Chapter 410 Biologically Related
Across the room, Zane had taken the document away from Toby and flipped to the last page. When Zane saw that the test results were the complete opposite of what he had expected, his eyes widened as he exclaimed in disbelief, “How is this even possible?”
Upon hearing this, Sonia’s heart sank as panic overwhelmed her. What’s going on? Why does Zane make it sound like something bad has happened? “Wanda,” she called out while clutching the armrest anxiously.
Wanda approached Sonia and crouched down next to the wheelchair. “Miss Reed?”
Sonia turned in the direction of Wanda’s voice and insisted, “Wanda, you were in the laboratory the entire time, so you must know the results, don’t you? Tell me.”
“Well…” Wanda’s gaze flickered over to Zane, but he was shell shocked, judging from the way his hand trembled as it held the papers.
When she sensed the older lady’s hesitation, Sonia grew antsy. Then, she curled her fist and dug her nails into her palm as she frantically urged, “Wanda, tell me!”
Wanda glanced at Toby, who caught the look on her face and nodded once. She heaved a sigh and replied reluctantly, “The results indicate that the young lady over there is President Gray’s biological daughter.”
Upon hearing Wanda’s words, Sonia’s eyes widened and she tensed up with bewilderment. Taylor is Titus’ biological daughter? That’s impossible! That can’t be right. They aren’t supposed to be biologically related at all. The results must be fake; someone must have manipulated it!
Sonia’s thoughts went wild. Taylor had probably figured a foolproof way to bribe the test facility and its employees into faking those test results. She might not have the means to do it, but chances of it happening were slim as well.
On the other side of the room, Titus and Julia had overheard what Wanda said and exchanged a gleeful look with each other.
“Did you hear that, honey? Rina is our daughter!” Julia gripped Rina’s hand as she proclaimed excitedly, “Didn’t I say that Rina is unmistakably our daughter? We even did a test right from the get-go to be sure of it! How could we have possibly faked something like that?”
He nodded in satisfaction. “You were right all along.” Then, he turned to look at Rina, the frosty gleam in his eyes replaced with a warm one as he apologized, “I’m sorry, Rina. I never should have doubted you.”
She shook her head before a slow smile spread on her face as she tearfully responded, “It’s okay, Dad, I don’t blame you. Miss Reed and the others were the ones who fabricated the test results and brought Hal and Greta over to prove their case. They did all they could to make you believe I’m not your daughter, so your doubt wasn’t uncalled for. All that matters now is that we have the real results to prove that I am indeed your daughter. I don’t blame you at all, Mom and Dad. If anything, I blame Miss Reed and her friends the most; they’d crossed the line and dealt a really low blow.”
Rina had somehow managed to pin all the blame on Sonia.
Sure enough, Titus and Julia grimaced at Sonia like she was a piece of filth and their rage toward her was renewed at once. “Sonia, the results are out and it shows that Rina is my daughter,” he gravely pointed out and scoffed. “Anything else you’d like to add to that?”
Julia, however, was more blunt with her words as she snapped, “Don’t waste your pleasantries on her, honey. Let’s call the police on her immediately!”
Meanwhile, Sonia’s expression turned sour. She hadn’t expected that things would turn out like this and her hand was shaking where it had gripped the armrest tightly. Is this it? Will I actually be personally handed over to the police by Titus?
Titus was already taking out his phone and one could practically feel his triumph from across the room as he made to call the cops.
Upon seeing this, Toby narrowed his eyes into dangerous slits. He was about to say something when Zane finally snapped out of his daze and turned to look at Titus. “Hold your horses!”
Everyone’s gazes fell on him when they heard this and Titus was sullen as he accused, “Are you going to stop me, Young Master Zane?”
“I think the results are fake and I refuse to believe it!” Zane said with an air of authority as he threw the paperwork onto the floor unceremoniously.
Rina grimaced spitefully at his interjection and her fists curled at her sides. The results are out, but he’s still trying to make me look suspicious. Is he so dead-set on bringing me down?
“Fake?” Titus repeated with a cold sneer. “Young Master Zane, you’ve seen the results with your own eyes and you even asked someone to head into the laboratory to keep an eye on the procedure. What gives you the right to accuse us of faking the results?”
