Chapter 518 I'm Late
In the Reception Room.
"Wait, how much did you just say you want?" Billy thought his ears were playing tricks on him.
The girl's biological father said, "Ten million dollars. Give us ten million, and Tessa Hawthorne is all yours to study."
His tone was as casual as if he were haggling over a used car.
And these people were the girl's own flesh and blood.
Victoria sat in her chair, her hands resting casually on the armrests. Her long, slender fingers tapped rhythmically against the wood. Without betraying any emotion, she observed the plainly dressed, honest-looking group before her.
Indeed, one could never judge character by appearance alone.
Her phone screen lit up on the table. She picked it up to check the information Winter had sent.
Billy was utterly speechless. The exorbitant price was bad enough, but their attitude was worse—clearly only interested in money. This was their child, for heaven's sake.
Just as he was about to snap back, Victoria, who had been sitting with her head lowered, spoke up. "The money, I can give you."
Their faces instantly lit up, joy written all over them.
But Victoria's next words wiped the smiles off their faces in a heartbeat.
"However," she narrowed her eyes, fixing them with her gaze, "from what I understand, you abandoned this child at an orphanage shortly after birth. The Hawthorne family has raised her for five years. Now you suddenly appear—what exactly is your intention?"
"Moreover, this child was perfectly healthy during her five years with the Hawthornes. How is it that after just one month back in your care, she's in this condition?" she added.
Their expressions darkened. The girl's birth mother hastily replied, "Miss Kennedy, don't slander us! The child was stolen and taken to the orphanage—we didn't abandon her. She's our flesh and blood; how could we ever do such a thing?"
"Exactly! Who would abandon their own child? Don't make such wild accusations without evidence," an elderly woman glared at Victoria.
Victoria responded to their protests with nothing but a cold laugh. Her voice was cool and emotionless, "Whether I'm making wild accusations or not, a police investigation will reveal the truth."
Before meeting these people, she had taken precautions and asked Winter to look into the matter.
Tessa—Victoria recognized her as the little girl who had been kidnapped alongside Ezra at the Kingdom of Serenia. After Billy first mentioned her, Victoria had gone to see Tessa. Surprised by the coincidence, she had contacted Alfonso and learned partial details.
She hadn't thought much of it until today, when Billy mentioned Tessa's family wanted to meet her. Then she realized things weren't so simple.
At the mention of police, the group visibly panicked.
Still, they pushed back aggressively, "We're not afraid of an investigation. But if you don't pay up, we'll sue your research facility. Taking our daughter for research without parental consent is illegal. We'll destroy your institution's reputation."
Billy fell into stunned silence.
Victoria's lips curved into a faint smile. "Go ahead. Would you like me to recommend a lawyer?"
With that, she rose and left without hesitation. Staying any longer would be a waste of her time.
"You can't leave! You haven't said if you'll give us the money!" The elderly woman stood to chase after Victoria but was held back.
Billy, shocked by how things had unfolded, instructed someone to escort them out before hurrying after Victoria.
"Victoria, how did you know all this?" Billy asked.
Victoria shot him a withering look. "When you mentioned the girl's guardianship had changed, I had someone investigate."
Her expression clearly conveyed her exasperation with him.
Billy scratched his head. "I never imagined people could be so shameless."
Victoria teased, "As if you're so innocent yourself."
Billy said, "Hey, no personal attacks! Besides, I am innocent—still pure as the driven snow."
Victoria couldn't be bothered to respond.
Getting serious, he asked, "So how do we handle this?"
After a moment's silence, Victoria said, "First, contact the Hawthorne family to understand why they suddenly returned the child. Then notify the police to get involved."
She couldn't shake the feeling that this was a targeted attack on the research facility.
Initially uncertain, the moment they threatened to sue the institute, it became clear they had come with an agenda.
"I'll get right on it," Billy said.
As he turned to leave, Victoria stopped him. "Wait."
"What is it?"
"While you're at it, find out whose business interests our institute might have recently interfered with."
Billy furrowed his brow slightly. He wasn't stupid—he too sensed something was amiss. This was a deliberate move against them.
"Got it."
After Billy left, Victoria considered her options before deciding to check on Tessa personally.
Stardust Valley.
It was just around sunset.
Several luxury cars pulled into town—though whether they were truly luxurious hardly mattered, as the town's elderly residents wouldn't have recognized them anyway.
The spectacle of six identical black vehicles parked along the roadside was enough to draw attention.
Kevin returned from his reconnaissance mission and climbed back into the car.
"Mr. Scott, I've confirmed it. Mrs. Scott's parents' house is just ahead," Kevin reported.
"Drive," Grant commanded, his face an emotionless mask.
Kevin could hardly believe that Grant had come to his wife's family home without knowing the way.
Meanwhile, at the Rivera household, the family was enjoying their time together after returning from Marlowe.
Regarding their daughter's pregnancy, Marlowe's parents had only asked who the father was, then dropped the subject.
They hadn't even mentioned Grant by name.
Marlowe had only referred to "him," and her parents understood.
She had also mentioned she was preparing to divorce Grant, and they didn't object—they trusted her to make her own decisions.
"Elliot, why don't you stay for dinner?" Katerina suggested warmly. "You can spend the night too. We have plenty of room, no need for you to go back and forth. Thank you for bringing Marlowe home today."
"It's no trouble, Katerina," Elliot replied with a gentle smile. "Marlowe has always been like family to me, and I've always considered her the same. Taking care of her is what I should do. It's been ages since I've tasted your cooking—looks like Marlowe has brought me good luck tonight."
Katerina had always been fond of Elliot, who had lived with the Rivera family for a period.
She knew Elliot had feelings for Marlowe, but Marlowe had never noticed. Now, it seemed there was little hope.
"Well then, you two chat while I prepare dinner," Katerina said.
"Mom, I'll help," Marlowe offered, standing up.
Katerina stopped her. "You're pregnant—just sit and relax. I can manage."
In the end, though, Marlowe couldn't stay put and joined her mother in the kitchen anyway.
In the kitchen, Katerina was surprised to see her daughter moving about with such confidence and skill. In her memory, Marlowe had never known how to cook.
Though Marlowe didn't speak of it, both Katerina and Finnegan were well aware of what her life with Grant had been like.
"Mr. Scott, this is it," Kevin said, pointing to a small mansion ahead.
Grant eyed the car parked at the entrance, his eyes narrowing slightly before he walked toward the house.
Kevin instructed the others to bring the prepared gifts and hurried after him.
In the living room, Finnegan and Elliot were deep in conversation when they heard a noise. Both looked toward the door and froze.
"Dad, I apologize for being late," Grant called out.
The teacup in Finnegan's hand crashed to the floor.
The sound brought both mother and daughter hurrying from the kitchen.
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