The ride to the hospital felt like an eternity. Ophelia sat beside her father in the ambulance, her heart pounding with fear and anxiety. Thomas lay on the stretcher, his face pale and strained, his grip on her hand weak but determined. Ophelia couldn't shake the image of Clarissa's triumphant sneer or the malicious glint in Eleanor's eyes as they watched her father collapse.
As the ambulance pulled into the emergency bay, paramedics swiftly moved Thomas onto a gurney and wheeled him inside. Ophelia followed closely, her mind racing with questions and fears. How had Clarissa discovered such a terrible secret? And more importantly, was there any truth to her accusations?
Hours passed in a blur of sterile corridors and worried pacing. Ophelia sat in the waiting room, her head in her hands, trying to process the whirlwind of events that had turned her life upside down. The weight of the evening's revelations pressed down on her, making it difficult to breathe.
Finally, a doctor emerged from the examination room, his expression grave but reassuring. "Mr. Devereux is stable for now. He's had a mild heart attack, likely brought on by stress. We've admitted him for further observation and treatment."
Relief washed over Ophelia, but it was quickly tempered by the realization that her father's health was still precarious. She thanked the doctor and made her way to Thomas's room, her heart heavy with worry.
As she entered, she found Thomas propped up in bed, looking frail but determined. His eyes softened when he saw her, and he reached out a hand.
"Ophelia," he murmured, his voice weak but filled with love. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."
Ophelia shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "No, Father, I'm sorry. I don't know how Clarissa found out such a piece of shit...whatever it is she thinks she knows. But I swear, I have never lied about who I am."
Thomas nodded, his expression resolute. "I believe you, Ophelia. And we'll get to the bottom of this. But for now, you need to focus on taking care of yourself and the company."
Ophelia squeezed his hand, drawing strength from his unwavering support. "I will, Father. I promise."
Just then, the door swung open with a loud bang, and Eleanor strode into the room, her expression cold and determined. Clarissa followed closely behind, her smug grin firmly in place.
"Thomas, you need to stop coddling her," Eleanor said, her voice laced with disdain. "The truth is out now, and we need to deal with it."
Thomas's face contorted with anger, but before he could respond, Eleanor continued, "What Clarissa said is true. Ophelia is not your biological daughter. Evelyn Crestwood was her mother, and you adopted her after her mother's death. But that doesn't change the fact that she's not a true Devereux."
Ophelia felt as if the ground had been pulled out from under her. She looked to her father, desperate for reassurance, but his face was a mask of pain and conflict.
"Eleanor," Thomas said, his voice trembling with suppressed fury, "how could you do this? How could you say such things in front of Ophelia?"
Eleanor's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "Because it's the truth, Thomas. And it's time everyone knows it. Your precious Devereux empire was funded by my family's
wealth. Our marriage was a business arrangement, and you know it."
Thomas's anger flared, but his body was too weak to sustain it. He clutched his chest, breathing heavily, as Ophelia rushed to
his side, her concern for him overriding the shock of Eleanor's revelation.
"Eleanor, enough," Thomas managed to say between labored breaths. "Ophelia is my daughter, and I won't let you tear this family apart."
Eleanor's eyes flashed with defiance. "It's not me tearing this family apart, Thomas. It's the lies you've built it on. Either you choose to support your daughter and lose everything, or you stay with us and keep the Devereux empire intact."
Ophelia looked between her parents, her heart aching with betrayal and fear. "Father, what is she talking about? Please, tell me the truth."
Thomas closed his eyes, his face contorted with pain. "Ophelia, there's so much you don't know. I wanted to protect you, to give you the life you deserved."
"By lying to me?" Ophelia's voice cracked with emotion. "By letting Eleanor and Clarissa humiliate me in front of everyone?"
"Eleanor, Clarissa, please leave," Thomas said, his voice stronger but filled with desperation. "This is a family matter."
"No, Thomas," Eleanor said coldly. "I'm not going anywhere. This is as much about our family as it is about your so-called daughter. Our family's legacy is at stake."
Eleanor's declaration hung in the air like a heavy shroud. Thomas looked utterly defeated, torn between his love for Ophelia and the harsh reality of his empire's precarious position. He struggled to find the words, but the weight of the truth was too much.
"Ophelia," he began, his voice breaking, "you are my daughter in every way that matters. But Eleanor is right about one thing. The Devereux fortune did come from her family, and our marriage was indeed a business deal."
Ophelia's world crumbled around her. The father she had always admired, the life she had always known, everything was built on a foundation of lies. Tears streamed down her face as she faced Eleanor.
"So, what now?" she demanded. "What do you want from me?"
Eleanor's expression softened, but it was a cold, calculated softness. "I want you to leave, Ophelia. Leave this family and never come back. In return, I won't press further into your past or your real identity. You'll be free to live your life, just not as a Devereux."
Thomas's eyes widened in horror. "No, Eleanor, you can't do this."
"I can and I will," Eleanor said firmly. "Either she leaves, or our family's fortune and reputation are ruined. The choice is yours, Thomas."
Ophelia looked at her father, seeing the anguish in his eyes. She knew he was caught between a rock and a hard place, and the empire he had spent his life building was on the line.
"Father," she said softly, her voice choked with emotion, "I don't want to be the reason you lose everything. If leaving is what it takes to save our family, then I'll do it."
Thomas shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "Ophelia, no. You're my daughter. I can't let you go."