Chapter 446 Shane Asks Patricia About Her Mother
The paternity test results revealed a mere 0.01% match between Patricia and Shane, indicating no biological relationship.
Shane's emotions were a whirlwind of surprise, uncertainty, and a touch of relief. It was an unexpected outcome, yet part of him had somehow anticipated it.
As he left the testing center, he couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment mixed with a hint of regret. He had hoped against hope that Patricia might be his late daughter Elise's child, a chance to continue the legacy she left behind, walking paths that Elise had not finished. Unfortunately, that wish was not meant to come true.
Instead of heading straight home, Shane found himself drawn to the hotel where Patricia was staying. He knocked on her door.
When the door swung open, Patricia was taken aback for a moment at the sight of the visitor. "Shane, what brings you here?"
As Shane locked eyes with Patricia at the threshold, he had a fleeting vision of his late daughter Elise. Their faces, though only vaguely similar, seemed to blend perfectly in his gaze.
"Elise..." he murmured, as her name involuntarily escaped his lips.
Patricia offered a restrained smile and said, "Grandpa, are you missing your daughter?"
The word "Grandpa" struck a chord in Shane's heart. He snapped back to reality and, with excitement, asked Patricia, "What did you just call me?"
Thinking she had upset him, Patricia quickly corrected herself, "Shane, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—it just slipped out. When I saw you, I felt this inexplicable sense of warmth, as if I were seeing my own grandfather."
"No, no, it's not that at all. I like it," Shane reassured her quickly. "From now on, call me Grandpa, not Shane. 'Shane' is too formal."
Patricia paused, a warm smile gracing her face, and then she gestured for him to follow her inside, where she proceeded to pour a cup of coffee for him.
"Grandpa, did you come to see me for any specific reason?"
Truth be told, Shane wasn't entirely sure why he had ended up at her doorstep. After leaving the testing center, he had been engulfed by a sense of emptiness, his thoughts muddled and directionless, and somehow, he had found himself standing before her door.
"Patricia, to be honest, I really miss you," Shane confessed.
Patricia's heart swelled with emotion at his words. She reached out, taking Shane's hand in hers, and offered a warm smile in return. "I miss you too, Grandpa! Jeremy mentioned that your birthday is coming up soon. Don't worry; I'll make sure to come visit you on your big day."
Shane's eyes lit up with delight. "Really? You better not be pulling my leg!"
Patricia shook her head earnestly. "I would never do that to you, Grandpa."
Shane nodded happily in response. "Patricia, could you tell me about your mother?" he asked eagerly.
Patricia looked at him with surprise. "Hmm?"
"I'm just curious," Shane clarified, his eyes softening, "what kind of woman could raise such an amazing daughter like you? You remind me so much of my daughter, Elise. Unfortunately, Grace didn't inherit any of her good traits."
Understanding his curiosity, Patricia nodded and began to share memories of her mother.
"My mother was a gentle, kind-hearted woman. She treated everyone with patience and care, whether it was me or the servants at home. She never scolded me harshly; instead, she'd explain things with patience if I ever made mistakes. During my illnesses as a child, she would stay up all night, vigilantly by my side without rest. I adored her... She loved to read; when I started school, she would spend most of her time in the library."
"Next time we celebrate my birthday, could you bring your mother along?" Shane asked. "I'd love to meet her."
At his words, Patricia's gaze fell, sorrow tinting her eyes. "She's no longer with us."
Shane's heart sank, his suspicion confirmed but still difficult to accept. His voice trembled as he offered his condolences, "I’m sorry."
Patricia's memories of her late mother brought a touch of sadness, and she revealed, "She passed away when I was eight."
The weight of this revelation hit Shane like a sudden blow. He felt an inexplicable and deep sense of loss, as if he had lost someone dear to him.
"What happened?" he asked.
Such a young life, snuffed out so early. Just like his own daughter, a beautiful soul taken too soon.
Patricia could see that Shane truly cared for her; his concern was genuine and not glib. "My dad had cheated. When I was eight, my mom found out about his affair, and she became depressed. It got worse over time until one day she overdosed on sleeping pills."
She had been in treatment at that time, and things had seemed to be getting better. Her mother had often mentioned that once she was well, they would divorce, and she would take Patricia away from the toxic environment.
But that day never came.
Patricia didn't know what had transpired on that fateful day. Her mother had been cheerful, waving her off to school in the morning, only to return to her lifeless body later in the day.
The coroner's verdict confirmed that she had taken her own life not long after Patricia left for school.
Her mother had been dressed in her prettiest outfit and had her makeup done beautifully. With her hands folded across her chest, she lay there, looking more like she was peacefully asleep than dead.
She couldn't accept the sudden loss; her world had turned dark in an instant. She had even forgotten how to cry.
All she could do was watch as her mother was taken to the funeral home and eventually buried.
In the aftermath of her mother's death, Patricia had withdrawn into her own world until Gavin Watson and Manda brought her back to reality with news of their marriage.
She had cried and rebelled against the world that had taken her mother away, but without her mother's protection, she had faced nothing but abuse and seclusion.
Eventually, Patricia had come to a painful realization: Manda and her children were Gavin Watson's real family, and she, in comparison, was just an outsider.
"Poor kid," Shane said, taking Patricia's hand in his, trying to transfer some warmth from his palm to hers.
Although they weren't related by blood, after hearing Patricia's story, Shane's heart ached for her even more than when he first learned about Elise's ordeal from Grace.
Patricia's eyes were rimmed with red, her emotions running deep. In that moment, she was almost certain that all the Kochs, except for Grace, were stand-up individuals, utterly incapable of collusion with Hunter. In Patricia's eyes, Grace was the bad apple.
Shane had lingered at the hotel for an extended period, not leaving until after they dined together on the second-floor restaurant as dusk settled.
Meanwhile, in another suite at the hotel, Martin was engaged in a phone call with Alan.
Alan was providing updates on Hunter's movements.
"After returning to the States, Hunter has stuck to a routine between the office and Hawthorn Hill. There's nothing else out of the ordinary. Luke Harris has secretly tapped into the surveillance systems of Hawthorn Hill and the Sackler Group, including Hunter's personal phone, and found nothing suspicious."
"Uh-huh!"
Martin responded nonchalantly, acknowledging the report.
Alan continued, "Every batch of their products is tested, and the results are posted on the official website. They even conduct random testing before the products hit the shelves."
The implication was clear: tampering with the products wouldn't be easy.
Martin had anticipated this. It wasn't a surprise, yet his brow furrowed involuntarily as he leaned back in his chair. "Hunter is smart, very cautious. The same trick won't work on him twice."
But the blood feud for his son could not go unavenged. He would make Hunter pay with his life. Every time he thought of the son he never got to meet, he wanted to tear Hunter to pieces.
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