Chapter 316
Inside the car, Ben gently held Melanie’s hand and asked, “Are you absolutely sure you want to do this p>
Melanie smiled softly, squeezing his hand for reassurance. “Yes, I want to do this. To be honest, this has been weighing on me for years, but I don’t have the courage and the means and I’m glad William brought it up. If there’s even a chance his suspicions are right, we need to know p>
William had approached Melanie with a bold request: to retrieve anything belonging to Tim that could be used for a DNA test. He strongly suspected that Rain wasn’t actually Tim’s biological daughter, a possibility that had been gnawing at him for days. He needed answers, and Melanie shared his determination.
She had witnessed Rain grow up without receiving even a fraction of Tim’s love or care. Melanie often questioned why he was so cold toward her. Rain was just an innocent girl, after all. At first, she assumed his resentment stemmed from Kyla, Rain’s mother. His bitterness over Lydia’s death seemed to fuel his hatred for Kyla, so it wasn’t a stretch to think it extended to Rain as well.
Yet, deep down, Melanie couldn’t shake a nagging doubt. Could there be another reason? Was it possible that Rain wasn’t truly his daughter? The thought had crossed her mind over the years, but she had always pushed it aside. Now, with William’s suspicions aligning with her own, those lingering doubts came rushing back, louder than ever.
“Alright then,” Ben said, his voice calm but protective. “I’ll stay close by p>
Melanie nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the car. As she approached the mansion, the familiar weight of its oppressive atmosphere settled on her. Tim was at the hospital as usual, leaving Sylvia as the only person present.
Sylvia appeared in the entryway, her expression sharp and suspicious. “What do you want?” Sylvia asked, her tone curt and unwelcoming.
’She hasn’t changed one bit,’ Melanie thought as she mustered a neutral expression. “I just came to pick up the rest of my things,” Melanie replied calmly.
Sylvia’s gaze lingered for a moment before she waved her off. “Fine. Just make it quick p>
Melanie turned to Ben, who stood by the door and gave him a small nod. “I’ll be fast,” she assured him before heading upstairs.
Once inside, Melanie moved swiftly but carefully, making her way to the master bedroom.
She slipped into the bathroom and immediately located Tim’s toiletries. Grabbing a new toothbrush from the drawer, she swapped it with Tim’s used one, placing the latter into a sealed plastic bag.
She did the same with his shaver, carefully collecting any loose hairs and sealing them in another bag. Finally, she added his comb, ensuring she didn’t leave any traces of her actions.
As Melanie finished and turned to leave, she froze at the sound of Sylvia’s voice echoing from downstairs. “Where did that damn woman go p>
Melanie’s heart raced. Her mind scrambled for a plan as Sylvia’s voice grew louder. Without wasting a second, she darted her eyes around the room and spotted the wardrobe. Moving quickly but silently, she opened it just enough to slip inside, closing it behind her.
She held her breath, clutching the evidence bags tightly, as Sylvia’s footsteps drew nearer. Sylvia entered the room, clearly irritated, to grab her mobile phone. She dialed a number, her tone exasperated.
“Melanie is here with her husband. She claims she’s here to collect her things. Should I kick her out?” Sylvia’s voice dripped with annoyance. But then her shoulders slumped as she let out a frustrated sigh. “I understand. Yes, I’ll do as you ask p>
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
“What is it now?” she barked, turning toward the sound.
“Madam, the visitor downstairs is asking for you. He says he needs to speak with you,” the servant informed her from behind the door.
Sylvia scowled. “What does that butler want now? Does he think I’ll waste my time on him just because he married Tim’s sister? That lowlife man!” she muttered, storming out of the room.
Hidden in the wardrobe, Melanie clenched her fists, her blood boiling at Sylvia’s insult toward Ben. It took every ounce of restraint not to burst out and confront her right then and there. How dare she belittle Ben like that? But she reminded herself of the task at hand. This wasn’t the time to let emotions take over.
As soon as Sylvia’s footsteps disappeared down the hallway, Melanie stepped out of the wardrobe, her heart racing. She slipped out of the master bedroom as quietly as possible and made her way to her old room. Wasting no time, she gathered the few belongings she had left behind, stuffing them into a bag with urgency.
Melanie carried the small bag of belongings and called over a passing servant. “Could you help me take this to the car, please?” she asked with a polite smile. The servant nodded and hurried to assist her.
When she descended the stairs, she spotted Ben speaking with Sylvia. Sylvia’s expression was as dark as a thundercloud.
“I’m done. Let’s go,” Melanie said, cutting into their conversation.
Sylvia turned to her sharply, her eyes narrowing. “I went to your bedroom earlier, but you weren’t there p>
Melanie’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept her expression calm and composed. “Oh, I went to Rain’s room. She asked me to pick up something for her,” she lied smoothly.
Sylvia eyed her for a moment but eventually dismissed the comment without further probing. With a forced smile, Melanie slipped her hand into Ben’s, intertwining their fingers.
“Thank you for today, Sylvia. My husband and I will take our leave now. Please send my regards to my brother,” Melanie said sweetly.
Sylvia’s expression darkened further as she replied, “Tim wants to visit Rain p>
Melanie’s smile didn’t falter. “That’s not for me to decide, and you know that. You should ask Rain instead,” she said firmly, then gently tugged on Ben’s hand to lead him toward the door.
Once they were safely inside the car and driving away, Melanie let out a relieved sigh.
“You purposely asked the servant to call Sylvia, didn’t you? You knew I was stuck in the room,” she said, glancing at Ben.
Ben brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles tenderly. “Yes, I was worried about you. I couldn’t just stand around doing nothing p>
“What did you talk about with Sylvia?” Melanie asked curiously.
Ben chuckled. “I told her how deeply in love we are and assured her she doesn’t need to worry about you anymore since you’re fully my responsibility p>
Melanie raised an eyebrow and smiled. “And her response p>
“She didn’t seem interested, but I kept talking anyway,” he said, laughing softly.
Melanie joined in his laughter, humming thoughtfully. “No wonder her face looked so sour when I came down p>
Ben’s demeanor turned serious as he shifted gears. “Let’s head straight to Meta Doctors Hospital to submit the samples p>
Melanie nodded, pulling the sealed plastic bags from her inner pocket. Her hands trembled slightly as she held them. Mixed emotions surged within her… anxiousness, curiosity, and a hint of fear.