“What?”
“Really?”
Justin and Bella exclaimed in unison. From their reaction alone, they were made for each other.
Steven took a gulp, his throat still dry from running all the way there. “It’s true. | had the paternity test done by Dr. Larson in
Meridan just to be sure. The test in Savrow was performed in one of the Thompsons’ hospitals, and | kept an eye throughout the
process.”
Justin's lashes cast a grimacing shadow below his eyes as his gaze scoured the test results.
Gregory and Bethany were unrelated.
Bella was the only one calm amid the bustle.
The result of the paternity test only confirmed her long-tsuspicion.
Bethany'’s character, looks, and personality planted a seed of doubt in Bella a long tago. Now, the truth was out.
“Did Arnold say anything when you asked him to do the test, Steve?”
“He did.”
Steven was caught between emotions just thinking about the incident. “He asked if Wyatt's three wives had another child, and
Wyatt wanted to do a paternity test in secret to be sure. Dr. Larson promised to bring the secret to his grave.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtBella had a face-palm moment. Arnold's intention was not to bring the secret to his grave. He simply wanted in on the gossip.
“Apart from Arnold, don’t let anyone else know about this, Steve.”
Steven scratched his head in distress. “Um... Dr. Larson told Mr. Asher right away. He knows about it too.”
Bella's lips twitched. “Fine. Arnold and Ash are a couple, but that’s where the information should stop. Got it?”
Steven nodded his head.
Bella suddenly felt a chilly presence.
She looked up and saw Justin's stoic expression and rage in his eyes.
“Justin? Are you alright?” Bella softened her voice.
Justin threw the scrunched medical report on the table, his eyes emotionless. “I'm fine. | just find it absurd. | just thought of my
mother, Bella. Shannon showed up at the family residence more than two decades ago, looking very pregnant. That memory just
flickered past my mind.”
Feeling for Justin, Bella reached out and held his cold hand. “I know how you feel.”
“Gregory did a paternity test a day after Shannon gave birth to Bethany. The test result showed that they were father and
daughter. It was clear that all departments were in on it with Shannon. It is a lot easier to forge the result of a paternity test twenty
years ago.”
Steven felt disturbed too. Shannon was the shateful woman now and then.
“Yeah. She was dead set on finding riches the easy way. Nothing could stop her. | just can’t believe Gregory never suspected
Shannon and Bethany, even after spending day in and day out with a child who doesn’t look a thing like him.”
Bella glowered in disbelief. “When | was younger, | heard Wyatt and Ash talking about Gregory, who was wise and competent when
handling business. Shannon is a social climber with nothing to show for. Surely, your father would've suspected something.”
“Gregory and Grandpa were busy fighting about the business when Shannon insisted on getting a place in the family. Grandpa's
disapproval only fueled Gregory to do the opposite. That's not the only thing. He and my mother were drifting apart, and Shannon
took advantage of that. Gregory is a proud man, and Shannon pretended to be okay with everything. He believed a woman of
humble beginning wouldn't do anything to a man of power like him.”
Justin kept his head down, his voice laced with mockery. “But Gregory could possibly love Shannon too much. He didn’t even know
that woman had killed my mother. Why would he look into Bethany’s birth?”
The air was thick with tension in the cellar.
“Ha. To be honest...” Bella smirked. “I hope Shannon is Gregory's one true love. That way, his world would crumble the moment he
learned the truth about everything.”
“I had always hoped that Gregory's feelings for my mother were real, even if they were just briefly. | couldn't bear the thought of
my mother loving a heartless man.” Justin smiled liberatingly. “But now, | wish Gregory never loved her. The man did not deserve
to love her.”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmBella rose to her feet, getting on her tiptoes to peck the corner of his lips. “Your love is enough for her.”
As the warmth of his hands chained around her waist deepened, Justin responded to her kiss.
Regardless of the tand place, Justin would always respond to Bella.
Steven asked, “How are you planning to use this trump card?”
The ringing of Justin's phone cut off Steven's words.
“lan.”
“This is bad, Mr. Salvador. We lost sight of Bethany.”
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