A car stopped in front of the wedding hall, and a blond girl in her mid-twenties, wearing a short peach-colored dress and matching heels, rushed out of it.
"I'm late for the wedding. Nat is going to strangle me." She hurried towards the grand wedding hall, only to see a familiar-looking woman in a wedding dress marching out of the door.
"Is that Nat?" She quickened her pace and called out, "Nat?"
Natalie, her mind chaotic with various thoughts and emotions, stopped when she heard the familiar voice. Her tear-filled eyes finally focused on the familiar figure standing a few steps away—her best friend, Mia.
"Why are you out of the wedding hall?" Mia walked up to her, her face turning worried as she noticed Natalie's tear-streaked cheeks. "Is everything alright, Nat?"
Natalie shook her head. "Nothing is alright." The tears she had held back now flowed freely.
Mia hugged her. "Calm down. Tell me what happened."
"First, take me away from here. I want to go away."
"The wedding?"
"It's not happening."
"What?"
"Please, just take me away from here first."
"Alright."
In Mia's car, the two friends headed to her apartment. On the way, neither spoke a word. Natalie sat with her eyes closed, needing time to sort out the mess in her mind, clutching the biggest shock of her life—her marriage certificate.
The car stopped in front of an apartment building—not high-end and the best one in the city but still luxurious. Mia, not wanting to bombard her friend with questions, first took her upstairs to her apartment. Natalie walked inside and slumped onto the white cushioned sofa, as if she had exhausted all her energy.
"You should freshen up and change into some comfortable clothes first," Mia suggested. "Then we can talk…"
In response, Natalie raised her hand and held the document out to her friend.
Mia took it and was shocked to see what it was. "Nat, what is this? Don't tell me this is real. You married someone and didn't even tell me?"
Natalie looked at her friend with a weary expression, letting out a mocking and hurtful chuckle. "What and when should I have told you about this? Until today, I wasn't even aware that I've been a married woman for the past year and a half."
Natalie explained everything that happened in the wedding hall, leaving her friend stunned.
After a moment of silence, Mia went through the document again. "Who is this Aiden Handrix?"
Natalie shrugged. "I don't know."
"This must be a prank played by someone, and this certificate is fake," Mia concluded as she finally sat next to Natalie. "Your stepmother and her annoying daughter—they must have done it. You know how hard they've been trying to separate you and Ivan and make Briena marry him."
"I wish that were the case and I could change things. But this certificate is real. My uncle confirmed it," Natalie explained.
"Your uncle could be in cahoots with them," Natalie said. "We should still get it checked out. There's no way you wouldn't know if you were married!"
After all, Mia knew her best friend. Natalie was not a careless person. Since her mother's death, she had always kept her guard up against people. There was no way someone could fool her into a marriage which she was not aware of.
"You have a point," Natalie sighed deeply. "I can only hope it's a fake, otherwise…you trust me right? I wouldn't get married without telling you."
"Of course I trust you!"
"I wish Ivan had trusted me as well."
Mia turned angry at the mention of his name. "Don't talk about that asshole who didn't even try to understand you and couldn't wait to hook up with a tramp."
Natalie had nothing to say to that. Ivan's distrust had truly hurt her. "Forget about him. First, I need to find out who this Aiden Handrix is and when exactly we got married. If it's fake, I'll let him know he can be sued for fraud. If it's real…"
"What will you do if it's real?" Mia asked.
"I am going to strangle this Aiden Handrix to death for doing this to me," Natalie gritted her teeth.
Unfortunately, the mysterious Aiden Handrix was near impossible to find.
Despite searching for hours on the Internet, Natalie and Mia could not find a single 'Aiden Handrix' that matched the photo on the wedding certificate.
"Maybe he's poor and illiterate, that's why he's not online," Mia groused. "Your terrible stepmom would love for you to be saddled with someone like that so you can suffer."
"You have a point," Natalie rubbed her temples. "Let's call it a day. I'll hire a private detective tomorrow. For now, I just want to relax. Want to watch some TV?"
"Are you sure?" Mia asked, worried for Natalie's mental health. "Your failed wedding is going to be all over the news."
