Chapter 196 I Won't Fail to Recognize You
Jerry grabbed my arm, his usually nonchalant face now teeming with curiosity and barely contained excitement, his brown eyes fixed on me without blinking. He even seemed to forget to breathe.
It was clear my answer held immense significance for him.
Puzzled, I replied, "Yes. Why..."
In the next instant, Jerry pulled me into a fierce embrace.
His chest trembled against mine, a stark contrast to the measured and restrained hug we shared before. This time, it was as if he was holding something precious he had lost and found again, his emotions nearly spilling over. It felt like he had finally broken free from some invisible shackles.
After a moment, Jerry reluctantly let go, his face alight with an unprecedented joy, almost foolish in its intensity. "I knew you were her, you must be her."
He pinched my face gently, murmuring, "See, I told you, I wouldn't fail to recognize you."
"Who am I? Bella Harris?" I asked, utterly bewildered.
"I'm taking you to see Claire." Almost in the same breath, Jerry leaned over to fasten my seatbelt, shift gears, and step on the gas, all in one fluid motion.
The engine roared to life. At this moment, Jerry's flamboyance surpassed even what I’d seen when we first met.
I was even more perplexed. "Why are you suddenly so sure I'm Bella Harris?"
Jerry had always harbored suspicions, but he was never certain. After all, they already had a Bella, and the DNA report was clear.
As we waited at a red light, Jerry turned to me, his eyes reflecting a brilliant light, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "Bella has always been allergic to yams since she was a child. Eating them would cause her to break out in rashes, just like you."
I didn't want to dampen Jerry's excitement, so I replied cautiously, "There are many people allergic to yams; they can't all be Bella Harris. The food at last night's banquet—Bella Harris should have eaten it too..."
As I spoke, a realization began to dawn. When I saw Bella at the hospital last night, she didn't appear to have any allergic reaction.
"She wasn't allergic." Jerry said, his voice turning cold as he grasped the key detail. "The butler had checked the menu in advance, but two of the pastries were substituted with yam powder due to an accidental spill.”
Hearing this, I fell silent.
I didn't believe I was Bella, but it was undeniable that someone had gone to great lengths to pose a fake Bella. The orchestrator hadn't anticipated that such a small change in the banquet would expose their deception.
I couldn't guess who was behind it all. But if I had known the direction all these events would take, I might have made different choices.
We arrived at the Harris Manor just as Claire finished dinner. Seeing us, she was visibly surprised. "Jerry, why did you bring Hope over? Isn’t she still recovering?"
She scrutinized me with concern. "Why hasn’t it completely gone away yet? I'll call the doctor to check on you again."
It was obvious Jerry had kept his suspicions to himself to avoid raising alarms. He hadn't even given Claire a heads-up.
Smiling obediently, I reassured her, "Claire, I'm fine. I'll be better in a couple of days; there’s no need to trouble the doctor."
Jerry helped Claire to the sofa and gently sat her down, his usual carefree demeanor replaced with an uncharacteristic seriousness "Claire. I have something to tell you, but you need to be mentally prepared and control your emotions for your health."
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Claire's voice wavered slightly. "What is it? Just say it."
Jerry motioned for me to sit down before he slowly began. "At last night's banquet, two of the pastries contained yam powder."
"Yam? Kyle had checked the menu in advance; that's impossible." Claire was very certain. After all, Bella's yam allergy was a well-known fact in the Harris family.
Jerry poured Claire a cup of tea and continued, "Don't worry, I confirmed with the private restaurant responsible for the banquet, and there was indeed yam powder."
Claire's gaze shifted to me, her concern palpable. "Hope, you broke out in rashes yesterday because you ate yams?"
"Yes, I wasn't paying attention when I ate." I nodded.
Then Jerry reminded, "Claire, Hope isn't the only one allergic to yams."
"You mean..." Claire's face grew serious as the implication dawned on her. "Bella didn't show any allergic symptoms, but is it possible she didn't eat those two pastries?"
"She ate them," Jerry replied with certainty.
Claire was puzzled. "How do you know?"
Jerry hesitated for a moment before confessing, "Well, I hacked into the surveillance system and watched the entire footage from yesterday."
Though surprised, Claire didn't scold him. Her expression darkened. "You mean..."
"Regardless of whether Hope is Bella," Jerry said coldly, ensuring not to put me on the spot, "the current Bella Harris is likely someone placed in front of us with a deliberate agenda."
Just as Jerry finished speaking, Bella walked in from the yard, her face as pale as porcelain, devoid of all color. Beside her stood Skylar.
Seeing us, Skylar's first reaction wasn't surprise, but direct accusation. "Hope Royston, Bella was in a critical condition yesterday, and you didn't help her. How do you have the nerve to come to our house?"
As she spoke, she tried to push me out.
Claire’s voice, filled with outrage, rang out. "Stop! This is my house, and I'm not dead yet. You don't get to make decisions for me!"
Skylar scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. "Mom, you saw how she was yesterday. She had no sympathy at all. It's better to have less contact with such people."
"When it was time to draw Kimberly's blood, I didn't see you showing any sympathy, and Bella is still your daughter." Claire's tone was steady yet piercing.
Skylar's face twisted with a complex mix of emotions, and she struggled to contain her anger. "Both are my flesh and blood."
"Alright, what's the matter?" Claire cut her off, not wanting to hear more bickering.
Skylar pushed Bella forward and rolled up her sleeve. "Mom, I wanted to ask if there was anything with yams at last night's banquet; Bella suddenly had an allergic reaction."
"Bella had an allergic reaction too?" Claire's expression shifted to one of alarm.
Skylar, appearing oblivious to the deeper implications, asked with feigned innocence, "Besides Bella, who else is allergic to yams?"
"Skylar, didn't you see Hope having an allergic reaction last night?" Jerry asked calmly.
Skylar cleared her throat, sneering, "She has nothing to do with me; why would I care about her?"
Claire beckoned Bella over. "Bella, come here. You were fine last night; why are you having an allergic reaction now?"
Skylar said methodically, "I just had the doctor check her. The doctor said there could be individual differences. Some people have quick allergic reactions, some slow."
"Really? Bella used to react within two minutes of swallowing yam." Jerry commented, his eyes deeply probing for the truth beneath the surface.
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