Chapter 124 Paternity Test, The Truth Emerges
The Moon Lab's got the latest and greatest in medical testing gear. A paternity test only took two hours.
"Use the magnetic bead method for one DNA extraction and the silica column method for the other. Run both experiments," Catherine instructed.
Mercury and Uranus slipped on their gloves and got to work. "Miss, if Esme's adopted, why bother checking her DNA?" Mercury asked.
Catherine, masked up, her long lashes fluttering like wings, stared at the lysis solution with tissue fragments.
"There's kindness in the world, but it's rarely without reason," she said calmly.
'When Oliver and Celeste were super nice to Clara but ignored me and Elodie, I knew something was off. I was suspicious back then. Then, I decided to test my DNA against theirs. Turns out, I'm not Oliver's daughter, but neither is Clara!' she thought.
"Miss, do you think Esme might be related to Lila? But why Lila keep her own granddaughter close without anyone knowing?" Uranus asked.
Catherine added isopropanol and magnetic bead suspension, shaking the liquid. "Not sure, but we'll find out soon enough."
Catherine trusted data over speculation.
Mercury had a ton of questions. 'If Esme's also Lila's granddaughter, wouldn't she be a legit Windsor? She'd at least get treated better than Catherine, right?' he wondered.
"Oh, Mars said the guy we nabbed last time, Ethan, is actually Jacob, the director of Angel's Haven Orphanage and Vinehill Hospital. He's locked up in Ironclad Jail now," Mercury reported.
Catherine frowned. "Isn't Ironclad Jail on the border?"
"Yeah, his activities were on the border, so they sent him there. We don't have many contacts in Ironclad Jail right now, so getting in to see him might be tricky," Mercury explained.
The Faceless Ones operated on the dark web and had some dealings with Ironclad Jail, the biggest prison on the border.
"Who has influence in Ironclad Jail these days?" she asked.
Mercury gave Catherine a knowing look, almost dislodging his mask with his winking.
Catherine placed the centrifuge tube on the magnetic rack, her bones cracking. "If your face gets stuck like that, I can fix it for you."
"No thanks, I can't afford your medical bills! The big shot in Ironclad Jail now is Alexander, aka Nightfall of the Shadow Syndicate! Miss, if you marry Alexander or just flirt with him a little, he'd be putty in your hands. Hey, don't hit my face, I need it to make a living!" Mercury covered his face, teary-eyed. "If Nightfall's got influence, it's almost like we do. If you want to see Jacob, just go to Nightfall."
Uranus grumbled, "Nightfall's tight with the higher-ups in Ironclad Jail, but would Catherine really want to owe him a favor?"
'I really don't. I've learned to handle things on my own over the years,' Catherine thought.
Mercury chuckled, squinting. "Alexander's not just anyone. He might be family with Catherine someday! If he won't help with this, he's not serious!"
Catherine stared at the centrifuge tube, her mind racing. 'Jacob's crucial. I need to see him and figure out what went down at Angel's Haven Orphanage, and how I ended up with the Smiths instead of the Windsors. This might even tie into Juniper's background. If I can crack this, I'll finally know who Juniper's real family is.'
"Let me think about it," Catherine said.
Jupiter scratched his chin. "Why not invite Alexander to dinner, catch a movie, and hit up an amusement park? That's what couples do these days."
Uranus shook his head. "That's for guys asking girls out. Catherine's different!"
"Doesn't matter. If Catherine asks Alexander out, he'd probably parachute into our lab right away," Mercury smirked, raising an eyebrow at Catherine. 'I've already sent a secret message. Now it's up to Alexander to get the hint!'
Two hours later, Catherine reviewed the results, frowning. The data matched her expectations. Brandon was Marcus's kid but not Lila's. Esme, however, was directly related to Lila. So, Esme was Lila's granddaughter but had no ties to Marcus. Lila's care for Esme made sense now—she wanted Esme to take Catherine's place in the Windsor family.
At the lab door, Uranus, freshly changed and heading to the bathroom, exclaimed, "Am I in another world?"
Catherine's phone buzzed. She put away the report and answered. Alexander's deep, magnetic voice came through, "I'm at the door, come out."
Catherine was confused. 'Weren't we supposed to meet tonight? Why's Alexander here now?'
Mercury grinned mysteriously, nudging Catherine towards the door.
The scene outside stunned everyone in the lab.
A red carpet made of roses stretched from the lab door for miles, turning the area into a floral wonderland. Each flower had a sparkling diamond, glittering in the sunlight, blinding everyone.
Hot air balloons with giant heart-shaped patterns floated in the distance!
A helicopter's rotor blades stirred the sea of flowers. Alexander, in a tuxedo, hung from a rope, descending towards Catherine with a smile full of affection.
His movements were smooth, simple, and elegant, like a knight in a sea of flowers.
"You said you wanted to go on a date. I'm thrilled. I threw this together quickly, but I hope you like it," Alexander said.
Catherine frowned. "When did I say that?"
Behind her, Mercury took advantage of her distraction and pushed her into Alexander's arms. "Catherine's experiment is done. Go enjoy your date!"
'If Catherine, the workaholic, stays in the lab, she'll burn out, and so will we. I used her account to message Alexander. He hadn't replied, so I thought he was another workaholic. But judging by this scene, he's definitely romantic!' Mercury thought.
Catherine found herself enveloped in Alexander's embrace, surrounded by his scent.
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