Chapter 555 Fiona Agrees to a Paternity Test
Deborah fell silent and stopped talking.
She had no direct evidence to prove the relationship between the Raymond Group and Ethan; it was all just speculation.
Ethan had now been kicked out of Raymond, and Howard was fully resisting him. The chances of Ethan returning to LY were slim to none.
She thought, 'What will Ethan do next? Is he really going to be someone trampled into the dust, content with mediocrity?
'Impossible, Ethan's styleis different.
'But how will he get out of this predicament?'
Hesitating at the door for a long time, Fiona finally mustered the courage to enter the Cunningham family residence.
She had taken the opportunity when Nolan was dropping off Amelia to come out and see Cordelia.
"Fiona." Larry was surprised to see Fiona back, as she was usually busy with work and rarely came home.
Fiona smiled at the two of them, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, I want to see Cordelia."
"Come with me." Larry nodded and led Fiona into the living room.
In the living room, Cordelia was holding a photo album that Evan had asked Evelina to give her. The album was filled with photos of Jasmine from her childhood.
After it was discovered that Jasmine was not the Wilson family's daughter, Karen had almost erased all traces of Jasmine from the Wilson family.
Evan secretly kept these photos. He had hidden Jasmine's photos in his safe, never expecting that one day he could give them to Jasmine's biological mother, which could be considered a good deed.
The photo album was thick and meticulously organized by Evan. Each page was carefully labeled with dates, locations, and other details.
It was clear that Evan had been documenting Jasmine's life from a very young age. There were photos of one-year-old Jasmine, two-year-old Jasmine, three-year-old Jasmine.
The album showed Jasmine's growth through various stages of her early years. It was evident that the person most involved in her life and the one who cared for her the most was Evan.
Karen and Benjamin were barely present in the photos. The album was filled with Evan's care for Jasmine.
It was no surprise that Evan's deep love for Jasmine resulted in such profound pain. The deeper the love, the heavier the hurt—whether it was familial, romantic, or platonic.
"Mrs. Fiona is here." Cordelia's voice broke the silence.
Cordelia paused, setting the album aside as she looked up at Fiona. Her voice was hoarse, revealing her lack of rest.
Fiona's eyes welled up with tears, her guilt and self-reproach evident. "You didn't get enough rest, did you?"
Fiona was unsure what to call Cordelia. "Aunt" felt too distant, and "godmother" was awkward after all these years. She used to call her "godmother" with affection, not knowing her true identity.
Sometimes, she wished she were Cordelia's biological daughter, but the reality was often harsh.
"I didn't sleep well last night," Cordelia said with a faint smile, gesturing for Fiona to sit beside her. "Have you been busy with work lately?"
"I'm thinking of leaving the entertainment industry," Fiona said quietly.
Nolan had already managed her work transition and settled any penalties. With her health needing urgent attention, she was planning to leave Silverlight City. But before she went, she wanted to fulfill a wish for Cordelia.
"Do what you believe is right for yourself," Cordelia said, nodding. "Life is short, and youth passes in the blink of an eye."
"Mom," Fiona's voice trembled as she finally addressed Cordelia as her mother.
Cordelia's fingers faltered for a moment. With tears in her eyes, she gently patted Fiona's hand.
"Sophia has someone looking for me," Fiona said. Recently, someone suddenly reached out, claiming to be from the Hughes Group, named Brade.
It was no secret that Brade and Sophia seemed to have some sort of collaboration.
Cordelia nodded. "You're independent. You don't have to see her if you don't want to."
"Mom, I agree to do the paternity test. I want to uncover the truth of what happened years ago," Fiona said, looking at Cordelia with determined eyes.
Cordelia's eyes welled up with tears. She always knew Fiona was a good child. After all, she had watched Fiona grow up, and Fiona's heart was never in the wrong place.
"Okay." Cordelia nodded.
Fiona looked at Cordelia and spoke softly, "Can I hug you?"
She might not have the courage to embrace Cordelia again after the results come out.
Cordelia took the initiative to hug Fiona, patting her back comfortingly.
Silence fell between them.
Cordelia was also aware that once the truth was out, Fiona's personality would lead her to leave the Cunningham family.
"The Cunningham family will always be your home, and our doors will always be open to you," Cordelia said.
Fiona nodded. She would always come back.
She couldn't drift away forever.
She really longed for a home, a place to settle down.
When she insisted on entering the entertainment industry, Nolan disagreed. Nolan wanted her to work at the Cunningham Group, but she refused.
She didn't want what didn't belong to her and didn't want to touch it. She entered the entertainment industry to pursue her own career.
She loved acting and portraying other people's lives because she was afraid of stopping, afraid of thinking about her own life.
At Nolan's residence, Amelia sat curled up in the small garden's pavilion, her knees drawn up to her chest. She was homeless and had no money for a hotel, and before she knew it, she had wandered into Nolan's neighborhood.
The security guard, already familiar with her, had let her in.
But now, sitting in the pavilion, she felt lost and bewildered.
She couldn't go find Nolan; she didn't want to intrude on his life with Fiona.
She thought, 'But where else can I go?
'I need to start job hunting tomorrow, earn some money, and then maybe get an abortion?'
She looked down at her hands, contemplating what kind of job she might find.
Her stomach rumbled from hunger, and she sniffled in frustration.
"Out of the hospital?" a voice came from behind her.
Amelia looked up, startled, and then recognized the voice. "Are you Mr. Crawford, the one who took me to the hospital that day?"
The man in the black mask nodded with a smile. "Yes, that's me. I'm Nathaniel, I live over there."
Amelia glanced in the direction he pointed; it was Nolan's neighbor.
"Thank you so much. Let's exchange numbers. When I have some money, I'll pay you back," Amelia said nervously, pulling out her phone to add him on Facebook.
Her Facebook profile picture was of a cute kitten, vaguely resembling her.
Nathaniel accepted her request and, noticing her rumbling stomach, tentatively asked, "I haven't had dinner yet. Would you like to join me for a meal?"
Amelia fidgeted, her fingers twisting together. "Could we do it another day? I should be the one treating you, but right now, I don't have any money."
Nathaniel paused, then chuckled. "Let me treat you. I was actually wondering if you're interested in a temporary job. My housekeeper had to leave unexpectedly, and I'm still looking for someone suitable. If you're not working right now, would you consider coming over? It's 12000 dollars a month, plus meals."
Amelia blinked in surprise, staring at Nathaniel. "The salary is that high?"
Nathaniel smiled and took off his mask. "Didn't you recognize me?"
Amelia's eyes widened in shock. "You..."
She stammered, her jaw-dropping. "Nathaniel, the movie star!"
The man standing before her was a celebrity.
According to rumors, he had once worked at the same film company as Amelia's family before his contract expired, and he moved to another company.
Fans dug into his past and discovered that when Nathaniel was at Amelia's family's film company, he had been an under-the-radar figure who was frequently bullied by Lawrence.
Amelia felt a twinge of fear and nervously clutched her hands together, worried that Nathaniel might regret helping her if he discovered her identity as Lawrence's daughter.
"Given the nature of my work, I have quite a few clothes and accessories that require organizing. It seems that hiring a professional organizer can be quite expensive," Nathaniel spoke with earnest analysis.
Amelia felt at a loss but nodded eventually. "Alright then."
Nathaniel smiled. "Let's go. I'll take you to eat."
Amelia followed Nathaniel nervously. Just as they stepped out of the pavilion, they bumped into Nolan, who had just returned from a chamber of commerce gala.
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