It was as though he was poking Artemis' heart with a needle. Even though Artemis did not feel any pain, it was utterly unbearable for him. He felt like he was suffocating, as if someone was gripping his throat.
At that very moment, the temperature in the room seemed to have dropped drastically again. Justin could not restrain himself from touching the tip of his nose before piping up, “That boy is not Edmund's biological son.”
In an instant, Artemis shot him a penetrating gaze. His tone was stern as he demanded, “What did you say?”
Justin quirked his brows. Aha! My instinct is proven right! The tyrant has seemingly taken a fancy to Bailey and is thinking of pursuing her, but he can only dismiss the idea because of Edmund. Undeniably, it's inappropriate to eye a woman his cousin is in love with. If that boy is truly Edmund's flesh and blood, our Mr. Luther can only lick his wounds silently then. After all, he knows he shouldn't have designs on his buddies' women. Needless to say, it would be different if that woman had never indulged in intimacy with Edmund before and borne him a child.
“I called you over to tell you something about the paternity test. Someone hacked into my computer and amended the result.” Justin cut the crap.
Artemis knitted his brows instantaneously. He was the one who created Justin's medical system. Shielded by layers of firewall, it was almost impossible for anyone to hack into it. Unless it's a top-notch international hacker... Could it be Spook?
“Bring your laptop over to me. I need to check on that myself,” Artemis requested solemnly.
Justin replied placidly, “You can do that some other time. That's not the important point here and not what I wanted to talk to you about.”
At this point, he paused as his expression turned odd.
Displeased with his hesitation, Artemis snapped grimly, “What the heck is going on? Cut to the chase!”
Justin raised his head to gulp down his glass of red wine before he turned to walk toward the desk. Then, he reprinted a copy of the paternity test result.
Artemis followed behind Justin and stretched out his hand to snatch the printed copy from him. Even though he did not have any expertise in the medical field, he could still understand fundamental medical terms.
Pointing at one of the sections in the copy, he questioned, “What does this mean?”
Heaving a sigh, Justin elucidated slowly, “You don't need to doubt yourself. That's exactly what you think it means. Let me put it this way. That boy is related to Edmund, but he's not Edmund's biological son. In other words, the boy could be his brother or sister's son. In conclusion, they are blood-related or known as intergenerational blood relatives. Do you get it now?”
His words repeated in Artemis' mind. A thought niggled at him, but when he tried to ponder it further, it slipped away.
Intergenerational blood relatives? He knew what it implied. It meant the boy's biological father must be one of Edmund's cousins, either from his paternal or maternal side.
Catching sight of Artemis falling into a trance, Justin could not wrap his head around the former's stance. Unable to help himself, he asked, “Do you need me to investigate further?”
As his temples started to throb, Artemis massaged them while replying hoarsely, “No need for now.”
Justin pursed his lips. He could see the avoidance amidst the resignation on Artemis' face. Nonetheless, as the latter's friend, he was fully aware that he should not let him continue falling deeper into the rabbit hole.
“If that boy is Simon's son, he'll be your nephew, and Ms. Bailey will be your sister-in-law. Artemis, you've always been able to keep a cool head regardless of any circumstance. Thus, I'm sure you can think this through without my guidance. Don't force yourself into a corner. Snap out of it before it's too late, okay?” he advised earnestly.
Even so, Artemis only waved his hand. “Thanks for your concern. Pass me your laptop. I need to dig up the intruder hacking into your medical system.”
Utterly speechless, Justin had no choice but to give in to him. Unequivocally, it was good enough for him to hint at Artemis tactfully. It might exacerbate the situation if he continued nagging at the latter.
Hence, he advanced toward the desk again to pick up his laptop and pass it to Artemis.
The latter regained his usual composure and sat on the couch with the laptop. Shortly after, his slender fingers typed on the keyboard swiftly. The grimness on his face intensified as time elapsed.
“How's it going? Did you manage to find out anything?”
Thud! After closing the laptop lid abruptly, Artemis finally opened his mouth. “It's Spook's account.”
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