Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
Elspeth and Yozan made their way to the testing room, where she was greeted warmly by the doctor on duty whom she was already familiar with.
As the doctor recognized her, he smiled and addressed her by name, “Miss Lynwood, here for testing again?”
When she heard that, she felt a sudden itch in her nose and instinctively touched it, feeling extremely awkward. On the other hand, Yozan, who had earlier been teased by her, couldn’t contain his laughter as he saw her discomfort. After that, she quickly proceeded with the testing with him to move past the awkwardness.
Then, the doctor winked at her. “Miss Lynwood, how about this? Come back in two hours, and I’ll give you the test results through the back door.”
She smiled and thanked him. “Thank you.”
“No problem. This gentleman should be your younger brother, right? He’s handsome.” The doctor laughed heartily.
Elspeth looked at Yozan and furrowed her brows. “Is it that obvious?”
“You two are like peas in a pod, but you look a bit more refined, Miss Lynwood.”
Yozan leaned against the door with an indistinguishable smile. “Looks like we don’t need to wait for the test results after all.”
Although Elspeth and Yozan said so, they patiently waited for the DNA test results. As expected, they were indeed related by blood.
He held the report and clicked his tongue. “This is unbelievable; I have a half-sister from the same father and a different mother. My dad… No, our dad is really something.”
“What do you mean by ‘same father and different mother’?” she asked, recalling that Cecelia had mentioned he was adopted into the Harley Family. In addition, Elspeth had verified his identity through her own investigation.
However, Yozan saw her bewilderment and knew what she meant. Then, he explained, “I’m technically the Harley Family’s adopted son, but I’m actually their illegitimate child. My mother had an affair with Welson, and later I was born. He never married her because he was in love with someone else, someone I suspect might be your mother.”
Elspeth noticed that he didn’t refer to Welson as “Dad” but by his first name instead. She could sense the pain in his eyes, which hinted at a difficult childhood. Unsure of what to say, she asked, “Is Welson still living in Damoria?”
“Of course, he is, but what do you want to do? Do you want to go see him?” he suddenly laughed. “He doesn’t even know he has a daughter! If he knew, he might be overjoyed to find out he had a child with the woman he loved.”
After hearing that, she felt slightly nervous. Aside from the circumstances of her mother’s relationship with Welson, he wouldn’t easily let her go, even based on her identity. It was rumored that he had a cunning and ruthless personality, which was why he had built such a large business empire. Whether she would be happy or cautious depended on his own judgment.
“There’s nothing much going on today; why don’t you return to the Harley Residence with me?” Yozan offered, getting ready to drive.
Elspeth shook her head and gave a slight smile. “I think I’ll pass for now. I’ll visit when I find a suitable opportunity.”
Nevertheless, he didn’t pressure her. Anyone would find it difficult to accept the sudden appearance of a father. Her calm demeanor demonstrates her mental fortitude. Then, he shrugged and jangled the car keys in his hand. “How about I send you back?”
“It’s okay, I have my own car,” she politely declined. As she walked towards her car, she suddenly felt something was amiss. When she looked up again, a group of men in black surrounded her. The man in the suit at the front smiled and said, “Miss Lynwood, I would like to invite you to go somewhere.”
“Who are you?” Elspeth tightly gripped the car door, contemplating the possibility of sneaking into her car while they weren’t looking. However, after a quick thought, she quickly gave up on that idea.
“You’ll find out when you get there,” the man said. Then, he gestured for the group to clear a path and pointed to a black Lincoln not far away. “Miss Lynwood, please come with us.”
Outnumbered, she knew there was no point in resisting. Nevertheless, the current situation suggests these men are not necessarily bad guys. So, she slowly locked her car door and followed the man to his vehicle. Sitting in the car filled with musky cologne, she quickly realized it was a man’s car. To whom could it belong?
Suddenly, the man in front of her spoke politely and tactfully, “Miss Lynwood, I apologize for the offense caused by this invitation method. Our employer wishes to see you immediately. We apologize for the poor hospitality.”
Elspeth raised an eyebrow. “Is this related to the Harley Family?”
The man grinned, causing wrinkles to bunch up on his face. “Miss Lynwood, you truly are a smart woman.”
“To plant spies around one’s own son… Isn’t that a bit-” The word “perverted” couldn’t come out of her mouth. She also never expected Welson to be so paranoid. She had only received the test report, and he already knew about it. Should I applaud him for being well-informed or condemn him for being excessive in his actions?
Hearing her sarcastic tone, the man immediately explained, “Our employer is primarily concerned about his son. It’s merely a matter of being concerned, really.”
Concern? What kind of concern is that? Elspeth didn’t want to expose the truth and could only smile and chat with him. “Yes, Mr. Harley… He cares about his children.”
Otherwise, why would Welson get her back to the Harley Family so quickly?
As their conversation became more awkward, the driver in front couldn’t help but speed up. They soon arrived at the entrance of the Harley Residence. As she exited the car, she saw Yozan parked his vehicle nearby.
When he saw her approach, his eyes lit up. “I never thought we’d end up coming here together.” After a moment’s thought, it was probably because Welson had arranged to have someone monitor him, so his excitement dimmed.
“Thanks, but I’m not very happy about it.” Elspeth forced a smile at Yozan before her face returned to its usual cold expression.
