Chapter 585 Paternity Sampling
Jason began to doubt whether Darwin's adamant claims of never having been intimate with Lilian could be true.
After all, he had heard rumors at the company about Darwin's life before he had a job, he had lived in Serene City and often stayed in an apartment in Bay City that Fiona had once lived in.
He had never witnessed any intimate gestures from Darwin toward Lilian.
Back when Fiona served as a secretary, no one had ever witnessed any public displays of affection between her and Darwin. Despite this, within the company, particularly among the higher-ups, everyone was privy to the rumors about Darwin and Fiona's affair.
Jason hesitated for a moment before asking, "Lilian, is that child really Darwin’s?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course, the kid is his," Lilian replied without hesitation.
Reassured by her confidence, Jason felt a weight lift off his chest. "Well, as long as that's settled. We've arranged so much; we absolutely must come out on top this time."
Lilian was not in the mood to chat with Jason. If it weren't for the fact that she had been called out online by too many people before fleeing, ruining her reputation and leaving her without any useful contacts, she would never have chosen Jason, that fool.
At three in the afternoon, Lilian applied makeup to portray herself as delicate and frail, and headed to the address provided by Darwin's attorney. As they neared their destination, Jason suddenly let out a shout.
"What's wrong?" Lilian asked, annoyed.
"They're live streaming it," Jason said with a furrowed brow. "They're saying the blood test will be conducted in front of police and a notary public! Damn it! What is Darwin thinking? Scandals like this are a disgrace to any prominent family. Instead of trying to dial down the attention, he's actually fueling the fire and keeping the heat on us!"
In the midst of the live stream, there was no way he could to take Lilian to negotiate with Darwin for money.
Lilian's face was stony. "This has always been the way Darwin operates."
He was certain that the child she was carrying was not his own, so he wasn't afraid at all. He even wanted to escalate the situation to its peak; that way, the clarification would be most impactful.
‘But, oh Darwin, this time you've miscalculated! The bigger you build this spectacle, the harder you're going to fall in the end.’ Lilian thought.
Lilian also pulled out her phone and accessed the live stream. As if by fate, right when she joined, Darwin's car appeared on the screen. Moments later, he stepped out of the vehicle.
After months, Lilian was finally laying eyes on Darwin again. Her gaze trembled for a moment, but then Darwin reached back into the car and pulled another person out with him.
The media, who had been staking out nearby, went wild. "It's Fiona!"
"Holy cow! She actually came with Darwin!"
"Get the shot, quick!"
If it hadn't been for the bodyguards holding them back, the media would have shoved their cameras right in Fiona's face.
Darwin did not want to bring Fiona along at first. However, she insisted on coming. "I'll accompany you for the paternity test, and we might as well quash those divorce rumors."
It was a weekday, and due to the scandal, Solomon Corporation's stock had taken an unsightly hit over the past couple of days.
Darwin and Fiona showed up together about ten minutes before the market close.
In the last ten minutes, Solomon's stock price shot up nine points, reversing from a loss of over five points to closing with a gain of over three points.
Lilian watched all of this unfold.
She laughed bitterly to herself.
Grinding her teeth, she thought.
‘Just wait until the DNA test results come out.
‘I'll see how Fiona cries heartbrokenly.’
At three in the afternoon, Lilian arrived on time.
Jason stayed in the car, leaving Lilian to proceed alone, cradling her belly as she walked.
The bodyguards that had been fending off the media before acted as if they didn't see Lilian at all.
Especially Xavier, who even rolled his eyes at her.
The media swarmed Lilian.
She was taken by surprise.
Fearing it was someone Fiona had arranged to harm her and cause a miscarriage; Lilian immediately shielded her belly.
"Lilian, how confident are you about today's paternity test?" a reporter asked.
As Lilian walked on, she answered, "Don’t I know what I’ve been through myself?"
"So, what are your plans next? Are you trying to force Fiona to divorce Darwin so you can marry him?"
"Not at all! I just want to reclaim the fatherly love my child deserves!"
Questions from the media came fast and furious.
Each one sharper than the last.
Lilian answered a couple of them before falling silent.
In her mind, she replayed the scene of Darwin holding Fiona's hand as they entered the building.
Darwin was so heartless, seeing her pregnant and not even instructing the bodyguards to protect her.
He wasn’t like this before, it must be Fiona’s doing.
Fiona said she didn't mind this, didn't care about that, yet she was always trying to trip Lilian up.
Lilian finally made her way through the throng of reporters and into the testing center.
It didn't take her long to find Darwin sitting with Fiona.
She started to walk toward them but was blocked.
Frowning, Lilian looked up.
She saw Darwin's lawyer, Antony.
"Lilian, long time no see," Antony greeted her with the same faux friendliness. "Since it's a paternity test involving an unborn child, the sampling procedure is a bit different. Please come this way."
He gestured to a different area.
"What? I can't speak to Darwin?" Lilian challenged.
"I'm afraid my client has no wish to speak to you, I'm sorry. Let's not waste any time and proceed with the sample collection. The quicker we do this, the sooner the results will be out," Antony said, his smile still in place.
Yet, Lilian could hear the disdain in his voice.
"Antony, Darwin had your sister committed to an asylum, and she’s still not out, right, and you're still working for him?" Lilian taunted.
"My sister's lost her mind, spouting nonsense and attacking people. Isn't it right to send her to a psychiatric center for treatment? Lilian, everybody has to pay the price for their actions, no exceptions. Please, go on," Antony said, his forced smile vanishing.
Lilian looked toward Darwin once more.
Then, gritting her teeth, she headed in the direction Antony had indicated.
Fiona caught a glimpse of Lilian from the corner of her eye.
"It's time to leave," Darwin, who had finished collecting the blood samples, said as he noticed Fiona watching Lilian and squeezed her hand, eager to get Fiona out of this dreadful place.
"Right." Fiona nodded in agreement.
As they left, the crowd of reporters had grown larger.
They only received a terse reply from Darwin before getting in the car, "The results of the test will answer all your questions."
The media stood frozen in place, watching Darwin and Fiona drive away.
"The confidence from both parties has left me baffled," one reporter commented.
"Tell me about it…" replied another.
After completing her own tests, Lilian came out to find the previously bustling reception area nearly empty.
She looked around but didn't see Darwin anywhere.
After asking around, she discovered that Darwin had left early.
In that moment, Lilian was overwhelmed with a sense of shame and anger.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