"What else can they say about me that my loving family hasn't mentioned already?" Natalie asked, and she turned on the TV. "I want to see how shamelessly they're milking this!"
To their surprise, news about Natalie's failed wedding wasn't what was reported.
"Who is this unlucky fella? The news about him is even bigger than the scandal you created," Mia commented playfully.
"I'm not sure. Let's see," Natalie could only pray for that poor man.
The trending news showed a scene from the airport, with reporters trying to capture images of a man stepping out along with his subordinates. "A son of the Harper family, Justin Harper, has finally returned to the country. It has been said he has returned to take over the Harper Empire and will take his father James Harper's place."
"Wait, what the…" Natalie exclaimed suddenly. "Why does this man look like the one in my marriage certificate?" She looked at Mia, who was equally shocked.
Mia picked up the marriage certificate from the table and compared the picture with the man on the screen. "It's indeed the same man, Nat."
For a few moments, both looked at each other in disbelief, then their heads turned to the television once more, almost like robots.
"Naaatt!" Mia screamed, breaking the silence. "Your husband is a billionaire, not a poor and illiterate roadside man."
"But his name is different," Natalie commented. "The one in my marriage certificate says Aiden Handrix, and this man here is Justin Harper. Not to forget, they say he is returning to the country after a decade, and I have never gone out of the country. Also, my wedding certificate is from our country. More importantly, it could still be fake!"
"Yes, those are all important points, but Nat, have you considered that Aiden Handrix might be his secret identity?"
"Why would he do that?" Natalie asked, amused. "He's not a superhero."
"Okay, let me explain what I've heard about the Harpers from my father's business dealings," Mia cleared her throat, as if preparing a grand speech.
"What is it?"
"James Harper had always kept this son of his hidden, like a precious treasure. Until now, no one knew what he even looked like. That's why everyone is running to capture his image today. Maybe, just maybe, to hide him, James Harper gave him a different identity. What if Justin Harper is Aiden Handrix?" She picked up the wedding certificate.
"Look at this picture. How can they be so identical in appearance? Even that tiny mole on the left of his chin is the same. If this is not him, then he must have a twin brother somewhere. Either way, this is a clue we cannot miss!"
Natalie mulled over Mia's words quietly. "I need to meet him. Can your father arrange a meeting for me?"
A black luxury car left Bayford City's airport, gliding smoothly down the road. In the back passenger seat sat a handsome man in a black suit, leaning back with his eyes closed. The light from the passing street lamps streaming through the car window cast a soft glow on his tired face. "Find out who leaked the information about my arrival," his deep, dignified voice echoed inside the car.
"Yes, Mister Harper," the assistant replied, glancing at him through the rearview mirror. "The news has been taken care of. There are no pictures or videos of you available now. However, for those who have already seen the news, we can't do anything about them. But it's late at night, so the number of viewers must be low."
After half an hour, the car arrived at an upscale villa area and entered the gates of a luxurious residence. The driver stepped out and opened the door for the man. As he stepped out, a sweet voice welcomed him.
"Justin, you are finally back." An elderly woman in a simple, knee-length elegant dress, holding a cane, walked towards him with a gentle smile on her lips.
Despite his fatigue, he offered a light smile. "Grandma."
She looked around playfully. "I don't see any grandma here."
"Julia," he corrected himself, "at this hour of night, you should have been sleeping, instead of waiting for me?"
"I could not wait to see you, Justin," she hugged him gently. "Tell me you're not going back."
"I'm not," he assured her. "Where's Father?"
"That grumpy brat is in the drawing room."
The two entered the drawing room where James Harper was watching the news, his expression serious. His gold-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose gave him a scholarly appearance. James Harper was one of the most renowned businessmen in the country, the head of the richest business empire.
He looked at the newcomer who greeted him, "Father."
James offered a light nod. "I saw the news. Though it has been removed now, this can't continue. What do you plan to do?" His voice was deep and dignified, face lacking any particular emotion.
Julia frowned. "He just arrived home after so many years, and instead of caring about him, you're acting like a businessman even at home."
Justin gave her an assuring glance and turned to his father. "I will reveal myself when the time is right. I do not want unnecessary attention when I need time to settle everything here."
James simply hummed in response.
