He turned back to Emily. “Tell me everything. How you met. Where you lived. Why he believed he had to hide.”
Emily wiped her cheeks and spoke of a quiet love. They had met in a modest bookstore far from glittering galas. Ethan had cherished her warmth and honesty. He feared that his relatives—obsessed with status—would destroy the simple happiness they built.
Jonathan listened, grief tightening his chest.
“I would have protected him,” he whispered. “I would have protected both of you. He should have known that.”
He gently took Emily’s hand. “Lily will carry the Miller name proudly. The world will know who she is.”
But even as he spoke, he understood the storm that would follow. Ethan’s extended family would not welcome the existence of a rightful heir. They would contest inheritance, question legitimacy, and attempt to seize control.
“Let them try,” Jonathan said quietly, a familiar steel returning to his voice. “I have the finest legal team in the country. No one will take her from you.”
He called the head of security. “Add Emily and Lily to the permanent residence list. Increase security. I want no unapproved visitors.”