Chapter 276: My Daughter, Prue Whitman

The man’s face was forty to fifty percent similar to Nolan Forrester’s, but where Nolan was sharp and resolute, this man was gentle and mild.

Three years ago, she had visited the Forrester Residence and had seen this man from a distance. At the time, all the staff in the villa had respectfully addressed him as “Mr. Forrester.”

The only “Mr. Forrester” in the Forrester Family could be Nolan Forrester’s father.

But she had never heard any news of marital trouble between Mr. Forrester and Mrs. Forrester.

Taking a closer look at the pregnant woman’s face, she noticed it bore a slight resemblance to Mrs. Forrester’s.

Without hesitation, Shiloh Sloan took out her phone and secretly recorded a video.

Only when their figures had completely disappeared from view did she look away, suppressing her astonishment.

Magnus finished loading the groceries and drove her back to Whispering Breeze Lodge.

Hopping out of the car, she gave a few instructions and rushed upstairs to find Nolan Forrester without a moment’s delay.

In the bedroom, the man stood by the French windows on the phone. His figure was tall and elegant. The morning light streamed through the glass, casting a soft, golden glow around his slender frame. The lines of his profile were sharp and clean, exuding an air of nobility and cold detachment.

Shiloh found herself momentarily captivated by the sight.

Nolan, ever perceptive, noticed her gaze. He turned around, gave a couple of instructions to the person on the other end, and ended the call.

He crooked a finger at her.

“Come here.”

She hurried over, wrapped her arms around his lean waist, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a soft, light kiss on his chin, her eyes crinkling with a playful smile.

“Whose boyfriend is this handsome? Oh, right. He’s mine.”

Nolan looked down at her lively eyes, a faint smile gracing his thin lips.

“When I have some free time in a few days, I’ll help you finalize a deal with a long-term produce supplier. They can make daily deliveries to your door, saving you the trouble of waking up early to shop every day.”

“Okay, we can arrange that once the restaurant has a stable customer base.” Shiloh nestled into his embrace, her smile fading. Her tone became a bit cautious. “I saw two people when I was out shopping for groceries today!”

Nolan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He knew that if they were unimportant, she wouldn’t have brought them up.

“Who?”

“It looked like your father, and he was with a pregnant woman. They were holding hands while shopping for groceries, acting very intimately.” She looked up at him and said softly, “I recorded a video. Do you want to see it?”

“Show me.”

Nolan led her to the sofa to sit down. Shiloh took out her phone and played the video.

The clip was only a few dozen seconds long, but the moment it finished, Nolan’s expression darkened.

A ferocious aura instantly clouded his eyes. His jaw tensed, and the air around him grew terrifyingly cold.

Seeing his reaction, Shiloh pursed her lips. “Your father… he couldn’t be keeping a mistress behind your mother’s back, could he? And this woman is pregnant. If the baby is his, doesn’t that mean you’ll have a new little brother or sister…?”

An extremely cold chuckle escaped Nolan’s throat, chilling to the bone.

“That woman is my mother’s biological sister. My aunt, Clara Shepherd.”

“What?” Shiloh was completely dumbfounded, her expression one of utter disbelief. “Your father and your aunt… why would they be so intimate?”

“That’s a question I’d like an answer to as well.” A chilling coldness swirled in Nolan’s eyes, suppressed fury gathering in their dark depths. “When the hell did they get together?”

The affection and tenderness between the two in the video went far beyond the scope of familial care. They were blatant, making no effort to hide it.

Anyone could tell at a glance that their relationship was anything but ordinary.

Shiloh gently cupped his tense cheeks, comforting him in a soft voice.

“Maybe it’s a misunderstanding. We should investigate first before jumping to conclusions.”

Even a rabbit doesn’t eat the grass around its own burrow. She couldn’t believe Mr. Forrester would have an affair with his own sister-in-law.

“You don’t have to comfort me.” Nolan held her hand, his fingertips cool. “I know what to do.”

‘No wonder Father was so concerned about Clara Shepherd when she returned to the country. I always thought he was just showing her extra care out of respect for Mother.’

‘Thinking back now, it was all a meticulously crafted lie from the very beginning.’

‘Clara’s tragic story about meeting the wrong person overseas, about being deceived and hurt by a scumbag—it was all a sham.’

‘They were carrying on right under my nose, under Mrs. Forrester’s nose!’

Nolan had someone secretly investigate their relationship, planning to gather evidence before confronting them face-to-face.

…

Vesper Grayson, using channels provided by a medicinal herb supplier, purchased a batch of rare medicinal plant seedlings. She hired some workers skilled in cultivation to plant them in stages.

She also had Chadwick Whitman pull some strings to hire Veridia’s top experts in medicinal plant cultivation at a high price, pairing them with biotechnology researchers and microbiologists to specifically tackle the challenge of artificially domesticating and cultivating rare medicinal herbs.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the banquet arrived.

The lavish banquet hall was filled with distinguished guests. Dignitaries from Veridia’s business and political circles, as well as the core executives of the Whitman Group, were all in attendance. The scene was grand and formal.

It was easy to see how much the Whitman Family valued their long-lost daughter.

Jenson Whitman took the stage and publicly announced that Vesper Grayson was the Whitman family’s daughter who had been lost for many years, and that she held thirty percent of the Whitman Group’s controlling shares.

The spotlight fell on her. Dressed in an elegant and noble gown, she walked calmly into the venue, instantly stunning everyone present.

“So this is the Whitman family’s long-lost daughter? She’s an absolute knockout.”