"Go freshen up and come downstairs for dinner. I have prepared everything you like," Julia suggested.
Justin went upstairs to his room, a place he had last seen almost fifteen years ago. He didn't have many memories of this room, as he had spent only a few days here after he was brought in the Harper family when he was ten and then was sent abroad. But everything in the room looked the same and everything he needed was already arranged.
After the family of three had dinner together, James retired to his room.
Julia let out a sigh of relief once James was gone. "Justin, come with me."
Justin obediently followed her to her room. She handed him a file. "You have to go to the Imperial City and bring this person home."
Puzzled, he opened the file and saw a picture of a young girl in a school uniform, then read her information.
Natalie Ford, age twenty-four, daughter of Caryn and Jay Ford, mother deceased, lives with grandparents, father, stepmother and sister. There was other additional information about her along with her latest pictures that Justin quickly skimmed through before closing the file.
"Who is she?" he asked. "You're not trying to set me up on another blind date, are you?"
"Don't speak nonsense. This girl is your sister."
Justin was stunned. "Sister? How is this possible?"
"She is James's biological daughter, but he doesn't know she exists."
Justin was speechless for a moment before he heard the old woman continue.
"I think it's about time to bring her home and let James know about her. I would fetch her personally, but my body isn't as healthy as it used to be. You're the only one I can trust to execute this task." She looked at the file in his hands, "All the details are there. The detective who worked for me gathered all the information. Can you do this for me, Justin?"
"Why does Father not know about her existence? This doesn't make sense," Justin asked, befuddled as he stared down at the picture of his supposed sister. Was his grandma going senile, or was this some new prank? He squinted, trying to see if her features looked familiar to his father. "And why didn't you let Father know about this? Why are you trying to keep it a secret?"
His grandma looked pained.
"I'll explain everything once you bring her home," Her hopeful eyes turned pleading, "Please, would you do this one favor for me, Justin?"
"Of course I will," Justin said.
His grandma had cared for him since the moment he had been adopted by the Harper family when he was about ten years old. For the past fifteen years, James and Julia had been his family. There was very little he would not do for them. "But I want to verify the information given first. I need to see what kind of person she is. If she's greedy and will disturb the peace of our home, I won't bring her back. Grandma, are you alright with that?"
"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Caryn's daughter is just like her. She can't be a bad person. You can trust my judgment." His grandma said confidently.
Justin barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "Julia, according to this file, Caryn Ford died when this girl was barely seven. She's now in her twenties. A lot can happen in those years, so forgive me for being cautious."
She sighed. "I forgot, you're as stubborn as James. Do whatever you want, but in the end, I want the daughter of this family to return to her rightful place."
"I'll see what I can do." He turned to leave with the file. "Good night, Julia."
"Justin, even if she comes back, your position in the family will remain the same," Julia commented, as she watched his retreating back, "You know that, right?"
Justin didn't turn to look at her but replied, "That's the least of my concerns, and you know it."
Julia couldn't deny it; she knew the kind of person Justin was. She said no more and watched him leave.
-----
Meanwhile, Natalie headed to the civil affairs bureau to confirm if the marriage certificate was genuine.
"Miss Ford, this marriage certificate is indeed real," the officer behind the desk informed her, offering a strange look.
The last hope she was holding onto finally broke. "So, I am truly married?" she mumbled. She turned to the officer once more. "Is it possible to get a marriage certificate without one of the parties being present?"
"Absolutely not. We have to confirm the identities of both parties while they are present here in person."
"Can you check the recording from my wedding day and show it to me?"
"Miss, we only maintain recordings for the past twelve months, and you have been married for a year and a half. I'm afraid I cannot help you."
'So I have no other option but to find this husband of mine.' Disappointed, Natalie left the office.
As she stepped out, her phone rang. "Where are you?" she heard the angry voice of her grandmother.
If it had been another time, Natalie would have insisted she speak more politely, as she always did, but not now. "What do you want?"
"Is this how you talk to me?"
Natalie didn't wish to argue. "Why did you call, Grandma?"
"Come home right away and bring that useless husband of yours," the older woman ordered.
"As I said before, I don't know who he is."
"I don't care. Come home with him, or I will throw away everything that belongs to your mother onto the streets!"