Chapter 26
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Dario quickly stepped forward. “Mr. Harlow, having you here at our family’s reunion banquet is such an unexpected honor. You’ve truly graced us.”
Dario still believed it was his personal connections that had brought Bastien here.
Bastien gave a polite but distant nod. He didn’t explain and simply let Dario believe what he wanted.
Only Narissa, who knew the real reason, quietly lowered her hand and brushed it against the military–grade dagger strapped to her outer thigh, hidden beneath her dress.
Tonight, as the star of the reunion banquet, Narissa wasn’t getting away without a direct confrontation with Bastien.
Suddenly, every nerve in Narissa’s body went on high alert. Bastien was looking at her.
Bastien’s gaze landed on her naturally, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
But then it lingered–far too long. So long that everyone around them seemed to forget how to breathe.
Even the men who came with him looked shocked. Bastien had never been someone who acted out of line, and he had never stared at any woman for more than a minute.
Yet tonight, it was as if his eyes were welded to this newly acknowledged second daughter of the Evertons.
Bastien’s men wondered, ‘What’s going on? Is this real? Has Mr. Harlow fallen in love at first sight?‘
“Sweetheart, doesn’t he look kind of familiar to you?” Amanda leaned in and nudged Hector with her elbow.
Though the Evertons had some ties to the Harlows, it was always Dario handling those affairs.
Amanda and Hector had rarely seen anyone from that family, let alone Bastien Harlow himself.
Hector nodded. ‘Yeah, he does look familiar,‘ he whispered. ‘Maybe we’ve seen him somewhere recently?‘
But no matter how hard he tried, Hector couldn’t recall where.
While the couple studied Bastien, he casually scanned them in return. Their faces didn’t ring a bell.
Truth was, during the visit to Waylen Auction House, Bastien hadn’t seen what Narissa’s parents looked like, so naturally, he didn’t recognize them now.
As for Narissa–though this was supposedly their “first” meeting–something about her pulled at Bastien, made it impossible to look away.
“Mr. Harlow, do you… know our daughter?” Hector finally broke the silence, unable to hold back after that intense gaze.
“No,” Bastien said calmly. His eyes never once left Narissa, but his tone was firm.
After Bastian replied, the tension in the room lifted a little.
Everyone had been holding their breath, thinking Bastien actually knew this second daughter who just brought home.
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Chapter 26
Even Narissa felt a subtle wave of relief. She still didn’t know how deep Bastien’s investigation had gone–was it solid proof or just suspicion?
Based on his response, it seemed like mere doubt. No evidence yet.
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But across from her, Bastien hadn’t looked away. He truly didn’t recognize Narissa’s face.
Yet deep down, Bastien couldn’t ignore how much this girl’s figure resembled that Fox burned into his memory.
The thing was, Fox had always dressed plainly, whether in disguise or on a mission. A proud, cold fox.
But this girl wore soft pink, sweet and innocent–so different that Bastien couldn’t bring himself to believe they were the same person.
Bastien’s eyes darkened. Narissa knew exactly what that meant he hadn’t seen through her. The corner of her lips curled just slightly.
“Congratulations on finding your daughter after so many years.” Bastien suddenly spoke. “Though I’m curious–where did you find her?”
The moment he said that, Narissa felt her blood freeze.
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