Chapter 4

Meanwhile, in the penthouse office of Thorne Corporation.

Seraphina Thorne sat in a leather chair, her fingertips drumming erratically on the desk.

*Knock knock*, the office door opened, and the bodyguard quickly entered, holding a brown paper envelope.

“Ms. Thorne, we have the results of your investigation.”

The bodyguard respectfully reported, handing over the file.

Seraphina abruptly sat upright, snatching the file and eagerly flipping it open.

The moment she opened it, a photo slipped out and drifted to the floor.

As Seraphina’s gaze landed on the photo, her pupils constricted.

She shot to her feet, her heart pounding, an intense sense of familiarity washing over her.

It was uncanny. So, so similar.

Lily Hayes’s eyes and brows bore a seventy percent resemblance to Seraphina’s mother.

Seraphina’s thoughts involuntarily drifted back five years.

That day, she had gone to pick up her family’s medical reports. On the way home in the car, with nothing else to do, she casually flipped through them.

When she saw the blood type section, both her father and mother were B type, yet she was A type.

A bold and absurd idea popped into her head:

She might not be the Thornes’ biological daughter.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and her hands unconsciously clenched.

Later, she secretly underwent a DNA test, unbeknownst to anyone in the Thorne family.

The results confirmed the truth she most dreaded—she was indeed not their biological daughter.

From then on, fear and insecurity became her constant companions.

She lived in perpetual worry that the truth would be exposed, and she would lose everything she had.

She began to frantically study corporate management, and now held a significant position within Thorne Corporation.

Seraphina pulled her thoughts from the past, a sinister glint in her eyes.

“Send someone immediately to get a hair sample from Lily Hayes. By any means necessary, I want that DNA test report within three days!”

…

Meanwhile, outside the construction site, I had just finished lunch with Liam.

He was still his usual cheerful self, full of jokes and laughter, but my mind was restless.

Everything was just too coincidental, so coincidental that a patch of wild doubts had grown in my heart, impossible to uproot.

After leaving the construction site, I walked home alone.

The streets were bustling with traffic and noisy crowds, but my mind was filled with questions and unease.

Just then, a frantic stranger suddenly bumped into me.

I stumbled, and I felt a sharp tug at my hair, like a tiny needle had pricked my scalp.

“Sorry!” He mumbled an apology and disappeared into the crowd without looking back.

I stared blankly at his retreating back, a vague sense of unease rising in my heart.

Full of questions, I returned to my apartment and, after a moment’s hesitation, dialed the detective agency again.

“Hello, could you please help me investigate Cole Blackwood’s itinerary for the past week, as detailed as possible?”

The moment I hung up, my hand tightened slightly on the phone, and my brows furrowed.

But I took a deep breath, pushing down the pile of questions, and softly reassured myself: “Maybe I’m just overthinking. How could Liam lie to me? I should prepare for the surprise tonight.”

My phone vibrated a few times.

I tapped the screen, and a document detailing Cole Blackwood’s schedule appeared.

My eyes quickly landed on tomorrow night’s plans:

7 PM, Imperial Hotel downtown, an important banquet.

Seeing the words “Imperial Hotel,” my first thought was of my best friend, Chloe, who worked at a bridal shop nearby.

I quickly opened our chat and messaged Chloe:

“Chloe, there’s a banquet at the Imperial Hotel tomorrow night. Do you know if they’re hiring temporary servers?”

Next, I ordered a birthday cake.

Then, I dove into the kitchen, tied on my apron, and began preparing dinner.

In the evening, Liam came home from work.

He pushed open the door, and the apartment was dark. He instinctively reached for the light switch.

At that very moment, I lit the candles on the cake, their soft glow illuminating my smiling face.

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you…”

I sang the birthday song, watching Liam stand frozen, his eyes slightly red-rimmed.

After finishing the song, I softly said, “Liam, happy birthday.”

“Lily, is this…”

Liam paused, his eyes filled with surprise and emotion.

I beamed.

“It’s your birthday! You didn’t seriously forget your own birthday, did you?”

I took his hand and led him to the dining table.

“It’s okay, I remembered! Come on, try the dinner I made.”

We sat across from each other at the dining table, enjoying a thoughtfully prepared meal.

The space was small, but the air was filled with warmth and tenderness.

He opened his mouth several times as if to say something, but then swallowed his words, his hands unconsciously clenching and unclenching.

Finally, Liam seemed to gather his courage.