Chapter 840 Making Trouble
James also struggled to accept that the woman he had once warned and targeted was, in fact, his biological daughter, while the girl he had pampered and protected in prison was an impostor.
In response to his family's questions, a harsher version of Samuel might have replied, "How old was I back then? Why are you asking me these questions about the results back then? How would I know what went wrong? All of you should be resolving these matters, but you dare to ask me?"
At that time, Samuel was just under fourteen years old.
"Samuel, even if what you're saying is true..."
"It's true. There's no if," Samuel interrupted James.
James nodded; now was not the time to dwell on this. He asked, "So, when did you find out about this? Why did you investigate? Could it be that Natalie intentionally misled you?"
Samuel noticed that when James said 'mislead', Helen's confused expression suddenly brightened. He felt that they were indeed unworthy of being Natalie's parents. They all thought that this was Natalie's scheme, but they had no idea how much Natalie was disgusted by them.
'With such parents, no wonder Natalie doesn't want to see them. No wonder she dislikes the Hastings family. She would rather be an illegitimate child than be a daughter of the Hastings family.'
"Father, I've known this for several months now. The reason I didn't tell you earlier was that I didn't want to disrupt the peace of your current life. As for why I am telling you this news today..." Samuel said. He paused for a few seconds, glanced at Helen, and continued, "It's because today, Mother almost killed Natalie; my biological sister, your biological daughter, and your granddaughter. Not only that, but she almost killed Natalie's child as well!"
Silence descended in the room immediately.
From the moment Helen saw the paternity test report, she seemed to lose her mind until she heard the words 'biological daughter', and her eyes sparkled.
"Natalie is pregnant?" Caleb asked, shocked.
"Helen, what on earth have you done?!" James asked angrily. She had used malicious means to harm Natalie not just once, but multiple times. He had no doubt about Samuel's claim that Natalie and her child were almost killed.
"I'm leaving. You guys can discuss it among yourselves." Samuel did not want to talk to them anymore, to avoid hearing or seeing anything that would disgust him or make him feel disappointed.
"By the way," Samuel paused as he stepped out of the hall's main entrance, saying, "Natalie is even more unwilling than all of you to recognize our family."
"She's unwilling to recognize the Hastings family?" James seemed to have heard something unbelievable.
"What have we, the Hastings family, done to her? Have you all forgotten?" Samuel was full of sarcasm, even mocking himself along the way.
'If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't want to return to the Hastings family either.'
Samuel looked at the vast Hastings family estate, which was a place waiting to be doomed.
…
Samuel went to a company and did not return to the Hastings family until late at night.
At Golden Haven Estate, the lights were on in the room adjacent to Samuel's bedroom. As he entered, his eyes darkened slightly upon seeing an elderly man with white hair sitting at the table.
"Samuel," Caleb called out. Visibly weary, he seemed to have aged years in just moments, sitting there sighing with a face full of sorrow.
"Grandpa, do you need me for something?" Samuel asked respectfully, taking a seat to the left of Caleb.
"Shouldn't you have come to me? It’s one thing to hide it from them, but from me too?"
"Grandpa, Natalie doesn't like the Hastings family. She doesn’t owe the Hastings family anything. If possible, I would keep it from her for a lifetime. I think she would also prefer to never have any dealings with the Hastings family."
Caleb frowned in disapproval. "How could she do that? We, the Hastings family, aren't lacking in any way!"
Samuel chuckled self-deprecatingly, not caring about Caleb's dignity or feelings at that moment, mercilessly revealing the truth. "Grandpa, the Hastings family may be well-off, but can we compare to the Windsor family? Moreover, look at us. What have we, the Hastings family, done to Natalie?"
What Samuel had yet to mention was that the relationships within the Hastings family were complex. Even he grew tired of them, let alone Natalie, who held herself to very high moral standards.
"I didn’t know she was my granddaughter before," Caleb said stubbornly.
"That’s the difference between Natalie and us," Samuel said, "Even when Natalie wants to protect those around her, she never crosses the line to harm others without boundaries."
Samuel sighed. "Grandpa, Natalie not only looks like Emma, but she also has Emma’s personality."
The late Emma had been a woman of excellent reputation and very high moral values, practically leading the Hastings family in terms of values and character. From the time Natalie was born until she disappeared, Emma had spent most of her time teaching Natalie.
Caleb remembered his beloved late wife, and tears welled up in his eyes. In his mind, he saw memories of loving moments with his deceased wife, and then Natalie's face, so similar to Emma's. He also recalled the things he and other members of the Hastings family had said and done to Natalie and their attitudes toward her. The more he thought about it, the sadder he felt
….
The news that Natalie was the biological daughter of the Hastings family had been spreading like wildfire while she was in the hospital.
Oliver, concerned about the source of the rumors, quickly discovered that they originated from the Hastings family itself. It remained unclear whether the news was spread by the main branch of the family or other factions within the family.
Natalie spent a week in the hospital before being transferred back to Rosewood Estate to recuperate. Fortunately, her prior physical fitness and regular exercise routine meant she did not need bed rest.
The revelation about Natalie’s lineage sent shockwaves throughout their social circle. The idea that Natalie, who seemingly had no ties to the Hastings family, could be their biological daughter baffled many.
Just a year earlier, people had targeted and ridiculed Natalie's background, which was about the only aspect of her they could criticize. Now, it turned out her background was also perfect—she was the true heiress of the Hastings family, leaving her detractors feeling powerless and frustrated.
At this point, the label of 'the Hastings family’s daughter' seemed more like a decorative detail in Natalie's life.
Jane and Flora did not think it was a big deal. They only video-called Natalie to confirm the rumors and did not ask any more questions.
Before ending the call, Flora warned, ''Those people from the Hastings family might cause you trouble.''
Flora’s caution stemmed from her own bitter experiences with Arthur and her interactions with Susan, which were marred by unpleasant memories. These encounters were often exacerbated by the flattery and manipulation of the Hastings family's distant relatives, leading to situations where she was slandered and insulted.
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