Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 298

“Also, is your brain just for decoration? You believe whatever the wind blows your way without a shred of evidence. All you do is listen to gossip, throw wild guesses, and blindly suspect everyone. You're a total idiot.”

Miles had been an elite scholar his entire life; nobody had ever called him an idiot. Just as he was about to snap back, Summer cut him off.

“Hold your temper, idiot! I have plenty of childhood photos. Swipe through them yourself before you embarrass yourself further.”

Miles still refused to trust her. He was convinced she was pulling this stunt because she had some hidden agenda and wanted something from him.

Yet, his thumb moved faster than his brain, swiping across the screen.

Seeing the next photo, Miles completely froze.

The image was slightly yellowed. The tiny figure in the picture was wearing a ridiculously oversized hospital gown, sitting on a rusted hospital bed.

Just looking at the photo, it was obvious the hospital was rundown and impoverished.

The little girl's head was completely shaved, and an ugly wound stitched with heavy thread marred her scalp.

Summer glanced at the photo and said, “After the orphanage director found me, she rushed me to the hospital. My head was busted open and needed stitches, so they shaved all my hair off. To make it easier for me to find my family later, the director took that photo to keep on file.”

Miles stared at the little bald girl with her wide, dark eyes. The edges of her eyes were red, and tears still clung to her lashes.

Getting those stitches must have been excruciatingly painful.

Seeing the brief flash of heartache in Miles's eyes, Summer asked, “After I disappeared, did the family call the police?”

“Of course!” Miles answered with absolute certainty.

“The director filed a police report right after finding me. But the police found no matching missing child report in their system. With no way to find my biological parents, I had to stay at the orphanage.”

“Impossible.” Miles looked at her in absolute shock. “The Sutton family reported it. The police database is nationwide. There's no way a missing child report wouldn't show up.”

Summer raised an eyebrow, flashing a knowing smile as if she had expected exactly this. “Maybe the family never filed a report.”

Miles instinctively fired back, “How is that possible?”

Her smile made a cold dread pool in Miles's stomach as she spoke slowly. “Why wouldn't it be? Lily is the illegitimate daughter of Bennett and Lydia. It was the perfect opportunity to pull a bait-and-switch.”

“Summer!” Miles gripped the phone tightly, glaring daggers at her. “What exactly are you trying to do?! What's your endgame? Where the hell did you get these photos?!”

Summer calmly pulled the phone out of his hand. “Instead of yelling, why don't you find someone you trust—preferably someone with zero ties to the Sutton family—and quietly look into the police records from back then. Otherwise, no matter what I say, you'll just think I'm lying.”

Summer left him with the name of the orphanage and the director so he could verify the information.

The police had collected her data back then, and her photos were in the archives. If Miles actually bothered to check, he would find the truth.

Miles's mind was an absolute mess. It felt as if his soul was being torn in two.

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