Christina treated Yerek’s words as if they were a joke. “How could you, an outsider, claim to know my identity better than I do?”
Yerek responded with an amused look and countered, “What if it’s something that has been kept from you?”
Christina’s e eyes narrowed, and it felt as if time stood still, even though only a few seconds had passed.
She had never questioned her identity before this moment.
In her mind, she simply had a despicable father figure and had no desire to delve into her past ever again. It was enough for her to live peacefully with her mother for the rest of her days.
“You can’t possibly know more about me than I do, especially if it’s something I’m completely unaware of. so drop it,” Christina firmly stated, refusing to entertain Yerek’s claims. She turned around, intending to leave.
“Your last name isn’t Steele, and you’re not the daughter of Gideon and Sharon. You are the eldest. daughter of the Gibson family from Hallsbay.” Yerek revealed through gritted teeth.
Though reluctant, Yerek saw this as the best way to break her and Nathaniel apart.
Christina halted in her tracks and narrowed her eyes as she processed Yerek’s words.
Noticing Christina’s hesitation, Yerek handed her a folder he had prepared earlier.
“Take a look at these documents. If you find them incomplete, perhaps Nathaniel’s study holds the information you’re seeking,” he suggested.
With a mix of speculation and doubt swirling in her mind. Christina accepted the folder.
She left the hotel and drove back to Scenic Garden Manor.
Upon entering her room, Christina wasted no time opening the folder, causing its contents to spill onto
the surface before her.
However, instead of directly addressing her background and identity, she discovered a newspaper cutting. The article recounted an incident that had taken place over twenty years ago. It described the collapse of a real estate site owned by Hadley Corporation, resulting in a trapped car and the death of one passenger, as well as severe injuries to another.
Charlie, who had still been the CEO of Hadley Corporation at that time, had publicly apologized for the
tragic event.
Confusion washed over Christina as she tried to connect the dots between this incident and her own life, but Yerek’s words lingered in her mind, urging her to delve deeper.
Intrigued and driven by her growing curiosity, Christina decided to seek answers in Nathaniel’s study.
In the spacious study, the table displayed neatly stacked folders and a sleek pen holder housing an expensive pen.
Despite her thorough search for clues on the study table, Christina found nothing of relevance. Frustrated, she shifted her attention to the bookshelves, meticulously scanning the books in hopes of stumbling upon
something that would shed light on her identity.
However, her efforts proved fruitless, leaving her to question if Yerek had once again deceived her.
“What are you doing?” A deep, husky voice startled Christina out of her reverie, causing her to jump in fright.
Swiftly regaining her composure, she turned around to face Nathaniel. “I thought I could help organize your shelves since I have some free time,” she explained.
“Just leave it to the housekeeper,” Nathaniel insisted, firmly grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward the nearby couch.
“Why are your hands so cold?” he asked.
“I’m feeling a bit cold,” Christina instinctively replied, pulling her hand away. Unaware that Nathaniel had entered the study while she was engrossed in her search, she had broken into a nervous sweat, causing her palms to grow cold.
Nathaniel glanced around and noticed that the air conditioner was turned off while a refreshing summer breeze filled the room. Perplexed, he couldn’t understand why Christina’s hands were so cold despite the comfortable temperature,
“Maybe it’s the chilling wind since it’s getting dark.” Nathaniel got up and closed the windows.
Just then, two small figures-Lucas and Camila-burst into the room. They joyfully ran toward Christina and wrapped their tiny arms around her legs. “Mommy, Grandma had the driver send a huge cake for us,” Camila exclaimed, her head tilted to the side.
She looked at Christina with innocent eyes and added, “Mommy, let’s go downstairs and have some cake, okay?”
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