After Divorce I Married a Tycoon-Chapter 23: Claire Mercer Is Actually a Fake Heiress
Perhaps it was because they knew a very important guest had arrived at the banquet today.
Not only had the Mercer family’s son-in-law, Gavin Sinclair, arrived, but even the young master of the Rowan family was present.
Julian Mercer and Judith Caldwell, overcome with excitement, had a quick discussion and eagerly began the evening’s banquet.
It was clear that Julian Mercer was a little nervous on stage.
Even though he was a man who had seen his fair share of storms.
But it couldn’t be helped.
The young master of the Rowan family, a man everyone wanted to curry favor with, had actually come to *their* family’s banquet.
This wasn’t just a huge boost to the Mercer family’s prestige; it was a golden opportunity they couldn’t have even hoped for.
’If my daughter could catch the young Rowan master’s eye, if we could win the Rowan family’s support...’
’The Mercer Family might be able to squeeze into Rhonia’s circle of top-tier wealthy families. Then, we would just have to wait to skyrocket to the top.’
How could Julian Mercer not be nervous, filled with such hopes and fantasies?
Even his voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
"First, I, Mr. Mercer, would like to express my deepest gratitude to all our distinguished guests for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this banquet at the Mercer home."
"Your presence graces our humble home and leaves me overwhelmed by the honor."
"To have you all gathered here today is the greatest honor of my life..."
After a string of pleasantries, Julian Mercer finally got to the main topic of the evening.
"The reason I’ve invited you all here tonight is that the Mercer family has some joyous news we wish to share."
As soon as he finished speaking, the already dim lights of the banquet hall went out completely.
A single white spotlight flared to life, sweeping toward the second floor of the banquet hall’s spiral staircase.
Standing in the light was a young woman.
The light was a bit too blinding to make out her features clearly.
One could only see that she was wearing a purple haute couture evening gown, her hair swept up high, looking just like a noble princess.
She descended the stairs, her movements graceful and poised.
The spotlight followed her until she reached the center of the stage.
Only then did the banquet hall’s lights come back on, allowing everyone to finally see her face.
Her features were well-proportioned, her skin fair, and her beauty apparent. She carried herself with an air of refinement.
It was just that Claire Mercer’s appearance earlier had been too stunning.
So, by comparison, the girl before them seemed somewhat plain.
The crowd, not recognizing her, couldn’t help but lower their heads and whisper amongst themselves.
"Who is this?"
"Don’t tell me she’s Oscar Mercer’s girlfriend?"
"They wouldn’t need to make such a big fuss just to introduce his girlfriend, would they?"
"I don’t get what the Mercer family is up to."
"..."
But when Claire Mercer saw clearly who was standing on the stage, she was both shocked and bewildered.
’Scarlett Jewel!’
The person on stage was actually Scarlett Jewel.
’Why would she appear at a Mercer family banquet in such a manner?’
Soon, Julian Mercer answered the question in her heart.
"This," he announced, "is Reina, the biological daughter Judith and I lost many years ago."
The moment he said it, an uproar swept through the hall.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"How many daughters does the Mercer family even have?"
"If this is the biological daughter they lost years ago, then what about the one who married into the Sinclair family?"
"Don’t tell me the one who married into the Sinclair family, Claire Mercer, is the fake heiress?"
"Is the Mercer family that audacious? They actually married a fake heiress into the Sinclair family?"
"I heard the Sinclair family’s matriarch was the one who took a liking to Claire Mercer back then. It didn’t have much to do with her birth. Otherwise, would the Mercer family have even had a chance?"
"..."
The guests were all baffled.
Claire Mercer, however, was shocked beyond measure.
’Scarlett Jewel... she’s actually...’
’The Mercer family’s daughter?’
She latched onto the key phrase in Julian Mercer’s words: ’the biological daughter we lost many years ago...’
’Then what about me?’
’By saying that, does he mean... I’m not the Mercer family’s biological daughter?’
Filled with a storm of questions, Claire Mercer stared at Scarlett Jewel on the stage.
And at Julian Mercer and Judith Caldwell, who were gazing at Scarlett with such loving expressions...
Her gaze swept back and forth between the three of them, and an answer began to surface in her mind.
In all these years, she had never once been on the receiving end of such a gentle, loving gaze from them.
’So it turns out they don’t favor sons over daughters.’
Because the way they looked at Scarlett Jewel was filled with deep affection.
It was the complete opposite of the cold, sharp glances they always gave her. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Claire Mercer laughed.
’So, my suspicions weren’t just me being paranoid.’
’The reason they were always so harsh with me... it was because I’m not their daughter at all, was it?’
Soon, some of the guests below voiced the same question.
"If the one on stage is your biological daughter, then what about Claire Mercer, the one who married into the Sinclair family?"
Julian Mercer said, "Actually, we found Claire by the side of the road back then."
"We did try to find her birth parents, but we couldn’t find a single clue."
"At that time, our own daughter had just gone missing, and we saw little Claire, all alone and helpless. It was a pitiful sight."
"So my wife and I discussed it and decided to bring her back to the Mercer home to raise as our own."
"Although Claire isn’t our biological daughter, we’ve treated her as our own all these years."
"Even now that my biological daughter, Reina, has returned, Claire is still the apple of our family’s eye."
At these words, Claire Mercer almost laughed out loud.
’Treated me as their own?’
’The apple of the Mercer family’s eye?’
*Hah!*
’What a smooth talker.’
’To think he could tell such lies so righteously.’
Their methods of abuse were just so clever that outsiders could never find fault.
It didn’t matter anymore.
She had already lost all hope for this family.
Now that their real daughter was back, she felt a sense of relief, oddly enough.
But why did their daughter have to be Scarlett Jewel?
Why did it have to be Scarlett Jewel, the mistress...
Claire Mercer found it all so ironic.
Not only had Scarlett stolen Gavin Sinclair, her nominal husband...
But now, even her identity as the young miss of the Mercer family had originally belonged to her.
She felt like a total loser, defeated utterly and completely.
Adrian Sutton, however, had been watching Claire Mercer carefully from the moment Julian Mercer revealed Scarlett Jewel’s identity.
He saw the tears glistening in her eyes, even as she kept a smile on her face...
Adrian Sutton’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed tight by a pair of hands.
An ache of sympathy made his breathing catch.
He quickly called out to her in a soft voice, "Miss Mercer..."
Claire Mercer immediately wiped away the tear that had unconsciously rolled down her cheek and gave him a faint smile.
"I’m fine."
Though she said that, her heart was already shattered to pieces.
No wonder Scarlett Jewel had been so adamant before about inviting her to her and Gavin Sinclair’s wedding.
It turned out that not only was she pregnant with Gavin Sinclair’s child, but she was also the lost biological daughter of the Mercer family.
Although the Mercer family’s status in Rhonia was far below the Sinclair family’s, they were still a reputable, wealthy family.
With these two connections, it shouldn’t be difficult for her to marry Gavin Sinclair.
Her gaze drifted to Scarlett Jewel on the stage, and she saw the other woman raise her lips in a smile.
It seemed to be a sneer, a jeer, with a hint of provocation...
But more than anything, it was the gloating pride of a victor looking down on the vanquished.
’Scarlett Jewel must be so pleased with herself right now.’
