Ethan’s eyes lit up when he heard Madam Sinclair say this, and he asked, "Grandma Sinclair, I’ve tried contacting Julian before. He said he’s too busy and doesn’t want to deal with . Do you really have the power to get him to handle this?"
"Of course!"
Madam Sinclair’s eyes filled with pride at the ntion of her grandson. "My words still carry so weight with Julian."
We chatted for a bit longer, and before I left, Madam Sinclair reminded , "By the way, Zoe, you could also go to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Technically, the Civil Affairs Bureau should have the marriage license of your mother and Peter Sawyer. No matter what Serena’s mother says, she’s the third party. The order of those marriages can’t be denied."
...
With Madam Sinclair’s advice, I went to the Civil Affairs Bureau early the next morning.
Madam Sinclair even used her connections to arrange for a staff mber to help look up Peter Sawyer and my mother’s marriage registration from back then.
But after checking, the staff mber apologized extra politely, "Sorry, Miss Ellison. I checked the system, and Peter Sawyer and Faye Warren were both first marriages. Peter Sawyer has no divorce record, and there’s no marriage record with your mother."
"What?"
I stood there stunned. Don’t tell , my mom and Peter Sawyer just held a wedding but never registered it?
I felt let down.
This just got complicated!
I thanked the staff and was about to leave.
But as soon as I stepped out the door, I ran into Serena and Timothy.
Seeing there, Timothy’s deep eyes swept over and he said, "Why aren’t you taking care of your mom? What are you doing here?"
"Is it any of your business?"
I shot back coldly.
Just then, Serena spoke softly, "Miss Ellison, I think we probably ca here for the sa reason. I’m also here to check my parents’ marriage record. I truly hope your mother was wronged and wasn’t the one who ca between my parents."
Her tone was polite, but every word had a hidden barb.
At that mont, a staff mber ca out and handed a certificate to Serena, saying respectfully, "Miss Sawyer, here’s the certificate confirming your parents’ first marriage. They each only had one marriage, and their only spouse is one another."
Serena showed Timothy the certificate and sighed, "I knew it—my mom wouldn’t lie to . She may be a bit hot-tempered, but she’s not one to talk nonsense."
I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them.
If I can’t find proof of my mother’s innocence here, then I’ll go look sowhere else.
I turned to leave. Serena called after , "Miss Ellison, I want to ask you for a favor. I don’t want to dig up the past anymore, and I’ll try to persuade my mom to forgive you both. But from now on, I hope your mom won’t disturb our peaceful lives any further. Can you do that?"
I stared back at her innocent, pitiful face and asked, word by word, "My mom is in a vegetative state. Tell , how could she possibly disturb your lives?"
Serena’s expression changed and she looked at Timothy for help.
I didn’t want to watch her act anymore and said coldly, "Instead of asking a woman in a coma to keep to herself, you should tell your mom to keep your dad in check! Stop letting him hang around my mom’s hospital room day and night, sticking to her like glue and refusing to leave!"
"Miss Ellison, how can you talk like that? We’re at least half-sisters by blood. Technically, you’re still my big sister. I really don’t want to hurt you..."
Serena’s eyes turned red; she looked pitiful and delicate.
I frowned in disgust. "Do a favor and stop making sick, okay? If you want to act, go audition for a drama. I have zero interest in your performance."
Timothy, apparently unable to watch his precious little darling get ’bullied’ by , said, "What I said the other day about sending you and your mother abroad still stands. All the evidence is right here in front of you—why make her stay in this country and keep humiliating herself?"
My chest felt stuffed with cotton. I took a deep breath and said, "Timothy, very soon everyone will know who’s really humiliating themselves."
I couldn’t stand to be in the sa room with them, not even for one more second.
So I quickly left.
Just as I got back to my car, I got a call from the hospital.
"Hello, Miss Ellison, the paternity test results are out. You can co pick them up now."
I pressed, "Can you please just tell now—am I Peter Sawyer’s biological daughter or not?"
The person replied, "According to the results, you two have no biological relationship, so you’re not his child."
As soon as she finished, the gloom in my heart was instantly set alight.
Even the thought of Sawyer blood in my veins felt like an insult.
