Chapter 398
The Fake Heiress Turns Out to Be a True Tycoon!
Chapter 398: Chapter 398: She Just Didnât Make it Back Kingston Jenningsâ room was located on the topmost floor, in the farthest corner. It was the same type of suite as the others, with a small study outside. The study contained nothing but a vintage bookshelf and a long desk.
On a small rack on the desk sat transparent bottles filled with various natural pigments, some still resembling their original mineral forms.
Scarlett Jennings wasnât very knowledgeable about pigments. Her glance skimmed over them, recognizing only a few common ones like Vermillion, Coral, and Lapis Lazuli.
Outside the window, the sunlight was bright, spilling onto half of the room.
The reason it was only half was because the curtains were partially drawn.
He stood at the clear dividing line between light and shadow, painting.
The painting was in the illuminated space, while he remained in the darkness.
This was the scene Scarlett Jennings walked into.
Perhaps Nathan Whiteâs treatment had alleviated Kingstonâs physical pain enough to spark his interest. His gaze was heavy as he stared at the canvas, but his hand moved casually, a few strokes sketching out small fish.
Scarlett stood to the side and waited for a moment. Seeing him leisurely draw little fish without any sign of stopping, she spoke directly, "Who made your substitute doll for you?"
The pen on Kingstonâs fish paused slightly before he switched pens to color the fish, as if he hadnât heard a thing.
Scarlett pressed on, "I know you didnât tell the truth earlier. You donât want to bring it up in front of the family, so I came to ask you privately."
Mainly because Second Uncle is really annoying.
If sheâd asked in front of the family just now, she probably wouldnât have gotten far before heâd interject, trying to educate his son, which wouldnât help at all and would only waste time.
Scarlett thought that asking him alone might make him willing to disclose something.
But Kingston only glanced at her sideways, finally setting down his fish, and walked over to start fiddling with his pigments.
At times like this, the advantage of being mute became evident.
When he didnât want to answer, he could justify not speaking.
Scarlett didnât understand, but she could see that his gaze held no malice, and none of the targeting or impatience that Adam and Chase had shown initially.
After a moment of thought, Scarlett decided to provoke him with words, "Whoever helped you make the substitute doll and let you use it to ward off evil spirits clearly acted irresponsibly. If you ever deal with them again, you should be more cautious."
As expected, this statement made Kingston finally stop what he was doing. Turning around, his expression darkened slightly, and he swiftly gestured at her.
Scarlett met his gaze boldly, "I donât understand sign language. Type it out."
Kingston gave her a glance but still picked up his phone, tapping away quickly before staring intently at Scarlett.
[She wasnât irresponsible.]
You canât say that about her.
"She? Who is she?"
Scarlett successfully got him to respond, so she certainly wouldnât let the opportunity slip away.
But Kingston looked at her and typed again.
[You really want to know?]
As Scarlett was about to answer, she saw his next message already appear.
[Iâm not going to tell you.]
Scarlett: ...
This cousin of hersâwas he teasing her?
Yet his expressionless demeanor made it seem unlikely.
Scarlett wanted to push further, but he had already put down his phone and stopped typing.
When he said he wouldnât tell, he really wouldnât tell.
Scarlett found herself at a loss with him.
If it were Adam or Chase, she could still use certain "methods."
But with Kingston, she felt it wasnât necessary.
Fine. Let it be.
Scarlett turned to leave, but just as she reached the door, she suddenly heard a mechanical electronic voice from behind.
[Do you know why my parents divorced?]
Scarlett assumed he was purely curious and wanted to know the reason. She did know the reason, but she wasnât sure whether she should tell him.
After all, the truth was quite disturbing.
Before Scarlett could make up her mind, Kingstonâs voice cut through again.
[I know why.]
Scarlett froze and looked into Kingstonâs slightly darkened eyes. Just one glance told her he truly knew the inside story.
But who had told him?
She felt it couldnât have been anyone in the family.
Other than the direct parties involved, only Old Sir Jennings knew the details. Even Lady Jennings wasnât told, and Adam and Chase were completely unaware.
So who was it? It couldnât have been Second Uncle himself, right?
"How do you know?" Scarlett asked him.
Kingston smiled faintly.
There was some sarcasm in that smile.
He didnât type anything but raised his hand, pointing two fingers to his own eyes.
Scarlett froze.
She didnât understand sign language, but she recognized that gesture.
He had seen it himself.
Scarlett found it absurd.
Aside from that incident in North City, had Odessa done something even more outrageous?
But if she had, how could no one in the Jennings family have noticed?
Suddenly, Scarlett recalled what sheâd heard about Kingston before.
He and Odessa, his biological mother, had never been close.
When Lady Jennings asked him to come home before, he refused. Yet when Odessa went abroad, he voluntarily returned.
"When did you find out?"
Kingston seemed unimpressed with her composed demeanor. He lowered his head and typed quickly again.
[Around four years old, maybe.]
Even Scarlett, who had tried to appear calm, couldnât help but inhale sharply.
Four years old?
But then again, substitute dolls were precocious. Though frail, they were often exceptionally perceptive. If Odessa had done something and he had picked up on it, it wasnât completely out of the question.
Still, Scarlett felt disgusted.
Not at Kingston, but at Odessa.
What could she have done to make her four-year-old son pick up on such sordid intentions?
In fact, Scarlett was overthinking it.
Odessa hadnât dared to do anything outright scandalous, especially not in front of her son.
Kingston had only seen it by accident.
That year, Kingston was four, and his younger brother Adam was one, just learning to speak.
Odessa had been holding a family portrait, pointing at Luca Jenningsâ face and teasing Adam to call him "Daddy."
She had thought Adam was too young for his mistake to matter.
She never expected anyone to care.
But it satisfied a petty desire of hers.
Kingston had understood faintly even then.
Though he was primarily cared for by his aunt, he hadnât been completely devoid of affection for his biological mother.
After that incident, however, he froze her out emotionally.
And as he grew older, the more he found her intentions repulsive.
Luca Jennings wasnât just anyoneâhe was his uncle.
The husband of his aunt, who had always cared for him.
How could he possibly want to return home to console her?
Even as a small child, Kingston had grown to understand shame.
He didnât even know how to face his aunt.
But before he could figure out how to confront her, she disappeared.
The Fake Heiress Turns Out to Be a True Tycoon!
ï¤Chapter 397: Where Did You Spend the Million?
Taming The Villainesses ï¤Chapter 442: Inheritance (3)
Zombie Apocalypse: Reborn With A Farming Space ï¤Chapter 334: A Hidden Expert ( 2 )
Because her daughter had been kidnapped, the aunt chased the kidnappers to their lair, falling into the sea and vanishing during the pursuit.
The rescue team recovered only small parts of her body.
Everyone said she was dead.
At the time, Kingston felt like his entire world had darkened.
The blow from his biological mother was nothing compared to the impact of his auntâs passing.
Thatâs why, when Scarlett called that person irresponsible earlier, he had refuted it.
She wasnât irresponsible.
She just couldnât come back.