Chapter 179

Everyone was shocked.

"Ms. Hearst?"

"Oliver is her brother?"

"So she's not some rich guy's mistress or side piece? She's the legendary Ms. Hearst from the Hearst Group — the mysterious one who came back to Rosewood City five years ago and almost never shows her face or talks to the media?"

The people who had just been talking behind Nora's back figured out who she was the moment Brent Gonzaga spoke. The looks they gave her shifted instantly — from jealousy and resentment to pure admiration.

"Mr. Brent Gonzaga, it's truly an honor to receive your invitation to the Gonzaga Group's 40th anniversary and to see you again."

"My brother Oliver is still abroad and couldn't make it back, so he called me just last night and made sure I came in his place."

"Elise, this is Mr. Brent Gonzaga — say hello."

Nora had never been one for social events. For the past five years, she'd deliberately kept a low profile and stayed away from public places, not wanting Frederick to find her.

But lately, something had shifted. She no longer felt like hiding.

She wanted to live on her own terms and do whatever she pleased.

Claire was so sure she wouldn't dare show up? Well, she wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.

"Mr. Brent Gonzaga, best wishes!"

Elise greeted Brent just as Nora had coached her — sweet and well-mannered, staying close to Nora's side like a little fairy. Pretty and adorable, with a pair of eyes that were full of life.

Brent lit up the moment Elise spoke. He immediately took both Nora and Elise around to introduce them to the other guests.

---

The Gonzaga Group's 40th anniversary was about to start, and Frederick had just said he needed to leave the hospital — when Aaron suddenly snapped awake. He burst into tears, begging Frederick to stay.

Frederick didn't think too much of it. Aaron had been hurt and scared. It made sense that he was clinging to him right now.

"Frederick, if you ask me, just cancel your work for today."

"Nobody can reach Claire — no one knows where she's gone."

"Aaron's in no state to be left alone, and you're the only one who can calm him down."

Francis had just come back from the police station, completely drained. He didn't really care who looked after Aaron, as long as it wasn't too much trouble.

"You really don't know where Claire is? Or have the two of you been working together to lie to me from the start?"

Frederick was already on edge — and then his phone buzzed with the paternity test results.

He opened it. He and Aaron shared no blood relation.

He turned and stared hard at Francis. His hand tightened around the phone, veins rising on the back of his hand. A cold, dark energy radiated off him.

Francis froze under that stare, visibly shaking, fumbling for words — when Frederick picked up Aaron's smartwatch and dialed Claire.

---

"Aaron, I'm busy. Did you keep an eye on Dad? Whatever it takes, don't let him leave the hospital."

The call connected — and what came through wasn't Claire's voice. It was her breathless moaning.

It was obvious. Claire was in bed with Steven.

"Claire, it's me."

Frederick had known since five years ago that Claire was skilled in bed. But he hadn't expected her to be this shameless — picking up what she thought was Aaron's call without even pausing for a second.

Disgusting.

"Frederick? Why is it you?"

Claire was straddling Steven on the hotel bed when she heard Frederick's voice. She tumbled off to the side, nearly dropping her phone, her flushed face draining to white in an instant.

"You thought it was Aaron."

"Claire, get to this hospital right now. And you'd better have a good explanation for why Aaron shares no blood with me."

Frederick hung up and forwarded the paternity test results to her.

His words hit Claire like a sledgehammer, blow after blow.

She opened the report. Her blood ran cold.

It was over.

The secret she'd buried for five years — Frederick had found out.

She pushed Steven away without a word, ignored his frustration, threw on her clothes, and rushed to the hospital as fast as she could.

The moment Claire pushed open the door to the hospital room, she didn't hesitate. She threw herself in front of Frederick.

"Frederick, let me explain. This paternity test is wrong. Something must have gone off. Aaron is your son — how could he not be? Did Nora say something to you? You saw her, didn't you? She's in Rosewood City, isn't she?"

Claire had thought it through. Nora was the only person who knew the truth about Aaron. She was convinced Frederick had run into her, and Nora had told him everything.

She cursed Nora with everything she had.

"So you're admitting you already knew Nora was in Rosewood City?"

"You knew Elise was my daughter — mine and Nora's?"

"What kind of person are you, Claire? You did all this to get back at me?"

Frederick remembered what his secretary had told him. He grabbed Claire's chin and squeezed hard, fingertips white with pressure.

The more he looked at her face, the more it turned his stomach. The thought of how she'd drugged him five years ago — how he'd spent the better part of a year with her without ever knowing — made him want to be sick. She deserved everything that was coming.

"So what if I did?"

"Everything I did was for our son Aaron."

"Frederick, I don't care how much you love that woman Nora. I don't care if you want to bring that little brat Elise back into the Kennedy family. But everything in the Kennedy family belongs to my son Aaron — and that's final."

Claire thought this would play out the same way it always had. As long as she held her ground and denied everything, Frederick couldn't touch her. If it came down to another paternity test, she had ways to work around it. Give her one more chance, and she could make sure the results showed Aaron and Frederick as father and son — blood related or not.

"Our son?"

"Claire, look yourself in the mirror and answer honestly — is Aaron really your son?"

The night before, after collecting samples from himself and Aaron, Frederick had sent his secretary to the house to get samples from Claire and Aaron as well. Both reports came back at the same time.

Aaron wasn't just unrelated to Frederick. He wasn't Claire's biological child either.

Frederick had expected that once he laid out the truth, she'd have nothing left to say. He hadn't expected her to keep arguing even now.

He pulled up the second test report and held his phone out to her.

This time, Claire had no words.

Her knees gave out. She crumpled to the floor.

"Dad, you're lying, right? How could I not be your and Mom's son? That's impossible."

Aaron lay in the hospital bed, still pretending to be sicker than he was — all to keep Frederick from leaving and giving Elise any opening. But now, somehow, he was the one who had no parents at all?

He wanted to yank out his IV and get out of bed, but he didn't dare. He could only lie there, tears streaming silently down his face.

"Mr. Kennedy, when I went to collect Miss White's hair from the house last night, I found a security camera in the living room. It has a clear recording of the entire incident — Miss White hurting Aaron, step by step. Daisy is innocent. Miss White set her up to take the fall."

The secretary arrived at the room just in time to take in the whole scene. Without any particular expression, he handed his phone to Frederick with the security footage.

Frederick watched every second of it — Aaron getting hurt, and Claire negotiating with Daisy, convincing her to let herself get taken away by the police in Claire's place.

All of it. Every last detail.

"Call the police. Have them deal with Claire by the book."

"And have them find out who Aaron's biological parents are and where they are now."

Frederick gave the instructions, glanced at Claire like she was garbage, and walked out.

This time, Aaron didn't say a word to stop him.