Chapter 319 All the Truth Lies in the Appraisal Report
Paige had long since tucked away her smile. Now, as she faced Francesca, all traces of kindness had vanished.
It was the moment of truth. Paige had brought Francesca here, and today, no matter what means she had to use, she was determined to get Francesca's DNA!
Francesca retreated step by step, trying her best to distance herself from Paige.
But now, she was already in Paige's lab, and there was no way to escape.
As Francesca retreated, Paige pressed forward step by step.
"Yes, my target isn't Louis, it's you. But you realized it too late. Here, you can't get out! Since I came in with you, I have all the time and patience to deal with you." Paige said.
Paige made her intentions clear. Now, she didn't care what Francesca thought. She had already arranged everything outside.
She, Raymond, Louis, and Francesca were all here. No matter what the outside world speculated, it wouldn't get too bad!
Moreover, she had left Pearl outside to handle things.
Deceiving the trending searches and the media was a small matter that Pearl could easily handle.
Francesca suddenly looked at Louis. "Louis, you knew too, didn't you? Do you not remember how you promised me? You actually cooperated with her to deceive me, didn't you?"
Louis walked over and said to Francesca, "Mom, I don't have the foresight you all have. I only found out on the way here that I wasn't the target. Now that things have come to this, let's find out the truth."
Francesca shook her head slightly. "The truth?" She suddenly laughed wildly, a laugh filled with madness and despair.
Today, she had truly stepped into Paige's trap, sinking deeper and deeper, with no way to extricate herself.
And now that she was in the lab, her people outside were no match for Paige's.
Paige was well-prepared!
There was no way out.
She had long anticipated that she might eventually be pushed to this point by the hand of fate, but she never expected this day to come so quickly.
Plan B was implemented, but it couldn't keep up with the current developments.
Francesca's beautiful eyes were filled with sorrow and despair. She looked at Paige, her eyes slightly red. "Can you bear the truth when it's revealed? Paige, is it so hard for you to follow orders? Why do you have to force me, why push me to this point?"
Paige replied calmly, "It involves my mom's death. I just want one answer, a real, definitive answer, and that's the truth."
Francesca roared in anger. "Is the truth that important? Mrs. Parker is already dead, she's gone. Are you going to hurt the living for a dead person? Do you know how hard it is to live? For the sake of one truth, are you going to bury everyone? Everyone you love, who truly loves you?"
Francesca's anger at this moment made Paige inexplicably amused. "I just want the truth, how would that hurt the people I love and who love me?"
Paige looked at Raymond. She didn't think anything would change her relationship with Raymond.
Francesca felt a sharp pain in her heart when she saw Paige only looking at Raymond when she mentioned 'the people who love me.'
Was Raymond the only person in the world who loved Paige?
Right, she didn't know anything, so it was no wonder she thought that way.
Francesca shook her head. "You don't know anything . You have no idea how much danger is coming your way. Some things, like Pandora's box, shouldn't be opened. Let me out, I'm begging you, okay?"
Someone as proud as Francesca, at this moment, was actually begging Paige.
Even though Francesca had lowered herself to beg Paige, Paige had no intention of ending it just like that.
Francesca's behavior was too abnormal.
Raymond, who had been standing by Paige's side, suddenly spoke, "Francesca, since you returned from Northern Country, you've been secretly buying up other scattered shares of Hawke Corporation. If my calculations are correct, the shares you and Louis hold now add up to over thirty-five percent, right?"
"With such a large share in hand, you still haven't stopped. You've almost liquidated half of your life's savings and collections, still trying to pry shares from others. Can you tell me, does this have anything to do with the truth Paige wants?"
Francesca looked at Raymond in surprise.
Even Louis didn't know about her secret acquisition of shares.
Sure enough, Louis was even more shocked as he looked at Francesca. "Mom, is what Uncle Raymond said true?"
Francesca took a deep breath. Since it had been discovered, she had nothing to hide.
Those shares that were already in hand were completely hers.
As long as Louis stood with her, the shares they held together could basically be considered the largest shareholder!
So, as the largest shareholder, Francesca could answer Raymond's question.
Francesca looked at Louis, then at Raymond. "Yes, I secretly bought scattered shares. If you let me out now, we can live in peace. If not, in half a month, at the shareholders' meeting, I will find a way to oust the people Dad left for you."
Raymond frowned slightly. "Just with the shares you and Louis hold?"
Francesca replied, "What if we add Dad's shares?"
Raymond was puzzled. Bradley would stand with Francesca? What a joke?
While Raymond was puzzled, Francesca took out her phone, opened the photo album, and showed Raymond a few photos.
Raymond was stunned. "How do you have this?"
Francesca said, "Dad may not stand with me, but can't I find a way? When my husband died, I secured a guarantee for myself. You should remember this guarantee, right? Actually, whether you fight or not, Raymond, from the day my husband died, Dad had already agreed that Louis would be the heir to Hawke Corporation and the future heir to the Carnegie family."
"But that's not important. I can decide that as long as you let me leave today, I can give you Hawke Corporation! Even, Louis and I will never fight for it!"
Francesca had been working hard to increase her leverage, hoping that when this day came, she could secure a good outcome for herself.
Paige looked at Raymond. She wanted answers.
But she wasn't sure if Raymond was also determined to control Hawke Corporation and the Carnegie family.
After all, in the entire Quorinthus, Hawke Corporation was a top-tier family, with resources and wealth far surpassing other families.
