Chapter 77
"Go investigate!" Ashley shot to her feet, her eyes flashing with venom. "Find the doctor who did that test seven years ago! I want to ask him face-to-face who gave him the audacity to deceive me!"
David looked troubled. "I already thought of that and checked. The doctor in charge back then emigrated with his entire family three years ago. There's no way to contact him now."
The trail had gone cold.
Ashley's heart sank. She collapsed back onto the sofa. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she grabbed David's arm. "David, what if... what if this report is fake? What if that woman orchestrated this to sneak her bastard into the Sharp family!"
It was like grasping at the last straw.
"Go again! Right now! Find the hospital director and have him personally verify it! I need to be one hundred percent certain that this report is completely accurate!"
David looked at her near-hysterical state and sighed, nodding. "Alright, wait here."
David returned quickly, his expression even more somber than when he'd left.
He approached Ashley, his voice low. "Mom, I met with the director. He said because Lucas personally ordered it as urgent, he had the lab director personally supervise the process. They used three different machines simultaneously, and the results were identical. The director stakes his hospital's reputation on it—this report is absolutely authentic."
Absolutely... authentic...
She sat there in a daze, her mind blank.
It was real...
This child truly was Lucas's biological son, her own grandson.
And all these years, everything she'd done to make Dami bond with Bianca...
Overwhelming regret and terror seized her.
"David..." Ashley's voice shook uncontrollably as she grabbed his hand like it was her only lifeline. "Was I... was I wrong from the very beginning..."
Her tears finally broke free.
"I've failed him... I've truly failed him..."
David watched Ashley's breakdown, unsure how to comfort her.
If not for Lucas's protection, this child would have been treated worse than a servant in the Sharp family.
Now that the truth was revealed, this belated remorse was nearly crushing the usually strong-willed old woman.
……
For several days, Ashley personally went to the hospital to care for Matthew.
Of course, she believed she was caring for her grandson Damian.
"Um... Grandma?"
Ashley froze. She'd nearly starved Dami to death, yet he was still willing to call her grandma?
"Dami, what is it?" Ashley's voice was terribly hoarse.
Matthew sighed like a little adult.
"Grandma, you said you were wrong. Shouldn't you apologize to me and Mommy?"
That single "grandma" made Ashley's heart tremble.
"Yes, I was wrong..." she choked out, reaching to pat Matthew's head. Halfway there, guilt made her pull back.
What right did she have to touch him?
Matthew noticed her hesitation. He wasn't here to listen to her cry.
"Just apologizing isn't enough. Because of you, Mommy suffered so much. Don't you need to apologize to Mommy too?"
David's eyelid twitched as he listened.
He knew Ashley's hatred for Juliana. Damian was usually bold, but even he wouldn't dare pull a tiger's whiskers.
How did getting sick suddenly teach him to negotiate?
To his surprise, Ashley didn't get angry. Instead, she said, "Yes, yes, I need to apologize and compensate! Whatever I can do, I'll give you, I'll give you everything!"
Her mind was consumed with atonement. Forget compensation—if they asked for her life, she probably wouldn't hesitate.
Seeing how cooperative she was, Matthew nodded with satisfaction.
He stretched out his chubby little hand and held it out brazenly before Ashley.
"Then start with some allowance."
David nearly choked on his own spit.
Was this kid's thought process a bit too unconventional? At a time like this, he was asking for allowance?
Ashley was stunned too.
Matthew explained, "You made Mommy's health so bad with stress. I need to buy lots and lots of good food to help her recover. All of that costs money."
Ashley bit her lip. She'd treat this money as compensation for her grandson!
"Yes! Absolutely!" Ashley told David, "David, quickly, transfer money to the child! No, allowance isn't enough—give him a card directly!"
"Mom, this..." David hesitated.
"Hurry up!" Ashley urged impatiently. She just wanted to do something to make amends.
Matthew blinked and somehow produced a children's phone, pulling up his payment QR code.
David looked at that cartoon-avatar payment code, his mouth twitching. Under Ashley's glare, he finally pulled out his phone.
"Mom, how much should I transfer?"
"Use your judgment! Would it be a small amount?" Ashley snapped.
David thought for a moment and tentatively entered a number.
Matthew's children's phone immediately chimed with a crisp notification.
"Received: five million dollars."
"..."
Matthew stared at the string of zeros on his phone screen, his little mouth forming an "O."
Fi... five million?
He'd only wanted to squeeze out some money to buy nutritional supplements for his brother and a new dress for Mommy. How did he suddenly become a little tycoon?
With this much money, he could support both Mommy and his brother!
David was also shocked—he'd meant to enter five hundred thousand dollars, but his hand slipped and added an extra zero. Ashley, however, seemed relieved to have finally accomplished something important.
Problems money could solve had never been problems for the Sharp family.
She only feared that some things couldn't be bought back, no matter how much money was spent.
……
Meanwhile, Lucas had been waiting for Juliana, who never came.
Driving back to the villa, as soon as he opened the door, a figure rushed at him, clinging to him tightly.
It was Juliana.
Her entire body trembled.
"What's wrong?" Lucas's brow furrowed.
Juliana looked up, rising on her toes to urgently seek his lips.
Her kiss was chaotic and desperate.
Lucas's eyes darkened immediately.
Something was wrong.
He didn't respond. Instead, he gripped the back of her head and firmly pulled her away, forcing her to look at him. "Juliana, look at me."
His voice was heavy, brooking no argument.