The Man They Blame

The real heir.

Fae’s POV.

“Should I go see him?” she muttered, letting out a heavy sigh. Fae arrived at the hospital, but she didn’t head straight for the VIP room.

Years ago, after Jacob’s biological son went missing, he was nearly destroyed by grief.

Later, he adopted Fae. He gave her the West surname, the best education, and a place in the West family’s most exclusive circle.

Outsiders envy Fae. They say she’s the daughter raised directly by Jacob West—the luckiest girl in the West family.

But only Fae knows that she’s never truly felt safe.

A deep sense of inferiority has always lingered in her heart.

Because in Jacob’s office, there’s always an old photo frame locked away. Inside is a photo of that missing baby.

Because every year on that child’s birthday, Jacob would spend a long time alone.

Because no matter how wonderful, obedient, or diligent she was, she could never fill the void in Jacob’s heart.

So, when the butler told her that Jacob had found his biological son and told her to come to the hospital immediately, Fae’s first reaction wasn’t joy.

She felt empty.

She knew the true heir to the West family had returned.

And starting today, she, the adopted daughter, might no longer matter.

Her eyes looked away as she thought about it. At that moment, an elderly man suffering from low blood sugar slowly slid down the wall, leaning against it. The people around him watched, but no one dared to step forward.

Concerned, Fae immediately rushed over, calling out, “Sir, are you all right?” she asked as she reached out to support him.

However, someone else was faster than her, causing Fae to realise too late that her hand—which had been meant to rest on the old man’s shoulder—had instead landed on top of Derek’s hand.

Fae looked up and saw Derek’s pale face, the hospital gown he was wearing, and the blood seeping through the bandage beneath it.

She furrowed her brow and said, “You’re hurt. You shouldn’t have done this.”

Derek didn’t look at her. He just said softly, “He almost fell.”

Together, they carried the old man to the emergency room.

Fae looked at Derek, and there was a slight change in her eyes.

She’d met too many people from the upper class who liked to talk about responsibility, kindness, social values, and charity, but clearly wouldn’t get their hands dirty helping an old man.

Meanwhile, the man standing before her could barely stand on his own, yet running to help seemed to be second nature to him.

After escorting the man, Derek and Fae stepped into the elevator. There, Fae turned to face him. “What’s your name?”

Derek replied, “My name used to be Derek Moss.”

Fae furrowed her brow. “Used to be?” It struck her as funny.

Derek was silent for a moment. “Yeah, I’ve recently come to realise that I might not be the person I thought I was.” He didn’t reveal his true identity.

For some reason, Fae felt she understood that, and strangely, his words made her feel at ease with him.

Fae then smiled at him and held out her hand. “I’m Fae.” Their hands clasped, and Fae continued, “Fae West.”

After saying that, she didn’t notice the expression on Derek’s face and looked away with a more sombre expression. “You may have heard that name and associated it with something—and you’d be right.”

She sounded flatter than before. “That name carries a sense of luxury, but strangely, it doesn’t feel like an honour to me, it feels like a burden that constantly reminds me that what I have right now isn’t really mine.”

Fae took a deep breath and let it out. She continued, “Jacob West is a very lonely man. He has extraordinary wealth and power, but he’s always lived in the shadow of losing his son. No matter how hard I try, I’ve never been able to heal that wound.”

Derek’s expression changed.

Fae didn’t realise that her words had touched the deepest question in his heart.

Derek asked softly, “What if that boy came back?”

Fae’s fingers tightened slightly, and a bittersweet smile appeared on her lips. “I’d be happy for him. And I’d know my place.”

Then Fae turned to Derek and asked, “What about you? If one day you finally come to recognize who you really are, will you accept it?”

Derek didn’t answer.

Fae looked at him, trying to understand his reaction. “It’s a bit complicated, isn’t it? But your true identity is what you possess even if you see yourself differently, and now that you’ve finally discovered the truth, you don’t need to dwell on how much pain you’ve endured because that name was once taken from you.”

Derek’s expression grew sombre.

Fae added gently, looking at him, “Identity isn’t something others give you. It’s something you choose to live by.”

The two arrived at the VIP floor together, unaware that they were heading to the same place.

Before they reached Jacob’s hospital room, they heard an argument in the hallway. “Why is there a commotion in the hospital?” Fae frowned in annoyance and walked over, followed by Derek.

Several members of the West family and senior company executives had arrived. They claimed to have come to visit Jacob, but in reality, they were fighting over power while Jacob was unconscious.

“As the West family’s head butler, you must follow the rules—immediately register for access to Jacob’s hospital room, his personal medical authority, and several temporary authorisation documents.” They urged the butler to act immediately, unaware of what was happening.

A West family relative spotted Fae and approached her. “What are you doing here, miss? You’d better go home and rest—this is an internal West family matter.” He sounded polite but continued sharply, “Jacob is currently in a weakened physical condition and must not be disturbed by unnecessary emotions.”

Hearing this, Fae clenched her fists tightly, her emotions churning chaotically inside her chest.

The relative then noticed Derek standing beside Fae. Since Derek was wearing a hospital gown and still had soot stains and wounds on his face, the relative didn’t recognise him. He simply assumed Derek was an ordinary firefighter whom Fae had brought up from the lower floor.

The relative’s expression grew even more cynical, a mocking smirk appearing at the corner of his lips. “Jacob is still lying in a hospital bed, but look at you—you actually have the time to show up on the VIP floor with a stranger.”

Fae’s face paled. She wanted to explain, but she knew that the more she explained, the worse the situation would become.

Derek’s eyes turned cold. “He came up after helping a man downstairs, and that’s better than

He helped save a man downstairs. That’s more than any of you have done since I arrived here.”

The hallway fell silent.

The West family member frowned and asked who he was

Before Derek could answer, “Commoners like you have no right to lecture a member of the West family.” He turned to the staff on duty. “Take this stranger and Miss Fae out of here immediately.”

Fae shook her head at Derek, signaling for him to be quiet.

As the security guards approached, the white-haired butler who had been speaking with them at the end of the hallway turned and walked toward them. The moment he saw Derek standing in the middle of the hallway, his expression changed.

He hurried forward and, under everyone’s astonished gaze, bowed deeply to Derek. “Young Master.”

The entire hallway fell deathly silent. Even the West family members who had just been mocking Derek froze instantly.

Fae was also stunned. Only then did she realise that the injured firefighter who had helped her save the old man downstairs was Jacob West’s long-lost biological son.

Derek stood there and did not immediately deny the title again.