Chapter 114
114:
Colt replied with a faint smile, “That’s simple enough to confirm. A quick check for incision scars beneath the arms would tell us everything.”
Rosie’s entire body tensed. Instinctively, she crossed her arms over her chest, then quickly fled upstairs, embarrassed.
She had spent years dissatisfied with her appearance, convinced her nose was too flat, her breasts too small, her eyelids unappealing. Determined to perfect herself, she had traveled overseas for surgical enhancements. When she returned, people said she looked prettier, although they couldn’t exactly tell what had changed.
She had been certain that no one could detect the work she had done. Yet, this old man had seen right through her in mere seconds. The humiliation was unbearable.
Downstairs, Brenna called out teasingly, “Why the sudden rush to leave? Plastic surgery isn’t anything to be ashamed of, right?” After going upstairs, Rosie didn’t return to her room. Instead, she stayed around the corner, eavesdropping.
Colt turned his attention back to Brenna. “Your facial proportions are naturally well-balanced. There’s no need for surgery. In fact, altering anything could disrupt muscle coordination, leading to unnatural expressions as time passes.”
Just then, the front door opened, and Ernst entered, accompanied by Shepard, Giselle, Luther, Tessa, Ableson, and Jillian.
Everyone greeted Colt warmly when they saw him.
Luther, who knew Colt, asked, “What brings you here today?”
Colt offered a casual smile. “Dalton asked for a favor, and since I was available, I came here.”
“Young people these days have no sense of propriety. How could you trouble an elder so easily like this? This is unacceptable.” Luther’s eyes narrowed as he turned toward Dalton.
Colt replied, “It is nothing at all. Dalton is a rare gem in the entertainment industry. Three years ago, before his career took off, our hospital had a patient from a remote village—a child in desperate need of multiple cleft lip and palate surgeries. The family couldn’t afford the treatments, and Dalton covered the expenses for the child. I admire him for that.”
After Colt left, the Harper family gathered on the sofa. Luther sat rigid, his face set in a grim expression. His gaze drifted toward the staircase, where Rosie stood frozen at the top. In a deep voice, he ordered, “Come here.”
Rosie’s pulse quickened. She hesitated for a brief moment before making her way down the stairs. Her eyes darted to Ernst, silently pleading for help.
Ernst spoke up without hesitation. “Grandpa, just because Brenna hasn’t had cosmetic surgery doesn’t prove she’s related to us. That proves nothing. There are plenty of people in the world who resemble each other but aren’t related by blood. We still need a DNA test to be sure.”
Rosie caught Ernst’s eye and gave him a discreet thumbs-up. If there was anyone who knew how to handle situations like this, it was him.
.
.
.