Chapter 259
Naomi Pierce Isn't a Bennett Heiress
Didn't Victor Bennett just say he wasn't Tanya Sterling's in-law?
But hadn't Ethan Sterling always carried himself as the Bennett family's son-in-law? Just now Victor Bennett had even taken him around the room to meet important guests and expand his network. If he weren't his son-in-law, why would he be so attentive?
But very quickly, someone remembered that it seemed Ethan Sterling had been trailing eagerly behind him.
From beginning to end, Victor Bennett had never said Ethan Sterling was his son-in-law!
Only now did Tanya Sterling react.
She still hadn't realized how serious this was. She thought Victor Bennett was only saying this because he was unhappy, perhaps also because Naomi Pierce didn't have a very good relationship with him.
Tanya Sterling hurriedly tried to smooth things over, wanting to ease Victor Bennett's anger. "In-law, I've heard everything from this child about what happened between you and Siki. She may be a little willful, but she's still your child in the end. Why should family make such a scene? We specially invited you here today to mend your relationship..."
Victor Bennett's eyes darkened, and he continued flatly, "Naomi Pierce is not my daughter."
The moment those words fell, the surroundings went silent for several full seconds.
It was as if someone had grabbed Tanya Sterling by the throat. Every word stopped abruptly. The smile froze on her face, and her expression turned extremely ugly.
What had Victor Bennett just said?
He said... Naomi Pierce was not his daughter?!!
It took Tanya Sterling a great deal of effort to recover. She forced a stiff smile and said, "In-law, you really know how to joke. How could Siki not be your daughter? She's your eldest daughter who ran away from home!"
Victor Bennett gave a soft snort at that. "I don't know what misunderstanding you have, but my eldest daughter is not Naomi Pierce."
His eldest daughter was not Naomi Pierce...
Naomi Pierce wasn't Victor Bennett's daughter, wasn't a Bennett heiress? Then who was she? And who was her father?
Before the two of them could speak, Victor Bennett said again, "As for Naomi Pierce, I do know her..."
Ethan Sterling and Tanya Sterling's eyes lit up, and they both looked at Victor Bennett.
Could it be that he had just been angry, so he hadn't been willing to acknowledge Naomi Pierce's identity?
Victor Bennett's cold gaze fell on Naomi Pierce as he slowly revealed her true identity: "She is the daughter of Aunt Fang, a servant in my household."
Tanya Sterling and Ethan Sterling were once again devastated by those words.
A servant's... daughter?
The scene stayed quiet for a long while. It was obvious the people around them had also been shocked.
What exactly was going on?
Wasn't Ethan Sterling supposed to be the Bennett family's son-in-law? But from what Victor Bennett was saying now, there seemed to be more to the story.
Could it be that the woman Ethan Sterling was going to marry wasn't actually a Bennett heiress?
Tanya Sterling turned a severe look on Naomi Pierce and asked in a shrill voice, "Naomi Pierce! Didn't you tell me you were a Bennett heiress?"
Naomi Pierce was already dumbstruck, completely at a loss for how to react.
Her whole body trembled, aggrieved tears streaming down her face, and she said pitifully in a shaking voice, "Mother-in-law, I... the Bennett family I was talking about wasn't this Bennett family. I didn't know you would misunderstand..."
Tanya Sterling's gaze turned even harsher, and she looked like she wanted to strangle Naomi Pierce on the spot.
She... she actually dared to deceive them!
She had clearly said she was a daughter of the New York Bennett family, but now she was saying it wasn't that Bennett family. Was she implying this was all their own misunderstanding? If her words hadn't led them to misunderstand, why would they have thought in that direction?
Tanya Sterling sneered. "So in the end, this is our fault? We misunderstood you?"
Naomi Pierce shook her head frantically. "No, no, that's not it. It's my fault..."
This sudden turn of events left all the guests utterly stunned. Everyone gradually came back to their senses and started huddling together, whispering among themselves.
"Oh my God! This is unbelievable. I'm scared to death..."
"How could this happen?"
The one smiling the most happily was Mrs. King, who immediately started kicking them while they were down with mocking sarcasm.
"Pfft... I'm dying of laughter! I really thought Ethan had found some high-born heiress. She actually dared to tell a lie like that, and now she's getting slapped in the face."
"Naomi Pierce isn't a Bennett heiress. Did Ethan Sterling find himself a fake phoenix?"
"Just now you were even saying you'd introduce an heiress to my son. Don't tell me it'd be a fake heiress. I don't think my son needs one. Better keep her for Ethan Sterling to enjoy himself."
"Looks like that new project is dead. What a joke!"
...
Every single sentence from Mrs. King stabbed straight into Tanya Sterling's heart, making her so furious her face turned green. Her whole body trembled uncontrollably; it was hard to tell whether from rage or from being infuriated.
Naomi Pierce felt utterly dead inside. She knew she was finished.
Now that her identity as a Bennett heiress could no longer be concealed, would Ethan Sterling still marry her?
Ethan Sterling's eyes were red as he stared fixedly at Naomi Pierce. He had never imagined Naomi Pierce wasn't a Bennett heiress. Had he been deceived from beginning to end, then?
The despair of his shattered dream came crashing down on him from all sides, making him turn irritable and violent.
And at that exact moment, Ethan Sterling's phone rang again.
Annoyed, he took it out and glanced at it. It was a video sent from an unfamiliar number. After he opened it, he became even more enraged.
The video had been sent by Kevin Parker. It was actually an explicit video of him and Naomi Pierce.
Besides the one from before, there was also the one from two days ago.
Naomi Pierce looked half-reluctant and half-willing, without the slightest sign of unwillingness. Later, she even took the initiative to please Kevin Parker, brazen and bold!
Back when they were engaged, Naomi Pierce had said Claire Bennett used AI face-swapping to paste her face onto the video. At the time, he had believed Naomi Pierce was a Bennett heiress, so he hadn't pursued it further and had chosen to believe her.