Chapter 4

I spent a lot of money and effort hiring a tech expert, and finally recovered my files.

Julian didn't come looking for me in person, but his messages flooded my phone:

[Chloe, I swear, my heart only belongs to you.]

[Giving birth is so painful, and I was terrified your body couldn't handle it. In the future, Sienna's baby can call you mom. Can't the three of us live together?]

The floating text flashed frantically:

[What do you mean his heart only belongs to Chloe? He's literally rubbing Sienna's feet right now...]

My flight abroad was scheduled for this afternoon. Counting the hours, I just had enough time to do my pre-travel medical checkup.

Before finishing the comments, I drove straight to the hospital clinic.

Just as I parked my car, a loud gasp came from outside.

My eyes widened in shock, and I rushed out to check.

Sienna was lying on the pavement, clutching her stomach.

"What are you—"

Before I could finish, Julian and Mom, having heard the commotion, rushed over.

"Sienna!" Mom's eyes turned instantly bloodshot, her steps stumbling.

Julian took three strides in one, scooping Sienna into his arms.

"Sienna, are you hurt anywhere?!"

Sienna leaned weakly against his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks on command.

"I know it's all my fault... but Chloe... why... why did you hit me with your car..."

Already worried sick, Mom began trembling with uncontrollable fury upon hearing that.

"Chloe!"

In a blind rage, she swung her hand and slapped me hard across the face.

"I raised you like my own daughter, and this is how you treat my flesh and blood?! Do you have a shred of conscience left?!"

"I wish I had never raised an ungrateful beast like you!"

My head jerked to the side. Inside me, everything went deathly quiet.

After making sure Sienna wasn't bleeding, Julian looked up at me.

The disappointment in his eyes was sickeningly genuine.

"Even if I wronged you, if anything happened to Sienna, that's an innocent human life!"

"When did you become so venomous?!"

He didn't give me a single second to explain. Every word was aimed straight at my chest.

Only the floating comments screamed across my sight:

[What a scam artist! The car didn't even touch her!]

[And he claims he loves Chloe most? He can't even offer basic trust!]

The corner of Sienna's mouth twitched upward in a subtle, triumphant smirk.

I ignored her, calmly took out my phone, and dialed 911.

"Since you claim I hit someone with my car, let's let the police handle it."

Sienna's body went rigid for a second.

She gripped Julian's shirt tightly, shaking her head. "Julian, there's no need to take it that far. I don't blame Chloe."

A flicker of doubt crossed Julian's eyes.

Yet seeing the tears on her face, he swallowed his questions after all.

He turned back to me.

"Chloe, just apologize to Sienna, and we'll drop this."

He clearly noticed that this was a trap Sienna set up.

Yet he still wanted me to apologize.

I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing. "Sorry, but my dashcam caught the whole thing in 4K. I'm not taking the fall for a cheap scam!"

Seeing Sienna break into a nervous cold sweat, Mom quickly dragged me aside. "Sienna isn't even pressing charges! Know when to stop and quit making a scene!"

"Don't forget, I spent twenty-four years raising you with sweat and tears!"

It was a reminder, and a blatant threat.

I threw my head back and laughed out loud.

Julian looked unsettled. He stepped forward nervously, trying to get close to me, but Sienna clung to him tightly.

I stopped laughing and stared straight into Mom's eyes.

"Twenty-four years of raising me, traded for keeping Sienna out of jail for insurance fraud. Sounds like a bargain to me."

"From this day on, consider yourself childless as far as I'm concerned!"

"And you—"

I turned to Julian. "We will never see each other again!"

Without looking back, I got into my car and drove away.

As the car sped past, I faintly heard Julian's voice.

He was calling my name: "Chloe..."

He only shouted twice. He didn't run after me.

When I arrived at the airport, Julian's call came through.

I didn't answer.

He kept calling relentlessly, his name flashing across the screen over and over.

The floating comments chimed in together: [Ooh, look who's regretting it now!]

Too late. I was never looking back.

I powered off my phone. The world finally fell quiet.

Meanwhile, Mom, who had just returned home, received the DNA test results I had scheduled to be delivered to her door.

In crisp black ink:

[Conclusion: Biological relationship between Eleanor Vance and Sienna Vance is excluded.]