Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 358: Hannah’s Return

Chapter 358: Hannah’s Return

Ella immediately dialed Eric’s number, and a lazy voice answered on the other end, "What’s up?"

She was about to lose her temper. "Just tell me the results already!"

Eric chuckled wickedly, and she could almost picture his handsome face, lines of amusement creasing at the corners.

"Didn’t you say your biological father doesn’t matter to you? So... knowing wouldn’t change anything, right?"

Damn it!

Ella was torn between laughing and crying—Eric was seriously asking for a fight! Even if she wasn’t planning to reconnect with her biological father, she still wanted to know who the man was who had inspired her mother to bring her into the world.

If he hadn’t been something special, her mother would never have gone through with it.

"Eric! You’re terrible! I’m going to..."

Before she could finish saying "cut ties with you," she caught herself. Who was she kidding? Even if he didn’t tell her, she was wrapped around his little finger.

"Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. He... Lucas... he’s your father. So what do you plan to do now?"

Eric’s voice grew serious as he finally told her.

Ella sat in stunned silence, emotions swirling. What could she do? Her mother was gone. The thought of reconnecting with a man who had never been a father to her was unappealing.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing." Ella ended the call and stared off into space.

Lauren came over, "What now, another fight with your husband?"

Ella shook her head, looking both pensive and frustrated. She hadn’t expected anything from the father she’d never met, yet because of him, her mother had ended up with Robert.

Her phone chimed again. Ella glanced at it—a new email from Eric.

She opened it to find a Word document with multiple photos of a man, each one showing him in various settings: formal, casual... In every image, his aristocratic aura was unmistakable. With flawless features, he looked like someone favored by the heavens, attractive from every angle.

This man could easily outshine any of today’s young celebrities or award-winning actors!

Ella took a deep breath. This man... was her father, Lucas.

No wonder Isabella had insisted on having her. A man like Lucas would be impossible to forget. Falling in love with him would leave no room to ever truly love anyone else.

Her eyes stung, and her hands trembled slightly as she scrolled down to Lucas’s biography.

But then Ella closed the document abruptly, unable to keep reading. No matter how perfect he seemed, he had never fulfilled any fatherly duties. To her, he was just a stranger.

They might share blood, but so what? Without a real connection, even the strongest blood ties couldn’t bridge the gap of lost years.

"Ella, who was that just now?" Lauren asked, still starstruck. "What a powerful presence! What a handsome man."

Ella shot her a look. "Just a stranger."

"Wait—don’t tell me you’re falling for him! Should I let Mr. Nelson know?" Lauren teased.

"Shut up!" Ella muttered, rolling her eyes.

It was autumn, and outside, leaves danced in the breeze like butterflies, falling to the ground to become part of the earth, nurturing the world around them.

A few days later.

Airport.

Ella and Eric were at the airport, bidding farewell to Lauren.

Lauren was resolute about going to take care of Henry. Not going would be her life’s greatest regret, and Ella understood. Her love was selfless—she just wanted to protect and cherish the man she adored.

Though some might see this love as blind, it was far better than blindly loving someone unworthy.

"Ella, I’m leaving...make sure you keep in touch with me. Don’t forget me!" Lauren, eyes red with emotion, looked at Ella with reluctance.

Her only true gain from college was her friendship with Ella, pure and free from any ulterior motives.

Ella pressed her lips together and nodded. "Go on, it’s almost time to board. Call me when you get there, and if you need anything, let me know."

"Ella, you’re the best! In my next life, I’ll be your loyal servant!" Lauren said tearfully, shouting her devotion. Eric frowned—Ella in her next life would still be *his*, wouldn’t she?

Lauren picked up her suitcase and slowly walked toward the departure gates. Ella stood there, watching the purest friend she’d made in college disappear into the terminal.

"Alright, let’s head back," Eric said gently, holding her hand as they stood there long after Lauren’s figure had vanished from sight.

"Let’s go on vacation, take some time to relax!"

Ella nodded. Life seemed to be settling into calm again, but it also felt like the calm before a storm.

She threw herself into her studies and training, all in preparation for Hannah’s return.

After a seven-day getaway with Eric, Ella plunged back into her routine. She read voraciously, found time to assist LX and LXL with guest reception and business dealings, and expanded her circle with new, distinguished friends.

In networking, Ella was inclusive—age and gender didn’t matter.

Though Egerton University had produced its share of disappointments, including that disgraceful male professor, it also had many honorable scholars whose knowledge and insights far surpassed anything Ella could accumulate in two lifetimes.

She thought Hannah would reappear soon and even had recurring nightmares where Hannah appeared before her, smiling maliciously, her hands dripping with blood. "Ella, you wretch... soon... you’ll be dead by my hand, hahahaha..."

Ella would wake drenched in cold sweat, realizing that perhaps she had been building Hannah up too much in her mind, letting anxiety settle in.

But with Eric by her side, she was confident she’d always be the winner.

One day, Eric sent her an email with a file. He told her it contained information on Hannah’s fiancé.

"Logan—the cousin of Mason? How ridiculous. No matter how things twist and turn, there’s no escaping the Scott family connection!"

Ella felt a pang of frustration, though she noted that Mason had finally gone silent, no longer flaunting himself around her.

Time flew, and two years passed.

Ella was now in her junior year, but her time at the university was becoming scarce. Papers and assignments were never an obstacle for her.

Most of her time was now dedicated to LXL, where her research over the past two years had shown that the entertainment industry was immensely profitable compared to others!

Real estate was no longer booming as it had been four or five years ago, though Eric had secured government-backed development projects in several areas. A piece of land she had advised him to purchase was now a prime site for development, with a new airport planned for the area.

On this day, Ella was in her office at LXL, flipping through the profiles of entertainers. She had risen to the position of assistant director at LXL.

Many were resentful of her position, but Ella believed that with time, her competence would win them over.

Eric knocked and entered. Two more years had added to his maturity and charisma, his deep eyes possessing an almost magnetic allure. Just one glance could pull anyone in.

"Hannah’s back. She arrived this morning at nine."