Chapter 719 The Truth Finally Emerges
Jasmine frowned, looking at Ethan.
Was he finally going to reveal the truth?
Ethan looked coldly at Mark. "How could he be a member of the Douglas family?"
Daniel was also stunned, frowning nervously at Mark, and whispered, "Stop talking."
He wasn't Howard's son; the paternity test was right there.
Mark raised his hand, signaling Daniel to stop talking.
Mark snorted. "Ethan, your grandfather didn't have just one son."
Ethan's face grew darker.
"Back then, your grandpa William, just a young guy heading to the big city, already had a wife and kid back in Bostan. The customs there were old-school; if a couple swore before God, they were considered married and didn’t know they had to register it." Mark scoffed. "Ambitious and tired of the village's poverty, he took off, leaving his pregnant wife behind. She waited for him like a fool every day, but he never came back."
Mark sneered and stood up. "The wife raised the child alone, received news of William's death, and was heartbroken. She didn't remarry but instead raised the child alone through hardship."
"Many years later, the son she gave birth to fell seriously ill with meningitis, a deadly disease at that time."
As Mark spoke, his eyes were filled with hatred.
"The wife begged and borrowed money to get her sick son to San Fransisco for treatment. She worked multiple jobs to stay with him in the hospital. One day, she saw a man in the hotel who looked like her husband but had a different name. Later, William recognized her and gave her money, telling her to take their child back to Bostan and pretend they had never met."
The wife was a stain on the man's reputation because. By then, William had a new family and his own son.
To ensure his business success, he had married the daughter of a prominent family, gaining many advantages and resources.
"The wife, heartbroken, took her son home after he recovered, intending to cut all ties. Not long after, the Hawthorne family, enemies of the Douglas family, discovered William's secret. They tricked the mother and son to use them as leverage. William severed all ties and even wanted to eliminate them to protect his reputation. The Hawthorne family saw value in them and kept them around. Marshall secretly funded their upbringing and gave them new identities. Eventually, the son joined the Douglas Group and became Howard's most trusted assistant."
Mark told the story, and Jasmine listened quietly. He was actually William's son, Howard's biological brother.
How ironic.
So, from the start, the one scheming against the Douglas family, the Hawthorne family, and everyone else was William's son?
Was it Mark?
The so-called Messiah wasn't someone behind Mark but Mark himself. He had been plotting all along.
Mark revealing his identity today meant he was fully prepared, right?
Ethan looked at Mark and clapped his hands. "Your story is quite fascinating."
Mark looked coldly at Ethan. "Even if you don't want to admit it, the law will prove everything. I am your grandfather's son, and I have absolute inheritance rights. Neither I nor Daniel is an illegitimate child."
He wasn't an illegitimate child; he didn't acknowledge being an illegitimate child. His mother was the legitimate wife of William, just without a marriage certificate.
"Mark, how credible is your story?" Ethan spoke again. "Grandpa told me he left the village because he didn't want to be tied down by traditional ideas and poverty. His family forced him into a marriage he didn't want, getting him drunk to do it. When he left, he made a deal with his so-called wife. He gave her all his savings, land, and property and promised to support her and take you away after you were born."
Ethan didn't know if William was telling the truth or if Mark was.
Both stories seemed to have doubts.
"He's talking nonsense!" Mark was a bit anxious. "From beginning to end, my mother didn't know he was still alive. When she found out, he thought my mother was there to blackmail him!"
Mark was very protective of his mother. After her death, he had been plotting everything.
The Hawthorne family funded them to deal with the Douglas family in the future. But Mark's cleverness lay in knowing how to turn the tables.
"No matter the truth, it will take time to investigate." Jasmine looked at Mark and Ethan. Both insisted their story was the real one.
Jasmine looked at Ethan, worried. If Mark was telling the truth, he had the right to inherit the Douglas Group and family.
Even if Ethan was right, Mark still had those rights. The law only recognized paternity tests, not appearances.
Mark had planned everything and was just one step away. He couldn't afford to fail with the Powell family; he was confident. He bet on Amara to win.
But Jasmine bet on the underdog, Lily.
Mark revealing his identity today meant he feared nothing and was ready for a direct confrontation.
Jasmine now feared Lily would lose. If Lily lost, she would lose too.
"Ethan, if the truth is as I said, what will you do? Will you voluntarily give up the Douglas Group? Will you make your grandfather repent and atone to my mother?" Mark sneered.
Ethan remained silent.
But Daniel, who hadn't recovered for a long time, looked at Mark in shock.
Was he also a member of the Douglas family?
Was he William's son?
Was Mark the Messiah behind everything?
Previously, he wanted to meet the Messiah, but Mark said it wasn't time yet.
Was it time now?
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