Elara and Adrian sat in the library, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes. Elara felt a sense of hope and relief that Adrian had finally opened up to her about his feelings and his past with Genevieve. She was willing to be patient and trust him, but she also knew that it wouldn't be easy.

Over the next few days, Adrian and Elara spent a lot of time together. They talked about their hopes and dreams for the future, and Adrian promised Elara that he would do everything in his power to protect her and make her happy.

One afternoon, as they were sitting in the garden, Adrian's mother, Helena, arrived at Thornfield Manor. Elara had never met Helena before, but she had heard a lot about her from Adrian. She knew that Helena was a powerful and influential woman, and she was a little intimidated by her presence.

Helena greeted Adrian and Elara coldly, and then she announced that she had come to see Adrian about a matter of great importance. Adrian looked at his mother with a mixture of curiosity and concern, and then he led her into the library.

Elara followed them, feeling a little uneasy. She sat down in a chair near the door and listened as Helena began to speak.

'Adrian, I have some news that I think you should know,' Helena said. 'I have just received a letter from Genevieve. She says that she has evidence that you are not the rightful heir to the Voss fortune.'

Adrian's face paled. 'What evidence?' he asked.

Helena reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper. She handed it to Adrian, and he read it quickly.

The letter was from a lawyer, and it stated that Genevieve had discovered a will that had been written by Adrian's grandfather before he died. The will stated that the Voss fortune should be divided equally between Adrian and his cousin, Lucas.

Adrian looked up at his mother in disbelief. 'This can't be true,' he said. 'My grandfather would never have written such a will.'

Helena shook her head. 'I'm afraid it is true, Adrian. Genevieve has hired a team of lawyers to investigate the matter, and they have found some very compelling evidence.'

Adrian stood up and began to pace the room. 'This is a disaster,' he said. 'If Genevieve is able to prove that I'm not the rightful heir, I will lose everything.'

Elara stood up and walked over to Adrian. She put her hand on his arm and tried to comfort him.

'It's going to be okay, Adrian,' she said. 'We'll find a way to fight this.'

Adrian looked at her, his eyes filled with gratitude. 'Thank you, Elara,' he said. 'But I don't know how we're going to do it.'

Helena cleared her throat. 'There is one way,' she said. 'You could marry Genevieve.'

Adrian's head snapped around, and he stared at his mother in horror.

'What?' he said.

Helena shrugged. 'It's the only way to ensure that you keep the Voss fortune,' she said. 'If you marry Genevieve, she will drop the lawsuit and you will be safe.'

Adrian shook his head. 'No,' he said. 'I will not marry Genevieve. I love Elara.'

Helena sighed. 'I understand how you feel, Adrian,' she said. 'But you have to think about what's best for the family.'

Adrian glared at his mother. 'The family?' he said. 'What about what's best for me?'

Helena stood up and walked over to Adrian. She put her hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye.

'Adrian, you are the heir to the Voss fortune,' she said. 'You have a responsibility to the family. You have to do what's right.'

Adrian pushed his mother's hand away. 'I will not sacrifice my happiness for the sake of the family,' he said.

Helena's face hardened. 'Then you will lose everything,' she said.

With that, she turned and walked out of the library, leaving Adrian and Elara alone.

Elara looked at Adrian, her heart breaking for him. She knew how much he loved her, and she knew that he would never marry Genevieve. But she also knew that Helena was a powerful woman, and she was worried about what she might do.

'Adrian, what are we going to do?' she asked.

Adrian took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. 'We're going to fight this,' he said. 'We're going to find a way to prove that I'm the rightful heir to the Voss fortune.'

Elara nodded, relieved that Adrian was determined to fight. 'But how?' she asked.

Adrian thought for a moment. 'I have an idea,' he said. 'But we're going to need some help.'

Adrian and Elara spent the next few days gathering evidence to support Adrian's claim to the Voss fortune. They hired a team of lawyers and investigators, and they scoured through old family records and documents.

Finally, after weeks of hard work, they found what they were looking for. They discovered a letter that Adrian's grandfather had written to his lawyer, stating that he wanted Adrian to inherit the Voss fortune.

Adrian and Elara were overjoyed. They knew that this letter would be enough to prove that Adrian was the rightful heir, and they were ready to present it to Genevieve and her lawyers.

But as they were preparing to leave for the meeting, Helena arrived at Thornfield Manor. She walked into the library and looked at Adrian and Elara with a smug expression on her face.

'Well, well, well,' she said. 'It seems that you have been busy.'

Adrian glared at his mother. 'What do you want?' he asked.

Helena smiled. 'I just wanted to congratulate you on finding the letter,' she said. 'But I'm afraid it's not going to do you any good.'

Adrian's heart sank. 'What do you mean?' he asked.

Helena reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of papers. She handed them to Adrian, and he looked at them in confusion.

'What is this?' he asked.

Helena smiled. 'It's a copy of the will that Genevieve found,' she said. 'And as you can see, it clearly states that the Voss fortune should be divided equally between Adrian and Lucas.'

Adrian's face paled. 'But this is a forgery,' he said. 'My grandfather would never have written such a will.'

Helena shrugged. 'It doesn't matter,' she said. 'The courts will believe Genevieve's lawyers, not yours.'

Adrian looked at Elara, his eyes filled with绝望. He knew that he had lost everything.

Elara put her arm around Adrian and held him tightly. 'It's not over yet,' she said. 'We'll find a way to fight this.'

But as she looked at Helena's smug face, she knew that it was going to be a very difficult battle.

chapterSummary: Adrian and Elara's relationship is tested when Helena, Adrian's mother, arrives with news that Genevieve has evidence that could threaten Adrian's inheritance. Helena suggests that Adrian marry Genevieve to protect the family fortune, but Adrian refuses, determined to fight for what is rightfully his. With Elara's support, Adrian and his team of lawyers and investigators search for evidence to support his claim, but Helena presents a forged will that seems to undermine their efforts. Elara refuses to give up, but the battle ahead looks daunting.