Chapter 47 Chapter 47 The head of security played the surveillance footage in front of the gathered journalists and thousands watching online. On the screen, a masked man dressed in black dashed down a narrow, winding path. "We're actively searching for the suspect," Eddy announced, turning to the cameras. "We expect results soon, and we'll make them public. Thank you to everyone-journalists and viewers alike-for your concern." With the spectacle over, the reporters were ushered out. Blanche knelt alone in the funeral parlor, feeding slips of paper into the flickering flames in memory of her mother, Sheila. Eddy had already left, but not before posting a bodyguard at the door to keep an eye on her. Her phone buzzed. Jeannette's name flashed on the screen. She answered. "Blanche, what a thrill today was," Jeannette's voice purred. "Eddy and I have never had this much fun together." There was a pause. Then Jeannette continued, breathless, "He's unbelievable. We don't see each other for a few days and suddenly, he can't keep his hands off me-even in front of your mother's casket." A low, male groan sounded in the background, followed by Jeannette's teasing gasp. "You know, Eddy told me your mom spent her last years bedridden and alone, no man by her side. Watching us must've been her only entertainment, don't you think?" "Oh-Eddy, slower. Didn't we just finish?" Blanche sat frozen, her skin crawling as the twisted symphony of their pleasure poured through the phone-each sound like poison seeping into her veins. 1/3 14070 Chapter 47 The call cut off with a curt beep. Her mind reeled; the image of Eddy and Jeannette, tangled together, discussing her and her mother with casual cruelty, made her stomach turn. The deepest wounds, she realized, always come from those closest to your heart. She couldn't bear to stay in Eddy's shadow another minute; every fiber in her body screamed to get away. Hedwig stormed into the funeral parlor, her cheeks blazing red. Without warning, she kicked over the small brazier in front of Blanche, sending embers scattering. "Blanche! After all these years, I never thought you could stoop this low!" "You actually convinced my mother to stop me from exposing my brother's affair! You just stood there, stone-faced, while your own mother's ashes were smashed by my brother and Jeannette. All because you want our family fortune. Have you no shame?" "Do you even know who Jeannette's father is?" Blanche didn't dignify her with a response, rising to leave, but Hedwig grabbed her wrist before she could walk away. Seeing Blanche's indifference, Hedwig sneered, "You're so obsessed with money and status, you could watch your husband cheat on you at your mother's funeral and not even flinch. Why would it bother you if his mistress is your own half-sister?" Blanche froze, disbelief clear in her eyes. "What did you say?" Hedwig let out a cold laugh, wrenching her hand away. "Don't pretend you don't understand. Jeannette's father is your father-Pollock. Didn't you know?" "Even if you do now, so what?" Hedwig spat. "You'll just keep pretending nothing happened, right?" "I pity Ms. Harvey-how did she end up with such a selfish, ungrateful 2/3 Chapter 47 daughter?" Something inside Blanche snapped. She slapped Hedwig across the face, sending her sprawling to the floor. Looking down at her, Blanche's voice was icy. "All these years, I cared for you, Hedwig. I shouldn't have bothered." "Never again." Without another word, she strode out of the cemetery, climbed into her Ferrari, and sped toward the Northshire villa. There, she took out her laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard as she hacked into Ivycrest University's student records, searching for Jeannette's file. She had always assumed Jeannette was a distant relative of the Loraine family and never questioned her background. Even when she first arrived at the Healys', a housekeeper had remarked how similar their silhouettes were-but she'd dismissed it. Within seconds, the file appeared on her screen. Blanche's gaze locked onto the "Family" section. Father: Pollock. Mother: Rhoda. Fragments of memory, long buried, surged back. Blanche stepped out of the car, glancing up at the villa's second floor. There was Jeannette, sprawled half-naked against the glass, a shadowy male figure pressed behind her, pounding the window. Blanche pushed open the front door, grabbed a golf club from the entryway, and started up the stairs. In that moment, the only thing on her mind was vengeance-for her mother. 313 14:07 Everyone thinks she is an ugly and dumb girl, only her husband and herself know the truth. When will be the day that the shocking truth is revealed? Anyways, he will protect her for always.