The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 151

Jocelyn replayed the scene at the hospital in her mind.

"Did either of you notice how desperate Caleb Preston was to get that DNA test done? It almost felt like he was overcompensating, like he was trying to hide something."

Liam nodded in agreement.

"The louder they yell, the more they have to hide. If the kid really isn't Adrian's, faking a DNA test would be a piece of cake for someone with Caleb's connections."

Sarah looked thoroughly confused.

"But these old-money families care about bloodlines more than anything. Things blew up today, so why was the old lady so dead-set against testing the kid?"

Liam hit the nail on the head.

"She's terrified of offending Caleb Preston. Plus, she's the one who orchestrated this whole 'surrogate' nightmare. She's not going to admit she got played."

"The doctor explicitly told us Adrian's sperm count was basically nonexistent," Sarah pointed out. "Add Caleb's freak-out today, and I think we've got our answer. My god, was I actually right? Did Adrian really get cuckolded?"

"It's just a working theory right now," Liam cautioned, playing devil's advocate. "We don't have hard proof. If we could actually get our hands on the kid's blood to run an independent test, we'd know for sure."

He looked directly at Jocelyn.

"You have to walk into the lion’s den if you want to get what you're after."

Sarah shot him a dirty look. "After the absolute meltdown today, you think she can just waltz back in there?"

Jocelyn, however, saw the silver lining.

"Actually, burning that bridge today might be exactly what I needed. Now I don't have to play the submissive wife anymore. They know I have leverage over them, which means they're going to be walking on eggshells around me. It buys me breathing room."

"My top priority right now is sabotaging the aviation AI model."

"How are you going to do that?" Sarah asked. "Momentum AI completely turned over its dev team. You don't have a single ally in there anymore. You won't be able to access the source code. Hell, you can't even get past the front desk."

"Adrian previously offered me a job as his secretary," Jocelyn mused. "I was going to use it to infiltrate the company. But it looks like I won't even need to do that."

Sarah was lost. "What are you planning?"

Jocelyn rested a hand lightly on her stomach.

"Don't forget, I'm the one who engineered the core model in the first place."

Liam suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Sarah snapped.

Liam pointed at Jocelyn. "Now I know exactly why you and Julian get along so well. You're both terrifyingly brilliant and incredibly ruthless. When you decide to destroy someone, you don't miss."

"That slap Caleb Preston gave you today? Julian is going to make him pay for that until he’s choking on his own rage."

Jocelyn blinked. "What do you mean?"

What did Julian Vance have to do with this?

"You'll find out soon enough," Liam said mysteriously.

Jocelyn didn't push it, but it sparked a realization.

"Wait, how did you even know to show up at the hospital today?"

She had called Sarah.

Sarah came because she was worried.

But why was Liam there? And how did he time his entrance so perfectly?

"Julian sent me, obviously," Liam stated casually.

Julian?

"He asked me to swing by and make sure you were okay."

Sarah was stunned.

"How on earth did Mr. Vance know Jocelyn was going to get jumped?"

Liam ignored the question, resting his chin on his hand and shooting Jocelyn an aggrieved look.

"I can't believe you had this whole secret history with my best friend, and I had no idea. And here I was, acting like the dutiful matchmaker introducing you two!"

As for how she was going back, she would figure that out based on the Lowells' next move.

But this time, she was accelerating her timeline.

The Lowell house was basically a war zone.

"Wait a minute," Sarah interrupted, realizing something. "You still didn't tell us how Mr. Vance knew Jocelyn was going to be attacked. Is the guy psychic?"

Liam checked his watch.

"I've got somewhere to be. Call me if you need me."

He stood up and headed for the door.

"Liam Bancroft, you're avoiding the question!" Sarah yelled. "Answer me!"

Liam didn't even look back.

"Because my boy Julian is a certified genius. Unlike some people in this room who are dense as rocks."

Sarah rolled up her sleeves, ready to physically fight him.

Liam grabbed his car from the garage.

Instead of pulling out immediately, he rolled down his window, lit a cigarette, and dialed Julian's number.

When Julian picked up, Liam took a drag.

"So, what's the damage on your end?"

"She hurt her ankle while dancing," Julian replied smoothly. "Thankfully, it's nothing major. It'll take about a month to heal, no permanent damage."

Julian laid out the situation perfectly clearly.

Liam understood exactly what he meant.

But there was one thing he was still dying to know.

"Julian, give it to me straight. Are you physically with your fiancée, but mentally with Jocelyn?"