The cold light spilled across her face, so piercing that her vision blurred. A massive wave of panic engulfed her. Stripped of all her strength, her body trembled uncontrollably.
"No..."
A female doctor in a white coat walked in and looked at Ken Lowell standing nearby. "Madam, this young lady is only about thirteen weeks pregnant. If we perform a DNA extraction now, it might affect the fetus. Are you sure you want to proceed?"
It wasn’t impossible to do a paternity test while the fetus was still in the womb. The most accurate methods were an amniocentesis, which involved extracting amniotic fluid, or chorionic villus sampling, which required scraping some tissue. Generally, doctors recommended waiting until the mother was at least twenty weeks pregnant before performing these procedures.
Hearing the doctor’s words, Zoe Lancaster’s eyes grew redder, and all the color drained from her lips.
Ken remained entirely unmoved. Frowning, she glanced at Zoe. "It doesn’t matter. I just want an accurate result so I know exactly where this child came from. Why should I care so much about someone else’s bastard?"
She was already convinced that there was something shady about this pregnancy.
The doctor hesitated before finally saying, "Then let’s use ultrasound guidance. The puncture will still cause some pain."
"No!"
Zoe struggled violently, the ropes binding her wrists nearly scraping her tender, white skin raw. Panting heavily, she looked like a mother beast desperately trying to protect her cub. Tears streamed down her face as she wore a tragic expression. "I won’t do it! Please, I’m begging you! Please don’t do this to my baby. The baby is too small right now! It can’t take this kind of torment..."
Watching Zoe’s terrified face as she humbled herself to beg for her child, Ken knit her brows fiercely, her resolve almost wavering for a moment.
But her hatred for any disloyalty toward her son was much stronger!
Ken turned around and said coldly, "Then skip the ultrasound! Rely on your experience and do the puncture directly. Just make it quick."
Once she sent over Simon Hawthorne’s DNA for comparison and the truth came to light, she wouldn’t have to deal with all this exhausting suspicion and hesitation anymore.
The doctor opened her mouth to speak but eventually just let out a sigh.
Kingsward Hospital was owned by the Hawthorne family. She had no choice but to follow Ken’s orders.
She walked over to Zoe’s bed. "Don’t move, or you might hurt the baby. Just bear with it."
Zoe shook her head incessantly, letting tears soak her cheeks and hair. Her throat was nearly voiceless from sheer panic. She looked at the doctor pleadingly, her voice incredibly hoarse. "No... please..."
She was like a fish on a chopping block, completely at their mercy.
She had no right to refuse, treated like nothing more than a mindless animal.
She watched helplessly as the long, thin needle slowly pierced her abdomen. The sharp pain made her tremble uncontrollably, and she bit her lower lip until it bled. The cold light overhead blurred her vision. As the needle plunged deep into her womb, the light in her eyes extinguished inch by inch.
No amount of pain or humiliation could compare to the helpless despair and hatred she felt.
The entire process felt like it took a century.
Then another needle was inserted into her vein, drawing ten milliliters of blood.
She lay limply on the bed, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes.
She had been wrong. Falling in love with Simon was a mistake. She shouldn’t have harbored such delusions, flying like a moth to a flame, only to end up in this miserable state.
Looking at Zoe’s dazed appearance, Ken pursed her lips. "Put her in the car."
Zoe no longer struggled. She was like a walking corpse without a soul.
Ken watched her leave before turning back to the doctor. "I’ll have someone send over the other DNA sample in a bit. When will the results be ready?"
"In about a week," the doctor replied. "We need a few days to culture the sample before running the DNA comparison."
Ken fell silent for a moment before saying in an apathetic tone, "This matter must be kept strictly confidential. Not a single rumor is to leak out!"
If someone made a mistake, they could handle it privately. Once it was confirmed that the child didn’t belong to the Hawthorne family, she would have a thousand ways to get rid of the bastard in Zoe’s belly, as well as Zoe herself. The Hawthorne family’s reputation was of the utmost importance!
The doctor shrank back slightly. "Yes, Madam."
***
On the way back to Somerset Gardens, Zoe remained very quiet. She kept her head down, continually stroking her belly. Her gaze was unfocused, hiding whatever thoughts were going through her mind.
The car eventually pulled into the courtyard of Somerset Gardens, and she got out numbly.
Ken tilted her head to look at her from a condescending height. "If it turns out you’ve been wronged, I’ll apologize to you. I also hope this is all just a huge misunderstanding. You need to understand the heart of a parent."
Zoe’s lips twitched, but she didn’t say a word.
She walked back into the living room in a complete daze. Madam Carter hurriedly approached her upon seeing her condition. "Ma’am? Why do you look so pale? What happened to you?"
Zoe shook her head. Her eyes were still red, but there was no longer any visible sorrow in them—only a stagnant, deadened numbness.
She returned to her bedroom alone and lay weakly on the bed. She kept curling herself up tighter and tighter, as if this was the only way she could protect herself and grasp onto a faint sliver of security.
Ever since her mother had her accident and left Kingsford when she was a child, her life had turned into a living hell. She had been mistreated by Wendy Lawrence, bullied by Riley Lancaster, and ignored by Martin Lancaster. She had thought that everything would get better once she grew up—that adulthood would bring her comfort and freedom.
But... why was she still suffering so much? Hugging her arms tightly, she remained utterly isolated and helpless.
***
"Mr. Hawthorne, the driver reported that the Madam returned to Somerset Gardens immediately after leaving the hospital. She hasn’t had any further contact with Miles Yates," Linden reported from the front passenger seat, turning to face the man in the back.
Simon rested with his eyes closed, his brow slightly furrowed as he pinched a ring between his fingertips.
The news of Peyton Joyce’s pregnancy had not escaped the Old Master’s ears after all. Simon had been trapped at the Hawthorne Residence for a long time. The Old Master was furious about the matter and demanded that he make a choice. It was nothing more than an ultimatum... He wanted Simon to end things with Zoe as soon as possible and marry Peyton.
"Did you check that hospital? Her test results, her physical condition," he asked, opening his eyes, his voice slightly hoarse.
Linden frowned. "There are no records on file. Miles Yates must have wiped them."
Simon’s eyes grew deep and dark.
Learning that Zoe and Miles had gone for a prenatal checkup together today had ignited a ball of fire in his chest. It was as if they were the real couple, happily dreaming about their future, while he was nothing but an outsider.
He suddenly remembered her words from earlier today: "I never loved you. I only loved your money."
The feeling was so suffocating that he could barely breathe. He lowered his gaze to the ring in his hand and lost himself in thought for a long time.
That was, until Linden spoke up. "Mr. Hawthorne, we’ve arrived."
Simon snapped back to reality. Glancing out at the house in Somerset Gardens, he stepped out of the car. He strode into the living room on long legs, his expression gloomy and his aura piercingly cold.
"Where is Zoe?" he asked, his tone devoid of any warmth.
Madam Carter hurried to answer, "The Madam has been in her room ever since she got back today. She hasn’t come out at all, and she didn’t even respond when I called her for dinner. Mr. Hawthorne, you should go check on her!"
His thin lips pressed into a tight line as he turned and went upstairs. He pushed open the bedroom door to find the room completely dark. Through the gloom, he could faintly make out the slightly raised silhouette on the bed.
Was she... throwing a tantrum because of Peyton? She didn’t actually care as little about him as her words suggested, did she?