Chapter 151
At the Brown Mansion, Oscar and Nina were on the carpet, building with Lego blocks.
Raymond sat in a nearby armchair, smiling the whole time.
Footsteps came from the entrance. It was Aiden, coming through the door with his backpack.
The bow tie at his collar was slightly askew, and he looked relaxed after school. As soon as he looked up and saw the two figures on the floor, his eyes lit up.
"Oscar, Nina, what are you guys doing here?"
Aiden walked over, crouched down, and started playing with Oscar and Nina.
Nina looked up, still clutching a yellow block in her hand, and called out softly, "Aiden."
Oscar also stopped building and nodded at Aiden, a rare flicker of a smile on his little face.
The three children had always gotten along well.
Before long, the house was filled with children's laughter.
While they played, Aiden’s gaze moved restlessly around, but the figure he was looking for never appeared.
The smile on his face faded a little. He walked over to William and asked quietly.
"Dad, why didn't Ms. Johnson come?"
William was looking down at some documents. At those words, his fingers paused. He looked up at Aiden with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
He reached out and ruffled Aiden's hair, comforting him. "She still has some things to take care of. She'll come by later."
Aiden's face showed clear disappointment, but he was smart enough not to ask more questions. He just turned around and went back to playing with Oscar and Nina.
However, anyone could tell that he wasn't as enthusiastic as before.
Watching him, William suddenly had an idea.
He walked over to Aiden and, while the kids were bending down to pick up blocks, quietly plucked a strand of his hair and carefully placed it in a sealed bag he carried with him.
Aiden was completely unaware.
He continued playing happily with the two little ones.
Watching this scene, William's eyes darkened.
He thought:
This strand of hair would be the key to clearing up every doubt, and also his opportunity to get close to Emily again.
Early the next morning, William drove to Emily's place.
When he knocked on the door, Emily had just finished getting ready.
She was wearing a simple white lounge set. Seeing William at the door, surprise flashed in her eyes.
"Why are you here?"
Emily stepped aside to let him in, then poured him a glass of water.
William took the glass but didn't drink. He just placed the sealed bag containing Aiden's hair on the table.
His gaze fell on Emily's face, his tone serious.
"This is Aiden's hair. Take it and do a paternity test."
Emily's hand paused, her eyes full of confusion.
"Paternity test? With who?"
"You and Aiden."
William’s voice carried weight, leaving no room for doubt.
"I need a definite answer."
Looking at the sealed bag on the table, Emily's fingers curled slightly.
She had suspected this for a while, but when William actually proposed doing a paternity test, She couldn’t quite shake the faint sense of panic.
Emily opened her mouth to say something, but William didn't give her a chance to speak.
"I know you have concerns, but Emily, this needs to be settled."
After that, William turned and walked toward the door without hesitation.
"Tell me when the results come out."
Watching the door close gently, Emily stood there, staring at the sealed bag on the table for a long time.
She held the sealed bag, her fingertips gliding across it, her heart caught in a storm of indecision. Should she do it or not?
She knew that this paternity test report could change many things.
But if she didn't do it, this doubt would always stand between her and William, and it would hang over the children's future, too.
After hesitating all morning, Emily still picked up the sealed bag and drove to the most reputable paternity testing center in the city.
She went through the express procedure.
The staff told her the results would be ready in the afternoon.
Walking out of the testing center, Emily took out her phone and idly scrolled through the news.
Her feed was full of stories about the Brown family, with headlines that read:
"Brown Group CEO William Returns Safely, Officially Takes Over Company Affairs."
In the accompanying photo, William stood outside the Brown Group building in a black suit.
His posture was upright, his presence powerful, intimidating even in a still photo.
Emily looked at the man in the photo, the corners of her lips lifting without her noticing.
She was genuinely happy for William.
After all this trouble, William had finally taken back what belonged to him and no longer had to watch his back around those small-minded people.
She sat in a nearby cafe for a while, waiting to pick up the test report in the afternoon.
Time passed bit by bit. At two in the afternoon, Emily got up and headed to the paternity testing center.
Just as she reached the entrance, a familiar figure blocked her path.
It was James.
James was wearing casual clothes, the smile on his lips making Emily instinctively disgusted.
His gaze fell on Emily with a hint of scrutiny.
"Emily, long time no see. Let's talk."
Emily frowned, instinctively taking a step back to put some distance between them.
She stared at James warily, her tone icy.
"I have nothing to talk to you about."
As soon as she finished speaking, Emily tried to walk around James and into the testing center.
But he reached out and grabbed Emily's wrist.
His grip was extremely strong, making Emily frown in pain.
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
James's tone turned cold.
Ignoring Emily's struggles, he dragged her toward a black car by the roadside, opened the door, and pushed her inside.
The car door slammed shut. Emily's back hit the seat.
Pain flared, dull and spreading, and she watched James slide into the driver's seat. A wave of fear rose in her chest.
Was she being kidnapped?
Emily felt uneasy, but she still clenched her fists, refusing to let fear take over.
She forced herself to stay calm, though her voice still trembled slightly when she spoke.
"James, don't do anything stupid. In broad daylight, if you kidnap me, aren't you afraid the police will catch you?"
James started the car. Hearing this, he sneered and glanced at her.
"Kidnap? Emily, you're overthinking. I just want to treat you to a meal and have a good chat."
The car sped along and finally stopped in front of an elegantly decorated restaurant.
James got out and walked around to the passenger side, opening the door.
He still gripped Emily's wrist tightly, forcibly pulling her inside.
There weren't many people in the restaurant. Soothing music flowed through the air.
James pressed Emily firmly into a seat and ordered a bunch of expensive dishes.
He talked to himself the whole time. Emily didn't say a word.
Her face was full of coldness, and she didn't even bother to look at him.