“Well, we’re already here. Since he made an effort to invite you, let’s meet him together.” He leaned forward slightly, his smile light. “Am I right, my dear Elspeth?”
She felt slightly uncomfortable with the term endearment but couldn’t help but follow him because she didn’t know the way. Soon, the two arrived at the hall, and as they were about to enter, a cup flew out from inside and hit his knee, spilling tea all over his leg. She could hear him grunt, but his expression remained unchanged as if he was accustomed to such treatment.
“*sshole!” A powerful voice followed, making people shudder.
However, Yozan continued to walk straight ahead without looking around.
When they entered the reception room, Elspeth looked up at the man sitting there. He wore a white suit and looked thin overall but had a stern demeanor. He appeared younger than most men in their fifties. The man was previously burning with anger, but his expression changed rapidly upon seeing her. She could see surprise, confusion, joy, and even a hint of nostalgia flash across his face.
Since she was already there, she had to lower her head and speak softly. “I’m not sure why you invited me here, Mr. Harley. Is there something you wanted to discuss?”
At that moment, Welson was no longer focused on punishing Yozan, and his thoughts were entirely on her. “Y-You’re my daughter?” His voice trembled slightly, and it was clear he was nervous. He seemed to know about the DNA test results.
“Yes, but also no,” she replied.
After hearing that, he was stunned. “What do you mean?”
What kind of biological father is he if he doesn’t even bother to raise his own child? Based on what Helia had previously told her, Elspeth had already formed a negative opinion of the man in front of her. “Although you and I share a blood relationship, I don’t think our lives must intersect.” Despite knowing where she is, he hasn’t been interested in finding my mom despite knowing where she is, in over 20 years. I do not wish to recognize such a callous man as my father.
Sensing her distant tone, Welson felt a tinge of bitterness in his heart. “Elspeth, I know you blame me for not looking for your mother.”
“Mr. Harley, you must be joking,” she said, a faint smile on her face. “Your choices are yours, and I certainly can’t interfere.”
“I-“
“If nothing else, I hope Mr. Harley can allow me to return.”
His face immediately became unpleasant. “What, being with me makes you that uncomfortable?” He never expected his long-awaited daughter to show disgust even after meeting him.
Elspeth felt she would be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed. “It’s not really that. However, what I truly wish for, Mr. Harley is that you seriously consider whether or not it is necessary to acknowledge that I am your daughter.” Her words served as a reminder to him.
The Harley Family was thriving, and the sudden emergence of an illegitimate daughter would undoubtedly impact the family’s estate and business. Moreover, their competitors would make a fuss about the matter. Nevertheless, she had no desire to be exposed to the public as an illegitimate daughter.
“I don’t care, and-” Welson was about to continue but was interrupted.
“Still, I care; I care a lot about this.” Her gaze was piercing. “If we’re to acknowledge each other, I’d rather not do it as an illegitimate daughter.” She had her pride and didn’t want to lose her reputation or be criticized by others.
Then, he looked at her stubbornness and felt that he should have been angry, but he felt a sudden sense of relief instead. She is undeniably my daughter because she shares my personality traits. “Alright, alright. Since that’s the case, can you tell me where your mother is?” he asked with a smile. “I’m willing to marry her legally and welcome you back to the Harley Family in a grand manner.”
However, Elspeth didn’t expect Welson to make such a significant concession.
Meanwhile, Yozan was also shocked after hearing that. He looked up and unexpectedly met Welson’s loving gaze.
Still, she couldn’t decide for her mother, so she hesitated and said, “I’ll go back and ask her for her opinion first.”
Knowing that the matter couldn’t be rushed, Welson nodded. “Alright then, I’ll have someone send you back.” As he spoke, his tone was gentle like a kind father, but after he finished, he glared fiercely at Yozan, who had been silent on the side. “Get down on your knees!”
Yozan was taken aback and fell to his knees.
The butler was already standing by Elspeth’s side, smiling as he escorted her away. Then, she looked deeply at Yozan, kneeling on the ground, and asked, “What did he do wrong?”
Welson sneered, “After discovering your identity, he concealed it and didn’t report it. I’ve raised him for 20 years and look at what he did!”
“I was the one who asked him to conceal my identity.” Her gaze was cold and made people shiver. She had a hunch that things were tough for Yozan in the Harley Family, but she had no idea that things were that severe. In addition, she couldn’t help but wonder how Welson perceived Yozan.
However, Welson didn’t care and said coldly, “I raised him for so many years, hoping he could contribute to the family business. I never expected him to be so useless that he couldn’t handle such a small matter.”
Elspeth opened her mouth to defend Yozan, but Welson clearly didn’t care about Yozan at all. To outsiders, Yozan was the prestigious son of the Harley Family. Still, only he knew the bitterness of living in the family. He was only a pawn for his father. Looking over at Elspeth, the contrast was stark, and his pent-up anger bubbled to the surface. “Do I really mean nothing to you in your heart?” Yozan asked.
It was a question that Welson never expected. He has never disobeyed me; I have always made sure to give him the best of everything. Nonetheless, I never anticipated that he would continue to be discontent. “Yozan, don’t forget how your mother tried to seduce me in the first place,” Welson said.
Each word made Yozan’s face turn a shade paler.
“You’re merely the son of a promiscuous woman, so what right do you have to talk here?”
