Chapter 482 Confirming Grace Is Debbie
Sensing their anxiety, Martin silently stepped out and returned with a cup of hot chocolate for each of them. With the comfort of the warm drink, their nerves began to settle. What was just three hours felt like an eternity. Shane repeatedly glanced at his watch, as if he were keeping vigil over the time.
The results arrived in less than three hours. The lab technician handed him the reports one by one. "Here's the blood test result, the swab test result, and the hair test result."
Shane's hands were shaking as he took them. Because of a previous error with a blood test, he didn't rush to open that one. Instead, he eagerly tore open the envelope containing the hair test results, ignoring the incomprehensible data and flipping straight to the last page.
The moment he saw the result, his eyes instantly reddened. Next, he shakily opened the swab test result, and tears streamed down his face.
Seeing that Shane didn't even look at the blood test, Jeremy took the initiative to open it, also flipping directly to the last page. Inside were the combined results for all three Kochs.
Upon seeing the results, Jeremy's eyes widened in shock. "Holy smokes... Patricia and Grampa have a 99% match; biologically, they're related by blood. Patricia also has a 97% match with both me and Ariel. Patricia, you really are Aunt Elise's daughter! My cousin!"
Shane, ecstatic, passed over the hair and swab test results for them to see. Ariel looked through them meticulously and Jeremy did the same; their eyes brimmed with tears.
Ariel, especially, couldn't stop the tears streaming down. "After everything we've been through, it's hard to believe that you've been right here with us all along. You really are my cousin. We almost let that imposter destroy you."
Ariel shuddered as she thought of the swimming pool video that had gone viral and the framing and accusation at the birthday banquet. Luckily, the truth had finally come to light. Otherwise, they would've been at each other's throats.
Patricia simply stood there, stunned, not caring to look at the results. Just hearing their words was enough. She already knew the answer in her heart.
Shane walked over to Patricia and embraced her tightly. "My granddaughter, you truly are my granddaughter... I won't make a mistake this time; I've finally found you..."
At first, Patricia's mind was a blank, as if there was so much to tell, but then she realized there was nothing to say. It wasn't until she felt Shane's warm tears that her empty head gradually filled up, her listless eyes suddenly glowing with joy and bewilderment. "Grandpa... are you really my grandpa?"
Shane nodded fervently. "Yes, I am your grandpa. Patricia, you and your mother have had it tough over these years. I'm so sorry for everything you've had to endure."
Patricia shook her head. "It wasn't tough. Mom always said no one's life is without challenges. It's through hardships that we find meaning in life. And hard times don't last forever; there's always light at the end of the tunnel."
Those were the kind of wise words her daughter would offer. Indeed, it was her daughter's nurturing that had instilled Patricia with the right values.
Just then, Jeremy suddenly posed a question. "It's peculiar though. How come the paternity test we took with Grace also matched? Did she somehow rig the results?"
Reminded by him, Patricia released Shane and said, "Grandpa, you mentioned that the blood test matched with Grace, but the hair test didn't, correct?"
Shane, wiping his tears, nodded. "That's right. And it's been puzzling me ever since."
Patricia glanced around and realized this wasn't the place for such a discussion. Since it was lunchtime, she found a private dining room in a nearby restaurant. After Martin had ordered the food, Patricia continued the earlier conversation.
"Medically speaking, if two people share a hematopoietic system, their blood will be identical for DNA testing."
Her clinical explanation confused everyone present, who looked at her with blank expressions.
Patricia patiently explained, "That might be hard to follow, so let me put it this way. My half-sister was diagnosed with aplastic anemia six years ago. We were a bone marrow match, and I ended up giving up my bone marrow to her. Since she was using my bone marrow, if you compared her blood for DNA testing, it was essentially my DNA you were testing against yours. That's why the match is only successful with blood tests. Hair or saliva wouldn't work."
After her thorough explanation, everyone finally got it.
Shane exclaimed in surprise, "So, is Grace your half-sister from your father's side?"
Patricia and Martin exchanged a glance and nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, then yes, she is."
The chills she had felt the previous day now made sense. After Debbie's death, they even used a skin sample for identification. The results clearly indicated that the deceased was undoubtedly Debbie. However, now it seems that someone who was supposed to be dead underwent plastic surgery and came to the Koch family disguised as her. From the asylum fire and Debbie's faked death to Grace's reappearance, it was clear that it was all premeditated.
But now, with Grace dead, there was no proof left, and they still didn't know who the mastermind was. The very thought sent shivers down their spines.
Shane was clearly pondering the same thing. "Your sister was a spitting image of Elise, or I wouldn't have mistaken her for Elise's daughter at first glance. How did she get her hands on Elise's photo? From her behavior after I discovered you were my true granddaughter, it's clear she didn't know you were. Otherwise, she would've targeted you long ago. So, who was pulling her strings? Was it all aimed at you or the Koch family itself?"
Jeremy's eyes widened as if in revelation. "That makes sense. Our family's house fire was suspiciously convenient. Why was it that only the building with Elise's photos burned down? If it weren't for that fireproof frame on your desk, all traces of Elise might have been destroyed."
Ariel caught on. "Exactly. Destroying everything about Elise would hide the fact that the Grace in our home was an impostor."
Connecting all the dots was truly unsettling.
Shane's face darkened as his eyes narrowed. "There's a traitor within the Koch family."
At these words, Jeremy and Ariel's faces turned pale instantly. It seemed that the only possible explanation for everything that had happened was an inside job.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
