Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Tobias flipped through the reports and skipped straight to the conclusions. “No biological relationship detected between Penny and Emma.”
He’d suspected this outcome since Richard’s confident attitude yesterday, but seeing three identical lab reports still hit like a gut punch. He’d made Barry split the samples three ways precisely to avoid errors. No mistakes here.
“The kid’s not hers, Tobias thought, drumming his fingers on the wheelchair. ‘So whose is she? That guy’s?”
Richard interrupted his thoughts, saying firmly, “Don’t even think about it. Penny would never settle for being some kid’s stepmother!”
“People surprise you,” Tobias said.
Richard gave him a hard look and asked, “Must you assume the worst?”
Tobias‘ jaw tightened. No one wanted to be cheated. But he’d seen it with his own eyes–his wife getting cozy with another guy. What stung worse was his father defending her. ‘She sure knows how to play the game, Tobias thought to himself.
Richard spoke earnestly. “Tobias, I get it. Coming home after three years and finding out you have a wife you didn’t know about is tough. It’s a lot to take in, but this is the reality now. What do you want me to do?
“If Penny were a shady woman, I would’ve kicked her out of Westbay myself. But Penny is a nice girl. She never complained during those three years and always visited me during every holiday.
“She’s more dutiful than your sister. You’ll see for yourself once you spend some time with her.”
Tobias let out a cold laugh, his tone as icy as his words. “I don’t know if she’s a nice girl. But I do know that no woman without an agenda would marry a dead man she never met.
“Just tell me, how much has the Jones family taken from us over these three years?”
Richard was fully aware of the Jones family’s scheme when they insisted on their daughter marrying Tobias. Overwhelmed with grief over Tobias‘ supposed death, he fell right into Caleb’s trap and agreed to the marriage.
Later, seeing such a beautiful young woman live like a widow for his son, he regretted the arranged marriage, but it was too late.
Mandy was the perfect kind of woman–always well–behaved and sensible. She was the kind of woman he couldn’t find fault with. That was why he decided to give the Jones family some rewards as compensation.
But unexpectedly, Tobias thought it was all part of Mandy’s scheme.
Richard gave Tobias a confident pat on the shoulder. “Tobias, I’m 73 and I’ve seen a lot of people. I trust my own eyes. Penny is a good girl.” With that, Richard gave Tobias’s shoulder a final squeeze and walked away.
As Richard’s footsteps faded, Tobias pulled out a cigarette for the third time and stuck it between his lips. Just as he was about to light it, Yaxley chimed in again, “Tobias, you can’t smoke-”
Tobias shot Yaxley a sharp look, cutting him off mid–sentence.
The orange flame had barely touched the tobacco when Barry’s cheerful voice floated in from outside the villa. “Tobias, to celebrate you getting rid of that woman, I planned a hot spring party!”
But then Barry noticed Tobias’s gloomy expression and the way he was silently smoking. Realizing something was off, he turned to Yaxley. Without a word, Yaxley handed Barry the three DNA reports.
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Chapter 16
“No biological relationship?” Barry exclaimed, staring at Tobias in shock. “So the girl isn’t your wife’s daughter but that guy’s? She’s going to be her stepmom?”
Tobias just said, “Out!”
Barry could see Tobias was upset and didn’t want to push him further. He tried to offer some comfort.
“Hey, Tobias, isn’t it kind of a relief that she didn’t actually have a kid with him? It might feel a little better if you think of it that way, right?” Barry said sincerely.
Tobias, who hadn’t even glanced at Barry before, suddenly turned and gave him a piercing stare. Barry’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly left.
Once Barry was gone, Tobias took a few deep drags of his cigarette and then said, “Dr. Jones, did you get some good rest?”
Behind the hedges, Mandy felt a chill run through her when Tobias called out her name.
When Mandy found out that her father–in–law, Richard, was visiting Tobias, she cleverly hid in Tobias’s bedroom on the second floor to keep her identity a secret.
For now, she had successfully avoided Richard, but just knowing they were under the same roof made her extremely anxious. She quickly locked the door to ensure her hiding place remained secure.
Mandy had no clue what was going on downstairs or what they were talking about. But Tobias’s room had a big balcony with a perfect view of Richard’s car.
She spent her time keeping an eye on the vehicle. It wasn’t until she saw Richard get in and drive off three minutes she finally let out a sigh of relief. She then headed downstairs.
But just as she stepped into the elevator, she was met with Barry’s excited shouts.
ago that
Mandy really wanted to head back up to the second floor, but her legs felt like they were glued to the ground. And there she was, stuck in this awkward moment.
With a nervous gulp, Mandy stepped out from behind the hedge, pretending she hadn’t overheard anything.
Forcing a smile, she began, “Yeah, I’m rested. I-” But before she could finish, her phone buzzed loudly in her hand. To her surprise, it was Richard calling–and he had just left five minutes ago.
Mandy hesitated for a moment, then politely turned to Tobias. “Mr. Lancaster, may I take this?”
Tobias exhaled a cloud of smoke and simply said, “Sure, go ahead.”
With Tobias’s nod, Mandy answered the call. “Hey Richard,” she said respectfully.
Richard was fairly certain Mandy hadn’t done anything wrong, but his son wasn’t convinced. To clear things up, Richard decided to call. Hearing Mandy’s voice, he chuckled and asked, “Penny, are you at the studio?”
Mandy thought Richard was asking because his friend, whom he had mentioned a few days ago, was coming over. So she replied, “Is your friend coming over?”
Richard felt a bit awkward when Mandy mentioned the “friend.” “No, I actually want to come and see you,” he said.
Mandy was surprised. “You want to see me?”
Over the past three years, Mandy had always pleased Richard, and he had compensated her well. However, he rarely showed concern for her. Talking about certain things would remind him of his son’s death.
Understanding Mandy’s surprise, Richard smiled brightly. “I just want to see where you work. Is that okay? Is it
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Chapter 16
inconvenient?”
Mandy hesitated for a moment, but she didn’t have the courage to say it was inconvenient. “Sure,” she said, forcing the words out. “I’m out right now, but I’ll be back in about half an hour.
Richard’s voice perked up. “No rush. I’ll be there in about the same time
Mandy hung up and turned to Tobias, who was frowning and smoking
She was about to say something–just a quick hello and then she’d be on her way–but before she could get a word out, Tobias’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw Richard’s name. Without a word, he muted the call.
Mandy assumed the call was from his wife and noticed his sour mood. To avoid upsetting him, she said, “Mr. Lancaster, I need to get back to work. I’ll head out now.”
Tobias turned to Yaxley and instructed, “See Dr. Jones out.”
At that moment, a message from Richard appeared on his phone: [I’m meeting Penny at her studio. I’m planning to directly ask her about that kid and the guy. Join if you’re interested.]
Tobias doubted that Penny would admit to cheating in front of Richard, but he was curious about how she would explain herself. As Yaxley and Mandy were about to leave the room, he called out, “Dr. Jones.”
Mandy turned to Tobias when she heard her name. He quickly wheeled over and said, “I’m about to leave anyway. I can give you a ride back.”
Mandy was stunned and stood there, speechless.
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