Chapter 474


    Ian stood frozen in ce, his mind reeling. Although he had suspected Leonora to be behind the


    dark deed, confirmation a crushing blow.


    A sharp pain stabbed at his heart, so intense he nearly forgot how to breathe.


    "No way," he muttered under his breath. "Leonora couldn''t possibly be May''s killer. She can''t be


    Heidi''s birth mother. If that''s true, why push me towards Heidi? Doesn''t she fear the scandal of


    incest?"


    Edwin, witnessing Ian''s torment, let out a heavy sigh. "I''ve had my doubts, too, and even wondered


    if you were really Leonora''s son."


    At those words, Ian snapped, grabbing Edwin''s cor in a fierce grip. "It''s not impossible. I need a


    paternity test. If she''s Heidi''s mother, then she can''t be mine."


    He turned to storm off, but Edwin caught his wrist, pulling out a paternity report from his pocket. "I


    already had the test done between you and Leonora—used three different agencies. All of them


    confirm you''re mother and son."


    Ian stared at the report in disbelief. "How could this be? Is Leonora mad? Knowing Heidi and I are


    siblings and still pushing us together?"


    "She said there was nothing to fear since Heidi can''t have kids?"


    Those words hit Ian like a physical blow, his back mming into the sharp edge of a desk. The pain


    in his waist paled inparison to the agony in his heart. His mother was willing to throw him into


    despair for her own ends.


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    Frantically, Ian searched his pockets for a cigarette but found nothing. His eyes darkened as he


    looked at Edwin. "Got a smoke?"


    Without a word, Edwin handed him a cigarette and lit it for him.


    Ian drew on the cigarette like a man starved for air, the smoke curling fiercely from his lips. In quick


    session, he smoked one after another until Edwin''s voice cut through the haze. "You could


    smoke yourself to death, but it won''t change the facts. Leonora didn''t just kill my mother. She also


    forced ra to the fringes for years, repeatedly harming her to protect Heidi''s status."


    Ian''s eyes zed with red fury. "Don''t you dare tell ra! She''s still healing, still in pain. Do you


    want to kill her?"


    "But we can''t hide this forever. Now that we have the evidence, I''ll press charges against Leonora


    and seek justice for my mother. Once the case goes to court, do you think no one will tell ra,


    given her connections?"


    "Let Anders handle the case. I''ll find a way to keep the trial under wraps. ra''s pregnant and


    survived a kidnapping and an assassination attempt; she can''t take any more. Once she''s had the


    baby, I''ll tell her. Let her decide to stay or go. But for now, please don''t tell her. I''m begging you,


    okay?"


    Ian''s eyes were glistening, his usual arrogance reced with a plea. He knew the evidence could


    empower Edwin or the York family to take ra away. Despite her assurances that Leonora''s


    actions wouldn''t taint him, this was a matter of matricide. ra had just started to experience May''s


    love, and now she''d learned it was her lover''s mother who had robbed her of it. ra couldn''t


    withstand such devastating truth.


    Ian couldn''t bear to see her hurt or in danger again.


    Hearing his plea, Edwin sighed deeply. "Do you think you and ra would have had a normal


    wedding if I didn''t care about how she felt? I knew the truth before your wedding; Leonora admitted


    it to me herself. Sheter denied it. Back then, even with insufficient evidence, I knew that if I had


    told ra the truth, I believe she would have postponed the wedding. She''s my sister, and I want


    her happiness, but she''ll have to face this sooner orter."


    Ian looked deep into Edwin''s eyes and pped him hard on the shoulder, his voice a hoarse


    whisper, "Thank you."