Chapter 599

"Your brother's a total scumbag."

Zoey looked down at Mabel, her voice as calm as if she were discussing the weather. "At least Upton won't be hurting anyone else now that he's been castrated. I'm just doing the world a favor."

Zoey didn't think she had done anything wrong. In fact, she felt she had gone too easy on Upton, considering he had almost hurt Claire.

If Upton had succeeded in hurting Claire, it would have ruined her life.

Even if Joseph wouldn't mind, Claire would still be scarred. How could she and Joseph have a happy marriage then?

So, Zoey felt Upton got off too lightly.

Besides, Mabel was Claire's stepmother. What was Upton thinking, trying to hurt Claire?

Mabel's lips trembled, her carefully applied eyeliner smudged by tears, leaving black streaks down her face. "The Ellis family is finished," she spat through gritted teeth, her voice filled with hatred. "How could you do this?"

Mabel struggled to get up and lunged at Zoey again.

This time, before she could even touch Zoey's clothes, a strong hand yanked her back.

"Enough!" Finnegan's shout echoed through the hallway, making the ceiling seem to tremble.

He gripped Mabel's wrist tightly, his face contorted with rage. "The most important thing right now is Jett! He needs a blood transfusion! What are you doing?"

Mabel was stunned by Finnegan's sudden outburst, but quickly started struggling again. "But Upton—"

"He deserved it!" Finnegan let go of Mabel's hand with such force that she fell to the ground again. "If Upton hadn't pushed me to get that two hundred million dollars, Claire wouldn't have..."

His voice choked, and he glanced at Claire standing nearby before quickly looking away.

A doctor approached with a lab report, his brow furrowed. "Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson, there's something we need to discuss."

He adjusted his glasses. "Neither of your blood types matches the patient's. Jett is AB, while Mr. Johnson is A and Mrs. Johnson is O. Genetically, this is impossible."

The hallway fell into a terrifying silence.

Finnegan's expression froze.

His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Zoey was the first to break the silence, whistling. "So Jett isn't Finnegan's kid?"

Her voice was filled with undisguised glee. "This is so dramatic."

Claire stood next to Joseph, her expression shifting from shock to indifference.

She spoke softly, "I've already cut ties with him."

Her words were like a knife, severing Claire's last connection to this farce.

Finnegan finally snapped out of his daze.

He slowly turned to Mabel, his eyes burning with rage. "You bitch."

His voice was terrifyingly low, each word forced out like it came from the depths of hell. "Whose child is Jett?"

Mabel's face turned pale, but she quickly tried to compose herself. "What nonsense! Jett is your son!"

She turned to the doctor, her voice sharp, "You must have made a mistake!"

The doctor, angered by the baseless accusation, narrowed his eyes. "Mrs. Johnson, blood type testing is basic medical science. There's no mistake. If you have doubts, you can do a paternity test."

"We're doing it now!" Finnegan grabbed Mabel by the collar, lifting her off the ground. "I need to know who I've been raising for thirteen years!"

Mabel's toes barely touched the ground as she futilely tried to pry Finnegan's fingers off, her face turning from white to blue. "Let go of me, you're insane."

"Insane?" Finnegan's laugh was chilling. "I've been a fool for thirteen years! Raising someone else's kid!"

He suddenly squeezed Mabel's neck. "Tell me! Who's the father?"

Mabel's eyes bulged, her tongue lolling out uncontrollably.

Her hands flailed in the air, kicking off her high heels.

The medical staff finally reacted, rushing to pull Finnegan away.

"Mr. Johnson! Calm down!"

"You're going to kill her!" Two male nurses struggled to pry Finnegan's fingers off.

Mabel collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, purple-red marks already forming on her neck.

She coughed horribly, her face a mess of tears and snot.

"Paternity test," Mabel finally managed to say, her voice hoarse like sandpaper. "There must be a mistake. Jett is your son."

The doctor had already called security, who stood by warily. "Mr. Johnson, the hospital isn't the place to resolve this. If you insist on a paternity test, we can arrange it, but please control your emotions."

Finnegan's chest heaved, his anger undiminished. "Do it now! I want the results immediately!"

Zoey tugged on Claire's sleeve, whispering, "This show is getting more intense, but I think we should leave."

Claire nodded, her expression now indifferent.

She took one last look at the man who used to be her father. Finnegan's face was twisted with rage and betrayal, completely forgetting about Jett, who was waiting for a blood transfusion in the room.

"Let's go," Claire said to Joseph and Henry. "This has nothing to do with us anymore."

They walked towards the elevator, Finnegan's hysterical shouts and Mabel's sobs echoing behind them.

Zoey pressed the elevator button, shaking her head. "Karma's a bitch."

The elevator doors closed, shutting out the hospital hallway's chaos.

Claire leaned on Joseph's shoulder, feeling utterly exhausted.

Twenty-one years of father-daughter relationship, a million dollars to sever ties, now all seemed like a ridiculous farce.

"Are you hungry?" Henry broke the silence. "The seafood restaurant at the resort should still be open."

Zoey's eyes lit up. "I want lobster! After all this, I need a good meal."

Claire couldn't help but laugh.

These were her friends. After a kidnapping, a fight, and a family drama, all they could think about was lobster.

The elevator reached the first floor, and as the doors opened, the warm night breeze of Marigoldia greeted them, carrying the salty scent of the ocean and freedom.

Claire took a deep breath, squeezed Joseph's hand, and walked towards the waiting car.

From a window upstairs, Finnegan watched Claire's departing figure, his anger slowly replaced by a more complex emotion.

The paternity test kit sat on the table, waiting for fate's verdict.