Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 530

“The previous paternity test was a sham. I've secretly run another test these past few days without letting Louis know. It turns out we're not biologically related. It could all be a misunderstanding or a setup,” Ryan said, his anger flaring, “That boy Louis, the Whitmore family has been nothing but kind to him, and this is how he repays us. If old man Jin knew, he'd be turning in his grave!”

I've received two utterly baffling pieces of news in a single day, and I felt like my brain was overheating.

No wonder Faith perked up so quickly and forgave Ryan. It's all been orchestrated by someone else. But Faith once mentioned that the Whitmore family heirloom, a jade pendant passed down to each daughter-in-law, is now in Louis's possession. How did he get his hands on it?

"Where's the proof?" Neil didn't quite trust Ryan's words and asked where the test results were.

Ryan got up to retrieve them and handed them to Neil, “What, don't you trust your old man?”

Neil snorted but didn't reply. He just took the results and looked them over. Suddenly, he said, "If you claim the test Louis had was fake, how can you prove this one is real? Isn't this just another way to placate my mother?"

Ryan was taken aback by Neil's counter-question. At first, he was shocked, then confused, and finally, he lost his temper, “I'm your father, don't you have even a shred of trust in me?”

"If we're talking about trust, then it should be complete," Neil returned, not mincing words with his errant father. Until he fully trusted Ryan again, he'd probably maintain this standoffish attitude.

Ryan was taken aback by his son's directness, leaving him speechless.

Neil's point was valid. If Louis's test was fake, how could they prove that Ryan's was genuine?

If there was another twist, the whole Whitmore family would be the laughing stock.

Faith, who had originally forgiven Ryan and made peace with him, began to mull over Neil's words. She scoffed when she looked into Ryan's awkward and innocent eyes, “Your son has a point, what proof do you have that this result is real?”

Ryan was at a loss for words. It's not like he could run a DNA test on the spot. And Louis wouldn't cooperate with him even if he wanted to.

"You two are going to be the death of me!" Ryan finally sat down, his face red with frustration.

"Faith, I believe Ryan wouldn't lie to you. You've been married for so many years, and your bond is strong. You know him well. If trust is lost between you two, then others can take advantage of it," I said sincerely, truly believing in Ryan's character.

My words had an effect on Faith. She trusted me and liked me. She seemed to soften a bit, and Ryan shot me a grateful look.

Seeing Ryan's helpless expression, it was hard to believe that this man was once a formidable figure in the business world. Taking pity on him, I gave Faith an example, “My dad was also once involved in a scandal, but it turned out he was framed. People can be unpredictable. The family has to stick together to withstand these attacks. That's the only way to solve this.”

Not knowing how to respond, I hesitated. Faith seemed to understand and sighed, "It's alright, Irene. If it's inconvenient for you, we won't intrude."

"I'm sorry, Faith," I felt genuinely regretful.

"It's okay, it's just a pity. I really like those two. We've always wanted to be grandparents, and we finally got Hiram, but we missed so much of his childhood. We treat Serena and Brandon like our own grandchildren," Faith managed a smile.

I remained silent, lost in thought.

It wasn't until my phone buzzed that I was drawn back to reality. I set down the tools I was holding, pulled my phone from my pocket, and felt a jolt of surprise when I saw Kitty's name on the screen.

Ever since I last saw her at the hospital, we hadn't seen each other. Whether Karina managed to save her father or not, I had no idea.

As I answered the call, Kitty's voice came through, choked with emotion, "Irene, my dad...he's gone."

I was at a loss for words. Kitty was a kid with a heart full of filial piety. This was a cruel outcome for her. I managed to muster a comforting phrase, "We can't bring back the dead, Kitty. My condolences."