Chapter 165
"Has security become just for show now?" Michael questioned David in a low voice.
David looked completely bewildered—the security department wasn't even under his management.
Michael had been acting strange lately, constantly finding fault with him.
"Mr. Smith, I'll contact the security department manager right away and have this properly handled," David said quietly.
"Michael." Aria's eyes reddened as she spoke softly, "Michael, I'm here representing the Clark family. About Pearl's situation, let's talk."
Michael glanced at the date—tomorrow was the deadline he'd given the Clark family.
Closing his office door, Michael businesslike led Aria to the VIP meeting room.
There were surveillance cameras in there.
Everything completely open and transparent.
Michael was making it clear he intended to keep things strictly professional with Aria.
Aria took a deep breath and followed Michael into the meeting room, suppressing her emotions.
"What happened this time was definitely Pearl's fault. She's the younger sister in the family, and my parents have spoiled her since childhood. As her older sister, I'm also to blame." Aria said with a catch in her voice, showing a good attitude of admitting fault.
Michael didn't want to hear this nonsense, "So?"
"The Clark family will hold a press conference, admit to Pearl's wrongdoing, publicly apologize to Nora, and then send Pearl abroad." Aria gripped her fingers tightly.
By doing all this, the Clark family would essentially be abandoning Pearl completely.
Actually, this was a good thing for Aria.
Though the Clark family's reputation would be damaged, she would appear as a victim, gaining sympathy.
At the same time, with the Clark family abandoning Pearl as a daughter, they would put all their chips on her alone.
She was the eldest daughter in the family. When the Clark family and the Wood family had that marriage arrangement, Haven and Eloise had thought of Pearl first, not her.
Even though Aria didn't want to be engaged to Walter, she still felt Haven and Eloise were playing favorites.
She was the eldest daughter, but they clearly doted on Pearl more.
Now that Pearl was being abandoned, she would be the only one they could rely on in the future.
"No need to apologize to Nora in front of reporters. You just need to publicly admit her crimes. As for apologizing, that's causing harm a second time. She only needs to see Pearl's consequences, she doesn't need any so-called apology." Michael said in a deep voice.
He didn't want Nora exposed to public view again—that would be cruel to her.
Nora had social anxiety and severe anxiety issues. He just needed to keep her hidden behind him and protect her.
Aria jealously clenched her hands, not daring to look into Michael's eyes.
She was afraid of seeing real feelings in Michael's eyes.
She was now hoping that Michael was just using Nora, and once Nora lost her usefulness, naturally he wouldn't care about her so much anymore.
"Michael, please look at this paternity test result." Aria said quietly, placing the test result in front of Michael.
Michael frowned warily, not knowing what trick Aria was pulling now.
"This is a generational paternity test between Samuel's hair and Noah's." Aria knew it would be too difficult to get hair with follicles from Walter since he was so cautious, so Aria had approached Noah's assistant and, under the pretense of giving Noah a haircut, secretly obtained a sample.
This paternity test currently only Aria had.
Clearly, Aria was using this to negotiate terms with Michael.
Michael's expression instantly darkened, "I want to know how you obtained Samuel's hair."
Michael's voice was cold, making Aria's back instantly go cold.
Clearly, Michael was angry.
"Originally, I was going to let the Clark family off easy, but it seems you're looking for death." Michael's anger was heavy. Samuel wasn't safe at school either—this kindergarten might as well shut down.
"Don't get angry yet, look at the results first." Aria's voice trembled slightly, "I admit I had someone get Samuel's hair, but I definitely didn't harm him. I'm just worried about Nora, I really am doing this for Nora's good."
Aria sighed and spoke again, "Michael, you should know that Nora told everyone Samuel is Walter's child, and Walter and Noah believe it too. Noah cares a lot about Samuel, but the Clark family and the Wood family have a marriage alliance. This time our Clark family has decided to publicly admit Pearl's mistakes, which is basically destroying this marriage alliance. Noah will definitely resent Nora. What if..."
Aria's words were gentle, her face full of concern, as if she really was worried about Nora.
But between the lines, she was telling Michael that Nora was a habitual liar with not a word of truth in her mouth.
Michael ignored Aria, reached out to open the document envelope, and took out the test result to look at it.
The result showed that Noah and Samuel had no blood relationship.
Which meant Noah was not Samuel's great-grandfather.
Frowning, Michael's fingers slowly tightened, crumpling the report in his hand, "You think I'll believe you?"
"Michael." Aria cried, looking at Michael through her tears, "Nora and I are friends. We knew each other before all this. I really like Nora. I'm doing this for her own good. Look, Samuel isn't Walter's child either—he doesn't look like him at all."
Seeing Michael's dark expression, Aria spoke again, "If you don't believe me, you can take Samuel and Walter to do another test. If I'm lying, do whatever you want with me."
Michael was silent.
Aria really had no reason to fake this.
Because she knew very well the price of faking it.
But Aria was definitely not that kind of kind-hearted woman. Her purpose in coming here was to use this test result to control him.
Because Aria knew that once Noah found out, Nora would definitely face great anger and consequences.
"You're a smart person. What's your purpose in suddenly bringing this test result today?" Michael said in a deep voice.
Telling Aria to get to the point.
"I don't have any purpose." Aria seemed very innocent, "Michael, I'm just worried that Nora, seeking protection now, even dares to lie to the Wood family. What if she's exposed and has no one to protect her?"
Aria was trying to plant in Michael's mind the idea that Nora loved to lie.
"You think Nora has the ability to lie and deceive Walter?" Michael snorted coldly, using a lighter to set fire to the test report in his hand.
There was only one possibility—the one lying was Walter.
Walter was using the child to tie Nora down.
"A man wouldn't claim someone else's son. Is it possible that after Walter got together with Nora, he himself wasn't sure..." Aria said half her sentence and didn't dare continue, "What I mean is, whoever Samuel's biological father is, I think Nora must know in her heart. How could she not know who her son's father is?"
"What, does she have DNA testing superpowers?" Michael warned Aria, "Before I investigate this clearly, if this matter gets out..."
"Michael, you still don't trust me. I won't let it out, but once something happens to Pearl, Noah will resent Nora even more. If he investigates himself and finds something out, I can't help it." Aria anxiously explained, "Besides, during those years Nora was in prison, it's easy to check who visited her. Samuel's biological father couldn't possibly not go see Nora."
Aria was misleading Michael, directing him to investigate in this direction, while openly and covertly suggesting Nora had many men and that who the child's father was could be controversial.
Michael wasn't listening to Aria at all.
His mind was now full of thoughts about Samuel's appearance.
"David, send Ms. Clark home." Walking out of the meeting room, Michael quickly returned to his office and opened the safe, rummaging through it.
Finally, in the very back, he found a photo of himself as a child with his mother Fallon.
In the photo, Michael was about five or six years old, around the same age as Samuel now.