Chapter 352: How Could This Be?

Chapter 352: Chapter 352: How Could This Be?

Melody Lynch nodded in wholehearted agreement. She had grown up in a healthy family; her father was stern, her mother loving, and though her brother could be unreliable at times, he would always stand in front of her to shield her from the storm if anything ever happened.

Most of the time, she didn’t need her parents’ or her brother’s protection at all. But sometimes, what mattered most in a family wasn’t the outcome, but the gesture.

People like Mr. Gallagher—cowards who hid behind women in public like turtles in their shells, yet acted like the imperious head of the household at home—were the exact type of good-for-nothing she despised most.

The older women Arabella Donovan and Melody had hired also had a strong sense of justice. Seeing the couple scurry away with their tails between their legs, they muttered, "They’re leaving just like that? And they left their daughter behind. I wonder if she’s even their biological child. How could there be such irresponsible parents? It’s a sin."

"Alright, alright, that’s enough out of you." A family member of another patient pulled one of the women aside, gesturing for her to be more considerate of the girl’s feelings. The poor kid was already in a pitiful enough state.

Hearing their chatter, Arabella Donovan couldn’t help but sigh.

’She is their biological child, but a child not conceived in love can’t possibly compare to the so-called ’fruit of their love,’ can she? Wait, that’s not right...’

Arabella faltered at that thought, and a moment later, a high-pitched scream erupted in her mind.

’How can this be?!’

The sudden, piercing intensity of her thought made Melody Lynch jump. It also startled the Donovan and Lynch families, who had grown worried after waiting so long and had come upstairs to find them. Even a certain someone, who had rushed over and just arrived at the hospital, shivered on the spot.

Before anyone could process it, Arabella’s thoughts revealed the true reason for her outburst.

’Genevieve Gallagher is their biological daughter! Do they know? If they do, why would they treat her like this? But if they don’t, with a family as messed up as theirs, how could they not have done a DNA test?’

’Right, right, the DNA test! If Genevieve is really their biological daughter, then what about the DNA test with Master Gallagher that ultimately got her removed from her position as chairwoman? Was it forged so they could prop up their younger son, or... is there another secret?’

In just that short time, countless thoughts had raced through Arabella’s mind. Her brain felt like it was about to overheat, but she still couldn’t come to a clear conclusion.

She had first met Genevieve Gallagher at a dinner party hosted by Mrs. Lynch. Back then, Arabella didn’t have much Merit, so her abilities were limited. She had to rely on the plot descriptions in her library to understand the situation.

But this meeting was different. Now, she could retrace a person’s past just by looking at them, learn things others didn’t know, and easily see the rise and fall of their careers, the red threads of fate in their marriages, and their bloodline connections.

A moment ago, she had seen it with perfect clarity. Genevieve Gallagher’s line of kinship was tied to that couple. The ’Parents’ section in her karmic chart also pointed to those two.

This meant she wasn’t the product of an illicit affair between Mrs. Gallagher and Master Gallagher. Like Howard Gallagher, she was the biological child of Mrs. Gallagher and her husband.

This was a shocking reversal. The reason Genevieve Gallagher had failed right at the cusp of victory in the Gallagher family’s succession battle was precisely because Mrs. Gallagher had presented a DNA test to the board of directors. The test confirmed a paternal blood relationship between Genevieve and Master Gallagher, framing her as the illicit product of a father-in-law forcing himself on his daughter-in-law.

Her very existence was the biggest scandal for both the Gallagher Family and The Gallagher Corporation. The board of directors was swayed overwhelmingly. In the end, they chose to give up on the exceptionally capable Genevieve and had her own younger brother take over The Gallagher Corporation, becoming its new leader.

They called him the leader, but he was really just a puppet—or, to be more precise, a cheat code the author had handed to the female lead of the story.

It was all to ensure that the female lead could hold her own and climb the ladder step by step during her future power struggles with the male lead and when facing external challenges.

Now, having suddenly learned the truth hidden within all this, Arabella was truly shocked.

So, in the original story, was Genevieve’s downfall caused by the backstabbing of her closest relatives, or was there another, even more horrifying reason?

At this thought, Arabella felt an almost unbearable curiosity, as if ants were crawling all over her heart. For once, she understood how the folks online felt when they were gossiping.

Getting only half the juicy story with no conclusion... it’s enough to keep you up at night, dying to know the rest!

After hearing her analysis, Caspian Rhodes frowned. He vaguely recalled an old rumor about Master Gallagher and seemed lost in thought.

Just as Arabella was stewing in her frustration, someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind.

She turned to see a pair of smiling eyes. Her own brow unfurrowed, and she said with pleasant surprise, "Mr. Rhodes, what are you doing here?"

"Zane asked me to dinner tonight, but he stood me up. I thought it was strange, so I called to ask him what was going on. Under my interrogation, he finally told me that you and Melody had gotten into a car accident and were at the hospital. I was so worried I dropped everything and rushed right over. Are you two okay?"

Zane Lynch, who was hiding nearby and watching the show, never expected to be blamed out of the blue, with the accusation landing squarely on his head.

The moment Caspian Rhodes finished speaking, Zane felt sharp, dagger-like glares coming at him from all directions, as if trying to poke him full of holes.

Justin Donovan even clapped him on the shoulder and said through gritted teeth, "So you were the one who tipped him off."

Zane Lynch: "..." ’I shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to invite him out,’ he thought. ’Cousin, you’ve really screwed me over this time!’

Arabella didn’t notice the strange dynamic among the others. She quickly waved her hands and said, "We’re fine, we’re fine. We hit someone else with our car in the underground garage. They’re the one in the hospital. We just came to see how badly they were hurt and discuss compensation."

"As long as you’re okay. Are you all heading back now?"

"Yes."

"Let me give you a ride. You can tell me what happened today on the way."

Arabella didn’t realize their families had followed them up again. Hearing Caspian Rhodes offer them a ride, she agreed without a second thought.

Melody Lynch’s gaze shifted between the two of them. She sensed something was a little off but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. In the end, she decided to just wait and see how things played out.

Seeing that the show was mostly over, the Lynch and Donovan families, not wanting to arouse Arabella’s suspicion, quickly retreated down another stairwell.

But at that moment, no one noticed that someone had disappeared from the crowd even before Caspian Rhodes arrived.

Genevieve Gallagher walked over to a sink outside the hospital restroom, turned on the faucet, and cupped a handful of water, splashing it hard against her face.

The icy water ran down her cheeks and the tips of her hair, falling back into the basin with a DRIP, DRIP, DRIP. It brought a chill with it, and even the burning sting of the wound on her face seemed to fade a little.

Through her damp bangs, Genevieve Gallagher stared silently at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes utterly devoid of life.

Just then, a handkerchief appeared before her.