particular kept coming back."
He tapped a photo at the end of the folder. A grainy image of a stout, well-dressed man with a cane, watching Ana dance.
"Mr. Smith," he whispered.
Malia's eyes widened. "Wait. You mean the Mr. Smith? The property tycoon?"
"Obsessed with her. Word is, he's been trying to buy her ever since she left the club."
Malia burst into laughter.
"She went from swinging on poles to swinging into the Fairchild mansion," she chuckled. "No wonder Sasha's losing her mind."
She packed the file with care and called Sasha immediately.
"You're going to want to see this. I've found your silver bullet."
Fairchild Mansion – Later That Night
Sasha sat on her bed, her legs crossed elegantly, her eyes gleaming like a predator's. When Malia handed her the folder, she took her time flipping through it.
Each page made her smile more cruelly.
"So this is the little angel Harry is falling for," she murmured, tapping the pole-dancing photo. "This is the woman going to carry the heir to the Fairchild fortune."
Her laughter was slow, bitter, and victorious.
"She danced for men, stripped for money, and had that old pervert obsessed with her? And Harry doesn't know?" Sasha stood up. "He thinks he's in love with a saint… when she's nothing but beautifully packaged filth."
"What are you going to do?" Malia asked, her voice tinged with excitement.
Sasha turned to her with eyes cold as steel.
"I'm going to destroy her. Publicly. Ruthlessly. I'll make sure the entire high society knows the kind of gutter trash Harry brought into this family. She'll wish she never stepped foot in this house."
Sasha began pacing.
"She humiliated me. She made him turn against me. Now I'll ruin her reputation, her future, and her child's legacy before it even begins."
A dark smile curled on her lips.
"And maybe… I'll send Mr. Smith a little invitation. He might enjoy hearing where his precious Ana has ended up."
Her lips curled in a venomous smile.
"Bitch," she muttered under her breath, her voice low and dangerous. "Let's see how you die without a burial place.