Her Celestial Farm on the Scrapyard Planet novel Chapter 4

At that moment, Alessia barely had the breath to soothe her daughter's hysterics; her own mind was a churning storm of disbelief.

She truly couldn't figure out how the name of that stepdaughter she'd treated like literal trash could be linked to the Kingdom's most dazzling War God.

Still, she forced her composure back into place, her voice chillingly level. "There are countless people with that name, Hannah. How can you be sure it's her? You said it yourself—she only has D-level mental power. How could someone like that ever be the perfect match for an SSS-level mental power holder?"

Those words were meant to comfort Hannah and to reassure Alessia herself.

Her hatred for Elizabeth and Elizabeth's mother went much deeper and lasted longer than Hannah's ever had.

Were it not for those two, she wouldn't have spent years being whispered about as the mistress who clawed her way to the top, and Hannah wouldn't have been branded with the stigma of a bastard.

Hannah seized onto those words like a lifeline, nodding frantically. "Right... right! It can't be her. It's impossible!"

But the shadow of doubt still hung heavy between them. A shared name was one thing, but a shared name and a shared birthday? The odds were infinitesimal.

Alessia stared at her still-dazed daughter and asked coldly, "Well? Do you still think I was just overreacting?"

Hannah stiffened as the memory rushed back. She remembered that shortly after Elizabeth's exile, her mother had secretly dispatched a hired hand to finish her off.

At the time, Hannah had thought it was excessive. But her mother had only offered a bone-chilling warning: "If an exile matches with an SSS-level mental power holder and manages to secure a marriage bond, they can receive a pardon."

Back then, Hannah had dismissed it as a fairy tale—an impossibility. But now...

She hurriedly grabbed Alessia's arm, panic tightening her voice. "Mom, did the person you sent get the job done?"

If the hit had been successful, then there was no way the name on that announcement was her.

Alessia was just about to answer when the sound of footsteps approached. The next second, Benjamin Schofield and Zachary Knight walked in one after the other.

Mother and daughter cut their conversation short instantly, their faces snapping into identical masks of gentle grace.

"Oh, Zachary, you're here!" Alessia greeted him warmly, stepping forward to smoothly take Benjamin's coat. Her voice was syrupy and flawless. "Hannah was just complaining that you hadn't come to see her in days."

Zachary immediately donned a flawless smile, his tone the picture of respect. "You're teasing me, Auntie. As soon as I cleared my schedule, I came straight here to pick Hannah up for school."

When his gaze met Hannah's, that polished, formulaic smile stiffened just for a split second.

A trace of conflicted avoidance flickered behind his eyes, but it vanished so quickly it seemed like a trick of the light.

Hannah forced down the homicidal rage and panic churning inside her, stepping closer to affectionately loop her arm through his. "Zach, if you're busy, you really don't have to worry about me. I can get to school myself," she said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.

"Don't be silly. I'll always make time for you," Zachary said, offering a patronizing pat on her head. His eyes were full of staged indulgence.

Meanwhile, Alessia sat beside Benjamin, her voice dropping into a low, concerned murmur. "Didn't you have a board meeting this afternoon? You're back much earlier than expected."

Benjamin was visibly preoccupied. "Something came up," he muttered vaguely. "So I decided to head back early."

After a few beats of strained small talk, a heavy silence settled over the room.

Finally, it was Hannah who cracked first.

She turned to her father, her voice trembling with a careful mix of worry and disbelief. "Dad... that name. Could it really be... her?"

Everyone turned to Benjamin.

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