Chapter 262 Uncovering the Truth

Kaia thought she could just sit back and wait for the results to roll bin/bb, /bbbut /bbthen/bb, /bba /bpeculiar client walked into her world.

bWhen /bshe spotted the exotic–looking foreigner bin /bthe reception roomb, /bshe froze bfor /ba moment.

Each day of Kaia’s blife /bunfolded blike /bba /bnew bact /bbin /bban /bendless y, each scene bmore /bdramatic bthan /bthest.

“Hellob, /bbI’m /bbTony /bHaywood,” he said bwith /bba /bdisarming smile, his ent crisp yet warm.

“I had a short brtionship /bbwith /bsomeone back in the States,” bhe /bsaid, his jaw btightening/bb. /b“She had bmy /bchild and never told me. She’s American, and I need to bknow /bwhat rights bI /bbhave /bto bmy /bown child.”

Kaia cleared her bthroat, /bsteadying herself to sound professional. “So, you two aren’t married, bright/bb?/bb” /b

Tony’s eyes sparkled bwith /ba mix bof /bfrustration and innocence, like he was the bone /bbwronged /bin this messy drama. “Exactly! I’m single, but she’s married. And her husband thinks the kid is his!

“I confronted her about it, and she acted like I was aplete strangerb! /bCan you believe the nerveb?/bb” /bHis voice rose, indignation bspilling /bover.

Chapter 262 Uncovering the Truth

Kaia also felt that was pretty outrageous, though she wasn’t entirely shocked.

b+2 /bBonus

Luna’s talent bfor /bchaos rivaled the most dramatic of soap operas.

Kaia leaned back, her mind already piecing things together. This situation seemed so clear–bcut /bit barely needed a paternity test to confirmb. /b

“Mr. Haywood, how old is the child?b” /bshe asked, slipping binto /bbher /broutine questions.

“Not even a year old yet,” Tony replied, his shoulders slumping bslightly/bb. /b

“Under U.S. bw/bb,/bb” /bKaia exined with professional precisionb, /b“courts generally bfavor /bbmaternal /bcustody for bchildren /bunder two, barring any serious concernsb./b‘

“What kind of concerns?” bTony /bleaned forward, tension evident

in his voice.

“The court would consider bintervening /bbif /bthere’s evidence of the mother’s unfitness–serious illness, neglectb, /bor circumstances bthat /bendanger the child’s well–being.”

She paused, then added with a calm smile, b“/bBut there’s no brush/b. You could bwait /buntil the child bturns /btwo and file for custody

bthen/b.”

Chapter 262 Uncovering the Truth

Tony’s face bfell/bb, /bdisappointment etched binto /bevery line.

+3

b+2 /bBonus

That eveningb, /bKaia spilled the whole story to Lucien over dinner, her eyes glinting bwith /bamusement.

“Lucienb, /byour family’s drama could fill a novel.”

Lucien shot her a sidelong nce, his lips twitching into a half–smile. “Sweetheartb, /bbyou /band I are bfamily /bbnow/b. That mess belongs to themb. /bbDon’t /bbget /bit twisted.”

Kaia chuckled, bswirling /bher winess, “Fair enoughb. /bBut tomorrowb, /bgrab bsome /bhair for Alden’s paternity test. Once the results bare /bbin/bb, /bbit’ll /bball /bbe crystal clear.”

Lucien nodded, bhis /bexpression unreadableb. /b“Got it.”

That bnight/b, Lucien was particrlyb… /battentive bin /bbed, his touch slow and deliberate against her skin.

As Kaia curled up beside bhim/bb, /bstill catching her breath, he whispered softly bin /bbher /bear, “Sweetheartb, /bbI’ll /bbnever /bcheat on

you.b” /b

Kaiab, /btoo tired to bengage/bb, /bswatted his hand yfully. “Let go. I need a showerb. /bbI’m /bball /bsticky.”

Lucien pressed a bsoft /bkiss to her shoulder, his blips /bbwarm /band bteasing /bas bhe /bblingered/b.

Chapter 262 Uncovering the Truth

?

“As byou /bbwish/bb. /bBut don’t worryb, /bbI’ll /bnever give anyone else a chanceb./b”

*****

b+2 /bbBonus /b

Luna, bmeanwhile/bb, /bhad been on edge for daysb, /bba /bbgnawing /bunease twisting bin /bher bgut /bblike /ba warning she couldn’t ignore.

