CHapter 175


    Tristan snatched ra’s phone, ying the message over and over.


    “What the heck is this guy on about? Is he speaking gibberish? Am I missing something


    here?”


    Howe he could understand every word, but couldn’t make heads or tails of it?


    ra blinked, overwhelmed by the tidal wave of informationing from the recording. What


    did it mean that she was Jacob’s child?


    Beckett sidled up to ra. “Dad, I thought Mr. Jacob Pock was a bachelor. How could he have


    kids?”


    Could it be that Tandy got it wrong? With so many kids at the orphanage, a mix–up wouldn’t be


    that far–fetched.


    Tristan shook his head. “Ancient history. Heard his fiancée passed away young, they never made it


    down the aisle. But that’s not the point!”


    What mattered was how mind–blowing this whole situation was!


    Sienna looked at ra with concern. “ra, what do you think?”


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    Meeting the hopeful yet cautious gaze of her family, ra slowly shook her head. “I don’t know.


    Let’s get a DNA test with Mr. Pock first.”


    Tristan smacked his forehead. “Right, DNA first! Maybe Tandy’s just talking nonsense!”


    Palmer’s audio file had also made its way to Jacob’s phone. He reyed it numerous times! He’d


    snooped around Heartfelt Orphanage and Tandy Hospital in private more times than he could count!


    Tandy’s words were all over the ce, but Jacob was not ready to let go of the details just yet.


    The Schnabel family marched into Jacob’s office in full force.


    Knowing Jacob could potentially be his daughter’s biological father, Tristan’s gaze was filled with


    complex emotions. He decided to cut to the chase.


    “Mr. Pock, mind sparing us a few strands of your hair?”


    Jacob looked up at the Schnabels, especially at ra, who had remained silent.


    “You’ve heard the recording too?”


    “We have. Let’s just verify whatever that person said is true.”


    Jacob let out a weary sigh, plucked a few hairs, and handed them to ra in a sealed bag.


    “Pris Star Lab has the equipment for DNA testing; they’re faster than ours.”


    ra frowned slightly. “You don’t seem surprised at all?”


    Could Jacob have known about this all along?


    Jacob pulled out a locket from under hisb coat, opened it, and reluctantly passed it to ra.


    The photo inside stunned the entire Schnabel family.


    3 SFF SE B


    The woman in the picture bore an uncanny resemnce to ra. It was like looking at a carbon


    copy of her beauty.


    Jacob offered a bitter smile. “Striking resemnce, isn’t it? The first time I saw you, I thought you


    looked so much like her. ra, go get that DNA test.”


    Beckett frowned. “Mr. Pock, if you had suspicions about ra’s identity before, why didn’t you


    say


    anything?”


    Jacob’s fists clenched, his voice thick with sorrow. “What was I supposed to say? I didn’t


    even know I could possibly have a child! My fiancée Yvette is gone, and there’s no one to tell me


    the truth. And even if she is my child, Is it my ce to juste out with it?”


    His gaze lingered on Tristan and Sienna. “You love her dearly, and I can’t even begin to tell her


    how Wette left us. I am a failed father; what right do I have to disrupt ra’s happiness?”


    The Schnabels loved ra dearly. They’d video call her daily and sent treats to Emerald


    County non–stop. Freya and Merrick were ready to tear down the research institute at the


    slightest sign of ra’s distress.


    Meanwhile, he was just a man with nothing.


    ra gazed at the woman in the photograph, her face radiating warmth as she smiled, tears


    shimmering in


    her eyes.


    “When did you find out… that I was your child?”


    “Last year. Remember when the institute collected DNA from all the researchers? I used my


    authority to make a copy for a DNA test.”


    Jacob couldn’t believe he had another child just based on resemnce! It wasn’t until he saw the


    DNA report that he felt his world go from shattered toplete–a cruel joke.


    Tristan exploded, “You dic… since you did a DNA test, why didn’t you just show the report and save


    ra the trouble?”


    He was fuming at Jacob’s actions.


    Tristan snatched the paternity test report that Jacob had dug out, scoffing as he did so. “Our family


    loves ra dearly. When Sienna and I got married, she said she wanted a big, lively family–five


    kids, a full hand, none missing. But that’s no excuse for knowing she’s your child and not


    acknowledging her!


    When we learned Noe was ours, we couldn’t wait to bring her home. How could you bear to not


    acknowledge ra? How could you be so heartless? Jacob, let me tell you, ra’s never been


    materialistic. Even if your wife passed early and she never got to meet her mother, she wouldn’t


    me you.


    Do you have any idea how considerate she is? She was afraid Noe would be upset by her


    presence and didn’t even dare toe home! You have no clue how wonderful my child is! You


    didn’t choose ra; you chose to be a coward! I don’t even want to give my daughter to you. What


    a joke!”


    Tristan mmed the paternity report down on the desk, his neck veins bulging with anger.


    ra stared nkly at Tristan. She thought the Schnabels were unaware of the things she’d done.


    Sienna hugged ra, stroking her face with affection. “ra, if you don’t want to acknowledge him,


    you’ll always be a Schnabel. You and Noe are my daughters, and we’ll always be together as a


    family.”


    Tristan huffed disdainfully. “Acknowledge a big–headed ghost? We’re going home! What a crappy


    lab. If you knew ra was your kid all along and still allowed her to be mistreated without iming


    her, I swear I’ll have Phoenix Lab shut down in no time!”


    Beckett coughed subtly, trying to diffuse the tension. “Dad,e on, Phoenix Lab is a national


    asset.”


    Tristan held ra’s hand tightly, his gaze icy as he looked at Jacob. “ra, let’s go home. Your


    grandma’s been itching to get you out of this ce for ages. You want to do research? Our family


    will back you with a bigger and betterb. My daughter doesn’t need to take any crap from


    anyone.”


    Sienna was in full agreement, “Exactly, let’s head back!”


    11:44


    ?? 9


    The family arrived with a mighty presence and left together Just as robustly, leaving Jacob


    behind with a face full of sorrow. He stared at the pocket watch ra had left on the table, his


    heart filled with anguish. Had he really made a mistake?


    As soon as they stepped outside Emerald County, Sienna video–called Noe.


    “Noe, darling, what that man said may have been true, but we’re choosing not to acknowledging


    it,” Sienna recounted the events from theb. Tristan’s furious curses could be heard through the


    phone, clearly livid with Jacob’s actions.


    “What does ra want? As long as she’s happy, that’s all that matters.”


    Seeing her daughter’s understanding and sweetness filled Sienna’s heart with pride.


    ra leaned in to see Noe on the screen, her eyes rimmed red but her face breaking into a


    gentle smile at the sight of her.


    “Noe, thank you. I know one of the main reasons you went to Lockhart Prison was for me. Noe,


    I really, really, really love you!”