Chapter 7 - The Wife Chosen Before She Met Him
Arthur’s letter revealed that he had an affair with Elena Bennett while she worked in Ashcroft accounting.
When Laura was born, Arthur allowed Michael to raise her because acknowledging a child with an employee would threaten his marriage and public image.
Years later, he discovered Laura inherited Michael’s worker claim through adoption.
He arranged for Vincent to meet her at a Denver charity summit.
Marriage would bring the employee claim back under Ashcroft control.
Laura faced Vincent.
“Did you know?”
Vincent admitted Arthur had encouraged the introduction but denied knowing why.
“My love was real.”
Laura removed her wedding ring.
“Real love does not erase a beginning designed by men who treated my life like a merger.”
Helena mocked her.
“You arrived with nothing, married a billionaire and now complain that the path was arranged.”
Laura’s voice shook with fury.
“I arrived with a stolen inheritance, a buried father and a mother your family imprisoned. I brought more into this marriage than your name ever gave me.”
DNA testing confirmed Arthur was her biological father, making Vincent her legal brother only through family recognition, not biology through Vincent’s mother.
The marriage had been engineered to merge claims, regardless of the humiliation or emotional damage the truth would cause later.
Vincent petitioned for an immediate annulment and surrendered every benefit tied to the union.
Laura refused Helena’s attempt to portray her as a gold digger.
She transferred her personal claim to the worker council.
“I will not become the next Ashcroft ruler simply because your crimes placed my blood near the throne.”
Then Samuel opened Arthur’s sealed letter.
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It named Helena—not Vincent—as Michael Bennett’s biological daughter.
Helena had spent her life crushing the workers whose organizer was her own father.
