Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Why Would It Be Like This?

Sophie Hughes froze.

’Tristan Lawson is getting a paternity test?’

’Whose test is he getting?’

’His and Joshua Lawson’s?’

’No, that can’t be it.’

Joshua Lawson’s resemblance to Tristan Lawson was so uncanny that you didn’t even need a paternity test to know he was his son.

’So whose test is it?’

Her mind reeling with questions, Sophie Hughes carried the fruit platter into the living room anyway.

Having finished his cigarette, Tristan Lawson steered his electric wheelchair inside.

"Dad, Mom, have some fruit."

Tristan Lawson’s wheelchair was already at the dining table.

Sophie Hughes looked at him. After checking his phone, Tristan Lawson seemed visibly agitated.

She called out, "Tristan, come have some fruit."

Tristan Lawson came over and said, "I’m not hungry. I have to go out."

Tristan Lawson had a maid tell the driver to get the car ready.

After eating some fruit with the two elders, Sophie Hughes said she also had to go out for something work-related.

She had noticed the name of a hospital at the top of that text message.

Sophie Hughes drove straight to the hospital and walked all the way to the DNA testing center.

Since Tristan Lawson was in a wheelchair, he was naturally a bit slower.

She had only been delayed by a few minutes, so when she arrived at the center, Tristan Lawson was just picking up the test report.

The first thing Tristan Lawson did after getting the report was tear it open in a hurry.

Then, his expression tightened.

Tristan Lawson stared at the DNA test results, completely stunned.

’Noelle Sutton and Hugo Sterling are biological siblings!’

’Aren’t they only a year apart?’

’How could this be?’

’She never said she wasn’t her parents’ biological child.’

’If she wasn’t, she would definitely know. This is just unbelievable.’

"Tristan."

Sophie Hughes stepped out.

Hearing Sophie Hughes’s voice, Tristan Lawson’s fingers froze for a second before he quickly put the DNA report away.

"What are you doing here?" Sophie Hughes glanced at the document in his hand. "You’re getting a DNA test?"

Tristan Lawson retorted, "What are *you* doing here?"

"A classmate of mine works in administration in the medical affairs department up ahead. She needed to see me about something." Sophie Hughes’s gaze drifted, intentionally or not, toward the DNA report. She lowered her voice. "Tristan, you don’t need a test to know Joshua is your son. Please don’t do something so foolish. If Noelle found out, she’d probably be very upset."

"You think I’m testing my and Joshua’s DNA?" Tristan Lawson frowned. "I’m not so stupid that I can’t even recognize my own son."

"Sorry, I misunderstood. Don’t be mad. Um, my classmate is waiting for me, so I’ll get going."

Tristan Lawson didn’t mention whose DNA test it was, which made Sophie Hughes think the situation was likely serious.

She started walking toward the medical affairs department.

As she walked, she wondered, ’Who would need a DNA test right now?’

She suddenly recalled that night at The Carmine Club, when Adrian Grant said Hugo Sterling had returned to the country to ask Tristan Lawson for help finding his sister.

’Could it be that there’s news about the youngest Miss Sterling?’

Sophie Hughes bit her lip.

As a child, the youngest Miss Sterling had a childhood engagement to Adrian Grant, but she was always clinging to Tristan Lawson.

She kept saying she wanted to marry Tristan Lawson when she grew up.

She had gone to great lengths to trick that girl into bringing Tristan Lawson a birthday cake on his birthday, intending for her to anger him.

She never expected the youngest Miss Sterling to get lost that day.

Because of this, Tristan Lawson had felt guilty for many years.

He believed she had gotten lost while trying to bring him a birthday cake, and he had been exceedingly courteous to the Sterling Family all these years.

The Sterling Family knew Tristan Lawson never celebrated his birthday, so they never blamed him.

But Tristan Lawson still felt he was partly responsible for her disappearance, which was why he never truly turned on Hugo Sterling, no matter how much Hugo tested his limits.

He had never truly had a falling out with Hugo Sterling.

’If the youngest Miss Sterling comes back and tells everyone that I was the one who tricked her into delivering that cake, leading to her disappearance...’

’The Sterling Family will never let me off the hook!’

Sophie Hughes couldn’t help but panic.

She did, in fact, have a classmate in this hospital’s medical affairs department, which was why she had dared to approach Tristan Lawson so brazenly.

She never fought a battle she wasn’t sure she could win.

After meeting her female classmate, Sophie Hughes asked her to step outside, and the two of them went up to the hospital’s rooftop.

Sophie Hughes took the latest pair of luxury earrings from LA out of her purse and gave them to her classmate.

Then, she pulled out a card. "There’s a million in here. I need you to do something for me."

Sophie Hughes whispered in her classmate’s ear for a while.

The classmate patted her chest and promised it was a small matter, and that she could get the information for her today.

Tristan Lawson left the hospital and got into the car with the driver’s help.

He clutched the DNA report, hesitating over whether to tell Hugo Sterling.

Even without knowing Noelle Sutton was his little sister, Hugo Sterling had already stabbed him viciously over what happened that day.

’If he knew...’

And then there was the divorce. Out of respect for their friendship, Hugo Sterling had only given him a subtle warning.

’But if he knew...’

The Sterling Family would undoubtedly use all their power to force the divorce.

The manila envelope in his hand was deeply creased from how tightly Tristan Lawson was gripping it.

’No.’

’The Sterling Family can’t find out about this.’

’But... back then, Hailey Sterling got lost because she was trying to bring me a cake.’

’Mrs. Sterling had even fallen ill from missing her daughter, her health declining day by day.’

’It looked like she didn’t have much time left. She was hanging on by a thread, just hoping to see her biological daughter one last time.’

’If he didn’t tell Hugo Sterling, his conscience would never be clear.’

’But if he did...’

’He would lose her forever...’

Tristan Lawson was trapped in a terrible conflict.

"CEO Lawson, are we going home, or...?"

"To Westwood Apartments."

He wanted to see Noelle Sutton.

On the way, memories from their childhood flooded Tristan Lawson’s mind once more.

’Brother Tristan, you promised that when Brother Adrian and I were playing house, you would come and snatch me away to be your bride! Why did you lie to me? WAH... Now I’ve already gone through the wedding ceremony with Brother Adrian, and I’m his wife! What do I do? I like you more, Brother Tristan...’

’Brother Tristan, it’s my birthday today! After school, you should ride in our car and come to my house with me and my brother.’

’Brother Tristan, why have I never seen you celebrate your birthday? Is it because you didn’t invite me?’

’Brother Tristan, don’t be sad. If you don’t have a mommy, I’ll tell my mommy to be your mommy too.’

’Brother Tristan, stop practicing your calligraphy. It’s so tiring. Let’s go play!’

’Brother Tristan, stop doing your homework! Look, I never do my homework. My mommy and daddy say that kids are just supposed to have fun playing.’

...

Fourteen years had passed.

The woman he had married on a whim, as if possessed, turned out to be Hailey Sterling, the very girl who used to trail behind him, calling him ’Brother Tristan.’

As a child, she had been as soft and bright as the morning sun, full of hope.

She had been doted on by the Sterling Family, living a carefree life.

’When did she lose her ability to speak?’

’And she was living in such a remote little town.’

’Her adoptive mother passed away early, and so did her grandmother. Before she married him, how did she manage all on her own?’ 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Waves of sharp pain rose from the depths of Tristan Lawson’s heart.

A film of moisture welled up in his deep, cold eyes, blurring his vision.

When he appeared at the door of Noelle Sutton’s apartment, sitting in his wheelchair, he raised his right hand again and again, wanting to knock.

But he could never summon the courage.