Chapter 288

Now, everything Alec had held as truth crumbled before him.

The revelation that Verena did not truly belong to the Willis family was like watching his cherished dreams torn apart piece by piece.

How could he possibly swallow such a bitter pill?

He forced down the storm within, fists tightening as though he could cage his frustration.

When he opened his mouth, he tried to wear a mask of calm affection. "Verena, if we had known from the beginning that you weren't our own flesh and blood, do you think your mother and I would have worked ourselves to the bone to raise you?"

He paused, took a step closer, and gently laid his hand on her shoulder. "Remember this-no matter what the world says, you will always be my child, my dear daughter."

But in truth, Alec's heart balked at letting go. To lose Verena meant more than losing a daughter-it meant watching wealth and status alip through his fingers like sand.

Verena lifted her gaze to meet his. Her eyes, steady yet piercing, seemed to strip away every layer of disguise.

His words of tenderness drifted past her ears like a passing wind that stirred nothing.

After Kaia's birth, she had tasted neglect, indifference, and favoritism sharp as vinegar.

The love she once received from the Willis couple was scarce in her memory, and trust had become a fragile, guarded thing.

Still, she noticed the tremors in Laura's and Alec's eyes-the shock, the panic, the frantic struggle to prove their innocence. It rang too raw to be a play.

From what she knew of them, she began to form her verdict: the Willis couple were likely in the dark, as bewildered as she was.

There could be only one answer-she had been switched before Laura ever laid eyes on her own baby.

Drawing a steady breath,Verena stepped back.

Alec's hand slid helplessly from her shoulder.

His heart plummeted when Verena raised her chin and said coolly, "You had better be telling the truth, or this matter won't rest here."

Without another glance, she turned and walked away, her steps resolute.

Back in her office, Verena's brows knitted as she pulled out her phone and dialed Luis.

The moment the line clicked open, she wasted no words. "I just did a DNA test with Alec and Laura. The results confirmed it-I'm not their biological child. But I don't think they were the ones who took me."

Luis had expected her to run the test, knowing her cautious nature-she trusted no truth unless her own eyes had seen it.

Yet her final words puzzled him. "How can you be so sure?"he asked.

Verena stood by the tall window, her gaze stretching far into the distance. Her voice was calm, her reasoning sharp."Let me explain. First, before Kaia was born, Alec and Laura adored me as if I were a pearl in their palm. They gave me everything, and their care was sincere. If they were the ones who stole me, they would have lived in constant fear of exposure. How could they have loved me with such abandon? It was only after Kaia's arrival that their affection shifted, leaving me overlooked and overshadowed."

She paused briefly, and then continued, "Second, when I was born, Alec and Laura had nothing. Their world was leagues apart from the Sampson family. They had no access to such lofty circles, let alone the means to plot stealing a child. At that time, they were too busy scraping a living to scheme about crimes. Third, they lacked the courage. Alec may be sharp in business, but at his core he is cautious. To risk a crime that defies both law and conscience-he would never dare. And Laura, always following in his shadow, has no mind of her own. How could such people summon the audacity to steal a child? No, I believe they were oblivious." Luis fell into silence, mulling over her words. Then he drawled slowly, "Your reasoning holds water... but if so,what really unfolded back then? Who, then, is the hand behind this?"

Verena's grip tightened on the phone. Determination flashed in her eyes. "I don't know yet. But I will uncover the truth. Whoever did this-I won't let them walk away unpunished."

On the other end, Luis nodded, his voice quiet but steady."Very well, Verena. We're family. I'll help you investigate."

Just then, a breeze slipped through the window, stirring strands of her hair.

The words "we're family" filled her with a bittersweet ache-half warmth,half sorrow.

Her thoughts wandered to what he had once told her: her biological mother had fallen into madness after losing her child.

Hesitation tugged at her, yet she could not resist asking, "What... what kind of person is she?"

Even as the words left her lips, she knew how vague they were. She hadn't named anyone, yet she was certain Luis would understand.

There was a brief pause, and then a smile colored his tone. "Mom is gentle and graceful, a fine cook, a dancer who moves like flowing water, a singer with a voice like birdsong. In short, she is gifted in many ways.You resemble her closely. When you see her, you'll recognize her at once."

Verena listened in silence, a vision of the mother she never knew forming in her mind-cooking by the stove,twirlingacross a stage, or singing softly with a voice that could heal.

Her eyes grew moist.

A pang of guilt struck her heart-for not being there, for letting her mother suffer the torment of loss alone.

"May I see her?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Just from afar."

She wasn't ready to step into this newfound family, unprepared for bonds that had arrived without warning.

Sensing her fragile yearning, Luis answered at once, "Of course. Mom and Dad are already in Shoildon. Tomorrow at 10:30 in the morning, Dad will take Mom for a check-up at the hospital. I'll call you then."