Chapter 63 A Second Paternity Test
If he knew the child was indeed his, would he perhaps be kinder?
That's what Cecily hoped, but the Darian who turned back to respond just scoffed coldly. "My own flesh and blood? Cecily, is it fun to continue deceiving yourself?"
He seldom indulged in reckless behavior, especially when drunk, and he was certain that during that time, there had been only one occasion—the old man's birthday celebration.
After waking up from that night, he found Ophelia by his side—it was that very night that led to Ophelia's pregnancy.
What he hadn't expected was that a month later, Cecily came to him, joyously proclaiming she was pregnant as well—with his child.
He harbored doubts, and it was only upon investigation that he discovered Ophelia had drugged Cecily, causing her to wander into another man's room in a daze and become pregnant.
Thinking about it gave Darian a headache.
Cecily's hand, hanging by her side, clenched secretly. Viewing Darian with a scornful expression, a sharp pang struck her heart.
"Darian, if you don't believe me, go ahead and get a paternity test. He really is your child."
Darian's expression grew increasingly displeased.
In his heart, the matter of Cecily having been defiled by another man was something he wished not to mention.
Five years ago, if she hadn't caused the death of Ophelia's child, he would've never brought up the drugging incident, and he would've raised the child with another man as his own.
He didn't want to talk about it, but Cecily herself insisted on bringing it up.
Was this matter something to be proud of?
Darian strode towards Cecily.
His towering figure approached, and Cecily was enveloped in a shadow as his icy voice came from above her, "You think I haven't done a DNA test?"
He had once harbored a glimmer of hope, believing in Cecily enough to get a DNA test, but the result was, there was no blood relation between him and Rowan.
"So it's not, is it?"
Cecily lifted her head to look at him and asked, "Darian, but what if the DNA test was tampered with? You've raised Rowan for five years. Has it never crossed your mind, in all that time, whether he might actually be your child?"
Cecily looked at him, tears welling up involuntarily.
For some reason, she felt angry and wronged. For five years, Darian had failed to recognize his own child.
She couldn't help but think at that moment, Darian, what if one day you find out that Rowan is really your child, and he has been tormented under your very nose within the Fitzgerald family? What then?
"I personally delivered the DNA for testing, to people I trust implicitly. From the moment I handed it over to the results, no more than three people were involved. Cecily, who could have tampered with it? Do you still refuse to believe that the man you slept with was someone else?"
Darian was no fool when it came to paternity tests. He took extreme caution to avoid any mistakes. He personally delivered the DNA sample, it was analyzed by a friend he trusted implicitly, and the results were retrieved by Larkin himself. There was no room for error at any stage.
Perhaps deep down, he truly hoped that Rowan was his child, but the harsh truth shattered his remaining hopes.
Seeing Cecily's tears touched a soft spot in Darian's heart. With a cold fingertip, he reached out to her cheek, wiping away her tears.
"Why cry? Feel wronged?" he asked, his voice as cool and detached as the words he spoke.
Cecily wasn't just feeling wronged. She was heartbroken for herself and for the child.
"The drugging was Ophelia's fault, and I will find the man who dishonored you that night. I will give you closure on this matter," he promised solemnly.
However, Cecily could only laugh bitterly to herself.
The man from that night was you! Who else are you planning to look for?
She stepped back, avoiding Darian's touch, efficiently dried her tears, and looked up at him with her usual detached composure, "Darian, let's test again. Just trust me this once, okay? There must be some foul play involved."
Darian's eyes darkened, and a frost seemed to envelop him, "There's no need."
The evidence was clear, and to him, another test would be a waste of time.
Nor was he willing to face the reality that his wife had been with another man, had borne a child from that liaison, and that child was living alongside him, being raised as his own.
He wouldn't let anyone from the Fitzgerald family call Rowan illegitimate. As long as nobody spoke of it, he could treat Rowan as if he were his biological son.
Cecily's glimmer of hope in Darian was extinguished once again.
Indeed, he believed in the evidence before him, believed in Ophelia, trusted the lab technician, trusted Larkin—everyone but her.
She, who had known him for ten years and had been his wife for three, merited no trust from him.
Cecily found herself wondering why she had even harbored any hope for Darian.
Five years ago, he heartlessly gave her abortion pills. She should have known then—there was no trust left between them.
In truth, when he found out about the eight-month-old fetus, he knew that abortion pills wouldn't work anymore.
He only wanted to make her suffer the agony of Ophelia, to punish her, that was all.
Look at Darian, that's the kind of cold-hearted person he is.
How could she dare to pin her hopes on such a person?
Bang!
The tightly closed door of her heart, which had just opened a crack, was now slammed shut again.
Her love for Darian should be sealed off forever, never to see the light of day.
Because only in that way could she avoid being hurt by his callousness.
"Darian, let's go to the county clerk and get our divorce papers," Cecily said, her head down, her voice icy and ethereal. As she lifted her eyes, the bitterness that had been kneaded into a ball was tossed into a corner of her heart.
At that moment, her gaze upon Darian was even colder than his upon her.
"Why?" Darian's eyes darkened, asking the question instinctively.
"Because I don't want to be associated with you. Or do you want to be tied to me? Your engagement party with Ophelia is coming up, right? She even sent me an invitation. You wouldn't want me attending as your wife, would you?
Darian, you wanted a divorce from me five years ago. I'm sorry, my disappearance delayed this for so long. I'll give you your freedom back. Please, spare me and my child.
From now on, I wish you and Ophelia happiness. You'll have kids of your own. I want nothing, just to take my children and disappear from your world. Can we not disturb each other, not be involved in each other’s lives, is that possible?"
If Darian agreed, Cecily was prepared to give up everything at Silver Frost Capital and take Rowan and Griffin away.
She would take them to a place without Darian and Ophelia.
Nothing was more important than having her two children beside her, growing up happily and safely.
Cecily's words hung in the air as she watched Darian.
However, Darian's face turned even more unsightly, and those brooding eyes stared at her as if they could devour someone.
"Do you really hate me that much?" Darian forced the words through clenched teeth.
"Yes."
Could she truly not despise someone who had once forced an abortion pill on her, who had no trust in her, and who had even harmed her child?
A sardonic chuckle escaped from Darian's throat, suppressed with immense fury, sounding particularly ominous.
"You want the child? Fine. You want to leave me? Fine. The child is in the hospital ward, Cecily. Tonight, if you can manage to leave Silver Frost Capital with the child, you'll get your wish. I'll no longer bother you, and we'll be square.”
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