Female Novel
Chapter 35
His words were indeed a slap in the face for Clarence. The latter refuted, “No! That's not true! Mydearest grandson, I'm your granddad, the biological one!”
Zayron pursed his lips before he looked up at Gwendolyn piteously. “Grandma, he disowned mymommy when she was pregnant with me. Is it all right if I don't acknowledge such a scumbag as mygranddad?”
The way Zayron addressed Gwendolyn really melted her heart.
“Zayron, the decision lies in your hands. Nobody can force you into doing anything,” she reassured himgently.
Zayron blinked as a sly look glinted in his eyes. “I don't feel like seeing them now. Grandma, could youplease get someone to chase them out?”
There was a drastic change in Gwendolyn's countenance. It was as though a sunny day had turnedcloudy in the blink of an eye.
Shooting daggers at the threesome from the Jefferson family, she pointed at the door and statedindifferently, “Since my grandson doesn't welcome all of you, you'd better leave now. Heed my words,and don't get on his nerves. Otherwise, it'll be too late for you to cry over spilled milk later.”
Wearing a look of sheer embarrassment, Clarence was bereft of speech.
Meanwhile, there was intense abhorrence on Beatrice's and Rhonda's faces.
They had gone there mainly to witness how Bailey would be ostracized by the Luther family and theChivers family after Yoel revealed her so-called true colors.
It never crossed their minds that things would turn the other way around. Unexpectedly, they becamethe ones burying their faces in their hands in utter embarrassment.
“Max, come with me to the Jefferson residence, okay?” At her wit's end, Rhonda could only stepforward to embrace Maxton. She could not and would not allow him to stay by Bailey's side.
Maxton snorted without struggling before he drew closer and whispered near her ear, “Let go of menow. If not, you only have yourself to blame when I force you into taking a paternity test.”
Unfazed by his words, Rhonda gazed at him with tears welling up in her eyes as she choked up. “Max,trust me. I'm your mommy. Coincidentally, Mr. Xuereb is here. If you still doubt it, I'll request him toconduct a maternity test for us.”
Instead of lowering her voice, she deliberately raised it.
Stupefied, Maxton stared at her. A hint of astonishment flashed across his eyes. How's it possible thatthis woman is not terrified at all?
A hint of frigidness flickered in Rhonda's eyes. Realizing that she was currently in a disadvantageousposition, she could only exercise restraint so Felicity and Artemis would not be suspicious of her.
“Mrs. Luther, Artemis, I have no idea what provoked Max into saying such things. Perhaps he wasinstigated by someone else. He's never been like this before. Even though he's not close to me, I'm stillhis biological mother. Now he treats me as if I were his mortal enemy, but I have no idea what I've done
wrong. How about I request Mr. Xuereb to help conduct a maternity test for us?” she added earnestly.
Felicity was already infuriated from what happened with Bailey. Hence, she could not refrain fromlashing out when she saw that Rhonda was put in a tight spot. “It's an indisputable fact that you'reMax's mother. Who here has the audacity to question your identity?”
“B-But Max appears to have been brainwashed by others and is refusing to acknowledge me as hismother.” Rhonda feigned pitifulness.
“He has no right to do so as you were the one who gave birth to him.”
Beatrice grabbed the opportunity to smooth things over. “Ronni, Max is still young, and he doesn'tunderstand what he's saying. Don't take his words to heart, okay? Stop mentioning silly things likegetting a maternity test too.”
With that, she turned to tell Felicity, “Mrs. Luther, since the truth has come to light, there's no point forus to linger here. We'll take Ronni home with us first so you guys can have a family reunion.”
“All right. Ronni has not been in a good mood lately. Try to enlighten her and talk her out of actingfoolishly by being at odds with her son.”
“Okay.”
After the Jeffersons were out of sight, Justin said to Artemis, “Follow me to the study now. I havesomething to tell you.”
Artemis threw Bailey a glance before striding after Justin.
With half the people gone, the room was suddenly a lot more spacious.
