?Chapter 244:


    “Chloe, do you think Tiffany is really Riss?” Melinda asked, her voice tinged with doubt


    Chloe shook her head firmly. “No, she can’t be Riss. We’ve seen her grow up right before our eyes. It’s impossible for someone to change that drastically.”


    Chloe knew she couldn’t tell Melinda that Marissa was Riss. If Melinda ever believed such a thing, she would be scared of her, and Chloe would lose her as a tool to deal with Marissa. Melinda had served as Chloe’s unwitting weapon for years, requiring constant attention and maniption to keep her in line


    Before Chloe’s forceful denial, Melinda had been uncertain, swayed by her brother’s suspicions. Her face lit up with relief when Chloe disagreed. “So, you don’t believe it either, Chloe? My brother must have lost his mind to make that judgment.”


    Chloe offered a strained smile. “You can’t me Aelfric. After spending years isted at Doomsday Base, he barely knows Tiffany, unlike us, who have been close to her for so long.”


    “What should I do to make my brother see his error?” Melinda asked, looking concerned


    Chloe glossed over her concern with practiced ease. “Let’s not worry about it, Melinda. Aelfric is a clever man; he’lle to see the truth on his own.”


    Though she reassured Melinda, Chloe harbored other, deeper ns


    The night deepened around Connor as hey restless in bed, unable to find sleep. He stared at thetest message from Marissa, his brow furrowed in confusion. She had told him that she didn’t need hispany anymore. What could that mean?


    It would be understandable if she didn’t need him for a night or two. As ck Snake, she could handle a few sleepless nights. But to not need him indefinitely? Why?


    Had she ovee her insomnia, or had she gotten hold of the Serene Rest Pills sooner than expected? Marissa had refrained from pushing for a divorce because Connor had been her remedy for sleeplessness. But if he was no longer needed, would she sever their ties without hesitation?


    Feeling like an unwanted pet, Connor tossed and turned, while Marissa slept soundly, her arms around the two kids


    The next morning, Marissa awoke while the twins were still nestled in sleep. She stretched silently, crept out of bed, and tiptoed to her desk to check her email. There it was—a message from Ferris with the DNA test results. Marissa opened it immediately. The report confirmed that she might be the biological mother of the two children. She had steeled herself for this oue, yet the confirmation still sent a shock through her


    Tiffany was truly the mother of the two children. Marissa pondered whether Tiffany had vanished on her wedding day because she knew about the children. If Connor’s ims about the children being part of a surrogacy arrangement were urate, Marissa wondered if Tiffany was even aware they existed. Could it be that Tiffany had boarded the Sunrise in search of them?


    Her mind was a whirlpool of questions with no forting answers. Resolving to curb her spection, Marissa decided it mattered little how the children hade into the world. She believed it was her responsibility to care for them in ce of Tiffany, their biological mother


    Tiffany’s current location remained a mystery. To spare their mother, Caylee, unnecessary worry andplications, Marissa feltpelled to continue impersonating Tiffany. This decision, however, meant she could no longer pose as Connor’s wife. The presence of the children wouldplicate his life and pose a dilemma for Arabe


    With her thoughts organized, Marissa took decisive action and called Connor. He answered almost immediately, his voice rough with sleep or disuse


    “Hello?”


    Marissa cut straight to the chase. “Connor, we need to divorce.”


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