“President Whitman really values this daughter they just found, giving her thirty percent of the group’s controlling shares right off the bat!”

“President Whitman has been managing the group all these years. With the Chairman doing this, how could President Whitman agree?”

“If you ask me, it won’t be long before this pair of half-siblings starts fighting over the shares. The group is in for a period of internal strife, both open and secret.”

“This Miss Grayson has had a stroke of incredible luck. After suffering for over a decade, she’s reunited with her family and gets to enjoy a massive fortune without having to lift a finger.”

The murmurs from the crowd were endless, a mixture of envy, jealousy, and amazement!

The Whitman Family’s wealth was comparable to that of a small country. Who wouldn’t be envious?

But alas, this President Whitman was known to be uninterested in women. Rumor had it that years ago, there was one woman—a captivating beauty with an innate allure—the eldest daughter of the Churchill family, Iris Churchill.

Unfortunately, she died tragically while saving President Whitman. Since then, he has sealed his heart, showing no interest in any other woman.

Because of this, the Churchill Family’s status skyrocketed. Under the Whitman Family’s protection, they ascended into high society, enjoying unparalleled prestige.

I hear they’re here today, too!

Vesper Grayson slowly walked to Jenson Whitman’s side.

Renee Rhodes took her hand.

“Thank you all for coming. This is my daughter, Prue Whitman, our family’s treasured child, lost and now found. In the future, I hope you will all show the Whitman family some courtesy and look after her!”

Following her wishes, Jenson Whitman and Renee Rhodes had named her Prue Whitman. “Prue” also served as her nickname, which sounded more intimate.

The audience immediately erupted in enthusiastic applause. Many people smiled and nodded, chiming in with words of support.

“You’re too kind, Mrs. Whitman. A young lady as outstanding as Miss Whitman, we will certainly look after her.”

“You’re so fortunate, Mrs. Whitman. You have an excellent son, and now such a beautiful daughter. It’s truly enviable!”

Compliments and praise rose and fell throughout the hall.

The atmosphere was incredibly lively.

Not far away, the three members of the Churchill family stood quietly in a corner, watching the Whitman couple and Prue Whitman, who were being showered with attention at the center of the room.

Mrs. Churchill’s eyes churned with intense envy and jealousy, her tone sharp with bitterness. “I never expected Jenson Whitman to be so generous with this daughter he just found. Thirty percent of the controlling shares, given away just like that. That’s a shockingly bold move.”

Mr. Churchill heaved a heavy sigh, full of regret. “It’s a shame Iris passed away so early. Otherwise, a piece of the Whitman family’s vast fortune should have belonged to our Churchill family!”

Mrs. Churchill grabbed the exquisitely made-up Hannah Churchill beside her, a calculating glint in her eyes. “Hannah, you must seize this opportunity and lock down Chadwick Whitman soon. The Whitman family’s immense fortune absolutely cannot fall into the hands of an outsider.”

Hannah bit her lower lip, her heart filled with grievance. “Mom, it’s not that I don’t want to! But Chadwick has only ever had my sister in his heart. He’s always treated me like a little sister.”

“He was deeply in love with Iris, it’s true, but you bear a slight resemblance to your sister.” Mrs. Churchill squeezed her hand tightly, coaxing her. “Find the right moment, make him mistake you for her in a daze, and create an irreversible situation. Force him to take responsibility for you, and the position of Mrs. Whitman will naturally be yours. Haven’t you admired him for years? If you don’t take a risk, he’ll never give you a second glance. Are you really willing to watch another woman beat you to it?”

Hannah’s fingers curled into a tight fist. Her gaze drifted toward the noble man who stood out from the crowd like a crane among chickens, her eyes filled with an unconcealable infatuation.

Countless young ladies from prominent families flocked around Chadwick Whitman, trying to curry favor, but he always remained distant and indifferent. He appeared gentle and polite on the surface, but his eyes were completely devoid of emotion.

She hesitated and said in a low voice, “But Mom, even if I create an opportunity, Chadwick is always calm and self-possessed. He’s extremely vigilant and would never sleep with someone just because he’s drunk. The last time he got drunk alone because he was missing my sister, I tried to get close, but he recognized me instantly.”

She couldn’t even get near him, let alone be intimate!

Mrs. Churchill leaned close to her ear, her voice a seductive whisper.

“As long as you can keep him by your side, you’ll have plenty of time to slowly cultivate affection later. He can’t stay trapped in his obsession with a dead person forever. Once you’re pregnant with the Whitman family’s first grandson and have secured your position as Mrs. Whitman, what does it matter if he loves you or not?”

“Silly girl, how can you get what you want without resorting to some special measures?”

Without another word, Mrs. Churchill shoved a small packet of powder into Hannah’s palm.

Hannah glanced down at the small packet, her fingers trembling. She looked up at her mother in a panic.

“Mom, when did you get this? You’re insane!”

“Fortune favors the bold.” A determined, calculating look swirled in Mrs. Churchill’s eyes as she gave her low-voiced command. “Later, find an opportunity and slip this powder into his drink. No matter how proper, self-controlled, or strong-willed he is, once he ingests this, he won’t be able to resist.”

Hannah looked to Mr. Churchill, wanting to know his opinion.

“Dad…”

Mr. Churchill narrowed his calculating eyes. “Your mother is right. Your sister had a short life and wasn’t blessed with that kind of luck. You absolutely cannot miss this chance. Go over and say hello to Chadwick now, and act when the time is right!”

Hannah bit her lip hard, her smooth fingertips digging into her palm. As if having made a great resolve, she slowly walked toward Chadwick Whitman in the crowd.