She escorted Be to the elevator and watched as they stepped in.


    Then she turned around to find Cordell standing still, waiting for her.


    Ste hurried over, asking nervously, “What’s wrong with Matthew? Is there anything wrong with his health?”


    Recalling Matthew’s previousints of headaches, Ste grew increasingly anxious.


    ncing around, Cordell murmured, “It’s not suitable to talk here.


    Let’s find somewhere more private.


    ”


    Ste’s heart sank at his somber tone.


    Meanwhile, Matthew took her hand and shook his head, which only added to her confusion.


    Cordell took them to his office.


    Once there, he assured her, “Don’t worry, Ste.


    Matthew is fine.


    It’s actually about you.


    ”


    Ste felt a wave of relief.


    “About me? What is it?” she asked.


    “It’s about you and Be,” Cordell replied.


    Caught off guard, Ste felt as if she had been struck by lightning when Cordell revealed, “Be is your biological mother.


    ”


    She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came.


    After a moment, she shook her head and protested, “Don’t y such a joke on me.


    We had a maternity test before.


    It said Be and I aren’t rted…”


    Although she had secretly hoped Be could be her mother, Ste dreaded being disappointed again, dismissing her hopes as mere fantasy.


    Cordell handed her the test report, exining, “When Best came for a physical examination, Matthew asked me to arrange another maternity test.


    Here are the results.


    If you still have doubts, we have Be’s


    biological sample here.


    We can test it again.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ”


    Ste scrutinized the report, her gaze fixed on the conclusion stated in thest line: “The test conducted by the center confirms a biological mother-child rtionship between the owners of the two samples.


    ”


    Her vision blurred as she read the report over and over, her mind going nk.


    Holding the report, Ste’s hand trembled involuntarily.


    Mixed emotions surged through her, a blend of turmoil and excitement.


    Matthew grasped her hand, trying to soothe her.


    “There was an error with the earlier report.


    It seems someone tampered with it.


    ”


    Memories shed in Ste’s mind.


    She remembered the day she got a few strands of Be’s hair in the coffee shop.


    As her thoughts rified, a name surfaced.


    “Elizabeth! It’s her!” Ste eximed, looking urgently at Matthew.


    “That day I collected Be’s hair at the coffee shop, Elizabeth was there too.


    She knocked over a cup of coffee.


    She must have swapped the original sample at that moment.


    ”


    Matthew’s response was nomittal, his expression unreadable.


    Ste murmured, a realization dawning upon her, “Did she already know Be is my mother? Is that why she’s always been against me?”


    It seemed the only usible exnation for all the events that had transpired.