Chapter 330

Chapter 330

"Who's at fault here?" Alexander's voice made Victoria visibly flinch.

When she'd heard Emily mention that Alexander was coming, she'd been inwardly hoping it was a bluff. 

Now, seeing him actually appear, her confidence instantly deflated by half. "Alexander."

He didn't even glance at her. Instead, he strode directly through the gathered crowd to Emily's side, his eyes sweeping over her, clearly checking whether she'd been hurt or upset.

Only after confirming that nothing had happened did he take his position beside her, then turned his cold gaze toward the onlookers.

"Is this what the Foster Group pays you for? Gossiping during work hours?"

The CEO's unexpected appearance made everyone suddenly tense. They immediately lowered their heads, preparing to slip away.

Emily spoke up. "Why the rush? If they all leave, who will witness this little drama?"

Alexander's eyebrow arched slightly as he turned to look at her, but he made no move to stop the retreating employees.

Emily gestured toward Victoria with her chin. "She came to seek justice for you. Perhaps we should all hear what terrible injustice you've supposedly suffered?"

Having received Emily's text that simply asked him to come quickly, Alexander hadn't known what to expect. But seeing Victoria and Sophie together, he could guess the general situation.

"Victoria, what nonsense are you causing now? Do you want your credit cards frozen again?"

Victoria spent her days shopping and socializing, never showing any real ambition. 

The family didn't need her to strive for anything—the power struggles between Alexander and other business rivals had already created enough chaos.

Her complete lack of interest in company affairs had actually been something of a relief, but it also meant her financial lifeline remained firmly in the family's control.

"How can you say that?" Victoria protested.

Alexander fixed her with an icy stare. "What exactly have you done?"

"I..." Under his penetrating gaze, Victoria suddenly felt uncertain.

In her moment of hesitation, Sophie stepped forward. "Alexander, it's all my fault."

She took full responsibility. "We've had so many misunderstandings lately. Today I wanted to clear things up with Emily, but she refused to meet with me. I vented my frustrations to Victoria, and..."

Her previously triumphant expression had transformed into one of teary vulnerability.

Sophie pulled Victoria behind her. "I shouldn't have involved her in approaching Emily. Please don't blame her. Don't let me damage your relationship."

Emily let out a soft, mocking laugh, drawing everyone's attention. "You really do consider yourself important, always able to influence Alexander's relationships with others."

Her comment caused expressions to change throughout the room.

Everyone at this Foster Group subsidiary was well aware of Alexander and Sophie's history—his former fiancée and his secretly married wife... subjects too delicate to discuss openly.

The crowd stood frozen, no longer enjoying the gossip but rather worried they might overhear secrets that could get them in trouble with Alexander.

Emily remained at the laboratory entrance, her expression unchanged. "I just wonder what Alexander thinks. Would he really let a few words from you change his relationships with others?"

"No."

His response came almost immediately after her question, as if he feared any delay might be misinterpreted.

Apparently feeling he hadn't been clear enough, he added, "Whatever Sophie says is irrelevant to me. I don't change my judgment of people based on her words."

"Then you don't need to worry about affecting their sibling relationship anymore," Emily smiled as she looked at Sophie.

Sophie was nearly grinding her teeth in frustration.

Previously, a few words would have been enough to make Emily storm off angrily. When had she become so composed?

The most infuriating part was that Alexander was clearly taking her side. Was he really going to stand by and watch them reconcile?

Victoria, seeing Sophie's distress, couldn't contain herself any longer.

"How can you treat Sophie this way? And those children Emily brought back—are they really yours?"

"Shut up!" Alexander hadn't expected the conversation to involve Jasmine and Maurice.

His expression darkened dramatically. After checking that Emily's face remained composed, he turned his gaze back to Victoria, his voice growing even more menacing. "Go home! Stop talking nonsense!"

Victoria was terrified by his intensity, but she was also angry at being scolded this way. Her temper flared in response.

She tilted her chin defiantly at Alexander. "You're treating me like this for an outsider? I'm worried you're being deceived, raising someone else's children, and this is how you respond? I'm going to tell Grandmother and our parents that those children aren't yours, you fool!"

She was clearly too angry to choose her words carefully.

Beside her, Sophie's lips curled into a faint smile. A DNA test would prove the children weren't Alexander's. 

Even if Alexander still wanted to protect Emily, the Foster family wouldn't allow it.

She wouldn't need to act—the Foster family would naturally find ways to drive Emily and those two children away.

"Victoria, exactly what benefit do you get from proving the children aren't mine?" Alexander's voice was dangerously cold. "Are you that eager to prove I'm a fool? I say they're mine, so they're mine. That's not up for debate! From now on..."

His gaze swept across everyone present, the warning in his eyes unmistakable. "I don't want to hear a single word questioning their identity from anyone. Otherwise, don't blame me for the consequences!"

The crowd immediately began shaking their heads vigorously, afraid that even the slightest hesitation might be interpreted as doubt.

"You..." Victoria was practically choking with rage.

Seeing Emily standing there so calmly made Victoria even more convinced that she had deceived Alexander, yet he remained blind to it.

"Alexander, if you're so certain they're your children, why not just do a DNA test? Once it's done, everything will be clear. I'll even apologize to Emily if I'm wrong!" She let out a cold snort. "But if she refuses, isn't that just proof of her guilt?"

Emily's eyes narrowed slightly. How had she never noticed how stubborn Victoria was?

So foolish and troublesome, likely to cause no end of problems.

Her reaction, interpreted by Sophie and Victoria as nervousness, made them think she was afraid of DNA testing.

"Yes, Alexander," Sophie joined in. "If you want me to give up hope, then do the test. Once I know you have children together, I'll naturally stop harboring any illusions."

It was a perfectly reasonable argument that seemed impossible to refuse.

But...

As Alexander's brow furrowed, Victoria pressed again. "What's wrong? Are you afraid?"

Emily was speechless.

If they did the test, Alexander would only become more possessive. How would she escape then?

Just as the situation seemed to be spiraling out of control, a woman's voice cut through the tension. "There's no need for testing."

It was Natalie.

"Mom?" Victoria looked shocked, then pouted in displeasure. "Don't tell me you're taking Emily's side too?"

"I've already had the test done."