“It was Heidi who invited her to Krigan for a vacation. No one expected she would meet Henry there, and from that point on, everything spiraled out of control.”
Olivia exhaled heavily and forced a smile. “Forget it. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Heidi left the Larsons long ago. It’s best to pretend she never existed.”
Tess was considerate enough not to press further.
After all, Heidi’s very existence was a scandal to the Larsons, naturally something the family preferred not to discuss.
But several questions had quietly surfaced in her mind, though she concealed them without a trace.
“By the way, how did you feel about your visit to the company today?”
Olivia took a sip of her tea, steering the conversation elsewhere.
Tess followed along smoothly. “It went well. Aunt Violet wants me to start learning the ropes of management first. She’ll arrange a press conference for me in a couple of days.
“The senior shareholders were very welcoming too.”
Only then did Olivia nod in satisfaction. “Good.”
As her words faded, she reached out and placed her hand on Tess’s head, her fingers gently brushing aside the hair from her forehead, her gaze warm and loving. “Tess, your mother was once the Larsons‘ most treasured heir. No one expected things to turn out the way they did. She gave up her inheritance willingly.
“But perhaps it was for the best. The most important thing she ever did was bring you into this world.”
Olivia continued to stroke her hair tenderly, and Tess felt a ripple of emotion move through her, gentle but undeniable.
The most important thing Kylie ever did was give birth to her?
Tess’s lips parted, her heart stirring.
Since she was born, she had only briefly known the warmth of family and the love of her parents. But all of that had fallen apart after Nadine came along.
She had always been overlooked, even belittled.
No one had ever told her she mattered this much.
Even her grandmother back then had only gently told her not to take things to heart.
A bittersweet ache rose in Tess’s throat and settled deep in her chest.
It wasn’t sadness–it was warmth.
“Grandma, I’ll work hard. I won’t let you down.”
Tess made the promise solemnly.
Olivia smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Tess, the Larsons will eventually be in your hands. It shouldn’t be about not letting me down. It should be about being true to yourself.”
She reached out and pressed a finger gently against Tess’s heart.
Tess froze for a moment.
“In everything you do, follow your heart, but don’t act recklessly.

Nadine was hardly ever around these days, disappearing for days at a time. Henry came home more often, but he rarely stayed the night, always rushing off somewhere.
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