Badass in Disguise Chapter 141

Frank shook his head, his shoulders slumping as he sank back onto the sofa. The confession had drained him, leaving nothing but resignation in his posture. The living room fell into a weighted silence, broken only by the occasional car passing outside the window.

Archer reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, his fingers moving swiftly across the screen. "I have something I want to show you, Jade." He turned the device around, displaying a slightly yellowed photograph.

The woman in the image bore a striking resemblance to Jade—the same delicate bone structure, the same angle to her chin. Her features were refined, her expression elegant but guarded. She looked like an older, softer version of Jade, her eyes holding the same intelligence but none of the coldness.

Jade barely glanced at the screen, her eyes flicking to it for just a second before looking away. She didn't reach for the phone, didn't ask to hold it closer. Her expression remained perfectly neutral, as if Archer had shown her nothing more interesting than yesterday's weather report.

"This is Hazel Reed," Archer said softly, his voice tinged with old grief. "And I believe she was your mother."

Jade's eyebrow twitched slightly—the only indication she'd heard him at all. If anything, her eyes seemed to grow more distant, a flicker of irritation crossing her features.

"Child," Archer continued, tucking his phone away when it became clear Jade wouldn't take it, "these are your real parents. Conrad Sullivan and Hazel Reed. I'm your uncle—your father's younger brother."

Frank shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. "It's true, Jade," he admitted, unable to meet her eyes. "I found you at the hospital."

Jade studied the man who'd raised her, her gaze clinical and detached. No shock registered on her face, no betrayal or hurt. If anything, she looked bored by the revelation that should have shattered her world.

"Your father—Conrad—was the eldest son of the Sullivan family," Archer explained, leaning forward in his chair. "He was brilliant, driven. A workaholic who never showed much interest in relationships until he was thirty-three."

Archer's gaze turned distant, lost in memory. "There was a symphony orchestra performing in Cloud City. Conrad attended on a whim. That's where he saw Hazel for the first time. She was playing the violin—first chair, despite being only twenty-five."

Jade stood perfectly still, her arms crossed over her chest. Her expression suggested she was enduring this story rather than absorbing it.

"Hazel was an orphan," Archer continued. "She'd grown up in the foster system here in Cloud City. Brilliant musician, but physically fragile. Always sickly. But when she played..." He shook his head slightly. "Conrad said he'd never heard anything so beautiful."

Linda snorted from her position near the wall.

"They fell in love quickly. Conrad visited Cloud City every weekend for a year. Then he told our mother he wanted to marry Hazel." Archer's face darkened. "Our mother, Blair Sullivan, was... is... a formidable woman. She refused to accept Hazel as Conrad's wife. A musician from nowhere, with no family connections, no social standing..."

"So what?" Linda interrupted. "Rich people drama. What's this got to do with us?"

Archer ignored her, his eyes fixed on Jade. "Conrad fought with our mother for two months. He was willing to give up his position in the family, his shares in the company. But our mother had a heart attack during one of their arguments. The doctors said any more stress could kill her."

"Emotional manipulation," Jade remarked, her first words since Archer had begun his story. Her tone was flat, unimpressed.

Archer nodded. "Exactly. Conrad was trapped at the Sullivan estate, unable to leave our mother's side without risking her health—or so the doctors claimed. He asked me to go find Hazel, to explain what had happened." His voice grew quieter. "But when I reached Cloud City, Hazel's orchestra had disbanded. No one knew where she'd gone."

Jade's eyes narrowed slightly, the only sign she was listening at all.

"Conrad was convinced our mother had done something," Archer continued. "He abandoned everything to search for Hazel. Spent a year traveling, following leads that went nowhere. He grew sick with worry, was hospitalized several times for exhaustion."

Archer paused, his composure slipping for a moment. "Eventually, Conrad developed severe depression. He barely left his room for two years. And then one morning..." His voice cracked. "He took his own life at the family estate."

Jade's expression didn't change. If anything, the slight furrow between her brows suggested she found the whole story annoying rather than moving.

"If Conrad had known about you," Archer said softly, "I believe he would have lived. He would have had something to live for." He glanced at Frank. "I can only assume that Hazel, with her poor health, felt she couldn't care for a child alone. That's why she left you at the hospital."

Frank cleared his throat. "Your mother seems pretty strong-willed," he said to Archer. "If Jade decides to go with you, will she... will your mother treat her well?"

"I swear on my life," Archer said firmly, "no harm will come to her in our home."

"Who said I was going anywhere with you?" Jade's voice cut through the room like ice.

Archer blinked, surprised by her direct challenge. "I... Of course, it's entirely your choice. Whether you choose to remain with the Morgans or come to the Sullivan household, we'll respect your decision. Either way, you're family."

Jade's lips curved into a cold smile.

"I just said that no matter if you're willing to return to the Sullivan family or not, we Sullivan family will definitely reward the Morgan family for raising you," Archer confirmed with a nod.

"You mean reward Linda for locking me in the basement when I was six because I broke her favorite mug?" Jade asked, her voice eerily calm. "Or for making me sleep on the back porch when I was nine because I got better grades than Emily and she was jealous?"

Archer's face drained of color. "What?"

"Maybe you want to reward her for the cigarette burns on my arms when I was twelve," Jade continued in the same conversational tone. "Or perhaps for feeding me nothing but cold cereal for a month when I was fourteen because she spent the grocery money on those fake designer purses." She nodded toward the collection displayed prominently on the shelf.

Linda's face had gone pale, her eyes darting nervously between Jade and Archer. "She's lying," she said quickly. "Teenagers always exaggerate. We had some disagreements, sure, but—"

"Ask the neighbors," Jade suggested to Archer.

Frank had covered his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking slightly.

Archer stood up slowly, his face a mask of controlled fury. "Is this true?" he asked Linda.

Linda abandoned her attempt at denial. "Look, raising teenagers is hard, okay? Sometimes discipline gets a little strict. Besides," she added, her eyes calculating, "if she's really your fancy Sullivan niece, then you owe us for taking care of her all these years."

"Owe you?" Archer repeated incredulously.

"Fifty thousand dollars," Linda said, crossing her arms. "That's my price. Fifty thousand and you can take her right now."

"Linda!" Frank gasped, his head jerking up.

"Oh, don't act shocked," Linda snapped at him. "It's a fair price. Fifty grand, flat rate. You give me the money, you take her with you. Simple as that."

Archer's face had hardened into stone. "You're attempting to sell a child."

"I'm not selling anything," Linda retorted. "I'm asking for compensation for eighteen years of food, clothing, housing. The Sullivan family is loaded—fifty grand is nothing to you people."

"She's not a car, Linda," Frank said, his voice shaking.

"You're right," Linda shot back. "A car would've been useful. She's been nothing but trouble since the day you brought her home. So yeah, fifty grand. The Sullivans owe us that much at least."

Archer's hand trembled slightly as he reached into his jacket pocket. For a moment, Jade thought he might be reaching for his checkbook. Instead, he pulled out his phone.

"I'm contacting Child Protective Services," he said coldly. "What you've described is criminal child abuse and neglect. And now you're attempting to sell a minor. The authorities will be very interested."

Linda lunged forward, her face contorted with rage. "You can't prove anything! It's her word against mine! Who's going to believe some moody teenager over a mother?"

"You're just trying to get out of paying what you owe!" Linda shrieked, her voice rising to a painful pitch. "Your family is responsible for all this! If you hadn't abandoned her mother, none of this would have happened! The Sullivans owe us!"

"ENOUGH!"

The roar came from Frank, who had stood up from the sofa.