Chapter 367 Paternity Test
"He can lose face on his own, but don't drag the entire Forbes family into it. I propose we disown him and kick him out of the family!"
The more Travis spoke, the more justified he felt.
Tristan's indifferent eyes reflected Travis's indignant expression as he retorted, "If you disown me, can you produce another one?"
The blatant sarcasm made Travis feel like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
The elders were unaware of Travis's hidden ailment and assumed Tristan was mocking him for being too old to have children.
"Tristan, that's going too far," Ivy interjected at the right moment. "Even without you, he still has Sam. Sam just graduated from college and can help him with many things. He has been studying abroad since childhood and is very capable, which can bring a lot of benefits to the family."
"Yes, Sam is also a member of the Forbes family. If I disown you, he will be my only heir and should inherit the Forbes family!"
Travis stared at Tristan as he said this.
Katniss, who had remained silent, seemed to see a spark in his eyes, as if he were shouting at Tristan's mother. 'You ruined me, and I will never let you have your way!'
It was a deep-seated hatred that had become Travis's obsession.
"Is that so?" Tristan asked calmly. "Then why don't you bring Sam out for everyone to see? By now, the Sam you speak of should be twenty-two years old, but no one has seen him in over twenty years. Those who know you have a son, but those who don't might think you only have a name."
"He has been receiving education abroad since childhood, and the courses are very demanding. Normally, Sam hasn't returned," Ivy tried to smooth things over. "Now is not the time to talk about Sam; let's focus on you."
"Focus on what?" Katniss looked at Ivy. "You haven't even confirmed if you have a child, yet you want to disown Tristan, the eldest son. Don't you find that ridiculous? What if Sam is just an excuse? If there is no heir, the elders won't agree to disown Tristan."
She logically refuted Ivy's attempt to change the subject and looked at everyone.
Her and Tristan's mention of the never-seen Sam made everyone suspicious.
Although these Forbes family branch members might not see the main family members often in their lifetime, they were the heads of each branch and came to Velvet City, The Forbes Mansion every year, so they would see the main family members and even their descendants.
Travis and Ivy settled abroad several years after Sam was born.
Thinking back, they hadn't seen Sam in the years right after he was born either.
Before they could figure anything out, Adelaide suddenly sneered, "Everyone, stop speculating. As his grandmother, even I have never seen Sam, let alone you."
Her words caused an uproar among the crowd.
"After Ivy gave birth, she always used the excuse of the child's frail health to avoid bringing him to see me. Even before going abroad, she didn't let me see him. It's been so many years now," Adelaide glanced at Ivy and Travis and said seemingly unintentionally, "Whether they have a child or not is unclear."
Finally, she looked at Tristan beside her, "No matter what, I watched Tristan grow up. He is reliable. His marriage into the Grey family was my mistake, which hurt Katniss, but Katniss is also a good child and won't go wrong."
"Mom!" Travis warned in a low voice, "Don't forget what I told you!"
But Adelaide remained unmoved by his blatant threat, "Travis, I came down the mountain not because I fear you, but because I have no patience left. I'm prepared for the Forbes family to perish with you. Don't forget, I still hold your secret!"
Her words choked Travis, making his face turn red.
"Travis, I'll say one thing," the leading elder spoke again, "If you can bring Sam to us now, we will believe you."
Travis hurriedly said, "That's impossible now; he hasn't returned to the country yet and can't make it in time."
"Then we'll give you three days. Bring him to us in three days, or else."
The elders weren't foolish. Without seeing Sam, who would make money to support the Forbes family after kicking out Tristan?
Ivy quickly said, "No need for three days. I'll contact him now to take a flight tonight. He'll be here by tomorrow morning, and we can have lunch together."
Katniss was certain Ivy was lying. After all, wasn't it Sam who helped Lucas steal something last night?
But she remained silent, waiting to see what Ivy would do.
Adelaide arranged for everyone to stay at The Forbes Mansion. The large villa with dozens of rooms was quickly occupied.
Royce also came down from the mountain residence and led everyone to their rooms.
Travis and Ivy hurriedly left, both looking anxious as if they had something urgent to do.
In the living room, only Katniss, Tristan, and Adelaide remained.
The silence was suffocating.
