Chapter 506

Anthony’s eyes were dark, almost unreadable, and there was an unmistakable chill
in his gaze.
“Anthony, please take a look at this report.”
Hans opened the DNA file and set it neatly in front of Anthony, pointing to a particular genetic marker. “The results confirm a biological connection, but there’s something odd in Charlotte’s gene sequence.”
The gene in question was called HG21, and it came with its own set of rules. It could only be passed down from mother to son or from father to daughter. Steven didn’t have HG21 in his DNA. Going by basic genetics, Charlotte shouldn’t have it either.
But here’s the twist: not only did Charlotte have HG21, her genetic similarity to Steven was a staggering 99.99 percent. That was basically as close to certain as it got.
“What does the lab say?” Anthony asked, his voice low and tense. He was already searching up HG21 on his computer, his fingers tapping against the keys.
Hans didn’t hesitate. “The testing was done by an X Organization affiliate. Their tech is top-tier. The results are solid.” He paused, then continued, “They have two possible explanations. One, it’s a spontaneous mutation, but honestly, the chance of that happening naturally is tiny, and artificial intervention is even less likely.”
Decades ago, some labs had tried to alter genes by hand, but those experiments were shut down after a major scandal. Nobody had made it work since.
“The other theory is that Charlotte’s body is unique, and something rare happened during her genetic inheritance.”
Anthony turned to look at him, his eyes like deep, cold water. “Be specific. What do they mean by ‘something rare’?”
Hans nodded. “They’re saying Charlotte might be one of those one-in-a-million cases where something goes off-script during gene transfer. It’s rare, but not impossible.”
It was the same as those people who end up with strange, unexplained medical conditions, no matter how much doctors investigate.
A rare accident, Anthony thought, replaying the words in his mind. He couldn’t help but think about all the unusual things Charlotte had done, all the ways she stood out. She really wasn’t like everyone else.
“Does HG21 affect her health?”
Hans glanced at the report. “It says she’s completely healthy.”
The word “healthy” seemed to soften Anthony’s expression, just a little. He got up and headed for the next room.
1.n
Inside, Charlotte was sitting cross-legged on the soft carpet, wearing deep blue cotton pajamas She was surrounded by books, jewelry and all sorts of little things she’d pulled out of the box her rother left her. It was the first time she’d really gone through everything since bringing it home from the main family’s estate.
She dug through a faded gray pouch and discovered a reddish-brown notebook. It turned out to be a diary. She’d expected it to be her mother’s daily journal, but it was actually a pregnancy diary Every entry had picture attached, following her mother’s journey from the first month of pregnancy to when Charlotte turned five. The diary ended there, right around the time her mother passed away.
Every page overflowed with a mother’s love. It was obvious how much she had longed for Charlotte to arrive. But there was one thing missing-Steven wasn’t mentioned once.
Charlotte frowned, thinking back. She’d read her mother’s will and even double- checked the handwriting. The part leaving company shares to Steven was definitely
real.