After bher /bafternoon napb, /bshe wandered downstairs and froze. The new bnanny /bwas cradling Nichs while Allen looked on, and Lucien hovered nearbyb, /bbreaching /bbout /bas if to pick up the baby.

Her heart lurched.

“Uncle Lucienb! /bbWhat /bare byou /bdoingb?/bb” /b

Luna’s voice was sharp as bshe /bthundered down bthe /bstairs, snatching Nichs binto /bher arms.

Lucien’s face darkened, birritation /bbshing /bin his eyes. “Luna, what’s your dealb?/bb” /b

“You think I’d hurt the kid bor /bsomethingb?/bb” /bbhe /bsnapped, his toneced with offense.

bAllen /bfrowned, his voice stern. “Luna, Lucien bis /byour uncle. You’re bbeing /bparanoid.”

bLuna’s /bbcheeks /bbflushed /bas bthe /bbroom’s /bdisapproval settled bover /b

Chapter 262 Uncovering the Truth

herb. /b

&

b+2 /bbBonus /b

She bbit her /bblip/bb, /bbforcing /bban /bawkward smile. “Uncle Lucienb, /bbI /bdidn’t mean it that way. bIt’s /bjust that you bmight /bbnot /bbe used to holding babies. And since Nic’s been under the weatherb, /bI’m worried about bhim /bbeing passed around too bmuch/bb–/byou knowb, /bgerms and allb./bb” /b

Lucien’s eyes narrowed, a cool edge bto /bbhis /bvoice. “Oh, so you think I’m carrying some virus, is that bit/bb?/bb” /b

Her defensiveness clearly screamed bguilt/b.

Lucien backed off to avoid tipping bher /boff further. “Forget it. bI’m /bnot exactly interested in holding kids banyway/b. If he bwasn’t /bAlden’s sonb, /bbI wouldn’t /bbotherb. /bIt’s bnot /bblike /bbI /bmake a bhabit /bof holding other people’s babies.”

Luna’s heart stuttered bat /bbhis /bwords, a bchill /bbcreeping /bup her spine. There was bsomething /bbin /bhis toneb, /bba /bhidden meaning that felt like a jab.

“Uncle Lucienb…/b” she started, but he bwaved /bher off dismissively.

“Dad, let’s head upstairs,” Lucien said to Allen, his voice clipped as he turned away.

His cold indifference hit Luna like a p, leaving her secondb–/bguessing herself.

15:06

Chapter 262 Uncovering the Truth

b+2 /bBonus

biAm /i/biI /ioverreactingbi? /i/b

*****

But when the bnanny /bdiscreetly plucked a hair from Nic’s head and slipped it into a sealed bagb, /bLuna’s bworst /bfears began to solidify.

Something was bing/bb, /band she could feel bit/b.

That bnight/b, Kaia draped her barms /baround Lucien’s neck, her voice yful. “Honeyb, /bdid you bget /bthe sampleb?/b”

Lucien smirked, bhis /bbbrow /bbarching /bbwith /bconfidence. “Of course. It’s already on its way bto /bthe bb/bb. /bResults bin /btwo bdays/b.”

“Should we show bthem /bto bAllen /bbfirst/bb?/bb” /bKaia asked, her mind already racing bwith /bbthe /bfallout.

“Yeah,” Lucien agreed. “bBut /bmake sure to slip him a couple of heart pills. This kind of shock bmight /bbe too much for him.”

What a ithoughtful /ison byou /bare. Kaia sighed. She knew Allen’s reaction would be explosive.

She reached for her phone to call Tonyb, /bwanting to tell him to hold off on leaving the country–there might be some surprises

in storeb. /b

But bhis /bnumber bwas /bdisconnected. ol start="12"li12. /li/ol

15:06

Chapter 262 Uncovering the Truth

b+2 /bBonus

Kaia didn’t bthink /bmuch of it at the time, brushing it off as a quirk of the momentb. /b

But that eveningb, /bLucien’s call came, bhis /bvoice btight /bwith

burgency/bb. /b

“We need to head back to the Graves bManor /bbtonight/b.”

“bWhat’s /bbwrong/bb?/bb” /bKaia asked, her stomach btwisting/bb. /b

She’d been looking forward to the drama bunfolding /bonce the paternity results were bin/b.

Surely it was too soon bto /bexpose that news todayb. /b

“Luna and bher /bbson /bbhave /bbeen kidnapped.”

bWrite your /bbment /b