Chapter 1017
[ 616 words ]
The chaos at Blacktower had finally died down, giving the illusion of calm. But the truth was, everything-Blacktower, even all of Black Gate-had been turned utterly upside down.
Finch wasn’t Derek’s son.
And as for Ivanna and Leanne—even without the DNA test, the fact that they’d both run off said more than any lab result ever could. The results were obvious before any paperwork was even signed.
For now, there was only one thing that seemed certain: Dan was, indisputably, Derek’s son.
Then there was Susanna. No tests had ever been done on her, but she happened to look the most like Derek of all of them—a spitting image, if you just went by appearances.
Of course, that was the last thing Susanna believed. In her mind, she wasn’t Derek’s daughter. And if she wasn’t, then Dan couldn’t be either. It just didn’t make sense— Adelle had been with Derek for years and never given birth to his child? That was statistically improbable.
Her explanation? Derek was simply incapable of fathering any children.
As for Dan’s paternity report—had it been faked? If so, how? No one could say for certain.
Hull reached over and gave her cheek a gentle, affectionate squeeze. “You’re awfully confident. Is it just wishful thinking-you wanting him to finally get what he deserves?”
“Absolutely,” Susanna agreed with a wicked little grin.
She’d heard about Derek’s reputation back when she was still in Portis City. Then her mother had vanished-all because of that man. And now, she’d learned Derek was also responsible for destroying Hull’s family. Was there any villain more deserving of ruin? She wanted nothing more than to see Derek get his comeuppance.
Hull shook his head. “I doubt the results were manipulated. When they ran the tests, Finch, Derek, and Dan each sent five of their own most trusted men to watch every step of the process. That’s fifteen people-every one of them keeping a close eye. There was no way anyone could’ve tampered with the results.”
Susanna fell silent, momentarily taken aback. Wow. That intense? If they’d gone that far, faking the results really did seem impossible.
“And besides,” Hull continued, “the procedure was actually Dan’s idea in the first place. That pretty much means he really is Derek’s son.”
A flash of impish delight crossed Susanna’s face. “But what if the doctor running the test was his real father?”
Hull stared at her, stunned for a split second. And then he just laughed-hard. “Only you would come up with something that crazy.”
But honestly, if there really had been
any trickery with Dan’s paternity report, that was the only scenario that made sense-Dan’s real father would have to be the doctor himself. Who else could have pulled off such a switcheroo with so many people watching every move?
“I just have a feeling,” Susanna mumbled, almost to herself. “That Derek doesn’t
have any kids.”
“Oh?” Hull’s tone was teasing.
“Just-call it gut instinct,” she said, pouting a little. Maybe it didn’t make sense, but from the very first moment she’d laid eyes on Derek she’d had an unshakeable certamty: this was the kind of man who’d die without leaving a single heir.
She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. “So, what are you going to do about Black Gate?”
Right now, the entire organization was in shambles. With Dan declared Derek’s sole heir, it was only a matter of time before Dan took the reins completely. He’d be the only one left standing.
She remembered her conversation with Stella about Dan-it had been clear there was more to him than met the eye. How exactly Yvonne had managed to outmaneuver him was anybody’s guess but clearly Dan wasn’t simple.
“Just… be careful around Dan, okay?” Susanna said quietly.
Hull arched an eyebrow and swept her into his lap. “Worried about me?”
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