Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 167

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Frank shook his head, his shoulders slumping as he sank back onto the sofa. The confession had drained him, leaving nothing but resignation in his posture. The living room fell into a weighted silence, broken only by the occasional car passing outside the window.

Archer reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, his fingers moving swiftly across the screen. “I have something I want to show you, Jade.” He turned the device around, displaying a slightly yellowed photograph.

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The woman in the image bore a striking resemblance to Jade–the same delicate bone structure, the same angle to her chin. Her features were refined, her expression elegant but guarded. She looked like an older, softer version of Jade, her eyes holding the same intelligence but none of the coldness.

Jade barely glanced at the screen, her eyes flicking to it for just a second before looking away. She didn’t reach for the phone, didn’t ask to hold it closer. Her expression remained perfectly neutral, as if Archer had shown her nothing more interesting than yesterday’s weather report.

“This is Hazel Reed,” Archer said softly, his voice tinged with old grief. “And I believe she was your mother.”

Jade’s eyebrow twitched slightly–the only indication she’d heard him at all. If anything, her eyes seemed to grow more distant, a flicker of irritation crossing her features.

“Child,” Archer continued, tucking his phone away when it became clear Jade wouldn’t take it, “these are your real

parents. Conrad Sullivan and Hazel Reed. I’m your uncle–your father’s younger brother.”

Frank shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. “It’s true, Jade,” he admitted, unable to meet her eyes. “I found you at the

hospital.”

Jade studied the man who’d raised her, her gaze clinical and detached. No shock registered on her face, no betrayal or hurt. If anything, she looked bored by the revelation that should have shattered her world.

“Your father–Conrad–was the eldest son of the Sullivan family,” Archer explained, leaning forward in his chair. “He was brilliant, driven. A workaholic who never showed much interest in relationships until he was thirty–three.”

Archer’s gaze turned distant, lost in memory. “There was a symphony orchestra performing in Cloud City. Conrad attended on a whim. That’s where he saw Hazel for the first time. She was playing the violin–first chair, despite being only twenty–five,”

Jade stood perfectly still, her arms crossed over her chest. Her expression suggested she was enduring this story rather than absorbing it.

“Hazel was an orphan,” Archer continued. “She’d grown up in the foster system here in Cloud City. Brilliant musician, but physically fragile. Always sickly. But when she played…” He shook his head slightly. “Conrad said he’d never heard anything so beautiful.”

Linda snorted from her position near the wall.

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17:15 Wed, Sep 24 B..

Chapter 167

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“They fell in love quickly. Conrad visited Cloud City every weekend for a year. Then he told our mother he wanted to marry Hazel.” Archer’s face darkened. “Our mother, Blair Sullivan, was… is… a formidable woman. She refused to accept Hazel as Conrad’s wife. A musician from nowhere, with no family connections, no social standing…”

“So what?” Linda interrupted. “Rich people drama. What’s this got to do with us?”

Archer ignored her, his eyes fixed on Jade. “Conrad fought with our mother for two months. He was willing to give up his position in the family, his shares in the company. But our mother had a heart attack during one of their arguments. The doctors said any more stress could kill her.”

“Emotional manipulation,” Jade remarked, her first words since Archer had begun his story. Her tone was flat,

unimpressed.

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