Filed to story: The Heiress Rises From Ashes Book PDF Free
Her frustration twisted into something darker as she turned toward Brenna. Without a word, she crawled over to her, kneeling before her in a desperate, almost demeaning act. Grabbing Brenna’s hand, she forcefully slapped her cheek with it.
“Brenna, hit me,” Rosie begged, her voice shaking with emotion. “It’s my fault. I’ve been jealous of you, and I know I was wrong. You can strike me and scold me; do whatever you want. I swear I won’t fight back. Just please forgive me. I’ll do anything… Anything to make this right.”
Brenna remained still, her heart hardening as she watched the spectacle. She didn’t believe that someone who had repeatedly schemed against her could suddenly change.
Nearby, Rachael, who had been watching quietly, couldn’t take it any longer. She stepped forward, her voice cutting through the tension. “Miss Brenna Harper,” she said, “please, forgive Miss Rosie Harper. She’s kneeling before you-what more do you want from her?”
If they had been alone, Brenna would have put Rosie in her place without hesitation. But with the Harper family watching-especially Uncle Ableson’s side-she had no choice but to accept Rosie’s apology for the sake of appearances, even if she had no intention of truly forgiving her.
With obvious reluctance, Brenna helped Rosie to her feet, though she had no desire to pretend she liked someone she clearly despised. She never felt the need to please others, nor did she care about their opinions of her.
With a sharp edge to her voice, Brenna said, “Enough with the act. You loathed me just moments ago, and now you’re crying in front of me like this to ask for my forgiveness? What’s the point? Fine, I forgive you.” The words lacked sincerity, spoken as if someone had forced her hand. The Harper family noticed her unwillingness, yet no one criticized her for it.
Rosie felt humiliated. It was clear Brenna had no fondness for her, but there was nothing she could do about it.
She turned to Ernst, hoping for support. Though Ernst disapproved of Rosie’s manipulative ways, he wasn’t pleased with Brenna’s unwillingness to let the matter go, either.
“Brenna, don’t be too harsh. Rosie has already apologized. Must you keep up this attitude?” he said.
Dalton, lounging nearby, scoffed. “After everything Rosie put Brenna through, you think a few tears and an apology should erase it all? Brenna was nearly pushed out of her own family. You saw how the other branches of the Harper family treated her today. She has endured more than enough-shouldn’t she be allowed to be displeased with the matter? Why are you forcing her to let it go?”
He let out a low chuckle and continued, “Or do you expect her to just smile and embrace those who mistreated her? If an apology is all it takes to wipe the slate clean, then everyone could just apologize after doing bad things and move on. That’s not how things should work.”
“You!” Ernst was too furious to argue further, though he couldn’t deny that Dalton had a point. Apologies alone didn’t erase wrongdoing. Exhaling sharply, he turned to Brenna. “Brenna, what do you want? What will it take for you to forgive Rosie?” he asked.
Brenna found the entire situation trivial and not worth her energy. She knew Rosie would never truly admit her faults, and dragging things out would be a waste of time.
“I’ve already forgiven her. I won’t hold this against her in the future,” she said coldly. Then, tilting her head slightly, she looked at Ernst. “Or do you expect me, the victim here, to start making promises to the one who wronged me, Ernst?”
Rosie glanced around, hoping for support from the Harper family members, but aside from Ernst, no one spoke on her behalf.
Resentment boiled within her as she realized how much influence Brenna had gained in just a few days.
Clenching her fists, she seemed to make a decision. Looking directly at Brenna, she said, “Brenna, I truly regret what I did. I won’t make things difficult for you anymore. I only treated you that way because I didn’t believe you were part of the Harper family. Now that I know the truth, I won’t target you anymore.”
Forcing a smile to appear sincere, she continued, “How about this? August 1st is a good day. I will host a welcome banquet for you-an official introduction to Shirie’s high society, solidifying your place as a true socialite. I’ll personally handle all the arrangements to show my sincerity. Does that sound good to you?”
Brenna had little interest in Shirie’s elite circles, but her studio required business connections, and as its secret owner, she needed to build relationships with the city’s influential figures.
“Alright,” Brenna said after a brief pause. “I’ll trust you for now.”
Luther and Tessa, seeing Rosie’s attempt at reconciliation, smiled approvingly. Tessa, especially, softened as she said warmly, “Now that’s how a family should be-united and harmonious.”
Brenna, however, remained impassive.
To demonstrate her sincerity, Rosie personally oversaw the preparation of Brenna’s favorite dishes today, instructing the chef to ensure everything was to her liking. During dinner, she even apologized to Brenna again.
And with that, the issue was put to rest.
With the welcome banquet approaching, invitations had to be sent to Shirie’s elite. Rosie took charge of the matter, carefully curating the guest list and customizing each invitation.
“Mom, Dad, Ernst, Dalton, does this list look fine? Am I forgetting anyone?” Rosie asked with a pleasant smile, turning toward Shepard and Giselle.
Giselle and Shepard reviewed the list and exchanged a glance. Then,
Giselle spoke up. “Rosie, why didn’t you include the Barrett family?”
Rosie’s expression stiffened slightly, a flicker of displeasure crossing her face. She said, “Mom, Dad, it’s not that I don’t want to invite them. From what I heard, when Brenna was living with them, they mistreated her-kept her from going to school, forced her to design for them, and made her cook and clean like a servant. Honestly, I’d even like to see their business collapse. Why should they be invited to the banquet?”
Giselle nodded in understanding. “That may be true, but others aren’t aware of the full story. If we exclude the Barretts, Shirie’s elite will assume we’re ungrateful. After all, they were the ones who raised Brenna, and not inviting them might raise questions,” she said.
Shepard agreed with Giselle. He said, “Exactly. There will be plenty of time to deal with them later. For now, maintaining appearances is more important.”
At the Barrett family’s residence.
Ruby and Isabella exited the car, their hands weighed down with numerous shopping bags. Unable to carry them all, they called for a servant to help them.
A servant quickly approached, drying her hands on her apron, and peered into the living room before offering a cautious heads-up. “Mrs. Barrett, Miss Barrett, just to let you know, Mr. Barrett has just returned, and he seems quite upset. It might be wise to be careful around him,” she said.
Ruby dismissed the concern with a wave. “That’s nothing. His mood has been off due to work stress recently. Just bring these bags inside for us,” she said.
Isabella had several bags containing jewelry, handbags, and dresses. Her face was beaming with joy. It was the first time since returning to the Barrett family that she had indulged herself so freely, spending over a million dollars on luxury brands and jewelry she had never owned before.
Eagerly, she asked, “Mom, do you know if there’s something wrong at Dad’s company?”
Even though the Barrett family was facing some challenges, Isabella didn’t consider it to be anything serious. She trusted her father’s and brother’s abilities to manage the company. She had briefly tried working at the company but found the effort too exhausting, choosing instead to stay home and just enjoy her life.
Only a few days ago, she had joined a horse-riding club, paying a million dollars for the membership.
She had been attending daily and had already become quite skilled.
Ruby, who was more attuned to the gravity of the situation, let out a sigh and replied, “Ever since Brenna left, the company has struggled to attract good orders. We still need to pay the workers’ salaries, which total millions each month. Your father’s hair is turning gray from all the stress. Even your brother has been contacting clients himself to secure orders.”
Isabella casually replied with an “Oh,” hardly giving the matter any thought. She was confident that the Barrett family was wealthy enough that her spending wouldn’t pose a problem for her father or brother.
Just then, the servant interjected, “Mrs. Barrett, Miss Barrett, please be mindful. Mr. Barrett asked about your whereabouts earlier, and upon learning of your-