?Chapter 1634:


    Brenna caught her meaning at once, but she stayedposed. “Nope. Mypany’s been around for years. By the time I became part of the Harper family, it was already thriving with steady ordersing in. I never needed any help from the family. Later on, I started taking contracts with the military, so my reputation only got better. These days, I’ve got more work than I can handle. I even had to hire extra staff and expand the business. Help from family was never something I needed.”


    She exined everything patiently—she wanted to make sure Sandra wouldn’t misunderstand anything.


    “Brenna is exceptional,” Dalton said, clearly done with Sandra’s probing. “You’ve got no idea what she has aplished, so let me clear that up before you start assuming things. She has designed fighter jets for the military. The systems in their third-generation models are her work. The newest drones and robotic dogs you see on the news? Also hers. Even our country’s cybersecurity framework. She built all of those. She’s a lot more impressive than you realize.”


    The message in his words was clear. Brenna wasn’t just capable—she was leagues ahead of Sandra.


    Sandra felt her breath catch. She hadn’t known any of this. Her eyes swung to Brenna, searching her face for some sign of denial. But Brenna stayed quiet. Her silence was as good as confirmation.


    “Is that really true?” Sandra asked, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Brenna nodded casually. “Yeah. Most of my military work is confidential, though, so keep it between us.”


    Sandra blinked, still reeling. “Oh, okay…”


    Dalton wasn’t done. He leaned forward and continued, “That’s not all. Brenna’spany makes some of the best smart prosthetic limbs in the world. She’s got orders lined up for the next three years. And she’s opened gship stores in several major cities without ever asking the family for help.”


    Ernst shot Brenna a teasing grin. “Brenna is the full package. She’s smart, gorgeous, and very talented. Remember Uncle Ableson’s prosthetic legs? She designed and built them herself. He said they’re the best he’s ever had.”


    g?lnσν????s is your escape to fiction


    Sandra blinked, caught off guard. Ableson had prosthetic legs? Even though she hadn’t seen him a lot, she had always thought he wasn’t disabled.


    Her gaze drifted to Brenna, and something twisted inside her. It wasn’t admiration—it was envy.


    Then, a thought struck her like a jolt. Keira’s missing hand. If Brenna could create advanced prosthetics, could she make one for her mom? The idea made her chest tighten. Life would be so much easier for Keira if that happened.


    Sandra wanted to ask Brenna about this, but now wasn’t the right time. She decided to talk to her about it privately. Then, doubt crept in. What if a new hand tempted Keira back to her old gambling ways?


    The risk loomedrge, a shadow over the idea. Perhaps it was better to let Keira live with the reminder of why she had lost her hand.


    Swallowing her thoughts, Sandra forced a smile. “Brenna, you’re really something!” she praised reluctantly.


    Though Brenna’s brilliance grated on her, the family’s warm support had lifted her spirits.


    Come Monday, Brenna and Thiago headed to the office after days away, buried under a mountain of neglected work. It took several days to deal with everything, with Brenna returning homete most nights.


    On Friday, Brenna stumbled through the door after midnight, exhausted. She froze at the sight of Giselle and Shepard in the third-floor lounge, d in pajamas but wide awake, their faces etched with irritation.


    .


    .


    .