Chapter 35
**Chapter 35: Officially Divorced I p>
Serena nodded slowly, her heart heavy yet hopeful. “He promised he would. I truly believe he is sincere about that part.” Her voice was tinged with a mixture of uncertainty and longing, as if she were grasping at the wisps of a dream that might slip away.
“Aunt, the police are asking if Alice has had any troubles lately. They’re investigating the possibility of foul play,” Lena said, her tone serious and laced with concern. “Nathan mentioned you hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but I distinctly remember Alice was suspended from work p>
“Aunt, I’m so sorry,” Serena interrupted, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just that I couldn’t bring myself to tell Nathan p>
Lena’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean? What’s going on p>
Serena took a deep breath, her heart racing as she prepared to reveal the truth. “The truth is, Alice and I were exploring the possibility that I might not actually be Victor’s daughter. I submitted samples for a paternity test at Grand Mercy Hospital, but when the results came back, they confirmed that I am indeed Victor’s daughter,” she explained, her voice trembling as she recounted the events. “The laboratory supervisor disposed of the sample so hastily that we were convinced something was off. We argued with him, fearing that the results had been tampered with p>
“I’m so sorry, Aunt. I truly am,” Serena said, her voice thick with regret. “I might have put Alice in a precarious position p>
Lena remained silent, her gaze fixed on Serena, who had lowered her eyes to her trembling hands. After a moment, Lena reached out and gently rubbed her back, offering comfort. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, child. Who’s to say that the supervisor’s actions weren’t just carelessness? That doesn’t automatically imply foul play p>
“And even if you could prove you’re not Victor’s daughter, why would anyone want to harm Alice because of that?” Lena asked softly, her voice soothing yet probing. “What does Victor stand to gain from revealing that you’re not his daughter? Besides, isn’t it true that all of Victor’s accomplices are locked away with him p>
Before Serena could gather her thoughts to respond, Lena’s phone rang, shattering the moment of introspection.
Serena observed as Lena’s expression shifted from resolute determination to a profound sense of defeat. The call ended, and Lena turned to her, a mixture of dread and disbelief etched on her face. “Brandon just called. They identified the man who crashed into Alice’s car. He left a pub just moments before the accident, and multiple witnesses claim he was likely driving under the influence p>
The weight of the revelation sank in, and Lena broke down in tears, her voice breaking with anguish. “How could he be so reckless? Because of his irresponsibility, three lives are now irrevocably altered, including his own p>
The grim reality was that two bodies had been discovered at the crash site. One day on the bridge, while the other was submerged in the water but neither belonged to Alice reir DNA did not match, and there was no identification linking them to her.
The news lifted a heavy burden from Serena’s shoulders, a glimmer of relief coursing through her. It seemed that the accident might not be connected to the DNA testing after all.
Yet, even in the light of this revelation, a flicker of fear remained.
What if… what if someone had genuinely intended to harm Alice? That would mean
the Hartleys were in danger too. And she herself could be at risk.
With this thought, she decided it was perhaps best to keep her fears to herself.
Later that evening, Serena returned
to Alice’s apartment, her heart still racing from the day’s events. As entered the building lobby, the concierge approached her with a slight smile. “Miss Kline, a package arrived for you this afternoon p>
Serena’s heart skipped a beat as she accepted the package, her mind racing with
possibilities. It was from Grand Mercy Hospital.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and her pulse quickened.
Just yesterday, she had requested that the hospital send her the remaining DNA samples. She had explained her emotional state, how she wasn’t ready to leave her home after the incident with Alice, and the hospital had graciously agreed to send the samples directly to her instead of making her risk her safety.
Once inside the apartment, she carefully opened the package, her hands trembling with anticipation. She confirmed that it contained the DNA samples and items belonging to her father.
Tears of joy threatened to spill as she gazed at the contents. Serena silently prayed that if there truly was another family out there waiting for her, she would finally uncover the truth.
Little did she know that after that night, her life was poised to change in ways she could never have imagined, leaving her breathless and bewildered.
Xavier was the key to this new chapter, and he would arrive just in time to pull her from the brink of a fate that could have been utterly disastrous.