Victoria withdrew her hand as if Isabella were something unpleasant. “Security will escort you out. Do be careful.”
Isabella stood, smoothing her coat. She didn’t know how she’d pay rent next month. But she would survive. She always had.
She took a step toward the door.
Then the double doors burst open with a crash that silenced the room.
An older man in a tailored dark suit strode inside, followed by two assistants carrying leather briefcases. His presence commanded the space without effort.
“Who are you?” Richard demanded.
The man ignored him. His gray eyes settled on Isabella.
“My name is Charles Bennett,” he announced. “Chief executor of the estate of Mr. William Davenport.”
A murmur spread instantly. William Davenport—the reclusive founder of a global tech empire, one of the wealthiest men in America, who had died three months earlier without known heirs.
“I’m not here for you,” Bennett said coolly to Victoria. “I’m here to execute my client’s final will.”
He turned to Isabella.
“Mrs. Isabella Reyes? Born March 22nd at St. Mary’s Hospital? Placed in foster care days later?”
Her heart pounded. “Yes.”
“William Davenport was your biological father.”
Silence swallowed the ballroom.
“He spent the last decade searching for you,” Bennett continued. “A closed adoption and circumstances beyond his control kept him away. A routine DNA test you took last year confirmed the match.”
The assistants opened a briefcase.
“In his will, he names you his sole heir.”
Gasps filled the room.
“The estate includes Davenport Industries, properties worldwide, investment holdings, and liquid assets. The total valuation exceeds four billion dollars.”
Daniel had gone pale. Charlotte’s hand slipped from his arm.
“But there is more,” Bennett added. He picked up the divorce papers Isabella had signed. “Your father anticipated the possibility of exploitation. Any marital agreement signed without full knowledge of your identity and independent legal counsel is null and void.”
He tore the papers cleanly in half.
“These documents are invalid. Any divorce will proceed on your terms.”
Isabella watched the torn pages fall. It wasn’t the money that shook her. It was the realization that someone had searched for her. Loved her. Protected her.
Victoria rushed forward. “Isabella, darling! We always knew you were special—”