Chapter 422
Chapter 422:
“Nothing transpired between us.”
“What did you say?” Wendy’s voice crackled with venom through the phone. “Have you lost your mind?”
“I’m merely your puppet string to Leonie. Whether we cross that line or not, the outcome is still the same if I can manipulate her.”
Silence stretched before Wendy’s laughter shattered it. “Well, well. You’ve grown cleverer, haven’t you? Playing games with me now?”
“I simply chose the path of greatest efficiency.”
“Stephen, don’t forget your place. You’re my chess piece, nothing more. What I’ve given you, I can snatch away in a heartbeat. Then you’ll be right back in the gutter, with wolves at your heels.”
Wendy’s words pierced Stephen like shards of ice. His grip tightened on the phone, eyes flashing with steel, yet his voice remained carefully measured. “I’m grateful.”
“Since you understand your position so well, I’ll overlook this little rebellion—just this once.” Wendy’s tone dripped honey-coated poison. “Come back. I miss you. It’s been a while since I’ve touched you, hasn’t it?”
Stephen’s heart twisted as he glanced at Leonie’s sleeping form. “Yes, I know what to do.”
After hanging up, he drowned his sorrow in several more glasses before vanishing into the night.
Getting Stephen’s DNA proved laughably simple—his manager’s morals dissolved at the sight of money. With the sample secured, Braylen quickly arranged the genetic comparison between Stephen and Janice.
Now Janice clutched the test report, her certainty warring with her nerves despite her instincts screaming the truth.
“Janice, open it.” Aiden’s voice wrapped her in gentle reassurance.
Janice glanced at Aiden, nodded, and opened the DNA test report.
Relief flooded through her veins as the results confirmed what her heart already knew: Stephen and she were siblings.
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The missing Fabian from their past had turned into Stephen. What trials and tribulations had shaped him into the man he’d become? And what sinister role did Wendy play in this twisted tale?
“Janice, what do you plan to do now? Will you reveal your identity, or…”
A strange serenity washed over her as she’d confirmed the truth. She shook her head with gentle resolve. “I don’t want to reveal it yet. Blood may connect us, but I need to understand the person beneath.”
Aiden’s surprise melted into understanding. The Edwards family’s hollow acceptance had carved deep scars in Janice’s heart. This time, she refused to rush, choosing instead to silently gauge Stephen’s worth beneath his carefully crafted facade.
“If Stephen’s soul mirrors the Edwards family’s, then blood means nothing to me. Let Leonidas threaten all he wishes — I won’t bend.”
Aiden nodded, wisdom settling in his gaze. “And how will you approach him? Privately, or…”
“I have a clever plan.” A mischievous glint sparkled in Janice’s eyes as her lips curled into a cunning smile.
Aiden’s stomach dropped at the sight. He knew that look all too well—it always spelled trouble. However, he still underestimated Janice’s schemes.
That very afternoon, Stephen’s phone buzzed with an unexpected notification. His management company had signed him up for a reality dating show.
Disbelief etched across Stephen’s features as he demanded, “Haven’t I made myself crystal clear about reality shows? And now you’re throwing me into some dating circus? It’s like I’m talking to a brick wall.”
His manager squirmed under Stephen’s piercing gaze. “The investors made an offer we couldn’t ignore. They’re willing to pay 100 million for your appearance. It’s unprecedented in the industry. Sometimes, principles need to bend when opportunities like this arise.”
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