"Marriage into the family?" Adelaide spoke first, somewhat amused, "Who suggested that?"
Tristan sat down next to Katniss, "I was the one who suggested it. The shares of Zenith Group and all my assets were also signed over by her under my pressure."
After stating his position, he pulled Katniss up, "Grandma, I'll handle my own affairs. You should rest early; tomorrow will be busy."
"You're not staying here tonight?" Adelaide's heart trembled as she saw him about to leave, "You've already come this far, I was just saying."
"It has nothing to do with that," Tristan nodded slightly, "We have things to do back home."
Seeing that Adelaide thought he was angry and that's why he wasn't staying, he explained briefly without mentioning Evie's existence.
Then he left with Katniss.
The night was long, and in the endless darkness, it seemed as if a pair of large hands were clawing their way forward.
Katniss, having come here, didn't say much and felt uneasy.
She thought she would have trouble sleeping, but after returning and carrying the sleeping Evie from Sophia's room, she fell asleep immediately.
The next morning at nine o'clock, the two returned to The Forbes Mansion.
The scene was the same as yesterday, except there was an additional man in his twenties in the living room.
The man bore a five or six-point resemblance to Travis in build and looked more like Ivy in appearance, humble and polite.
He was serving a group of elders.
In this light, he seemed more capable than Tristan.
But this was vastly different from the Sam Katniss had heard about from Lucas, who despised his stepfather, Travis.
She couldn't help but take a closer look.
"Mrs. Forbes, look at Sam, such a fine young man." Someone finally couldn't help but praise Sam after observing for a while.
Once someone started, others followed, and a chorus of compliments filled the room.
But Adelaide said expressionlessly, "A grandson suddenly appearing, I'm not used to it and don't feel close to him at all."
"Mrs. Forbes, you shouldn't say that," Ivy smiled, "Sam hasn't met you before, so he's just shy."
"Shy at this age? But I see he's quite familiar with serving the elders," Katniss interjected, "And he doesn't look anything like Tristan."
Ivy glared at her, "They're not from the same mother, so it's not surprising they don't look alike. As long as he resembles his parents."
Katniss shook her head and added, "He only looks like you, not like anyone from the Forbes family. It's as if you produced him asexually."
Ivy's throat seemed to catch, itchy and dry, her eyes wide but unable to speak.
"It's not your place to speak," Travis glared at Katniss, then turned to the elders, "Uncles, it's my oversight that Sam hasn't met you before, but now that he's here, you can see for yourselves that he is capable of managing the Forbes family."
Adelaide stood up with her cane, the heavy cane thudding on the carpet.
She leaned on the cane, scanning the room, "I demand a paternity test. This child doesn't resemble the Forbes family at all. I suspect Ivy's infidelity."
"Mrs. Forbes, that's going too far!" Ivy stood up abruptly, "I've done so much for the Forbes family over the years, gave Travis a son, and you don't recognize me, fine, but not recognizing your own grandson? Even if you favor Tristan, there should be a limit!"
"Uncles, look, my mother is bewitched by that pair of mother and son! She bypassed me and handed over the control of Synergy Global Corporation to Tristan, leaving me no way out. You must stand up for me!"
Travis's emotions came quickly, and his words were direct, likely premeditated.
He was almost ready to kneel before the elders to show his helplessness and pity.
The leading elder turned to Adelaide, "Mrs. Forbes, although this is your main family's matter, it concerns the prosperity of our entire family. Isn't your behavior excessive?"
"Yes, the one at fault now is Tristan. No matter what, Synergy Global Corporation suffered because of him. You should deal with him and give us an explanation."
"He married into another family, which is a disgrace to the Forbes family. As Travis said, disown him and strip him of his identity."
In an instant, the focus shifted to Tristan.
Travis's show of weakness wasn't ineffective. Now, taking Sam for a paternity test seemed like they were being too harsh.
First, they doubted Travis had a son, and now they doubted Sam's legitimacy. Even if the paternity test was done, they might still doubt the results.
This endless cycle had to stop!
So the elders had to stand up for Travis and challenge Adelaide.
"Disown Tristan, and the Forbes family main branch will have no heirs!" Adelaide's face was stern. "Because Travis lost his ability to father children in that car accident over twenty years ago!"
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