Chapter 329

Chapter 329

Victoria had been creating a scene at the laboratory entrance, and now her harsh accusations drew the attention of several researchers passing by.

Emily's face paled noticeably, giving the impression of someone caught in a lie. 

Combined with Victoria's social standing, many onlookers were inclined to believe the Foster heiress's accusations.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Victoria pressed, interpreting Emily's silence as guilt.

Her anger escalated, convinced she'd uncovered the truth. "How could you do something so shameless? I'm calling Alexander right now to have you removed from this position!"

"After all these years and everything that's happened, you truly haven't changed at all," Emily remarked with a slight shake of her head.

Victoria's fingers paused momentarily over her phone. "Trying to flatter me about my youthful appearance now? Too late! I won't let you off the hook with a few nice words, Emily!"

"You misunderstand," Emily replied, her lips curving into a mocking smile. "I meant that after all this time, you haven't grown at all. You're still as foolish as ever."

"You!" Victoria had always considered herself above others, especially having been pampered her entire life. She couldn't tolerate Emily speaking to her this way.

Her eyes flashed with rage as she moved toward Emily, clearly intending to lash out physically, but Sophie quickly grabbed her arm.

"Victoria, don't!" Sophie cautioned, her voice gentle but firm.

"Sophie, you're too kind-hearted. That's why people take advantage of you!" Victoria responded, looking at her friend with sympathy before turning back to Emily with disgust.

"You're not worth even a single strand of Sophie's hair!" Victoria stepped forward aggressively. "I initially didn't want to make trouble for you, but you've gone too far. How dare you use someone else's children and claim they're my brother's?"

Emily didn't bother responding to the accusation. Instead, her gaze shifted to Sophie standing behind Victoria.

"You..." Sophie visibly flinched under Emily's stare, taking a step backward.

Victoria immediately positioned herself between them. "Don't even think about doing anything to Sophie! You accused her of causing your miscarriage without any proof. That's slander! I could just as easily say you caused Sophie's miscarriage!"

'Sophie's miscarriage?' She thought.

Emily's eyes moved between the two women, quickly deducing the direction of Sophie's latest fabrication.

Her lips curved slightly upward, completely unbothered by the pointing fingers and whispers around them. Instead, she smiled and spoke calmly. "I stand corrected. You have improved slightly—you now understand the concept of requiring evidence. However..."

She paused, her eyes narrowing as she fixed Victoria with a penetrating stare. "Are you more certain about whose children they are than your brother? Or do you think Alexander is so easily fooled that anyone could deceive him with a few simple words?"

Emily had no desire for Jasmine and Maurice to return to the Foster family, but outright denial now would only drag the children into a public relations nightmare.

The adults had made mistakes; the children shouldn't suffer for them.

Besides, Alexander had insisted on acknowledging them—he should be responsible for handling this situation.

Victoria had no idea what Emily was thinking. In her mind, Alexander was an impressive figure who couldn't be easily deceived.

Over the years, numerous women had tried to attach themselves to Alexander, all dispatched efficiently and thoroughly by him.

Yet strangely, he had kept Emily around and even acknowledged her children.

Seeing Emily's hesitation, Sophie quickly interjected: "Emily, since you claim the children are Alexander's, when exactly did this alleged miscarriage happen? Surely you couldn't have been pregnant again immediately after losing a baby?"

She cast a contemptuous glance at Emily's midsection. "You must have been quite desperate."

As adults, everyone understood her implication.

She was suggesting Emily was promiscuous, using pregnancy to secure benefits from the Foster family.

Victoria, easily swayed, immediately adopted this perspective, her expression growing even more disgusted as she looked at Emily.

"How can someone like you exist? Selling your body for money—it's revolting."

The whispers around them intensified, and Emily frowned.

She personally didn't care about rumors or gossip, having heard plenty before.

But this was a laboratory environment. While she could ignore the slander, her team members shouldn't have to deal with this disruption.

If this continued, it would become a major problem.

"Victoria," she said coldly, "weren't you going to call your brother? What's the holdup? Did you forget his number? Would you like me to dial it for you?"

"I'll call him right now! Once he knows, he won't tolerate your behavior anymore!" Victoria began dialing Alexander's number, but Sophie stopped her.

"Sophie, what are you doing?" Victoria's temper flared at being interrupted. 

She had intended to stand up for Sophie, but now Sophie was preventing her from doing so.

Having known Victoria for years, Sophie understood her temperament perfectly.

Seeing Victoria's irritation, Sophie soothingly patted her hand.

"Victoria, I know you're doing this for me. But if she manipulated Alexander before, she might do it again. Let's go straight to DNA testing instead. Once we have those results, she won't be able to deny anything!"

Remembering what had happened at the testing center previously, Sophie's expression turned triumphant.

Emily's brow furrowed slightly, her eyes growing cold. "Wasn't the last lesson enough? Do you want to try again and risk him actually throwing you out of Bellevue?"

"What do I have to fear? The question is, why are you so resistant to DNA testing?" Sophie countered.

The silence stretched between them, giving the gathered crowd ample time to draw their own conclusions.

No one spoke, but the judgment in their eyes was obvious—they clearly believed Emily's children couldn't be Alexander's.

Sophie glanced around at the onlookers, finally returning her gaze to Emily with an expression of undisguised arrogance.

It was completely different from the heartbroken vulnerability she'd displayed in front of Alexander the day before.

Emily clicked her tongue softly. "Sophie, I truly wish I could take a photo of your face right now and send it to Alexander. Has he ever seen this expression of yours?"

The mocking tone made Sophie's face change instantly.

Before she could respond, Victoria jumped in, "You're just trying to change the subject! When the DNA results come out, we'll see how you explain yourself!"

She grabbed Sophie's arm, pulling her toward the exit. "Come on, let's go find those kids and get this testing done!"

"What's the rush?" Emily made no move to stop them, her voice cool and detached. "I just texted Alexander. He should be here any minute. You might want to wait and have a chat with him. After all, this situation concerns him quite directly."

Victoria immediately tensed.

Though she and Alexander were siblings, she had always been somewhat intimidated by him.

Especially regarding Emily—while Alexander appeared indifferent in public, he had reprimanded Victoria numerous times in private because of Emily.

Today's confrontation...

Sensing her unease, Sophie squeezed Victoria's hand. "Victoria, you've been dragged into this because of me. Don't worry. When Alexander arrives, I'll explain everything and make it clear this wasn't your fault. If anyone's to blame, it's me."

"How can you say that? Sophie, you're too kind-hearted. That's why people take advantage of you," Victoria insisted, pointing accusingly at Emily. "If she weren't so greedy for wealth and status, so manipulative and scheming, none of this would have happened. It's all her fault!"