Teresa asked, “What brings you here?”

Jonathan pursed his lips, fixing his gaze on her calm, unreadable eyes. When he spoke again, his voice turned icy. “Don’t you have anything you want to explain to me?”

“What exactly should I explain to you?”

Jonathan fell silent. He had multiple questions to ask. “Why didn’t you answer my calls? Why did Jennifer tell me you went to Gorthany? And why didn’t you tell me you were back? I don’t want to hear about our relationship from anyone else. I want to hear it from you!”

Teresa’s eyes reddened as she took a deep breath. “Jonathan, we…”

Jonathan’s phone rang abruptly. Seeing it was Irene calling, he frowned and answered it. “Yeah?”

Irene said, “Jonathan, are you at work? Ms. Kelly from LushaLeaf Group came to the hospital to visit your grandfather. She’s two years your junior, and I think she’s quite lovely—” Before Irene could finish, Jonathan hung up on her.

Jonathan turned back to Teresa. When he was about to continue, she spoke first. “You should go to the hospital and look after your grandfather. If your mom finds out you came to see me, she’ll probably be upset again.”

“So what? You want me gone now? So, you couldn’t care less who I see? After ten years together, was it all just a joke to you?”

Teresa clenched her fists tightly. When she spoke again, her voice trembling with hesitation, she said, “Maybe… maybe we’re better off as—”

“I got it.” Jonathan raised a hand, cutting Teresa off before she could finish. “I know what you’re going to say.” He turned and walked away. This time, he didn’t even look back.

Tears blurred Teresa’s vision. Perhaps it was time to take Michael and leave, she thought. This wasn’t about running away. She was just exhausted.

The staff from the DNA test institution said, “Ms. Shaw, here are the DNA test results you requested.”

Miriam said, “Thank you.”

Yesterday, after Miriam obtained Jennifer’s hair sample from the hospital, she went to Teresa’s apartment in the evening under the pretense of visiting her. While there, she discreetly collected strands of hair from Teresa’s comb in the bathroom.

Miriam had paid extra for an expedited report. After an agonizing day and night of waiting, she finally got her hands on the results.

The doctor told Miriam that although the samples she submitted showed the two were related by blood, there were too few shared DNA sequences to definitively prove they were full sisters.

Miriam pressed, “Doctor, are you saying they’re related, but not sisters? Is that what you mean?”

The doctor paused. “Well, Ms. Shaw, my suggestion is that you obtain a DNA sample from their mother and conduct a three-way DNA test between both parties and their mother. That will yield much more accurate results.”

Miriam fell silent. ‘Teresa’s mother, Evelyn, is in Gorthany, not Nareigh,’ But she understood the doctor’s point. A DNA test involving their mother would yield more accurate results.

Normally, DNA tests are conducted between parents and their children. It’s rare to do one between sisters. If Jennifer and Teresa weren’t full sisters, then Jennifer couldn’t be Evelyn’s daughter.

“Okay, doctor I got it.” Miriam grabbed the report and rushed out. As soon as Miriam got into her Volkswagen CC, she was startled to see Benny in the passenger seat, casually picking up her test report from her hand. “Oh my God!” Miriam screamed.

Miriam was so startled that she nearly had a heart attack on the spot, clutching her chest. “Benny, are you out of your damn mind? What the hell are you doing here?”

Benny glanced at the test report and said, “No wonder you were sneaking around yesterday. So, you really went for a DNA test. What does this report mean? Are Teresa and her sister not full sisters?”

Miriam snatched the report out of Benny’s hands. “it’s just a suspicion, that’s all. But you still haven’t answered me. How did you get in my car?”

“Relax, I saw your car parked by the roadside with the door unlocked.”

Miriam choked. In her haste to get the report, she’d completely forgotten to lock her car.

Benny took the report back and scanned it closely. “So, what’s going on here? How come they’re related by blood, yet you suspect they’re not full sisters?”

Miriam said, “I’m still not sure. I need to find Teresa’s mom and get a hair sample from her. Then run another DNA test with Jennifer’s sample. That way, we’ll know for sure if Jennifer is Teresa’s full sister.

“To be honest, I’ve long suspected Jennifer wasn’t Teresa’s full sister, because Jennifer has always treated Teresa so poorly. I don’t think this is something a real sister would do. Moreover, their personalities are like night and day. Teresa takes after Evelyn–she’s a lavish spender with a carefree, easygoing nature, while Jennifer is her opposite.

“That’s why I suspect Jennifer might be an impostor. Teresa told me she only took Jennifer’s word for it–they never actually did a DNA test.”

Benny fell silent.

The next moment, Miriam said something that sent Benny reeling.

Miriam huffed, “Jennifer is downright wicked. She schemed to send Teresa to Gorthany just to prevent her from reconciling with Jonathan. Does this sound like something a real sister would do?”

Benny gritted his teeth. “No wonder Jonathan hasn’t been returning my calls these past couple of days. I was worried something had happened to him. This is all Jennifer’s fault. If she hadn’t forged her mother’s breast cancer test report to trick Teresa, Teresa would never have left Nareigh. And if Teresa hadn’t found out the truth and come back, she might have stayed there for good.”

Benny paused for a few seconds, rubbing his chin as he looked at Miriam. “Where in Gorthany does Teresa’s mom live? Which district?”

“I think it’s in Holphiamil District. Teresa told me her mom runs a beauty and wellness center there—called Eve Globe, if I remember right.”

Benny snapped his fingers. “I’ll book three plane tickets—for you, me, and Edward. The three of us will fly to Gorthany, track down Teresa’s mom, get the DNA test done there, and then come right back.”

With Benny’s extensive connections and resourcefulness, tracking down Evelyn’s beauty and wellness center would be a piece of cake.

After discussing it, the two decided to go to Gorthany without telling Teresa.

If the DNA test confirmed that Jennifer was Teresa’s full sister, they would just keep it quiet and pretend nothing happened, so Teresa would not think Miriam and Benny were meddling. But if Jennifer wasn’t Teresa’s sister, then they would let Teresa know.

“That’s settled then,” Benny said, “Let me tie up some loose ends at my firm first. Then ask Edward to come with us. I don’t want to be out alone with a taken woman.”

Miriam was a little puzzled and asked, “Why are you getting involved in this?”

“Of course, I’m helping Jonathan…Teresa just hoping they’ll make up soon. And if Jennifer in…”

Miriam couldn’t help but nod approvingly. “You’re a real bro!”

Jonathan had returned to his office, and Christian was still waiting for him as promised.