Badass in Disguise Chapter 143

Jade's phone buzzed with a text from Max. She glanced at the screen.

*Sis, heading back to school. Still have homework to finish.*

She tucked the phone away as Ethan approached her at the front door of the house. He looked amused, like he was enjoying some private joke.

"Your brother seems nice," Ethan said, leaning against the doorframe. His casual stance couldn't hide the expensive cut of his suit.

"What did you two talk about?" Jade asked, crossing her arms.

Ethan's lips curved into a smile. "Guy stuff."

"Guy stuff? Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "That's the best you can come up with?"

"What can I say? We bonded over our mutual admiration for a certain intimidating woman."

Jade snorted. "You're terrible at psychological counseling, you know that?"

"And you're terrible at accepting compliments," he shot back. "We should form a support group."

Despite herself, Jade smiled. "I'd rather jump off a building."

"You'd probably land on your feet," Ethan said, then gestured toward the living room. "May I?"

She stepped aside to let him in, wondering why she was even allowing this conversation to continue.

"So," Ethan said once they were seated, "Cloud City. You came back because your parents were divorcing?"

"Foster parents," she corrected automatically. "And yes."

Ethan nodded, his eyes reflecting something that looked dangerously like sympathy. Jade hated sympathy.

"That can't have been easy," he said carefully. "The divorce, finding out about your birth parents..."

"Life isn't easy for most people," she replied with a shrug. "At least I'm alive."

"Do you want to find your birth mother?" Ethan asked. "I could help."

Jade met his gaze directly. "The Sullivans will find her. They lost her, they can do the work."

"It's quite the love story," Ethan said. "Conrad Sullivan and Hazel Reed. Star-crossed lovers torn apart by family duty."

"What's to admire?" Jade asked coldly. "They could have chosen differently. They both could have lived."

Ethan studied her for a moment, his head tilted slightly. "You know, Miss Morgan, technically speaking, you're the Sullivan family's 'eldest daughter.'"

"What?"

"You're younger than Sullivan's current 'eldest daughter.' But you're the daughter of Sullivan's eldest son. That makes you the family's rightful 'eldest daughter.'"

Jade rolled her eyes. "I couldn't care less about Sullivan family hierarchy."

"The Haxton family has considerable resources," Ethan said, changing tack. "If you want help dealing with the Sullivans, you only need to ask."

Jade stood up. "Thank you for the offer, but I can handle my own family drama."

Ethan rose smoothly, recognizing the dismissal. "Of course. I wouldn't expect anything less."

---

At the Sullivan family mansion, Archer paced his study while his brother Dominic watched from an armchair.

"You're sure it's her?" Dominic asked.

"I'm certain," Archer replied. "We just need the DNA test to confirm it officially, but I'd stake my life on it. She looks so much like Hazel."

"Does Mother know?"

Archer shook his head. "Not yet. I can't tell her until we're absolutely certain. She's never recovered from Conrad's death. If this turns out to be false hope..."

Dominic nodded. "I saw her, you know. At the charity auction in New York, and again at Thornton's birthday. Never would have guessed she was Conrad's daughter." He shook his head in wonder. "Conrad would have been so happy to know he had a child."

---

The next morning, Jade was awakened by insistent doorbell ringing. Half-asleep, she stumbled to the door and peered through the peephole. Archer Sullivan stood there with another man who resembled him—presumably his brother.

She closed her eyes for a moment, drew a deep breath, and then firmly shut the deadbolt before returning to bed.

They rang again. And again. And again.

Eventually, she put in earplugs and went back to sleep.

Hours later, Jade checked out her window. They were still there, sitting in a black Bentley parked across the street. Idiots.

By evening, the Sullivans had finally left.

---

That night, in the Sullivan mansion, Archer and Dominic gathered the family in the main living room. The atmosphere was tense with anticipation as everyone settled into their seats.

"We've called you all here because we've discovered something important," Archer began, his voice steady despite his obvious excitement. "We believe we've found Conrad's daughter."

Gasps filled the room. Aurelia looked up sharply from her phone. Catherine's mother clutched her husband's arm.

Dominic opened a leather-bound photo album and placed it on the coffee table. "We've been comparing photographs, and the resemblance is unmistakable."

He pointed to a portrait of Hazel Reed, then slid forward a printed photo of Jade Morgan from a recent university publication.

Aurelia leaned forward, her eyes widening in shock. "That's... that's Jade Morgan"

"She's Conrad's daughter?" Blair whispered, reaching out to touch the photographs with trembling fingers. "Our Conrad had a child all this time?"

"We're certain," Archer confirmed. "We've already spoken with her foster parents. They found her abandoned at a hospital shortly after birth."

"We need to see her," Blair said firmly, rising to her feet. "All of us. She needs to know she has a family. A real family." She looked around the room with determination. "We'll go tomorrow. Together."

---

The next day, there was another knock at Jade's door. Persistent bastards.

She was in the shower when it came, but heard Chase's footsteps in the living room, followed by the sound of the door opening.

"Can I help you?" Chase's voice carried down the hallway.

A woman's voice responded, surprised. "I think we have the wrong apartment. We're looking for Jade Morgan."

"This is her place," Chase replied. "Who are you?"

There was a pause, then Archer Sullivan's voice: "I'm her uncle. We need to speak with her about an urgent family matter."

"Chase?" Aurelia's voice sounded sharp with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Aurelia," Chase responded coolly.

"Is she home?" Archer asked. "We have important matters to discuss with her."

"Wait here," Chase said. "I'll see if she's available."

Jade heard his footsteps on the stairs. He knocked lightly on the bathroom door.

"Jade? The Sullivan family is here. Like, all of them. Should I tell them to fuck off, or what?"

Wrapped in a towel, she considered her options. "Tell them I'm not home and they should never come back. Otherwise, I'll make them regret it."

Chase chuckled. "Got it."

She heard him descend the stairs and deliver her message. Through the bathroom door, Catherine Sullivan's indignant voice carried clearly.

"Not home? But her friend is here! She's clearly avoiding us. How rude!"

"Catherine!" a male voice admonished. "That's enough."

"Well, I'm sorry," Chase's voice drifted up, "but that's her message. She's not home, and she says you should all leave and not come back."

"This is ridiculous," Catherine huffed. "We've come all this way, and she can't be bothered to greet us? No manners at all."

"Catherine," a different female voice cut in, "remember where you are. This is someone else's home."

"She's right," Chase said coldly. "This is Jade's home, and you're being disrespectful. I think you should leave."

"We'll wait," Archer Sullivan said firmly. "However long it takes."

Jade stayed upstairs for hours, occasionally hearing snippets of conversation. The doorbell rang once—Chase's delivery. She heard him unwrap his food, the television turn on, and the sounds of a video game.

More time passed. Catherine complained about her feet hurting in her heels.

"Can I at least sit down?" she demanded.

"You want to sit on someone else's furniture without permission?" Chase asked. "Wow. And you were just talking about manners."

Finally, as evening shadows lengthened across her bedroom floor, Jade came downstairs.