Chapter 169

Chapter 169

Hertha parked her car downstairs at the Silvergrove City Paternity Testing Center.

Miss Hertha, you were right. Rhett’s got his suspicions. He went straight to Granger, sald the assistant.

Granger was Rhett’s old childhood buddy and worked at the center. Hertha had predicted Rhett wouldn’t trust anyone with this, so he would surely turn to Granger.

Hertha scoffed. “All that effort for nothing, huh?”

Getting a hair sample from Rhett was like trying to pluck a whisker from a lion. So, she had to come up with a different plan.

“Do as I instructed,” Hertha commanded before leaving her car.

Granger had his car parked out front. Clutching a plastic bag with Rhett and Summer’s hair samples, he headed toward the center.

Suddenly, a dull thud echoed, followed by the car alarm.

Granger turned around. “Damn it!”

Some idiot had thrown a rock at his brand–new car!

“What’s the security doing? How’d this guy get in?” Granger’s heart ached for his new purchase, worth over three hundred grand.

“Catch him!” Granger was fuming..

Another thud and someone abruptly bumped into Granger, the plastic bag falling to the ground.

Hertha quickly bent down, swapped the bags, and handed the bag to Granger with a smile. “Sorry about that. I was in a hurry.”

“No problem,” Granger glanced at Hertha, squinting his eyes.

After a quick apology, Hertha left swiftly. Once in the alley, Hertha took a deep breath to calm herself, looking down at the plastic bag in her hand.

Well…

“I’ve got the hair samples. Start the test. I need to know the results,” Hertha said on the phone.

At the same time, Rhett gently reprimanded as Milo avoided the veggies and went straight for the meat. “Milo, don’t be a picky eater.”

Rubbing his head, Milo mumbled, Uncle Rhett, I don’t like veggies.”

Rhett corrected his way of speaking. He thought Summer’s baby talk was cute, while Milo’s was annoying, “Veggies are good for you.”

“My mom’s veggles taste good,” Summer said, offering Milo some greens.

Milo looked on curiously. “Really? Your mom is so cool. My mom never cooks or eats with me, and dad’s hardly ever home.”

Kristin paused, glancing at Rhett. How could Caleb be like that with his kid?

“I tried calling Caleb, but no answer. Eve’s drunk again. These two, I swear…” Rhett wanted to curse, but he held back in front of the kids.

Some parents didn’t deserve forgiveness.

“No matter the excuse, parents who aren’t there for their kids are unforgivable,” Kristin’s voice was hoarse, her eyes on her plate.

She’d missed five years of Summer’s life in prison. She hadn’t even given Summer a complete family.

Rhett’s hand holding the fork went numb, a pang of guilt striking him.

“What if… suppose Summer’s dad didn’t know his existance but tried to make amends after figuring out the truth? Could he be forgiven?” Rhett asked softly, almost too careful.

Kristin hesitated. James had tried to make amends more than once, but she didn’t need it. “No, it’s unforgivable,” she replied. She couldn’t forgive herself for the years lost with Summer, nor the hurt that night.

“What would you have done if I hadn’t taken you from Crescendo Town that day and we hadn’t teamed up?” Rhett wanted to know what Kristin’s plan would have been without other options.

“I would’ve left Summer with James, then disappeared…” Kristin’s honesty was stark.

She would’ve donated a kidney to Ruby, atoned for her sins, and died on the operating

table.

Rhett’s heart felt a piercing pain as he suddenly stood up.

“Mr. FitzGerald, not eating?” Kristin asked anxiously, wondering if the meal wasn’t to his

taste.

Rhett shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I suddenly feel a bit queasy. I need to take a call.”

The caller ID showed Granger.

With the phone in hand, Rhett walked distractedly into the study, his expression grim.

His breathing was quick, and suddenly, he didn’t want to know the truth.

Maybe it was better never to know. And he would continue making amends to Kristin and Summer as best he could.

Rhett, the results are in. Want to know?” Granger was on the line.

Rhett’s voice was hoarse. “No, I don’t want to know it anymore.”

“Why not play by the book?” Granger chuckled. “Come on.”

“Yeah, tell me,” Rhett rubbed his forehead, his fingers numb.

“You’ll have to get me a new Bentley first. My car got smashed, Granger grumbled.

Rhett’s eyes darkened. “You’ve made enemies?”

“What enemies could I make? Just bad luck today,” Granger cursed.

“Enough with the sob story,” Rhett braced himself.

“The samples were no good, and I couldn’t run the tests,” Granger reported. “But I suspect they’ve been tampered with. You should bring the kid here again. The two samples I got, chromosome–wise, they’re from two different women.”

Granger laughed. “Rhett, it turns out you’re a lady, huh?”

Rhett massaged his brow. “Cut the crap. Your car got smashed, samples switched, and you still have the nerve to call me?”

He never should’ve trusted Granger.

“What you should worry about is Kristin. That woman is meticulous, and Kristin might not be a match for her,” Granger said lazily.

“What woman?” Rhett frowned.

I thought about it hard. After my car got vandalized, this woman bumped right into me,. scattering my stuff all over. She helped me pick everything up. So, I checked the parking lot’s security footage, and you know what? She has swapped out the samples,” Granger chuckled. “Talk about bad luck, huh? She probably has no clue what I do for a living.”

Granger owned a paternity testing center and was also a private investigator.

“Cut the chase,” Rhett said, his anger barely contained.

“Hertha, your little sweetheart,” Granger smirked. “When you had me look into that. incident from six years back, I smelled a rat. It was unlikely to be Hertha. She’s been practically throwing herself at you, and if it were her that night, she wouldn’t have stayed quiet for six years. But the footage was too old to recover, and without her confession, you’re out of luck.”

At his words, Rhett frowned.

“Just bring the kid over, and we’ll do this by the book,” Granger advised Rhett to bring

Summer for a test

“No need.” Rhett clenched his fiata.

He couldn’t let Kristin get suspicious, nor could he dare let her find out he was the one who hurt her that night.

Fear gripped Rhett.

“Keep this under wraps. I’ll handle Hertha myself,” Rhett warned Granger.

“You’re insulting my professionalism,” Granger snorted. “When are you going to introduce me to your wife?”

“No time.” Rhett hung up abruptly.

Hertha… It looked like the Haywood family needed to disappear.

—-

In the Haywood Manor,

Hertha sat by the window, sipping red wine, when the phone rang.

“The results are in. It’s a father–son match.” the other party told her the result.

The wine glass shattered on the floor, and Hertha trembled all over.

Summer was indeed Rhett’s son.

She couldn’t let Summer and Kristin stay in Silvergrove City any longer. She’d do anything. to make Kristin and Summer vanish.