Chapter 249: Why Didn’t You Say So Earlier?

Chapter 249: Chapter 249: Why Didn’t You Say So Earlier?

’That woman, who’s been missing for over twenty years, has actually reappeared!’

’Shouldn’t she be long dead by now?’

’Does Milton already know?’

’Will he divorce me for his old flame?’

"My dad knows. They’ve already met, and I’ve officially reunited with my biological mother."

Joyce Rivers staggered back half a step, her face instantly turning deathly pale.

’The woman he’s thought about day and night has reappeared. Milton must be ecstatic. He’ll probably want to abandon me immediately and welcome his old flame into the family. What would all my years of devotion have been for?’

Vesper Grayson saw the panic in her heart and slowly added.

"My birth mother has her own family. She absolutely will not come here to destroy your family with Dad!"

The tension in Joyce Rivers’s body suddenly evaporated, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

"Why did you go out of your way to tell me this?"

"I just don’t want you and Dad to be trapped by this misunderstanding and fight endlessly for years to come." Vesper Grayson gave a faint smile. "I know that Dad’s unconditional favoritism toward me all these years has made you resentful. But in his heart, he does have feelings for you."

"There’s one more thing. Dad and I have no blood relationship. Back then, he saved my mother, who was pregnant and had amnesia, and he brought me home to raise me with great care. You don’t have to worry anymore that I’ll fight Gwen and Jonathan for the Grayson Family inheritance."

Joyce Rivers was utterly stunned. She stared at her blankly, a look of complete shock on her face.

"What do you mean? You’re not the daughter of him and his beloved?"

’Then why did he put so much effort into doting on a child with whom he shared no blood for all these years?’

"It’s exactly what it sounds like," Vesper Grayson explained simply. "I’m very grateful that he’s treated me as his own all these years."

It dawned on Joyce Rivers. No wonder Vesper Grayson had never borne the slightest resemblance to Milton Grayson. She had always assumed Vesper took after her birth mother, never dreaming that the two of them weren’t related by blood at all.

"So, his love for your mother was so deep he could even raise a child that wasn’t his own as if she were a precious treasure. But he kept this from me for over twenty years..."

"He did love my mother deeply in his youth, but he’s moved on. For all these years, you’re the one who’s been by his side day in and day out. He’s seen all the genuine love you’ve given."

Joyce Rivers was silent for a long moment, her tone tinged with self-deprecation.

"You don’t have to go out of your way to comfort me. He has feelings for me? I don’t believe it. Besides, I’ve gotten used to how things are over the years."

"I’m not just comforting you; this is what Dad told me himself. He confessed that if he didn’t have any feelings for you, he wouldn’t have had two children with you. He’s just not good with words and doesn’t know how to express his feelings directly. He’s not cold and heartless."

The corners of Joyce Rivers’s eyes instantly reddened, and her voice grew hoarse.

"Did he really say that?"

"I have no reason to lie to you," Vesper Grayson said in a soft, consoling voice. "The things that have been weighing on your heart have all been cleared up. From now on, just focus on having a good life with Dad."

Joyce Rivers stared at her for a long time, her voice strained and raspy.

"I used to go out of my way to make things difficult for you. Don’t you hate me for it?"

"It was inevitable to feel some resentment when I was young, but Dad always protected me, and you never truly did anything cruel. No real harm was done, so I forgave you and moved on long ago."

’When she was younger, she was certainly put off by Joyce Rivers’s duplicity, but as she grew up, she gradually understood that no one was obligated to be kind to her or love her unconditionally. In Joyce Rivers’s eyes, she was simply an obstacle between her and her husband.’

With that, Vesper Grayson said no more, got into her car, and drove away.

Joyce Rivers remained standing there, watching the car until it disappeared from view, unable to snap out of her daze for a long time.

A deep male voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

"Joyce, you’re back just in time. Let’s talk."

Back at the office, Dolly Hughes placed a file in front of her.

"Sister Vesper, there’s a promotional event coming up that Miss Yvonne Lowell needs to attend, but I haven’t been able to reach her since the day before yesterday."

"I went to her villa this morning and knocked for a long time, but no one opened the door."

