The Billionaire Who Saved Me

“Don’t be fooled like me.”

That one sentence echoed in Garrett’s mind. Even after days had passed since that night, Daphne’s voice saying it still rang clear in his ears. As if Daphne had repeated it many times.

Of course, it made Garrett curious. But when he wanted to inquire further that night, Daphne gently refused. She decided to sleep instead. As a result, Garrett was plagued by curiosity for days.

And today, as his wedding approached, Garrett decided not to dwell on it. He wanted to clear his head. To prepare himself for the important day that was soon to come.

A ringing phone interrupted Garrett’s brief reverie. He answered the call immediately. It was from Sherly.

“Hello, sir. Mr. Nelson would like to see you.”

Garrett’s eyes widened. It was unexpected news. So, before Sherly could ask for his availability, he said, “Ask him to come in. And make us some coffee. Especially for him, latte.”

“Alright, sir.”

Garrett put the phone back down. He put his work aside for a moment and walked over to the sofa. Garrett wasn’t expecting a visit from Nelson that day.

The door opened. Nelson entered with casual steps and a raised head. He looked around with an astonished look.

“Wow! Wow! Wow! I can understand why you forgot about me while you were here, Garrett. Without any news or updates, uh… clearly this room can make you forget the world.”

Garrett’s office was clearly the most luxurious and spacious workspace Nelson had ever seen. The one he had ever visited. With undoubtedly high-quality equipment, the room looked classy thanks to the professional touches of those in their field.

Garrett rose from his seat, not at all offended by Nelson’s words. Thanks to the relationship they had built over the years, Garrett clearly understood the middle-aged man’s joking nature.

“Sorry for not keeping in touch all this time,” Garrett said. “How have you been?”

Garrett held out his hand, accepting Nelson’s greeting, and they seemed pleased to meet.

“Good,” Nelson replied as he sat down. “And you look well too, Garrett.”

“Of course.”

There was a knock, followed by the opening of the door, and Sherly entered with a tray containing two cups of coffee. She politely placed the drinks on the table.

Nelson smiled at Sherly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sir.”

As Sherly disappeared behind the closing door, Nelson said, “Your secretary here is younger than Mrs. Amber. And definitely prettier.”

Garrett chuckled. “But Mrs. Amber’s still the best.”

“Of course,” Nelson said as he reached for his cup of latte. He sipped its contents and then commented, “Mrs. Amber’s latte is still the best.”

Garrett grinned at the comment. “Exactly what I think.”

Then they both laughed.

Nelson exhaled deeply after placing the cup back on its saucer and leaned back on the soft sofa. He looked relaxed.

“So, how’s life in the Pacific?” Nelson asked. “Is everything going smoothly? Uh… just so you know, I read your article in the Metro a few months ago. Your speech sounded good.”

Garrett smiled thinly at the praise. He didn’t consider it particularly important, but he certainly appreciated it.

“This is definitely more demanding than running Apex Builders and Co. While I’ve been here, I can almost count on one hand the number of times I’ve been home at exactly four in the afternoon.”

Nelson squinted. “Don’t tell me you usually get home at three in the afternoon.”

Nelson’s laughter erupted again. Of course, he was teasing Garrett. The man knew for sure.

“I never thought inheritance could be so exhausting,” Garrett complained. “Exhausting and filled with immense responsibility.”

“Don’t tell me you regret it, Garrett.”

For once, Garrett shook his head. “I don’t regret it. At least I made the decision consciously.”

“And then?”

This one question stopped Garrett’s tongue. He paused for a moment to take another long breath.

“I don’t regret it if it’s just me. But I’m afraid it’s broader than I first imagined.”NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

Nelson didn’t understand what Garrett meant. But when he was about to inquire further about what the man meant, Garrett quickly continued.

“I want to ask you something.”

Putting aside his curiosity about Garrett’s previous statement, Nelson found himself curious again about what the man would say next.

“What?”

“I hope you’ll answer,” Garrett said in advance. “Anyway, I’m sure you know the answer to the question I’m about to ask.”

