CHAPTER 165: CHAPTER 165: WENDY BELL BRINGS THE PATERNITY TEST

"Is security just for show now?" Ethan questioned Christopher in a low voice.

Christopher looked puzzled; the security department wasn’t under his supervision.

Mr. Grant had been acting strangely recently, always displeased with him...

"Mr. Grant, I’ll talk to the security department manager right away and ensure it’s properly managed," Christopher said quietly.

"Ethan..." Wendy Bell’s eyes reddened as she spoke softly. "Ethan, I am representing the Bell Family, regarding Claudia. Let’s talk."

Ethan glanced at the date; tomorrow was the deadline he had given to the Bell Family.

Closing the office door, Ethan, all business, led Wendy Bell to the VIP meeting room.

The room had surveillance cameras.

Everything was open and transparent.

Ethan was clearly treating the meeting with Wendy Bell as strictly business.

Wendy took a deep breath and followed Ethan into the meeting room, suppressing her emotions.

"This time, it really was Claudia’s fault. She’s the younger sister in the family, and my parents have always spoiled her. As her older sister... I also bear some responsibility," Wendy choked out, showing a good attitude of admitting fault.

Ethan wasn’t interested in hearing useless talk. "So what?"

"The Bell Family will hold a press conference, admit Claudia’s mistakes, apologize publicly to Yvette, and then send Claudia abroad..." Wendy tightly pressed her fingers together.

The Bell Family doing this meant they were completely abandoning Claudia Bell.

In fact, this was actually beneficial for Wendy.

Though the Bell Family’s reputation suffered, she would appear as a victim, gaining sympathy.

Simultaneously, with Claudia abandoned, the Bell Family would place all their hopes on her, the only remaining daughter.

She was the elder daughter; initially, when the Bell Family and Jennings Family had an engagement, her parents had thought of Claudia Bell instead of her.

Even though Wendy didn’t want to be engaged to Henry Jennings, she still felt her parents were biased.

She was the first daughter, yet her parents clearly favored Claudia Bell more.

Now that Claudia was essentially abandoned, they would need to rely on her for the future.

"No need to apologize publicly to Yvette. Just admit Claudia’s wrongdoings; an apology would be another injury. She only needs to see Claudia’s downfall, not wait for a so-called apology," Ethan spoke seriously.

He didn’t want to expose Yvette to the public eye again; it would be too cruel for her.

Yvette was afraid of social situations and suffered severe anxiety; he just needed to keep her protected behind him.

Wendy, feeling jealousy, clenched her hands tighter, not daring to meet Ethan’s eyes.

She feared seeing real emotions in Ethan’s eyes.

She pinned her hopes on the idea that Ethan was simply using Yvette, and once Yvette was of no use, he wouldn’t be as concerned with her.

"Ethan, take a look at this paternity test result." Wendy spoke softly, placing the test result in front of Ethan.

Ethan frowned warily, unsure of what trick Wendy was up to now.

"This is a generational paternity test between Summers’ hair and the Jennings Family patriarch." Wendy knew Henry was wary, so getting a hair sample from him was too difficult. Thus, she used the Jennings patriarch’s assistant under the guise of hairdressing to secretly obtain the sample.

This paternity test was now exclusive to Wendy.

Clearly, Wendy was using this to negotiate terms with Ethan.

Ethan’s complexion instantly darkened. "I’m curious, Miss Wendy, how exactly did you obtain Summers’ hair?"

Ethan’s voice was icy, making Wendy’s back instantly chill.

Clearly, Ethan was angry.

"Originally, I wanted to spare the Bell Family, but it seems you’re seeking destruction." Ethan’s voice was heavy with anger, even the school wasn’t safe for the child; this kindergarten could shut down.

"Please don’t be mad, take a look at the result first." Wendy’s voice quivered slightly. "I admit I had someone get Summers’ hair, but I absolutely did not harm the child. I’m genuinely concerned for Yvette; I truly did this for her sake."

Wendy sighed again and continued, "Ethan, you should know, Yvette declared openly that Summers was Henry’s child. Both Henry and the Jennings patriarch believed it. Moreover, the Jennings patriarch was very attentive to Summers. However, the Bell Family and Jennings Family are bound by marriage relations. This time, our Bell Family has decided to publicly acknowledge Claudia’s mistakes, which essentially ends this marital alliance. The Jennings patriarch will surely be displeased with Yvette, and if by chance..."

Wendy spoke softly, looking genuinely worried, as if she was truly anxious about Yvette.

But between the lines, she was subtly reminding Ethan that Yvette was prone to lying, with no truth coming from her lips.

Ethan ignored Wendy and reached to open the folder, glancing at the test results.

The results showed no kinship between the Jennings patriarch and Summers.

In other words, the Jennings patriarch was not Summers’ great-grandfather.

Frowning, Ethan slowly clenched his fingers, tightly crumpling the report in his hand. "You think I’ll believe you?"

"Ethan..." Wendy cried, choking up while looking at Ethan. "Yvette and I were friends before; we already knew each other well. I genuinely liked Yvette; I did this for her benefit. Look, Summers isn’t Henry’s child; doesn’t even resemble him."

Seeing Ethan’s somber expression, Wendy continued, "If you don’t believe me, you can take Summers and Henry for another test. If I’m lying, do as you please."

Ethan remained silent.

On this matter, Wendy truly had no need to fake it.

Because she clearly understood the consequences of falsifying.

Yet Wendy was absolutely not a well-intentioned woman; she was here to use this test result to coerce him.

Because Wendy understood, once the Jennings patriarch found out, Yvette would undoubtedly receive significant blame and repercussions.

"Miss Bell is smart. Sending this test result today, what’s your goal?" Ethan spoke seriously.

Prompting Wendy to come straight to the point.

"I have no ulterior motives..." Wendy said, pure like a white lotus. "Ethan, I’m merely worried; Yvette, in seeking protection, dared to lie to the Jennings family. If exposed, what’s her plan without anyone to protect her?"

Wendy was instilling into Ethan a notion that Yvette was inclined to lying.

"Do you think Yvette could lie and deceive Henry?" Ethan scoffed, lighting the test result with his lighter.

There’s only one possibility: the liar is Henry.

Henry used the child to bind Yvette.

"A man wouldn’t claim someone else’s child. Is there a chance that, after being with Yvette, Henry himself was uncertain..." Wendy hesitated mid-sentence, not daring to continue. "I mean, Summers’ real father—Yvette surely knows who her child’s father is; how could she not know her child’s dad."

"What, does she have DNA testing powers?" Ethan warned Wendy. "In case I don’t clear this up, and if this goes public..."

"Ethan, you still don’t believe me. I won’t spread this around, but once something happens to Claudia, the patriarch will resent Yvette more. If he personally investigates further..." Wendy hurriedly explained. "Moreover, during Yvette’s time in prison, tracing who visited her is simple. Summers’ biological father wouldn’t neglect visiting her."

Wendy was misleading Ethan, aiming his investigation in that direction, and both overtly and covertly suggesting that Yvette had many men, making Summers’ paternity disputable.

Ethan was completely unfazed by Wendy’s words.

His mind was filled with thoughts of Summers’ appearance...

"Christopher, please escort Miss Bell home." Exiting the meeting room, Ethan hastily returned to the office, unlocking the safe and rummaging through it.

Eventually, he located an old photo of him and his mother hidden at the very back.

The boy in the photo was Ethan, around five or six, similar in age to the current Summers.