"I’ve already contacted Starlight, and they said they haven’t seen her in the last couple of days."

"I’m worried something might have happened to her."

Vesper Grayson frowned. "Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

"I just thought something had come up and I’d be able to reach her soon..." Dolly Hughes explained anxiously. "Something similar has happened before, so I didn’t think much of it. It was my mistake."

She lowered her head, looking ashamed.

"I’m not blaming you. Go on, get back to work."

After Dolly left, Vesper Grayson called Elena.

"Elena, you busy?"

"Not busy. What’s up?"

"I was wondering, have you been in contact with Yvonne Lowell recently?"

"No. I’m usually pretty busy, and we don’t really cross paths."

"You haven’t been to Starlight recently?"

Elena chuckled. "Why would I go to Starlight? Even though I’m dating Zane Rivers, we never get involved in each other’s work. Relationships need boundaries and a sense of distance, or you’ll get tired of each other over time."

"Do you think everyone is like you and Jared?"

Vesper Grayson couldn’t help but laugh. "That just means you and President Rivers aren’t in love enough yet. Otherwise, you definitely wouldn’t think that."

’When a relationship reaches a certain point, you naturally want to be inseparable from the person you love, stuck to their side all day.’

"Good point. We do like each other, but it’s not that deep yet. This is fine, though. I’m not a big fan of clingy men."

’She’d always been career-focused. She used to throw herself into her work so completely that men never even registered on her radar.’

’Relationships can betray you, but your career is always your own. It’s the foundation she’s built her life on.’

’How could a man ever be as reliable as a career and money?’

’Only what she could touch and hold truly belonged to her.’

Vesper Grayson knew Elena was a clear-headed, independent woman who wouldn’t get bogged down by romance. Besides, President Rivers was always surrounded by beautiful women; who knew how long the novelty of their relationship would last?

"There’s a promotional event the day after tomorrow, and she’s supposed to be there as the brand ambassador. My assistant hasn’t been able to reach her for several days. I’m worried something’s happened, so I thought I’d call and ask you."

"I haven’t seen her recently either. Have you asked her agent?"

"I don’t think she has one. Whenever there’s an event, the company just assigns someone to her temporarily."

"If I recall correctly, Lana Chandler has been handling all of her public events. You should ask her; she’ll probably know."

"Okay, I’ll give her a call."

"Okay, let’s get together sometime."

After hanging up, she found Lana Chandler’s number and dialed.

Lana Chandler was visiting Sue Linton.

She was applying medicine to Sue’s cheek.

"I’ve already told President Rivers exactly what happened to you. He said that once they find out who’s targeting you from behind the scenes, they will show no mercy. For the next few days, just stay home and rest. I’ll take care of things with the production team."

"Thank you, Miss Lana."

Her phone suddenly rang.

Lana Chandler glanced at the screen and quickly answered.

"President Grayson?"

"Miss Lana, I was wondering if you know where Yvonne Lowell is?"

"Yvonne Lowell?" Lana Chandler frowned. "A few days ago, she said she was feeling unwell and asked for three days off. By rights, she should have been back at the company today. Has something happened to her?"

"The Vaudin promotional event is in a few days, and she needs to be there, but my staff can’t get ahold of her."

"I’m heading back to the company shortly. If I see her, I’ll have her call you back."

"Okay, thank you."

Lana Chandler hung up and glanced at Sue Linton.

"You get some rest. I’m heading to the office now!"

Seeing she was about to leave, Sue Linton grabbed her arm, looking as if she wanted to say something but was hesitating.

"Miss Lana, did I just hear you mention Yvonne Lowell?"

Lana Chandler narrowed her eyes at her. "What is it?"

"I think I saw her the day before yesterday. She was with Roya Winters..."

That day, she was meeting a friend at a bar. She went to the restroom at one point and happened to pass by a private room just as a waiter was going in to deliver drinks. She glanced inside and saw it was packed with people. Yvonne Lowell and Roya Winters were among them, but she didn’t recognize anyone else.

Hearing this, Lana Chandler’s expression suddenly darkened.

"Why didn’t you say so earlier?"