THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 277

It was just a glimpse—a fleeting profile.

Yet the Hadleys recognized her instantly.

Caitlin.

It was actually Caitlin.

No doubt about it—Caitlin!

After all, no one else had such a stunning, unforgettable silhouette.

In that moment, even the air seemed to freeze.

Each member of the Hadley family wore an expression that shifted and flickered, as if their faces were painted with every color of confusion and disbelief.

Anyone could have expected the heiress of the Gonzales family, or the princess of the Richards family, to be someone—anyone—else. But Caitlin? How could it possibly be her?

Caitlin was just a nobody from a small town, a plain farm girl.

No one saw this coming.

The truth was unthinkable—the lost princess of the Gonzales family and the Richards family was Caitlin!

Iliana and Ernest looked so stricken they were on the verge of tears.

After all, they’d almost adopted Caitlin. They’d almost become her parents.

Back then, when Fortune had first found Caitlin, she’d been brought straight to them. But they’d refused.

Ernest and Iliana had agreed—an orphan could never truly feel like their own. Besides, Iliana had just learned she was pregnant.

How could they have known then that Caitlin had a hidden identity? If they’d known she was the lost princess, nothing in the world could have made them turn her away.

Now, looking back, it felt like their refusal had cost them not just Caitlin, but a life of unimaginable fortune.

The thought made their hearts ache so much, they could barely breathe.

The pain was excruciating.

Bonnie was the first to recover, her face going pale as she choked out, “It’s her! It’s Caitlin! The lost daughter of the Richards and Gonzales families is Caitlin!”

“Mom, Dad, how can this be? Did the news get it wrong? Caitlin is nothing! She’s not even worth my little finger. How could she possibly be the princess of the Gonzales and Richards families?”

Bonnie was suffocating with jealousy, her cheeks drained of all color.

The Gonzales family and the Richards family! The pinnacle of high society.

The Gonzales family owned Eldermere’s most prestigious skincare brand—Gonzales Holdings—a company whose products were perennial bestsellers and a staple on the Forbes lists, thanks to Keira’s legendary business acumen.

And the Richards family? They were even more renowned.

They ruled Neon Spire’s old city, their influence stretching across the globe. The princess’s eight uncles and aunts ran businesses that dominated nearly every market in Neon Spire—they were royalty in all but name.

And as if that weren’t enough, the princess had thirteen exceptional brothers.

If they had, their whole family would have been lifted to unimaginable heights.

No one could understand the depth of Ernest’s regret.

He was utterly devastated.

It was as if a part of him had died.

Iliana broke down as well, sobbing uncontrollably.

She was wracked with remorse—wishing with every fiber of her being that she could go back nineteen years. If she could, she would have cherished Caitlin, given her the best of everything.

Seeing her parents in tears, Bonnie began to cry as well—but hers were tears of jealousy and resentment.

Why?

Why did Caitlin get all the luck?

She was better than Caitlin in every way—except, perhaps, for looks. She deserved a wonderful life far more than Caitlin ever did.

Bonnie had been certain that after Julian dumped Caitlin, she’d be finished—a divorced woman, cast aside and pitied.

But now, Caitlin had transformed overnight from a social outcast into the princess of the Richards family, the heir to the Gonzales fortune—the only heir.

The thought of Caitlin living a life of privilege, adored and respected by all, made Bonnie feel like she couldn’t breathe.

She had everything Caitlin didn’t—except Caitlin’s beauty. Yet fate had chosen Caitlin for a life that Bonnie could only dream of.