Chapter 443: DNA Paternity Test Results

Olive, sleepy, nestled into Elvis’s arms and fell asleep. Elvis’s thin lips brushed her cheek, kissing it softly before he closed his eyes, holding her.

At the Robert family estate, Crystal hadn’t left her room in two days. She anxiously awaited the DNA paternity test results, needing the confirmation to ease her mind. Early that morning, the butler arrived, carrying a sealed bag, heading straight for Damien's office. Crystal’s heart pounded; she knew the results were in. She hurried upstairs, peering through the slightly ajar office door. The butler opened the bag, handing the results to Damien. He murmured respectfully, “Sir, the results are ready.” Damien lowered his gaze. Crystal couldn't see his expression, but heard him ask, “What does it show?”

“Sir,” the butler replied, “DNA testing confirms no blood relation. She is not your daughter.”

Crystal exulted. Her plan, substituting Olive’s hair with her own, had worked perfectly. She watched Damien review the results, his thin lips curving into a chilling expression. Crystal hadn’t seen her father so angry in years; the intensity startled her. Humming softly, she returned to her room, ready for the next step—pleading with her father to help her marry Elvis.

In the office, the butler watched Crystal leave. “Sir,” he asked, “should we expose her now?”

Damien rose and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows. His visit to Nora had confirmed his suspicions—the woman with him that night hadn't been Nora. Nora and Mr. Paulo had deceived him for years! A dangerous smile touched his lips. “No,” he said. “Let’s see what Crystal does next.”

The butler nodded. Damien pictured Nora’s clear eyes. Very good, he thought. She hadn't sought him out; she only wanted a daughter, his genes, not him as a husband. Now, he would find her.

Suddenly, a maid’s voice called from outside, “It’s not good, sir! The young lady is trying to jump!”

The butler turned to Damien. “Sir, she’s at it again—crying, creating a scene, threatening suicide.”

Damien immediately headed out. “Let’s go,” he said.

Crystal stood precariously on the balcony railing, too afraid to look down. The height terrified her, but for Elvis, for her happiness, she persevered, praying for her father’s arrival. She heard footsteps, looked up, and saw Damien.

“Dad, don’t come closer!” Crystal pinched her thighs, tears stinging her eyes. “I don’t want to live anymore. If you come near, I’ll jump!”

Damien stopped, studying her silently. His impassivity frustrated Crystal. She was perched precariously, yet he watched her as if she were a mere performer, a clown.

“Dad… Dad,” she pleaded, her voice trembling, “I love Elvis. I want to marry him. I can’t live without him. Please help me. I’m your only biological daughter. Do you want to watch me die?”

Damien’s thin lips tightened. “You’re doing this just to marry Elvis?”

“Yes!”

His face remained emotionless. “Get down first,” he ordered.

Crystal’s eyes lit up. “Dad, you’ll help me?”

He didn’t directly answer, merely stating, “Your mother and grandfather need to know about this marriage. Meet them in prison.”

He left. Crystal felt abandoned, humiliated, and despairing. Carefully, she descended, but slipped, nearly falling. Cold sweat broke out. She furiously berated the maid, “Are you blind? Help me!”

Later, during a prison visit, Nora saw Crystal and Mr. Paulo. Crystal excitedly announced, “Mom, I succeeded! Dad agreed to help me marry Elvis!”

“Really? Wonderful, Crystal! You’ll soon be the matriarch of the Augustine family!” Nora beamed.

Turning to Mr. Paulo, Nora asked, “Dad, is your poison cured?”

Mr. Paulo, ravaged by the Necromancer’s poison, had lost considerable weight. His face was gaunt and his demeanor grim. “The poison is almost gone,” he replied, glancing at Crystal with satisfaction. “Crystal and Elvis’s marriage will greatly strengthen the Paulo family’s position.”

Nora’s eyes blurred. She knew her father would never have visited if not for Crystal’s impending marriage. His obsession with power seemed to have intensified. She found his behavior unsettling.

“Crystal, why hasn’t your dad come?” Nora asked, anxiously. “He’ll be here soon,” Crystal replied. Nora wondered why Damien, usually indifferent, seemed so concerned about his daughter’s marriage and why he’d summoned three generations to prison.