Chapter 169
Emerald City Paternity Testing Center.
Aria's car was parked downstairs.
"Ms. Clark, you guessed right. Michael did get suspicious, and he went to Marcus on his own."
Marcus was Michael's friend who worked at this testing center. Aria had guessed that Michael wouldn't trust anyone else, so he would definitely go to Marcus.
With a cold laugh, Aria said, "Just as I thought."
She had gone through so much trouble trying to get Michael's hair, but someone like Michael would never let anyone pluck his hair.
So she had to find another way.
"Do as I told you." Aria got out of the car.
Marcus's car was parked at the entrance. He was holding a sealed bag containing Michael and Samuel's hair samples as he walked toward the testing center.
Suddenly, there was a dull thud, followed by the car alarm going off.
Marcus looked back, "Damn it!"
Some idiot had smashed his car with a huge rock!
"What's security doing! How did he get in here?" Marcus was heartbroken. This was his new car, worth over three million dollars!
"Catch him!" Marcus was practically jumping up and down.
Someone bumped into Marcus carelessly, and the sealed bag in his hand fell to the ground.
Aria bent down smoothly, switched the sealed bag, and stood up with a smile, handing it to Marcus, "Sorry, my bad. I was in a bit of a rush."
"It's fine." Marcus glanced at Aria and narrowed his eyes.
Aria apologized again and left directly.
Walking into the alley, Aria took a deep breath to calm herself, looking down at the sealed bag in her hand.
"I've got the hair sample. Test it immediately. I need to know the results." Aria made a phone call.
Michael's house.
"Joseph, who said you could be picky?" Seeing Joseph eating only meat and avoiding vegetables, Michael tapped his head.
Joseph rubbed his head and mumbled, "Uncle Michael, I don't like eating vegetables."
Michael wouldn't allow anyone to criticize Nora's cooking, "Vegetables are nutritious."
"My mom's vegetables are delicious too." Samuel put some vegetables on Joseph's plate.
Joseph looked curious, "Really? Your mom is amazing. My mom has never been in the kitchen, hardly ever eats with me, and Dad doesn't come home either."
Nora froze for a moment, looking at Michael.
How could Mason treat Joseph like this?
"I called Mason, he didn't answer. Veda's drunk too. These two people are just..." Michael wanted to curse, but held back in front of Joseph.
He really didn't know how such trash could be parents.
"No matter what the reason, parents who can't be there for their children don't deserve to be forgiven." Nora's voice was hoarse as she looked down at her rice.
She had spent five years in prison, missing five years of Samuel's life.
She hadn't even given Samuel a complete family.
Michael's hand holding the knife and fork went numb, feeling even more guilty.
"What if Samuel's father didn't know about his existence before, but after finding out, desperately tried to make up for it? Could he be forgiven?" Michael asked softly, carefully, without even realizing it himself.
Nora paused. Walter had said more than once that he wanted to make amends, but she didn't need his amends, "No, I could never forgive him."
She couldn't forgive herself for what Samuel had missed, nor could she forgive the harm done to her that night.
"What if... I mean, what if that day in Silverlight City I hadn't taken you away and worked with you, what would you have done?" Michael really wanted to know what Nora would do if she had no other options.
"Give Samuel to Walter, then disappear." Nora was telling the truth.
She would donate a kidney to Evelyn, atone for all her sins, and die on the operating table.
Michael's heart ached so much it went numb. He put down his knife and fork and suddenly stood up.
"Mr. Smith, not eating anymore?" Nora asked nervously. Was the food not to his liking?
Michael shook his head, "No, my stomach suddenly feels a bit off. I'm going to take a call."
The caller ID showed it was Marcus.
Holding his phone, Michael walked into the study distractedly, his face looking terrible.
His breathing was a bit rapid. Suddenly he didn't want to know the truth anymore.
It would be best if there was never any truth.
Let him just do his best to make it up to Nora and Samuel.
"Michael, the results are in. Want to know?" Marcus called.
Michael's voice was hoarse, "I don't want to know."
"Why aren't you following the script?" Marcus laughed, "Answer properly."
"I want to know. Tell me." Michael rubbed his temples, his fingers numb.
"You want to know? Buy me a new Bentley. My car got smashed." Marcus said through gritted teeth.
Michael's eyes darkened, "You offended someone?"
"Who could I offend? Today's just been unlucky, really bad luck." Marcus cursed.
"Alright, stop joking around." Michael was already prepared.
"The samples aren't qualified, can't be tested." Marcus said, "However, I suspect the samples were switched. I suggest you bring the child for a retest, because from the chromosome analysis, the two samples I have belong to two women."
Marcus laughed, "Michael, turns out you're a woman?"
Michael rubbed his temples, "Cut the nonsense. Your car got smashed, the samples got switched, and you still have the nerve to call me?"
He shouldn't have trusted Marcus.
"What you should be worried about now is your wife. That woman's mind is definitely sharp. She might not be a match for her." Marcus said lazily.
"Woman?" Michael frowned.
"I thought about it carefully. After my car was smashed, a woman bumped into me, knocked the samples down, then picked them up for me. I checked the parking lot surveillance, and guess what? I just happened to see her switching the samples." Marcus laughed, "Tell me, isn't this woman who's scheming against you unlucky enough? She probably doesn't know what I do, right?"
The paternity testing center belonged to Marcus, and he was also a private investigator.
"Stop beating around the bush." Michael's anger was already being suppressed.
"Aria, your little mistress." Marcus said with a laugh, "When you had me investigate what happened six years ago, I thought it was suspicious. The probability of it being Aria was very low, because her desire to get you was practically jumping in my face. If it really was her that night, she couldn't have kept quiet for six years. But too much time had passed, the overwritten surveillance footage couldn't be recovered, she admitted it herself, so you could only accept it."
Michael frowned.
"Of course, I suggest you bring the child and go through the proper process to have me do the test." Marcus wanted Michael to bring Samuel over.
"No need." Michael clenched his fingers.
He couldn't let Nora notice.
And didn't dare let Nora know.
Once she knew that the person who hurt her that night was him...
Michael was afraid.
"Keep this confidential. I'll handle Aria myself." Michael warned Marcus.
"You're insulting my profession." Marcus scoffed, "When do you have time to introduce me to your wife?"
"No time." Michael hung up directly.
Aria...
It seemed the Clark family should disappear.
The Clark family.
Aria sat by the window drinking red wine when she received a call.
"The test results are in. The two parties tested have a father-son relationship."
The wine glass in her hand fell to the floor. Aria's whole body was shaking.
Samuel really was Michael's son.
She absolutely could not let Samuel and Nora continue to stay in Emerald City.
She would do whatever it took to make Nora and Samuel disappear.