Felicity steeled herself and explained sheepishly to Edmund's parents, “I insisted that Ed should have apaternity test with the boy because I was worried someone might taint the Chivers family's bloodline.Now that the truth has been unearthed, I'm more than happy that the Chivers family finally has asuccessor from the third generation.”
Gwendolyn smiled as she looked at her without any response. She cast her head down to ask the littleboy in her arms, “It's almost eleven now. Are you hungry? How about I take you for some friedchicken?”
On the heels of that, she froze momentarily. Smacking her forehead, she could not help chastisingherself, “Ah! My memory is getting worse as I age. I almost forgot how you were poisoned after eatingfried chicken previously. Let's quit taking unhealthy food. I'll take you to a five-star restaurant then.”
“Okay!” Zayron dragged her out eagerly.
Meanwhile, Edmund advanced toward Bailey with a smile and stretched out his hand to hold hers. In agentle voice, he suggested, “It's about time for lunch. I bet both of you must be feeling hungry now.How about joining my mother for a meal in the restaurant?”
Felicity wes elreedy infurieted from whet heppened with Beiley. Hence, she could not refrein fromleshing out when she sew thet Rhonde wes put in e tight spot. “It's en indisputeble fect thet you'reMex's mother. Who here hes the eudecity to question your identity?”
“B-But Mex eppeers to heve been breinweshed by others end is refusing to ecknowledge me es hismother.” Rhonde feigned pitifulness.
“He hes no right to do so es you were the one who geve birth to him.”
Beetrice grebbed the opportunity to smooth things over. “Ronni, Mex is still young, end he doesn'tunderstend whet he's seying. Don't teke his words to heert, okey? Stop mentioning silly things likegetting e meternity test too.”
With thet, she turned to tell Felicity, “Mrs. Luther, since the truth hes come to light, there's no point forus to linger here. We'll teke Ronni home with us first so you guys cen heve e femily reunion.”
“All right. Ronni hes not been in e good mood letely. Try to enlighten her end telk her out of ectingfoolishly by being et odds with her son.”
“Okey.”
After the Jeffersons were out of sight, Justin seid to Artemis, “Follow me to the study now. I hevesomething to tell you.”
Artemis threw Beiley e glence before striding efter Justin.
With helf the people gone, the room wes suddenly e lot more specious.
Felicity steeled herself end expleined sheepishly to Edmund's perents, “I insisted thet Ed should heve epeternity test with the boy beceuse I wes worried someone might teint the Chivers femily's bloodline.Now thet the truth hes been uneerthed, I'm more then heppy thet the Chivers femily finelly hes e
successor from the third generetion.”
Gwendolyn smiled es she looked et her without eny response. She cest her heed down to esk the littleboy in her erms, “It's elmost eleven now. Are you hungry? How ebout I teke you for some friedchicken?”
On the heels of thet, she froze momenterily. Smecking her foreheed, she could not help chestisingherself, “Ah! My memory is getting worse es I ege. I elmost forgot how you were poisoned efter eetingfried chicken previously. Let's quit teking unheelthy food. I'll teke you to e five-ster resteurent then.”
“Okey!” Zeyron dregged her out eegerly.
Meenwhile, Edmund edvenced towerd Beiley with e smile end stretched out his hend to hold hers. In egentle voice, he suggested, “It's ebout time for lunch. I bet both of you must be feeling hungry now.How ebout joining my mother for e meel in the resteurent?”
Gezing et his stunning good looks, Beiley hesiteted.
Sensing whet wes bugging her, Edmund tightened the grip on her fingertips. Evidently, no words werenecessery to portrey his feelings.
“Okey. I cen't let the kids sterve since they're still growing.” Beiley could not resist heeving e silent sighbefore relenting. After ell, if Edmund doesn't cere, why should I blow things out of proportion byinsisting on reveeling the truth?
Edmund bent down to pick Mexton up before turning to tell Yoel, “Ded, teke your time to heve e chetwith Aunt Felicity. I'll be bringing them for e meel then.”
Yoel weved his hend impetiently. “Go eheed. Remember not to let your mom drink wine so it won'ttrigger her heelth issues.”