Thank god, thank god...
After I hung up, sothing occurred to .
Right now, I wasn’t ready to let Peter Sawyer know the truth.
The Sawyers are all slippery—who knows what tricks he’d pull if he found out. He could twist everything around!
I imdiately called Jenna.
After telling her the whole story, I said, "Dr. Payne works at Veridia Central Hospital, right? Can you ask him to talk to soone in the genetics departnt? If Peter Sawyer asks, just tell him the results aren’t out yet."
Jenna readily agreed.
On the way back, I was happy not to have any connection to Peter Sawyer, but I felt like the mystery only deepened.
If I’m not Peter Sawyer’s daughter, then who is my real father?
For as long as I can rember, it’s only ever been and Mom.
I have absolutely no idea what the word ’father’ is supposed to an to .
Lost in thought, I drove all the way back to the hospital.
I never expected, with all the rumors flying lately, that Peter Sawyer would actually show up again.
Thinking about his daughter’s phony face and his shaless ’statents’ online, I was furious all over again.
Peter Sawyer spoke first. "I’ve been worried about you and your mother at ho, so I ca to check on you. By the way, to see if the paternity results are out. But the staff said they aren’t ready yet."
I looked at his sanctimonious face and swallowed my disgust. "If you have sothing to say, say it."
Peter Sawyer said, "I heard from Serena that you went to the Civil Affairs Bureau?"
"Yeah."
I didn’t hide it. "I went to check if you and my mom were married."
Peter Sawyer looked fully confident. "Then I’m sure you found nothing. I may not be fond of Faye Warren, but she’s my one and only wife."
"Really?"
I looked straight into his eyes. "Are you sure you never held a wedding with my mom? That Faye Warren is your first wife?"
Peter Sawyer’s eyes flickered. "Who told you that?"
I smiled. "Why should I tell you?"
"Don’t listen to nonsense. I never married your mother. I’ll say it again—I’ve only ever had Serena’s mother as my wife from beginning to end. You’re my illegitimate daughter, and I can take responsibility for you. But you can’t use that to morally blackmail !"
He was so righteous, like he was really so kind of responsible father.
I gave a cold laugh, rembering the paternity test result. "You’re not qualified to ’take responsibility’ for . Peter Sawyer, I hope when the truth cos out, you can still be this stubborn."
He avoided my gaze and practically ran out of my mother’s hospital room.
He’d barely left when a big social dia influencer posted, saying my mom and I had no morals and were howreckers out to ruin families.
So they demanded I hold a press conference and publicly apologize.
The post instantly blew up, drawing support from all over the internet.
"Zoe Ellison, co out! You and your mom had the guts to steal other people’s n, but now you don’t dare show your faces?"
"I know exactly what hospital Zoe’s mom is in! My sister’s a nurse there—she’s seen them with her own eyes! Both mother and daughter look slutty. DM if you want the address!"
"A hospital would actually shelter howreckers like them? Which one is it? Let’s boycott it together—and go see what those two look like, since they could steal Serena’s man and dad."
"Yeah yeah, count in—I wanna see too!"
"..."
Suddenly, tons of Serena’s fans started digging up all my personal info.
Even the hospital where my mom and I are staying was on the verge of being exposed.
By late afternoon, I heard chaotic footsteps in the hallway.
I thought it was those fans coming to make trouble, but it was actually Jack Sullivan, standing outside my mom’s hospital room with several bodyguards.
"You? What are you doing here?"
I looked at him suspiciously.
Jack Sullivan politely said, "Ma’am, President Xavier sent to protect you. Those fans online are acting crazy, and President Xavier was worried sothing might happen to you."
"No need. If anyone tries anything, I’ll call the police."
I coolly turned down Timothy’s ’help’. "The hospital has its own security. They’re not going to let fans storm in and disrupt everything."
Jack Sullivan urged, "Ma’am, President Xavier really does care about you. He just... has his pride, and didn’t want to say it himself. The mont he saw those online posts, he sent straight over."
I shot back sarcastically, "If he cares so much, why didn’t he co himself?"
"Uh..."
Jack was at a loss for words.
I said, "He’s with Serena, isn’t he?"