There was something different about the way Garrett spoke. Something that made Nelson sit up straight again. He nodded.

“All right. I’ll answer as long as I know.”

Staring at Nelson without blinking, Garrett realized that the Morales family lawyer was the only person who could answer his curiosity. Because of what had happened to this family before. Something he didn’t know because he was almost considered part of the nuclear family that felt like strangers.

“Is there something going on between Nana and Aunt Farrah?”

Nelson’s face immediately changed. Even though he tried to control himself, the shock Nelson felt couldn’t escape Garrett’s eyes. At that moment, Garrett could make a conclusion. That Nelson actually knew. Whatever had happened, Nelson clearly knew.

“Uh…” Nelson cleared his throat. “Something? What do you mean?”

This time Garrett let out a deep breath. He looked at Nelson without blinking and with a determined look.

“I’m sure you know. No need to pretend.”

Nelson couldn’t deny it. But the question left him feeling conflicted. Between answering or not, he felt pressured as Garrett continued to speak.

“I’m sure you know that all the wealth and responsibility I’ve taken on is not to be taken lightly. So…” Garrett emphasized each word. “… I feel I need to know what to expect in this family.”

Seemingly burdened, Nelson rubbed his face with both hands. He thought. And realized how difficult Garrett’s request was for him. Seeing this, Garrett finally decided to give up.

“It seems like you don’t want to answer. Maybe this is a very sensitive question,” Garrett said. “That’s okay. Let’s talk about something else. A-”

“It has to do with the death of your late grandfather and father, Garrett.”

Nelson’s sentence not only cut off Garrett’s words, but also left him stunned in his seat.

“W-what?”

Nelson closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was as if he needed time to silently apologize in his heart. And when the middle-aged man’s eyes opened, he looked at Garrett.

“Madam Daphne and Farrah were never the mother and daughter they should have been. When Mr. Harlan and Mr. Allan were alive, their relationship was already strained. In fact, they had their own problems.”

Garrett furrowed his brow. A suspicion arose in his mind. But before he could voice the possibility, Nelson shook his head.

“If you think they’re not biological mother and daughter,” Nelson said quietly. “Then you’re wrong. Despite long-standing rumors within the family, they are indeed mother and daughter.”

It was clearly something strange. From an outsider’s perspective, one might agree that Daphne and Farrah’s relationship was akin to that of stepmother and stepdaughter. Always at odds and in conflict.

“People often assume they are stepmother and stepdaughter. There were even rumors that Farrah was Mr. Harlan’s illegitimate child being raised by Madam Daphne. But no.”

There was a restrained grin as Nelson said this. His face showed amusement in the irony.

“Farrah is Madam Daphne’s biological daughter.”

Hearing this, Garrett felt a tremor in Nelson’s voice. His expression was tired.

“Even if I could, I actually wish that Farrah wasn’t a biological child of the Morales family. But that’s not the reality.”

Garrett listened attentively without saying anything, gathering information that Daphne and Farrah’s relationship had been in a bad state for a long time. Quite different from what he had assumed all along. Garrett had thought that Daphne and Farrah’s conflict had only recently arisen, thanks to his inheritance from his grandfather and father.

“And if you’re asking what exactly sparked the conflict between Madam Daphne and Farrah, I’ll be honest with you, Garrett,” Nelson continued, shaking his head. “I don’t know. When I came into this family, all these bad relationships had already happened.”

Garrett nodded. He didn’t want to press Nelson about the reason for the fight between his grandmother and his aunt. Maybe Nelson really didn’t know. But there seemed to be something that caught Garrett’s attention. Something that Nelson had mentioned at the beginning.

“So… about the death of Grandpa and Dad?” Garrett asked uncertainly. “What do you mean, sir?”

Nelson’s eyes closed dramatically. His shoulders seemed to rise momentarily as he took in the air. Then the middle-aged man looked helplessly at Garrett.

“Madam Daphne believes Farrah is the mastermind behind both of her deaths.”

*