Chapter 199 Don't Step into the Harris Family's Door Again
Skylar's demeanor had shifted dramatically, replacing the anxiety and anger of the past nights with a smug, almost mocking smile.
“So, the report’s supposed to be here today, right? Where is it?” she scoffed.
"Coming right up." Jerry tossed out.
Skylar glared at me, her eyes filled with disdain. “Ms. Royston, once the report is in, I have one demand: never set foot here again. You’ve caused enough disruption.”
“Shut up!” Claire's voice rang out sternly, turning to me with a reassuring smile. “Hope, don’t worry. I’m here.”
“Okay,” I nodded, oddly comforted by her presence. It felt like, no matter the outcome, I wouldn’t have to face it alone. Even if I were truly Bella and rejoined the Harris family, I’d always have my grandmother by my side.
Skylar scoffed again. “Mom, don’t waste your energy on her. There's no way she’s Bella.”
“You seem awfully confident. Do you already know the results?” Jerry asked, feigning confusion.
Skylar hastily denied it. “How would I know?”
“Well, considering the test was conducted at the my family hospital, you couldn’t have known before me.” Jerry smiled lazily, exuding an air of unshakeable control.
Skylar, fearing getting caught in another loophole, impatiently urged, "Is the report here yet?"
Right on cue, a young man entered, carrying two documents. “Jerry, Mr. Baker gave these to me personally, untouched by anyone else.”
The tension in the room heightened palpably. Skylar, surprisingly silent, watched as Jerry examined the documents. His expression remained unchanged after reading the first, but a frosty chill settled over his features as he perused the second.
I couldn’t help but call out, “Jerry Hammer.”
He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Just then, a message pinged on his phone. Checking it, his tightly pressed lips curled into a faint smile.
"Jerry, why aren't you saying anything?" Seeing Jerry with his head down, Skylar assumed he had accepted the reality, her smile broadening as she presumed victory. “You might not understand a mother’s bond with her child. If Ms. Royston were my daughter, don’t you think I'd feel a connection?”
Jerry looked up at Skylar, a cold smile forming on his lips. "I was just wondering, how did you tamper with it?"
Skylar's expression tightened, but she quickly regained her composure. "What tampering? What are you trying to say?"
With an air of arrogance, Jerry tossed the two paternity reports onto the table. “Skylar, you won’t fool me twice.”
“What do you mean?” Skylar demanded, her voice wavering.
“I forgot to mention,” Jerry said evenly, “we conducted the paternity test in two parts. One at the Hammer family hospital, and the other was sent abroad by private jet the night before last to an international institution.”
“What?” Skylar and Kimberly both shot to their feet, visibly rattled.
Kimberly shot a glare at Jerry. “Are you suggesting the international results differ from today’s?”
“Ask your mother,” Jerry replied coolly.
Claire reached for the reports, and Kyle, standing nearby, handed them to her. After skimming the contents, Claire’s gaze shifted sharply to ‘Bella Harris.’
“Kyle, take her to the guest house and keep her under watch. Clean and disinfect Bella’s room thoroughly. Bella is very particular about cleanliness and does not tolerate others touching her belongings.”
"Yes," Kyle responded.
The revelation was clear: this Bella was an imposter.
‘Bella Harris’ began to panic, tears welling in her eyes. She cast desperate glances at me, then at Skylar and Kimberly, before finally collapsing to her knees in front of Jerry.
“Mr. Hammer, please forgive me! I was deluded, thinking I could pass myself off as someone else,” she pleaded, her voice shaking.
Jerry, always impatient with others, frowned. "Go beg the person who sent you."
As 'Bella Harris' looked around, Skylar barked, “Kyle, get her out of here! Mom, we should just send her back wherever she came from.”
Claire's eyes narrowed, sharp as ever, but she didn't respond to Skylar. Instead, she looked at Jerry. "Jerry, the report from abroad should be out by now, right?"
"It's out, and it should be here any minute." Jerry nodded and checked his watch. "Five minutes."
"Well." Claire sighed in relief.
The room fell into an oppressive silence, the kind where the faintest sound could be heard distinctly.
I kept my eyes on Jerry, speculating about the impending revelation. My heart hammered in my chest, my palms slick with cold sweat.
Across the room, Skylar and Kimberly were visibly anxious. Skylar kept glancing impatiently at the time.
With two minutes left, Skylar could no longer contain herself. She turned sharply to Jerry and blurted, “Even if the two institutions have different results, what does that prove? The international one isn’t necessarily right. Who’s to say you didn’t tamper with it?”
Jerry sneered, "You're overthinking it. The international test was done entirely under surveillance, and I even had them copy the surveillance footage."
Skylar gritted her teeth, yet she still forced herself to remain calm. "It's rare for you to be so thorough. Fine, let's see the result!"
I watched Skylar intently, a wave of sadness washing over me. The mutual disdain between us was palpable. Could a mother and daughter truly despise each other so much?
While the tension heightened, Jerry stepped out to take a call. I watched through the floor-to-ceiling window as he spoke, his lips pressed into a tight line.
Not long after, someone handed Jerry another report. He returned to the room, holding the document, and handed it to Claire. “Claire, I already know the result. You should see it for yourself.”
Jerry's words left no ambiguity—the result was conclusive.
Claire’s eyes met mine, as if by telepathy. Her gaze was filled with an unmistakable warmth, reminiscent of Bentley’s.
Her hands trembled as she was about to open the report, but suddenly she bent over in pain and spat out a mouthful of blood. Whether it was my imagination or not, I noticed Kimberly’s clenched fist unclench at the same moment.
Everything else left my mind as I rushed to Claire’s side. “Claire!”
“Hope,” Claire whispered, summoning her last reserves of strength to grip my arm. Her voice was weak, filled with guilt, barely audible. “I’m sorry I couldn’t recognize you like Jerry did.”
And the next second, the hand holding my arm suddenly let go.
Claire had fainted!
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