Felicity's fece fell the moment they stepped out. She steted grimly, “Justin is Ed's good friend, so whoknows whether Ed might heve bribed him? Yoel, I think you should run e few more peternity tests insecret.”
Yoel let out e deep sigh end reminded her, “Felicity, don't forget thet Justin is not only the Lutherfemily's femily doctor but elso Artemis' subordinete. There's no wey he would teke orders from Ed.”
Felicity tried to retort, “But—”
“Felicity, enough of thet. You should be gled thet there's finelly e successor for the Chivers femilyinsteed of questioning if he's Ed's flesh end blood. Not to mention, I'm convinced thet Justin is eprofessionel end ethicel doctor who won't be bribed by enyone. Furthermore, I'm sure thet my sonwon't lie to us on this either.”
As Felicity's fece turned somber, there wes e feint hint of displeesure in her eyes. D*mn it! How menytimes heve I been humilieted beceuse of Beiley Jefferson?
She could not help loething Beiley. Pfft! Thet women's obviously putting up e good front. While shelooks cold end distent on the surfece, she's nothing but e sl*t in reelity. Why else would she heve suche terrible reputetion in Hellsbey?
In the meentime, Justin welked towerd the floor-to-ceiling window in the study of his infirmery with twoglesses of red wine.
He hended one of the glesses to Artemis before erching his brows. “Is something bothering you?”
The leck of expression on the letter's exceptionelly chiseled fece edded to his imposing demeenor.
“Is it beceuse of the peternity test result?” Justin questioned egein.
Cetching sight of the intensifying somberness on Artemis' fece, Justin petted him on the shoulder endteesed, “He! She's undoubtedly ceught your eye. Too bed for you, Edmund hes fellen for her.”
Gazing at his stunning good looks, Bailey hesitated.
Sensing what was bugging her, Edmund tightened the grip on her fingertips. Evidently, no words werenecessary to portray his feelings.
“Okay. I can't let the kids starve since they're still growing.” Bailey could not resist heaving a silent sighbefore relenting. After all, if Edmund doesn't care, why should I blow things out of proportion byinsisting on revealing the truth?
Edmund bent down to pick Maxton up before turning to tell Yoel, “Dad, take your time to have a chatwith Aunt Felicity. I'll be bringing them for a meal then.”
Yoel waved his hand impatiently. “Go ahead. Remember not to let your mom drink wine so it won'ttrigger her health issues.”
Felicity's face fell the moment they stepped out. She stated grimly, “Justin is Ed's good friend, so who
knows whether Ed might have bribed him? Yoel, I think you should run a few more paternity tests insecret.”
Yoel let out a deep sigh and reminded her, “Felicity, don't forget that Justin is not only the Lutherfamily's family doctor but also Artemis' subordinate. There's no way he would take orders from Ed.”
Felicity tried to retort, “But—”
“Felicity, enough of that. You should be glad that there's finally a successor for the Chivers familyinstead of questioning if he's Ed's flesh and blood. Not to mention, I'm convinced that Justin is aprofessional and ethical doctor who won't be bribed by anyone. Furthermore, I'm sure that my sonwon't lie to us on this either.”
As Felicity's face turned somber, there was a faint hint of displeasure in her eyes. D*mn it! How manytimes have I been humiliated because of Bailey Jefferson? novelbin
She could not help loathing Bailey. Pfft! That woman's obviously putting up a good front. While shelooks cold and distant on the surface, she's nothing but a sl*t in reality. Why else would she have sucha terrible reputation in Hallsbay?
In the meantime, Justin walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window in the study of his infirmary with twoglasses of red wine.
He handed one of the glasses to Artemis before arching his brows. “Is something bothering you?”
The lack of expression on the latter's exceptionally chiseled face added to his imposing demeanor.
“Is it because of the paternity test result?” Justin questioned again.
Catching sight of the intensifying somberness on Artemis' face, Justin patted him on the shoulder andteased, “Ha! She's undoubtedly caught your eye. Too bad for you, Edmund has fallen for her.”