Hearing Ken Lowell’s words, Peyton Joyce suddenly clenched her hands, which had been resting elegantly on her knees. Her heartbeat accelerated, and a faint blush spread across her fair cheeks. Her eyes were filled with intense anticipation as she looked across at Simon Hawthorne, whose expression remained completely unfazed. She was just one step away. Just one step away, and she would become Simon’s wife. His legitimate wife. She had waited for this day for far too long.
"This matter was handled far too recklessly!" Florence Finch snapped out of her joy and frowned at Ken Lowell. "You’re only a mother-in-law. How they live their lives is between the two of them. Our Hawthorne family has already wronged Miss Lancaster regarding Peyton’s situation. Why must you add fuel to the fire?" Forcing a paternity test at this critical juncture was far too damaging to a person’s pride.
Ken Lowell had long guessed that Florence would be dissatisfied. The older woman never interfered in these trivial matters over the years; she appeared imposing but was actually entirely impartial when dealing with issues. Ken could only brave the pressure and say, "I’m doing this for the good of the Hawthorne family. Wouldn’t it be better for everyone to have peace of mind with a definitive result?"
Florence glanced at the file folder in her hands. "And if the child is legitimate, how do you plan to handle Peyton’s situation?"
Ken pursed her lips, stumped for a moment, before immediately replying, "Since I dared to do this, I naturally know what I’m doing!" She was referring to the child in Zoe Lancaster’s womb.
Zoe Lancaster didn’t say a word. Her entire body was tense, her brain working so fast it nearly gave her a headache. She had become the target of everyone’s attacks once again. How was she supposed to break out of this deadlock this time?
"Since you have your doubts, it’s understandable that you want the truth." Simon Hawthorne set down the antique teacup in his hand, his unruffled demeanor hiding a subtle sharpness. "Grandma, then open it and take a look."
Peyton’s gaze landed on Florence. Today was the turning point; she was going to become the new young Mrs. Hawthorne!
Florence frowned. Seeing Ken make such a grand spectacle, she couldn’t help but wonder if things were truly as Ken claimed. She hesitated for a moment before finally opening the file folder. The paternity test report was extremely detailed, and her gaze moved straight down to the bottom. Upon seeing the final result, Florence’s expression darkened slightly.
Watching Florence’s expression change, Peyton didn’t feel any emotional fluctuations. She knew better than anyone that there could only be one outcome today. There wouldn’t be any mistakes!
"Mom, how is it? I didn’t lie to you..." Ken cast a cold glance at Zoe before walking over to Florence, naturally looking at the result at the very bottom as well. But in that exact instant, her expression changed drastically. Her bright lips trembled slightly, and her eyes filled with disbelief. "How is this..."
Seeing their reactions, a bad premonition suddenly flashed through Peyton’s mind. She abruptly stood up and walked over, snatching the paternity test report from them. Then, she saw the number that made her blood run cold: 99.99%. All the color drained from her face, and she fell into a daze for a moment. Her eyes subconsciously reddened, and her voice grew shrill as she shouted, "How is this possible!" The piece of paper was crumpled tightly in her grip.
Watching their reactions, Zoe managed to detach herself from her anxiety for a moment. She wondered why they were reacting this way.
Simon casually lifted his long eyelashes, asking in a calm and composed tone, "Are you certain? Is it mine?" Yet, his words held a faint trace of hidden sarcasm.
Zoe didn’t dare to move a muscle, but she was somewhat surprised. She wondered why Simon was reacting like this. He was entirely too calm. Hadn’t he always thought the child belonged to Miles Yates?
Ken’s chest heaved rapidly. For a moment, she didn’t even know how to face Simon’s gaze. Florence’s face completely darkened as well. "What kind of nonsense is this?! You went through all this trouble and nearly ruined Zoe’s reputation, only to prove the child is indeed Simon’s! Are you satisfied now?"
Ken’s lips twitched. "I... I didn’t know it would turn out like this..." Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. The day she heard Peyton’s words, she had immediately been certain in her heart that the child was illegitimate. But now, this result had slapped her hard in the face. She had actually done something so utterly humiliating! The child was genuinely his!
Peyton looked at Simon with red eyes, her lips pale as she swayed on her feet. She desperately wondered where things had gone wrong. She had clearly had Ryan Hawthorne swap the samples! How could this happen...
Simon had shown no emotion from start to finish. His composure was terrifying. Only now did a ripple appear in his dark eyes, so fierce it seemed ready to devour everything. "Is this the result you wanted? You made a massive fuss to call us back; are you at ease now?"
"I—" Ken began.
"You’ve gone too far this time." His voice dropped, steeped in a bone-chilling cold. He slammed the antique teacup heavily onto the table, its base cracking instantly. "You knew full well that she’s only a little over ten weeks pregnant and that forcing a paternity test would harm her body, yet you stubbornly insisted on having your way. Mom, don’t you think you’re being a bit too callous?"
Ken could barely maintain her expression, looking entirely at a loss. She thought about how Miles Yates’s behavior that day had clearly exceeded the bounds of a normal relationship!
As if guessing what was on her mind, Simon curled his lips mockingly. "Miles Yates is an aloof and proud man. Do you think he’s desperate for women? That he’d be willing to take just anyone?"
Hearing this, Zoe felt her heart tighten painfully. She found it a little hard to breathe.
Ken’s train of thought was disrupted, and her expression looked utterly dreadful.
Simon lifted his chin slightly. "Since this was all a misunderstanding and Zoe Lancaster has suffered real harm, Mom, shouldn’t you apologize?" Forcefully taking Zoe away and subjecting her to a brutal amniocentesis had forced her to endure a massive shock and immense terror, leading to a high fever overnight. That was undeniably wrong!
Ken’s expression shifted slightly. As Mrs. Hawthorne, she had enjoyed a lofty, revered status for many years. How could it not feel agonizing to force her to apologize to a junior?
Florence resumed rolling her Buddha Beads. "Ken, an elder must act like an elder. Only by knowing when to yield can you avoid losing face entirely."
Since Florence had spoken, Ken clenched her fists, not daring to refuse. She looked at Zoe with a complicated gaze, her mood inevitably awkward. She had originally been so certain there was something fishy about this child that she left no room for retreat. Now, she had slapped her own face hard, and she was the one who had embarrassed herself!
"Zoe, don’t blame me. I was also doing this for the Hawthorne family." After saying this, her mood soured even further. On one hand, she was relieved about the child’s origins, but on the other hand, she felt utterly suffocated because there was now no way to settle Peyton’s situation!
Zoe lowered her eyes. She was unwilling to forgive. The harm she suffered was very real. Although she understood that getting Ken to apologize to her personally was already a rare feat—after all, she was the lofty Mrs. Hawthorne who had been pandered to for years and had never suffered such a grievance—that didn’t mean she had to accept it!
Simon maintained his composure from beginning to end, his cold tone carrying a clear warning. "Mercy’s engagement is approaching. Don’t pull any more stunts."
Gritting her teeth, Ken turned and quickly left the main hall.
The farce was over. However, Peyton remained thoroughly unresigned. She bit her lip, digging her nails into her palms so hard they nearly bled. She desperately wondered why this was happening, especially since Ryan had clearly told her that everything was settled and that she could rest easy!