“What right do I have? In case you forgot, they’re still here!” Zane pointed smugly at Hal and Greta, both of whom hurried forward and came to a stop next to him.
He clapped a hand on Hal’s shoulder and added, “Look at his face and tell me Taylor doesn’t resemble him!”
“Dad,” Rina interjected as she grabbed Titus’ arm and swayed it. “Dad, my resemblance to that man is more likely due to my having spent the last twenty-over years with him under the same roof. I heard that these things could happen even if the cohabitants are not biologically related, so maybe I look like my adoptive father precisely because of it.”
“Rina’s words make sense, Titus. I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch. You know how when two people, even lovers, start to resemble each other after living together for a while. Look at President Morrison and his wife—they didn’t look like each other at all in the beginning, but that changed after a couple of years down the road.”
Titus nodded in agreement. “That’s true.”
Zane gaped at Titus and Julia. He couldn’t believe that they were so easily convinced by Rina’s explanation and found himself thinking, My goodness, I’m dealing with a couple of idiots! Even if whatever Rina said were to happen in real life, the resemblance wouldn’t be so freakishly strong! She and Hal are clearly biologically related!
Even Toby couldn’t resist eyeing Rina with subtle admiration. It seemed that she was able to leave a better, albeit more scheming impression of herself every time they met; her intelligence and sharp wit was unexpectedly well-honed, given her ability to resolve her own crises in an incredibly short amount of time. If she hadn’t betrayed Sonia, Toby thought of recruiting her as a subordinate and nurturing her talent.
“So…” Hal rubbed his palms together with a little nervousness as he peered at Zane. “Mr. Coleman, about the DNA test you mentioned earlier, can it determine whether a child is biologically related to his or her parents like on those television shows?”
“That’s right,” Zane affirmed with a nod.
Hal’s eyes began to redden as he became flustered. “So, you’re saying that little wench Taylor is the biological daughter of those rich folks? And the test has actually proved it?”
“Yes.” Zane nodded once more.
An angry look flashed across Hal’s features as he glowered at Rina and her so-called ‘biological parents’ before he spat out in disgust, “How could she be your biological kid? I watched as my wife delivered her, so how in the world did she suddenly become your child?”
He might not have had much regard for this daughter of his, but he was keen to safeguard his own pride. After all, what would become of him if he actually allowed his own child to become someone else’s in the blur of a moment?
“Dad, I’m scared,” Rina whimpered, ducking behind Titus like a skittish kitten.
Similarly, Titus hadn’t expected Hal to become so frightening all of a sudden and he was about to retort when Sonia smacked the armrest of her wheelchair to silence everybody. “That’s enough. Since we all have something to say about the results, why don’t we just do another test and be done with it?”
Titus eyed her incredulously. “The report from the test we did earlier is still here! If you don’t want to admit the truth of it now, who knows what you will say when the next report is out?”
She bit her lip. “No, if the next test report indicates that Taylor’s your daughter, I’ll let this go once and for all. If she’s shown that she’s not biologically related to you two, then you’ll have to hand her over.”
“Dad!” Rina began to panic.
“Don’t worry, she won’t get away with this.” He patted her arm soothingly before turning to stare at Sonia darkly. “How do you propose we carry out the next test?”
“You still have a couple strands of hair on you, right, President Gray? Pluck them and we’ll have the samples delivered to several other test facilities. Also, Taylor will have to do a DNA test to see whether her sample matches that of Hal and Greta as well. Once the results are out, we’ll do a comparison and see whose daughter she is,” Sonia announced as she narrowed her eyes.
Zane brightened up considerably and clapped his hands in agreement. “I’m all for this idea! How about you, Titus? You’ve the guts to continue with this?” There was a clear challenge in his eyes as he gazed at Titus.
Titus scoffed indignantly. “Of course I’ve the guts or you won’t stop breathing down my neck about this ridiculous matter! If you’re so sure that Rina is this couple’s child, then I’ll just have to prove you wrong!”
He took out the individual sample bags of hair that he had prepared earlier before he glanced at Rina. “Rina, we’re going to need a couple more strands of your hair.”
This revelation made a chill run down her spine and her face paled as she hesitated to pluck out any more strands of her hair. She didn’t dare to, seeing that the one she gave as a sample earlier was Sonia’s and not her own!
