My Rise and My Ex's Fall (Chloe and Arthur) novel Chapter 2

Chloe no longer cared where Arthur took Jennifer

All she cared about now was Robert.

She needed to find out the full truth behind Jennifer's words.

She remembered that night years ago. Charles called, panicked, saying Arthur was wasted at some hotel and needed her to come get him. Things got out of hand that night, and she ended up in bed with Arthur. That one night… that’s how Robert came to be.

Charles had been over the moon. He made sure they got married, tying her to Arthur legally.

The Myers family was incredibly wealthy, and Arthur, as the CEO of Myers Group, was treated like corporate royalty.

He was constantly on the move, drifting between business trips, private travel, and high-stakes deals that never made the news.

They were together so rarely that a deep relationship never truly blossomed between them.

To avoid complicating his work life, she agreed to a secret marriage, pouring all her energy into being a dutiful wife and mother.

She did it all out of a deep-seated sense of gratitude. Charles was the reason she'd been welcomed back into the Lewis family, the reason her mother could finally be laid to rest with dignity. She felt she owed him everything.

Now, staring at the DNA paternity test results for Robert and Arthur, Chloe let out a hollow, bitter laugh.

The truth was undeniable.

Robert truly was not Arthur's son.

So... her entire marriage to Arthur had been a total farce from the very beginning.

Six years of her life, devoted to this man and this family—all of it, utterly meaningless.

Robert peered at the numbers on the report, then tilted his little head up at Chloe. "Mommy, it looks like my daddy is somebody else!"

Chloe felt a fresh wave of silence wash over her.

The test confirmed Jennifer's cruel taunt—Robert wasn't Arthur's, so who was his real dad?

Who was the man from the hotel that night six years ago? Her clearest memory was waking up the next morning to a sleeping, hungover Arthur lying right beside her.

Had she been deceived all along? Was it never Arthur at all?

Did Charles know about this?

She desperately wanted to confront him directly, but three months ago, he had taken a terrible fall down the stairs, hitting his head. He remained in a deep coma at the hospital.

She remembered with chilling clarity that in three months, Charles would die of organ failure. And Arthur's power within the family would only solidify further.

Charles was the only person in the entire Myers family who had ever genuinely cared for her.

As for the rest...

What a complete and utter joke.

Chloe clenched the test report, her knuckles turning white as she fought to steady her breathing.

Robert, sensing her turmoil, looked up and whispered, "Mommy, what are we going to do now?"

Chloe gazed down at her son's earnest, worried face, her voice softening. "I'm going to divorce Arthur."

This time, she wouldn't allow that blind, heartless man to put on any more pretenses in front of her. She wouldn't let some scheming woman playing the innocent victim harm the people she loved. She was done pretending. It was time to take her life back.

Hearing this, Robert immediately broke into applause.

"Finally, Mommy! I always thought you deserve better. He's not the only guy in the world. You don't have to stick around for someone who's that cold. Even if he were my dad, I'd say dump him! Not to mention he's not my dad!"

Chloe couldn't help but smile at Robert's unexpectedly mature words.

"Exactly!"

As one of the most powerful forces in the underworld, Shadow could not let such an insult slide.

Their Dark Web system was supposedly impenetrable. How had some rogue hacker managed this? The debt needed to be settled.

Shadow had placed a hefty bounty on Mr. Caesar's head, but after three months, there were still no solid leads.

Now that Mr. Caesar had surfaced again, Eugene's interest was undeniably piqued.

"Were you able to trace the signal?" Eugene's gaze was as cold as ice.

"We're trying. The connection lasted only a few seconds. After the last incident, we upgraded the system and enhanced our security protocols, including implementing a counter-tracking module. But Mr. Caesar is... exceptionally sharp. He detected the trace almost instantly and severed the connection." Bruce's voice was tense.

"However, we caught one thing—this time, Mr. Caesar was attempting to access our Genetic Database."

At the mention of the Genetic Database, a dark shadow passed through Eugene's eyes.

The genetic data stored on their Dark Web servers belonged to influential figures worldwide. A successful breach would not only shatter the Dark Web's reputation for security but also demolish Shadow's standing.

"Intensify the search. I don't care about the cost or the method—find him." Eugene's voice was so frigid it seemed to freeze the very air in the car.

"Yes, Mr. Rosewood." Bruce didn't dare meet his gaze. He swiftly relayed the orders and ended the call.

*****

At Myers Manor, Robert sat intently before the computer, his small fingers flying across the keyboard. The streams of data flashing across the screen would be an indecipherable blur to most.

He was just a kid, but this kind of data was easy for him. He could pick out what mattered at a glance. almost instantly.

Now that the DNA test confirmed Arthur wasn't his biological father, he had taken it upon himself to secretly investigate the identity of his real dad.

And for a prodigy like him... hacking into the most comprehensive Genetic Database was the fastest and most direct path to the answers they sought.