After the New Year''s Eve Tragedy: Her Icy Return


    Chapter 276 A DNA Test Is Needed


    Caroline also wanted to know if Maia was one of the Somertons.


    If they just let it slide without confirming anything, there would always be a knot in her heart.


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    Given the current situation, ina knew there was nothing more she could do. Caroline was her only hope


    now.


    After ina left, Caroline walked into the room and found Maia sitting at the edge of the bed, wiping tears


    from her face. The sight made her chest tighten with sympathy.


    Caroline sat beside her and consoled gently. "I know this is hard for you. But what''s done is done. All we can


    do now is face the truth."


    Maia lowered her gaze, her voice choked with emotion. "I know... it''s just hard to ept it. Every time my


    mom beat me, screamed at me, or wouldn''t let me eat, I kept telling myself, ''She gave birth to me. She raised


    me. No matter how she treats me, I have to endure it. But now you''re telling me she wasn''t even my mom.


    Then what were all those years of suffering for? And ina ... she nearly killed me. Now I''m supposed to


    ept that she''s my biological mother? I just... I can''t."


    "There are plenty of things we can''t ept right away," Caroline said softly. "But with time, we mighte to


    terms with them. For now, try to look at it from another angle-if you really are ina''s daughter, then you''re


    one of the Somertons. Besides ina, you have a father, five uncles, and most importantly ... you have me as


    your aunt. I''ll protect you from now on."


    She paused, then added, "That''s why we have to do the DNA test."


    Maia looked up at Caroline. She didn''t care about anyone else. She just hoped that Caroline was her real


    family.


    If that were true, then maybe she wouldn''t feel so alone anymore. Maybe she''d finally have someone who


    truly cared about her.


    After a brief moment of hesitation, Maia nodded. "Alright. I''ll do the test."


    "Good. Now lie down and get some rest."


    Caroline waited until Maiay down, then quietly left the room and returned to the dining area to clean up the


    dishes.


    -After washing everything, she called ina to share the news that Maia had agreed to the test and to


    schedule a time to go to the hospital.


    The call connected, but it was Edwin who answered.


    "Can we talkter? It''s not a good time right now," he said hurriedly. Caroline was confused by his tone. Then,


    through the line, she faintly heard Ruth''s angry voice in the background. "ina, I can''t believe you! I treated


    you like my best friend! I always put you first and helped you so many times. But now you''re doubting me just


    because of something Caroline said? I''m truly disappointed in you."


    So Ruth had gone to the Somertons'' Vi. It seemed the Somertons weren''t going to have peace anytime


    soon.


    I''ll call two hourster.


    Caroline didn''t respond. She simply hung up.


    12:46 Tue, 24 Jun G XI


    Chapter 276 A DNA Test Is Needed


    Edwin had been waiting for an answer, but instead, all he got was the sound of the call ending.


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    That only added to the frustration bubbling inside him. He tossed ina''s phone back onto the table and sat


    in silence, watching the drama unfold in front of him.


    "Yes, Mom," Helen chimed in tearfully. "This is all Caroline''s doing. She''s trying to drive a wedge between us. I


    bet she''s hiding somewhere right now,ughing at how well her n is working."


    ina''s face was calm but cold. "No more talking. We''ll settle everything after I do the test with Maia."


    She wasn''t putting blind faith in Caroline-she believed in facts.


    It was the little things, the subtle signs, that had nted the seed of doubt in her heart.


    Ruth and Helen exchanged nervous nces after seeing her firm stance.


    Edwin agreed, "She''s right. We can''t afford to get this wrong. The test has to be done."


    Helen bit her lip and looked at him, then at ina. Her heart turned cold.


    The parents who had once loved her the most now doubted her just because of something Caroline said.


    Ruth finally spoke. "Fine. If you don''t trust me, then go do the test."


    Helen panicked when she heard that.


    What does she mean? Why would she tell them to go through with it? If they did, they''d find out I wasn''t their


    daughter. They''d learn that Maia was.


    Helen looked at Ruth in a panic, and Ruth looked back, blinking repeatedly.


    Helen began to understand. Ruth was hinting at using another way to stop them from going through with the


    test.


    Sure enough, as soon as Ruth left the Somertons'' Vi, she didn''t care that it was alreadyte at night and


    headed straight for Gxy Bay Residences.


    Once she got there, she sat down at the park in front of theplex and dialed Maia''s number.


    "You little brat, I''m outside your building. Get down here now!"


    For 20 years, Maia had always obeyed her every word. No matter what she said, Maia woulde running.


    That was how it had always been. Even if Maia was rebelling now, some things ran deep.


    She was confident that Maia would definitelye.


    But to her surprise, it was Caroline who answered the phone. "Sorry, Maia''s already asleep. She won''t be


    .