Chapter 1756:


    She felt like a true Harper now—respected and acknowledged. Her only lingering regret was that Keira had not been permitted to attend the ceremony. Even so, Sandra had cooperated fully and never told her mother when the event would take ce.


    The following day, she went to see Keira and found her simmering with suppressed anger. To soften the mood, Sandra handed her a bank card. “Don’t be upset. There’s a million dors on this card—more than enough for you to livefortably for the rest of your life.”


    Keira’s fury dissolved on the spot. She had known, deep down, that the Harper family would never allow her to attend Sandra’s engagement; in their eyes, she was an embarrassment, aplication they wanted no part of. She epted it.


    She grinned at Sandra and kissed the card with theatrical delight. A million dors—it was the finest gift her daughter had ever given her. She was satisfied.


    “As long as you still care about me, I’m not angry,” she said. “I won’t hold the party against you. But there is something I’d like to do.” Sandra’s stomach sank. She knew that tone all too well. “What is it? Don’t suggest anything unreasonable.”


    “Look—you’re my only child. I have plenty of friends, and your engagement has been all over the news. Everyone already knows about it. They’re allughing at me behind my back because I wasn’t there. So I thought—why not bring your fiancé over to my ce sometime? I’ll invite my friends, and we can hold our own little celebration.”


    “Absolutely not,” Sandra said, cutting the idea off without hesitation. “Dominik works in government. His reputation matters enormously to him. The fact that I have a mother like you already makes him uneasy. He wants no association with you in public. As far as he’s concerned, his mother-inw is Giselle. As for you—” She stopped there, unwilling to press further and wound her mother’s feelings.


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    She reached into her bag and produced a small box, handing it to Keira. Then she added, gently but firmly, “Mom, let’s leave this alone. Dominik’s family upies a very high position. His father is on the verge of being appointed governor, and in a few years, he’ll be positioning himself for an even greater role. Your future will befortable because of this marriage. Please, just let this one thing go.”


    Keira sighed. Over the past two years, Sandra had talked her out of more than a few reckless ideas, and she hade to understand the situation better than she once had. She no longer wanted to make things harder for her daughter.


    “Fine,” she said atst. “I’ll let it go. But you have toe see me often. Don’t stop visiting me just because your husband disapproves.”


    Sandra nodded without hesitation. “Of course. You will always be my mother.”


    Two days before Christmas, Jalen and Conor arrived at the Harper residence with their families in tow.


    Giselle met them at the door with her usualposed warmth, setting aside any old grievances without a word. She weed her nephews, their spouses, and their children as graciously as she always did. True to habit, she asked no questions about their careers or ambitions. The pleasant smile on her face remained steady, even as a quiet restraint stayed tucked beneath it—she had no intention of leveraging the Harper name or her own standing to help them climb further than they had managed on their own.


    Shepard had a prior engagement that day. Although he no longer managed the Harper Group’s daily operations, certain events still required his presence; after years at the helm, his influence and connections remained assets thepany relied upon. Ernst, meanwhile, was away on a family holiday. That left Giselle as the sole host, a role she took seriously. She had instructed the chef to prepare a generous spread for the asion.


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