Chapter 25 Chapter 25
Victor remained vigilant, his military training evident in the way he positioned himself to keep both the Kennedy family and the terrace doors in his line of sight. Two decades of protecting what remained of his family had ingrained habits he couldn't break even in this academic setting.
"The device is functioning properly," Bryce said, his voice tight with anticipation. "Twenty more minutes, approximately."
Richard Lawson nodded, his weathered hands clasped tightly on the table. After twenty years of false leads and dashed hopes, these final minutes of uncertainty were both excruciating and precious. If the test were negative, Richard Lawson would face another devastating blow. But if it were positive, if this poised young woman were truly his Roxanne, everything would change.
On the terrace, Iris ended her call with her adoptive mother, drawing strength from Carol Maxwell's unconditional love. Regardless of what the test revealed, she had a family who loved her. That certainty grounded her even as everything else threatened to shift beneath her feet.
Tony joined her on the terrace, approaching cautiously. "How did it go?"
"My mom says I'm her daughter no matter what the test shows," Iris replied, her voice steady despite the emotion shimmering beneath. "And that if the Lawsons turn out to be my birth family, I'll just have a bigger family now."
Tony smiled, genuinely touched by Carol Maxwell's response. "She sounds amazing."
"She is," Iris confirmed, turning to face him fully. "Tony, whatever happens in there, I need you to understand something. I'm still me. I'm still the person who designs jewellery and works in a café and has four annoying brothers. If that test says I'm Roxanne Lawson, it doesn't change who I am, just where I came from."
Inside the library, Bryce Lawson's testing device emitted a soft beep. All heads turned toward the sound, conversation immediately ceasing. Bryce stared at the screen, his hands trembling slightly as he interpreted the results.
"It's complete," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Richard Lawson's chest tightened, his heart racing with a hope he had almost forgotten how to feel. "And?"
Bryce looked up, tears welling in his eyes. "Paternity confirmed. 99.98% match." His voice broke on the final word. "She's Roxanne. She's our sister."
A profound silence fell over the table. Theodore and Victor stood motionless, the news they had waited twenty years to hear finally real. Richard Lawson closed his eyes briefly, overwhelmed by emotions too complex for words.
The Kennedys exchanged meaningful glances, the confirmation immediately altering their calculations. Julius squeezed Helga's hand in warning, silently urging restraint. This moment belonged to the Lawsons, not to their business strategies.
On the terrace, Tony saw the change in the room through the glass doors. "I think they have the results," he said gently.
Iris turned, her analytical mind immediately processing the body language of those inside. Richard Lawson's slumped shoulders, Bryce's tear-filled eyes, Theodore and Victor's stunned immobility, she could read the answer before anyone spoke it aloud.
"It's positive, isn't it?" she asked, her voice steady despite the earthquake shifting her identity beneath her.
Tony nodded, watching her carefully. "Are you okay?"
Iris took a deep breath, centreing herself. "I don't know, but if it is, I guess I’ll have seven brothers instead of four. I'm not sure how to handle more of them. The other four are a handful, but well, these are the only way to find out.”
She took a deep breath and stepped back inside, Tony following a few paces behind her. The weight of the moment hung in the air as she approached the table where both families waited. Richard Lawson stood immediately, his weathered face a canvas of emotions too complex to name. Hope, joy, grief for lost years, all battled for dominance in his expression.
"Miss Maxwell, Iris," he said, his voice uncharacteristically unsteady for a man who commanded boardrooms with ease. "The test confirms what we hoped. You are my daughter. You are Roxanne."
Iris nodded slowly, absorbing the words that transformed her identity with such simple finality. "I understand," she said, her practical nature asserting itself even now. "Though I'm not sure I know what that means yet."
Across the table, the Kennedy family watched with calculating interest. Helga's mind was already racing through the implications, recalibrating her plans to account for this new reality. Julius studied Tony, noting how his son positioned himself protectively near Iris without crowding her, a delicate balance that spoke volumes about his feelings.
"It means," Theodore said gently, "that we've found the sister we've been searching for our entire lives."
Bryce couldn't contain himself any longer. He stood, tears streaming freely down his face. "It means you're family. You're our family."
Victor remained more reserved, his military bearing holding firm, though emotion shone in his eyes. "It means you were never forgotten. Not for a single day."
Richard Lawson took a tentative step toward Iris, stopping when he saw her almost imperceptible flinch. "It means," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "that you have choices to make. And we will respect whatever choices those are."
Helga Kennedy cleared her throat delicately. "This is certainly a momentous occasion," she said, her tone honeyed with false warmth. "The Lawson heiress, found at last. How... providential."
Tony shot his mother a warning glance. "This isn't about business, Mother."
"Everything is about business, darling," Helga replied smoothly. "Miss Maxwell, or should I say Miss Lawson, understands that, I'm sure."
"My name," Iris said firmly, "is Iris Maxwell. That hasn't changed in the last five minutes."
Richard Lawson nodded, a flash of pride crossing his face at her steadfast nature. "Of course. Legally, you are Roxanne Lawson, but we understand that you've lived your entire life as Iris Maxwell. We don't expect that to change overnight."
"Or at all, if that's your preference," Theodore added, earning a sharp look from his father that he met without flinching. "Father, she needs time."
Across campus, word was spreading among students that something significant was happening in the library. Richard Lawson, a figure recognisable from business magazines, was at the college, and so was his son, talking to Iris Maxwell. This seemed to catch a lot of people's interest, especially those in her design class.