Chapter 116
116:
She buried her face in her hands. Yet, through her tears, she stole a glance at Shepard and Giselle. Neither of them reacted. Their silence made it painfully clear they weren’t going to change their decision.
Rosie’s heart sank even more. In her mind, she believed this was all Brenna’s fault.
If Brenna had not returned, she would still have people she could call her parents. But now, everything had changed. Brenna had taken everything from her.
Tessa gently patted Rosie’s back. “Sweetheart, you still have Grandpa and Grandma, don’t you? Even if you have to call them Uncle Shepard and Aunt Giselle now, that doesn’t mean their love for you has changed.”
“That’s right,” Shepard said. “Nothing about how we’ve treated you before will change.”
He knew exactly why Rosie was acting this way. In her heart, she believed Brenna had stolen the affection that had once belonged to her. That was why she was lashing out.
Giselle said, “Now, you have a new family member who will look out for you. Whatever she has, you’ll have too. So don’t be sad, okay?”
Rosie lowered her gaze and nodded reluctantly. “But I still want Brenna to take another DNA test. If the results confirm she’s really a member of our family, I’ll apologize to her and follow through with the bet.”
Ernst nodded. “Yes, I support Rosie in this.”
He glanced at Brenna, who remained unshaken, as if she were merely watching a show unfold. In all honesty, he couldn’t stand her unbothered demeanor. She acted as if everything was under her control. It wasn’t just composure. It was the kind of self-assurance that only people in power possessed. From the moment she stepped into their lives, Brenna did not seem like someone simply searching for lost family and their affection. He believed maybe she was after the entire Harper family’s assets.
Dalton couldn’t help but notice how indifferent Brenna seemed to the entire process of verification and its results. It puzzled him deeply.
𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩: g𝗮𝗅𝗇𝗈𝗏𝗲𝗅𝘀꞉𝗰𝗼𝗺
He felt a strong sense of sympathy for her, a wave of sadness washing over him as he thought about her situation. After just returning, she now found herself forced to prove who she was under such intense scrutiny. Who wouldn’t feel hurt being treated like that?
Her resilience was remarkable; anyone less strong might not have lasted in such an environment.
In a moment of frustration, Dalton approached Ernst and said, “Ernst, this is going too far. Rosie may be your cousin, but Brenna is your biological sister. How can you question your own sister like this? I witnessed the DNA test our parents conducted. It was accurate—no need for a redo. Plus, a well-known site wouldn’t offer such services if they weren’t legitimate.”
Ernst seemed irked, barely paying attention. “Stop rambling, Dalton. There’s no harm in being cautious. A second test is harmless. Brenna, you don’t mind, do you?”
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