?Chapter 15:


    “The samples confirm that you are biologically rted. Miss Cooper is indeed your and Mrs. Bailey’s daughter,” the assistant announced.


    Jeff’s grip tightened on his phone as he asked for confirmation. “Repeat that.”


    Sharon left the room too, grasping his phone to hear better.


    The assistant repeated firmly, “The tests confirm that Miss Cooper is your biological daughter.”


    Both Sharon and Jeff were stunned by the revtion. Their suspicions were confirmed—Lise was indeed their biological daughter.


    After hanging up, Sharon gazed at her hands, her voice shaking with guilt.


    “What have I done? I’ve struck my own daughter. No, I must find her immediately.”


    “Hold on! Don’t act hastily,” Jeff cautioned, quickly grabbing her wrist to restrain her.


    As Sharon fought against his grip, tears streamed down her face.


    “I need to apologize to her right away. I was too harsh today. She must be in a lot of pain.”


    Jeff nced back to ensure the door was shut and Katelyn wouldn’t overhear them.


    “Something doesn’t add up here. We only had one daughter. How can Lise Cooper also be…?” he said with a frown.


    Sharon felt a cold fear. “Indeed, how is that possible?” She remembered clearly that she had given birth to only one child, yet it seemed she had two daughters. Sharon looked toward the closed door, biting her lip in contemtion. “We should also test Katelyn.”


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    They resolved to discover the true lineage of their daughters.


    Meanwhile, news from the hospital had also reached Vincent through his assistant, Samuel Natt.


    As Vincent leaned back in his chair, toying with a costly pen, sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting a soft glow around him. His eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief as he remarked casually, “So, it seems quite probable that Katelyn isn’t actually the Bailey’s daughter, right?”


    Samuel nodded, then added hesitantly, “The Baileys are conducting another DNA test. If it turns out they’re not rted, should we offer any support to Miss Bailey?”


    Vincent’s face remained stoic, his eyes piercing. “If she can’t handle this minor issue, how can she be deemed fit to be my…” His voice trailed off, but his meaning was clear. “Keep monitoring them and keep me informed.”


    “Understood, Mr. Adams,” Samuel replied, then exited the room, leaving Vincent in his expansive office. Pocketing one hand, Vincent walked to the panoramic window and gazed out at the bustling streets below, a thoughtful frown forming.


    “A genuine daughter and a counterfeit one? This is intriguing indeed.”


    At the hospital, Katelyn was oblivious to the unfolding drama. The tranquilizers she had been prescribed constantly lulled her to sleep, trapping her in an endless nightmare. In her dreams, she was repeatedly chased to the edge of a cliff by wild beasts.


    Just then, Sharon burst into the room with a lunchbox.


    Observing her worn-out daughter, she expressed her concern. “Kate, I had the chef prepare some light, easily digestible food for you, considering you haven’t eaten in days. I was worried you might be starving.”


    Katelyn steadied herself, nodding in acknowledgment.


    “Thank you, Mom.”


    Sharon ced the food on the small table beside her and assisted her daughter with tying back her hair. As Katelyn ate slowly, Sharon and Jeff exchanged a nce, unease visible in their expressions.


    If Katelyn wasn’t actually their biological daughter, it meant they had unknowingly raised someone else’s child for over two decades.


    Their worry deepened over the possibility of inurate test results. Even pets that lived with them for twenty years became like family, much less Katelyn, whom they had raised as their own daughter.


    Their thoughts were in disarray.


    The wait for the test results was agonizing, weighing heavily on them each moment.


    Katelyn, noticing Sharon’s strained look, voiced her concern. “Mom, you look unwell. Is something wrong?”


    Sharon snapped back to the present and dismissed her concern. “It’s nothing. It just pains me to see you like this, dear.”


    Katelyn, unaware of the deeper issues, reassured her lightly, “Alright, Mom. A few days of rest and I’ll be better.”


    Sharon responded with a nod, her gaze returning to Jeff, who was clutching his phone anxiously.


    Jeff held his phone with a tight grip, filled with apprehension.


    When his assistant called once more, he hastily answered, still in the ward. “What’s the result?”


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