Such power would be a pity for anyone to give up.
Paige was well aware of Raymond's capabilities. He far surpassed Louis in ability, yet he had pretended to be disabled in a wheelchair for many years and had never competed with Louis.
But now, the situation was different. Francesca had already taken action, and the power struggle for the Carnegie family's status and influence was at a critical juncture.
In the past, Bradley remained neutral, and the power was balanced.
But this time, if Francesca took another step forward, she and Louis would truly reach the pinnacle of the Carnegie family's power.
Paige's heart was racing. In fact, this exchange offer was very tempting.
For anyone in Raymond's position, it was an absolute temptation.
Francesca saw that Raymond seemed to be wavering because after she finished speaking, Raymond looked directly at Paige.
It seemed he wanted Paige's support.
Paige's lips moved slightly, just about to speak, but Raymond spoke first. "Francesca, if you have a good memory, you should remember. I once said that I have no interest in being the heir of the Carnegie family or the CEO of Hawke Corporation!"
When Raymond finished speaking, he smiled slightly at Paige.
Before Paige could say anything, Raymond had directly refused such a great temptation.
However, Francesca and Louis were more shocked than Paige.
Francesca had an incredulous expression. "You don't want the Carnegie family? You don't want this absolute wealth and power? Raymond, do you know what you're giving up? For Paige's curiosity, do you know what you're sacrificing?"
Raymond turned his head, his eyes sharp as he looked at Francesca. "If it's a sacrifice, then what I'm sacrificing, you also want to sacrifice to satisfy Paige's curiosity. Thinking about it this way, I'm even more curious. What kind of secret is worth sacrificing the entire Carnegie family's power for? A secret related to Paige is worth such a high price. It seems you really can't leave today!"
Paige also stepped forward. "Francesca, do you think I haven't done any investigation since I returned from Northern Country?"
After that, Paige glanced at Locas.
Locas nodded at Paige, indicating that he had already collected Louis's DNA after he came in and was currently analyzing it, with results coming soon.
Paige felt a bit more at ease and continued speaking to Francesca. "After my mother passed away, you contacted three high-authority private testing agencies. Although I couldn't find out whose DNA you were testing, during the trip to Northern Country, Xena died in my arms, and what she said made me understand."
"So, let me boldly guess, what are you trying to confirm? My mother and me? No, you couldn't get my DNA. Whose DNA could you get?"
Paige's gaze turned to Louis.
In that instant, the light in Louis's eyes seemed to go out.
After returning from Northern Country, Louis had also investigated, but because those agencies had high authority, he couldn't get the results.
But because of this, Louis couldn't let go of the questions in his heart.
Paige was about to continue speaking when Francesca suddenly shouted. "Stop, don't say any more. Paige, this is my private matter!"
"You took my mother's hair. Is this your private matter?" Paige said, raising her voice. "She died in extreme pain, unwillingly!"
Francesca's body seemed unable to support itself as she took two steps back.
In the end, she didn't have the same confidence as Paige.
Locas came out of the separate lab, holding a freshly printed report, his face solemn as he walked towards Paige.
Everyone's eyes turned to Locas at this moment.
Locas handed the first report to Paige.
As Paige was about to take it, Francesca immediately tried to rush forward. But how could Paige let her succeed? Paige, being exceptionally agile, quickly blocked Francesca.
Paige shook her head slightly. "Francesca, it's too late. Even if you could take this report, the result is already out."
Francesca's outstretched hand hung in the air for a few seconds before falling weakly.
In that instant, the sorrow in her eyes deepened.
During the trip to Northern Country and today, Paige had seen this kind of desperate sorrow in Francesca's expressions and eyes several times.
But Paige was the one who had pushed things to this point. What was Francesca sorrowful about?
What kind of truth could make Francesca so desperate and sorrowful?
Paige couldn't worry about that now. The first report was right in front of her, and perhaps the result could give her answers.
After carefully reading it, Paige didn't look at the final result; she had already compared it in her mind.
She breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked at Locas. "Is this a comparison of my DNA with Louis's?"
Locas nodded. "Yes."
Paige responded, "Good, it seems my first suspicion, whether Louis and I could both be my mother's children, is unsurprisingly a negative answer."
As Paige spoke, Francesca's hand clutched her chest.
Paige's gaze swept over her and extended her hand to Locas. "The second test report."
Locas took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, hesitating as he held the report, not immediately handing it to Paige.
Paige's eyes followed his, meeting his gaze. "You should know I can handle it."
Locas nodded. "Yes."
Then, he handed the second report to Paige.
Paige took it, her eyes falling on the test report. As each line of data entered her eyes, she mentally compared the answers.
Until the last line of data fell into Paige's eyes, her steps faltered, and her whole body seemed drained of strength, causing her to take two steps back.
Raymond, quick on his feet, caught Paige by the waist.
The test result in Paige's hand fell to the ground with a slight tremor of her hand.
Paige didn't even feel Raymond's arm supporting her; her eyes were deeply fixed on Louis.
Paige's reaction shocked Louis.
He knew better than anyone how strong Paige's endurance was, but at this moment, even Paige seemed unable to bear it. Louis's heart was racing as he slowly stepped forward to pick up the paper Paige had dropped.
At this moment, Francesca stood still, as if accepting a judgment from fate, clutching her chest and gasping for breath.
Louis bent down to picked up the report and then he discovered.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
