Female Novel
Chapter 359
"I always sensed that he was alert and cautious around people, but now he's determined to restoreorder within the family and is resorting to silencing them..." Lois murmured to herself.
I could see her veins bulging as she fought to control her anger.
"Meet me at Coast Restaurant at 6 o'clock to discuss the new terms. If you fail to come, I cannotguarantee my patience with you." Lois was giving me an ultimatum.
As soon as her car drove away, I swiftly ran toward the trash can. I was determined to find theenvelope that Steven had discarded. It held the photos that Yasmin had brought with her.novelbin
Despite the photos being torn to pieces by Steven, I painstakingly pieced them back together.Within the photo, there was undeniable evidence that Stephany and Peter had met.
The photo captured a secret meeting between Stephany and Howard with Peter. There was also aphoto of Stephany introducing a homeless child to a stranger. No... Not a stranger.
I managed to put the photos together as best as I could, my breath trembling. Stephany brought thehomeless child to meet the man, who was the second victim in the mutilation case. Rumor had itthat he was involved in import and export trading.
Combined with what Lois said about the consequences, it seemed that Stephany's identity wasindeed more complex than I had imagined.
...
I arrived at the Coast Restaurant ahead of time, before six o'clock. To my surprise, Lois was alreadythere, patiently waiting for me.
She was an exceptionally resilient woman. My mother had often mentioned her, stating that theFord family relied solely on her. Her husband, Michael's father, on the other hand, contributed verylittle.
She was also a pitiful woman. She lived a life akin to that of a widow, yet she wasn't one. Ever sinceshe had Michael, her husband was rarely present at home. During my time with the Ford family, Irarely had the chance to catch a glimpse of her husband.
Lois asked calmly, "How much money did Peter give you to pretend to be Stephanie, get close toSteven, and deceive him into selling the Lincoln Group and ruining the Lincoln family? What's thenext step? The Ford family?"
I was momentarily stunned and did not argue. But, instead, I was contemplating her words. Shebelieved that Peter sent me and that he intentionally asked me to get close to Steven and Michael.
"I don't understand what you're talking about," I replied seriously.
Why did Peter want to eliminate the Ford and Lincoln families?
Lois scoffed disdainfully. "No point in pretending, Stephany. I won't come to you if I don't findenough information about you. Do you truly believe I spent my time away on a vacation? Peter hastaken care of everyone who needs to be taken care of. Do you really think I will just sit back andsurrender?"
I frowned and said nothing.
Lois casually asked, "I looked into your background. Do you know why you resemble Stephanie?Do you know why he selected you to mimic her? It's because, in a way, you both share the samegenes."
I looked at her in shock. "What do you mean..."
She took a sip of wine and smiled playfully. "You need to tell me Peter's conditions in exchange fora secret of equal value."
I had a headache and was completely clueless about the agreement made between Stephany andPeter. "All I can recall is that there was a classmate named Howard. He mentioned something aboutSir asking us to do something, but I can't remember the details."
I was uncertain if that "Sir" happened to be Peter.
Lois said confidently, "It's very likely that Peter has your handle. Knowing Peter, he might brainwashyou and then implant Stephanie's memories under hypnosis. When you wake up, you'll believe youare Stephanie."
She then murmured, "He's certainly a lunatic."
I remained silent, pondering the implications of Lois's comment about sharing the same genes.
"Charles' wife is unable to conceive, and he has been diagnosed with azoospermia, which meansthat they are medically unable to have biological children together," Lois explained in a low voice,looking at me.
Lois's unexpected news stunned me. It turned out that Stephany was not their biological child aswell.
"Back then, Charles and his wife begged Stephanie's mother to help them have a child. Stephanie'smother carried out an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer for Mrs. Larson, resulting in anembryo with the same genes as Stephanie. That's all I know for now." Lois frowned.
She only knew that Stephanie and Stephany were embryos frozen in the laboratory for experimentalpurposes. Stephanie's mother only mentioned them because they shared the same original genes.
"After I married Steven, Peter didn't ask anyone to contact me or give me any tasks. Everything thathappened was natural. Whether you believe it or not, Michael's suicide was a result of his ownchoices, and it has nothing to do with me." I tried to explain.
However, it was clear that Lois would not trust me.