Chapter 880

Chapter 880:

Fernanda offered a faint smile. “It’s okay.”

Looking around calmly, she said, “Thank you, everyone, for looking out for me, but I don’t want to be part of the inheritance discussion. Please leave me out of it.”

Jade watched Fernanda intently, trying to figure out whether her renunciation was sincere or merely an act.

“My mother died when I was young, and I once disappointed my grandparents. As her daughter, I’ll decline any inheritance,” Fernanda declared with conviction. “I’m here to reconnect with Grandma and with all of you. That’s my only purpose.”

Jade scoffed. “You wouldn’t have any claim here anyway. We’re already being more than fair by letting you stay.”

Felipa tapped Jade disapprovingly but refrained from scolding her further.

Jade’s perception of Fernanda was largely shaped by what her parents had told her. She knew that Fernanda’s father was wealthy and that Fernanda, having been lost in childhood, had only recently been found. But how close could someone be to their family if they hadn’t grown up with them?

Fernanda’s modest attire seemed to confirm Jade’s suspicion that she had been neglected in her affluent father’s household. A young woman of means would never dress so simply. This realization gave Jade a perverse sense of satisfaction. What did it matter if Fernanda had been born into wealth? Her life seemed no more enviable than Jade’s.

With this thought, Jade calmed down and stopped making unpleasant remarks toward Fernanda.

As Toby and the others conversed, Fernanda remained on the sidelines, unnoticed. She observed the group, noting Jade’s laughter as she whispered into her mother’s ear. Sarai was deep in conversation with Toby, with Duran occasionally chiming in. It was a lively scene, in stark contrast to Fernanda’s isolation. Their chatter filled the room, overwhelming her.

The pale winter sun, obscured by a thin haze, mirrored her confusion. For a moment, she felt lost. Were these people truly her family? Jade’s harsh words had made it painfully clear that Fernanda didn’t belong. They were the ones who had shared decades of memories. What was she? Just an unwanted visitor.

At the Morgan residence, Selma had told her to leave. Now, Jade echoed that sentiment. It seemed like everyone wanted her gone. She felt undeserving of a family.

Nore chatpers 𝖌Ɐ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.c0n

Fernanda bit her lip, her eyes beginning to sting. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her album, pausing at a photo of Hiram.

Hiram’s face was kind, his eyes particularly gentle, seeming to reach out to her through the screen. A tear dropped onto the phone, and Fernanda hastily wiped it away, blurring the image. It had been ages since she had last cried. Crying was a luxury that lonely children like her couldn’t afford. She had to be strong and shoulder everything alone.

But there was still some hope stirring within her—that coming here would reconnect her with a real family, that she would finally feel the warmth she had missed for so long, and that this family would be different from the Morgans. Because she clung to such unrealistic hopes, the sting of disappointment was even sharper.

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