Chapter 413
Chapter 413
I never thought they’d show up at my place.
I didn’t recall giving them my address.
“It was Neil who told us,” Faith explained, seeing my surprised expression.
“Please come in,” I said, snapping out of my trance and quickly inviting them in for a cup of coffee.
Hiram followed them in, behaving unusually well that day.
Once Ryan and Faith were comfortably seated in the living room, I made them some coffee and fetched a few toys and snacks for Hiram’before taking a seat across from them.
Beside the couch were some gifts they had brought, all appearing to be quite expensive.
Breaking the silence, I asked, “Ryan, Faith, what brings you here today? I wasn’t expecting you, so I haven’t prepared anything.”
“We just wanted to check in on you and your folks. I didn’t know where you were staying, so I asked Neil,” Faith replied with a broad smile before glancing around the room, “Where are your two little angels?”
“The nanny took them out for a walk,” I answered.
“That sounds lovely!” Faith commented, though I could see a hint of disappointment in her eyes. Did she want to see Serena and Brandon?
I was worried. Didn’t they believe that Serena and Brandon were my children with Russel? Despite Russel saying he had a DNA test done, who knew what Ryan and Faith were thinking?
Just then, Hiram ran out to the yard. I was a bit anxious, but Faith reassured me, “It’s all right. Let him play. He wouldn’t be interested in our adult conversation anyway.”
No sooner had Faith finished speaking than Hiram returned, quietly playing with his toys on the floor and causing no disturbance.
After some small talk, Ryan finally brought up their real purpose for the visit, “Irene, there’s something we need to ask of you. You may not like it, but it’s vital to us.”
Feeling uneasy, I said, “Go ahead, Ryan.”
Ryan and Faith exchanged a look before he continued, “We were hoping to have another DNA test done on Serena and Brandon.”
My heart sank. The last thing that I wanted was happening.
If the Whitmore family found out that Serena and Brandon were Neil’s, we wouldn’t have been able to sit together peacefully anymore. There would have definitely been a custody battle.
Ryan and Faith had always been kind to me, but they weren’t going to let their grandchildren be raised by someone else.
“Why would you want to do that?” I asked, managing to keep my voice steady.
“We just think Brandon looks a lot like Neil. Irene, we don’t mean anything by it. We just want to know the truth, okay?” Faith pleaded, “Even if they aren’t your children with Neil, we just want to be sure. It’s not fair to you for us to show up like this, but we can’t let it go…”
I initially wanted to keep the peace with Ryan and Faith. They had been good to me, and I saw no reason to pick a fight.
However, since they were doubting Serena and Brandon, I felt a surge of defensiveness.
“Ryan, Faith, is this really necessary?” I asked. The chill in my voice was evident, “Serena and Brandon are my children with Russel. Both of us handled the DNA test. It’s just that he is keeping it right now. Otherwise, I would show it to you for your peace of mind.”
“But Brandon looks so much like…” Ryan started.
“Ryan, there are many people in the world who look alike, especially babies. We can’t know for sure what they’ll look like when they grow up,” I cut him off.
When it came to my children, I wasn’t about to back down.
Ryan sighed heavily, failing to articulate his thoughts.
Seeing that, Faith pleaded, “Irene, we know all this is Neil’s fault. We wronged you. But this isn’t a game. Could you do this for us just once?”
No matter what, I wasn’t going to agree to it.
As soon as Ryan and Faith took Serena and Brandon for a DNA test, the truth would have been out.
Knowing Neil, he would have definitely made a fuss about it.
So even though I felt guilty towards Ryan and Faith for denying them their grandchildren, I had to stand my ground.
I stood up, “Ryan, Faith, let’s not discuss this any further. If I agreed, I would be betraying Russel.”
Before Faith could argue, the doorbell rang again.
I took that opportunity to answer it and avoid further discussion.
But I wish I hadn’t, because the visitor was Neil.
Seeing me open the door, he frowned as usual before glancing towards the living room, “Are my parents here?”
“Yes.” I was glad to see Neil for once. “Hiram is here too. They came to discuss Serena and Brandon, suspecting that they’re our children. I don’t think we need to dwell on this any longer, especially in front of Hiram. It could negatively affect him.”
At my words, Neil’s face darkened. He strode into the living room and confronted his parents, “You asked for her address to discuss the kids with her?”
“What we discuss is none of your business!” Ryan snapped at his son. His tone was much harsher than when he was speaking to me.
“I told you that Irene and I are done. Those kids aren’t mine. Isn’t Hiram enough for you?” Neil glanced at Hiram.
Hiram had long since traded in his toys for eavesdropping on adult conversation, absorbing whatever he could understand.
Speaking of Hiram, a trace of heartache flickered on Faith’s face. She explained, “We’re certainly thrilled to have Hiram with us, but if Serena and Brandon were yours…”
“She’s not his!”
“She’s not mine!”
Neil and I blurted out in unison, our tones strikingly identical.
Ryan and Faith glanced at Neil, then at me, their expressions a complicated mix.
In that respect, Neil and I seemed to have reached an understanding.
As long as he believed that Serena and Brandon had nothing to do with him, that was all that mattered.
“We’re back!”
At that moment, Norah’s voice rang out as she opened the front door and pushed Serena and Brandon inside.
The two little ones weren’t in the mood for sleep yet; they were swinging their chubby arms in the air, looking utterly adorable.