Jack said awkwardly, "It’s just that Serena’s family is also at the center of this ss, and every day she’s a wreck. President Xavier was worried she might do sothing stupid, so he’s sticking with her for a few days."
I let out a short laugh.
His own wife is depressed and he couldn’t care less. He thinks I’m faking it. But Serena stages this whole slander ga, and as the pri beneficiary, she gets Timothy’s undivided attention just for acting anxious.
It’s so painfully obvious who Timothy Xavier really cares about.
I said coldly, "Leave. Tell Timothy I don’t want to see anyone connected to him."
Jack looked afraid to fail Timothy’s orders and tried to persuade again.
Just then, Ethan and Jenna arrived—with their own crowd of bodyguards in tow.
"You guys..."
I looked at them, a bit confused.
Jenna explained, "We saw all those brain-dead comnts online and got worried those fans would harass you or your mom at the hospital, so we rounded up so security and ca to protect you both."
Jack hurried to add, "Miss Sutton, President Xavier already made arrangents. No need for you to worry."
Ethan gave a cold laugh. "His wife and mother-in-law are being cursed out and he’s with his side chick and her mom. And you call these arrangents? Spare us the nausea!"
I didn’t chi in, but I definitely agreed with Ethan.
So I said to Jack, "As you can see, I’m already being protected. Please leave. You’re Timothy’s most trusted assistant—he won’t bla you."
Jack finally left.
Jenna spat in his direction and said, "Why won’t Timothy just die already! Not only does he ignore you, he still has to swing by to gross you out from ti to ti."
Ethan said, "Jenna, don’t you have a date with Dr. Payne tonight? Go on, I’ll stay here with Zoe."
Jenna narrowed her eyes, "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to! Listen, you behave. If you so much as take advantage of Zoe, you’ll regret it!"
"Okay, okay, I get it, princess!"
Ethan hurriedly shoved Jenna out the door.
He gave a smile and said seriously, "Zoe, I’ll just sleep on the floor tonight, don’t worry about ."
"Um..."
I said awkwardly, "You don’t have to stay. You already brought bodyguards. That ans a lot. Thank you."
Ethan insisted, "No way. Serena’s idiot fans are scary. I have to stay and look after you and your mom."
I sighed softly and said, extra seriously, "Ethan, I only see you as a friend. Nothing else. I don’t want to waste your ti. Do you understand?"
Ethan frowned, "What did my mom say to you?"
"It’s got nothing to do with Auntie Katherine. Rember? When Timothy’s mom was so an and vicious and tried to stop us, I never backed down. So, if I love soone, I’d never leave them for outside reasons."
When I finished, Ethan looked like a kid who’d just lost his candy—totally dejected.
He mumbled, "I understand."
He left, but he made sure to leave the bodyguards to protect .
I actually managed to sleep peacefully the whole night.
The next morning, the bodyguard told Madam Sinclair was here.
I hurried to open the door for her.
I felt guilty—an eighty-year-old woman having to run around because of my ss.
Madam Sinclair looked delighted. "I ca today to bring you good news."
I caught on imdiately. "Did you find one of the guests from the wedding between Peter Sawyer and my mother?"
The old lady nodded. "Clever girl. These people..."
She had just started when we heard a minor argunt outside.
Our conversation stopped.
"Grandma Sinclair, please wait here for a minute. I’ll check it out."
When I went out, I saw Serena being blocked by the bodyguards.
I didn’t bother hiding my disgust. "What are you doing here?"
Serena put on her understanding, sensible act and said, "Timothy told you refused his help. I wanted to talk to you. If you have ti—after all, we are technically related as sisters."
The very sound of it made sick.
Timothy sure tells her everything, huh!
I was about to throw her out when Madam Sinclair ca out with her walking stick. "Since Miss Sawyer ca in person, let’s invite her in."
I didn’t want to embarrass Madam Sinclair.
Serena’s face flashed with shock and disbelief, clearly not understanding why Madam Sinclair was so friendly with .
After all, with the ss I’m in, most people can’t wait to stay as far from as possible.
But Serena knows Madam Sinclair’s status and connections.
In that mont, a shadow of envy flashed across her pretty face.
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