Chapter 198 I Am Not Hope Royston at All
"Take you home."
Those simple words kindled an unexpected warmth within me, causing my eyes to glisten with unshed tears. It struck me that, in all these years, no one had ever offered such comfort. Jerry was the first.
I fought to keep my emotions in check, blinking rapidly to stave off the tears as I looked up at him. "Jerry Hammer, if... if I'm not, can we still be friends?"
There was a small, irrational part of me that clung to the hope of preserving this newfound warmth, even if it was just within the bounds of friendship.
Jerry's response came with a raised eyebrow and a casual smile, "Not gonna happen."
I retreated to my room, feeling more confused than ever. Languishing on the sofa, I replayed his words in my mind. Was it impossible for me to be Bella, or did he mean we'd never be friends?
Elissa emerged from the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel. "Just got back?" she asked, toweling off briskly.
"Yeah," I replied, my thoughts still tangled.
As she applied a face mask, Elissa, with her fair legs stretched out, plopped down next to me and adjusted the mask meticulously. "What was so urgent that Jerry Hammer had to hunt you down?"
"He thinks I'm Bella Harris," I said, twisting open a bottle of mineral water to wash down my allergy medication.
Elissa seized my hand, concern etched on her face. "Did you eat before taking your meds?"
"I did," I assured her with a small smile.
Jerry, mindful of my allergies, had refused to let me eat a suspect sandwich. Instead, we dined at a restaurant downstairs before heading up.
Elissa released my hand, handing me a pill. "Why on earth would he think you're Bella Harris? The Harris family already has a Bella, and didn't Cecil Lewis dig into your background?"
"At the Harris family banquet, I had an allergic reaction to yam, but their Bella didn’t," I explained, recounting the entire bewildering encounter.
Elissa’s eyes widened in shock as she tore off her mask. "Are you saying you're the real daughter of the Harris family? A real-deal heiress?"
I shook my head, skepticism coloring my words. "I really doubt it."
That's why I'd posed that question to Jerry – because the chance seemed minuscule.
However, Elissa shook her finger thoughtfully. "Let’s speculate wildly! Ever thought Cecil's info might be about someone else?"
Confused, I asked, "Who?"
"The real Hope Royston. There's a chance someone swapped identities," Elissa mused, her certainty growing.
"You mean..." My heart thumped wildly, and my mind buzzed. "I'm not Hope Royston? That my biological parents’ daughter might have died long ago, and I was adopted as a replacement?"
"We'll have to wait for the paternity test results." Elissa cautioned. "If it shows you’re Bella Harris, my theory might be spot on."
Could it be that I wasn't Hope Royston at all? That my entire identity was a fabrication?
Sensing my turmoil, Elissa patted my head gently. "Why don't you ask Beata, your aunt?"
I shook my head, feeling an overwhelming sense of helplessness. "Let's just wait for the test results," I sighed.
I had broached the subject with Beata multiple times, seeking clarity about my past, but each attempt ended fruitlessly. Beata had consistently withheld any meaningful information.
Elissa nodded in agreement, reclined on the sofa, and after some contemplation, her eyes sparkled with a sudden realization. “Doesn’t this mean you might be Jerry Hammer’s fiancée?”
I was mid-sip of water when her words caught me off guard, making me choke and sputter. I coughed uncontrollably, and Elissa, chuckling, handed me several tissues.
“Why so guilty?” she teased.
I denied, "Who's feeling guilty?"
“Sure, it’s not the fiancée of Jerry Hammer who’s looking guilty,” she said, laughing.
For the next two days, I found myself unfocused, my mind constantly drifting back to the paternity test that loomed over me. The impending results could redefine not only my future but also nullify the past twenty-six years of my life, casting doubt on every cherished memory I had of my parents’ love.
I was overwhelmed with anxiety, feeling like a person uprooted and set adrift in an endless sea.
Finally, the day of the paternity test results arrived, dragging me out of my restless anticipation. Jerry came to pick me up at the hotel. The journey to the Harris family manor seemed interminable, with spring’s delicate warmth doing little to calm my sweaty palms and racing heart.I was terrified. The possibility that Larry and Skylar might be my parents loomed large and heavy, especially the thought that Skylar, who had once locked me in a dark room and made me kneel in the snow, could be my mother.
Jerry controlled the steering wheel with one hand, covering the back of my hand with the other, whispering, "Scared?"
“Yes,” I admitted, lowering my eyes. I glanced at Jerry. “Aren’t you scared?”
Jerry must have been as nervous as I was. He had waited so long for his Bella, always believing it was me.
“Not really,” he said, with a small, confident smile. He overtook a car and pressed the accelerator. “But no matter what happens today, promise you’ll trust me.”
I looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”
“I dug deeper into the current Bella Harris staying at the Harris family. Her background checks out as an orphanage child, like I originally thought. But it’s too intricate for her to have orchestrated alone,” Jerry explained, his tone slightly chilly.
“Do you know who’s behind it?” I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.
He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the steering wheel. “I have some ideas, but it’s likely a complex conspiracy with several players involved.”
“What’s their motive?” I frowned, trying to understand the bigger picture.
“Maybe they’re just dazzled by my good looks?” Jerry joked, a playful twinkle in his eye.
I shot him a sidelong glance. “You’re insufferably self-satisfied.”
Jerry raised an eyebrow. “Everyone has their motives. One just needs to figure them out.”
When we arrived at the Harris manor, Claire was already waiting at the entrance. She led us inside without a word, straight to the council chamber.
In the room, besides Claire, there were Larry, Skylar, Kimberly, and Bella. Time had not been kind to her over the past two days; she looked pallid and had dark circles under her eyes, clearly showing signs of sleepless nights. Her body trembled as we entered.
Jerry guided me to a chair, and Larry’s voice broke the rising tension. “Jerry, this is a serious issue. You better not be joking around.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
