Chapter 23 – Don’t Go Overboard
Nathan’s eyes darkened as he scanned the test results.
0.01% probability.
The numbers were impossible.
“This can’t be right.”
Beside him, Olivia remained calm.
She had anticipated this.
But Emily?
She smirked triumphantly, seizing the moment to drive the knife deeper.
“I told you this child couldn’t possibly be yours!” she scoffed. “But you refused to believe me. Now that you’ve seen the results, you should be grateful! Imagine if you had actually raised someone else’s child? What a joke that would be!”
Nathan’s patience snapped.
“Enough.”
His voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.
Emily flinched.
“Why are you being so aggressive?” she demanded, feigning hurt. “Did I say something wrong? Why are you talking to me like this?”
But Nathan wasn’t listening.
His sharp gaze flickered toward Dr. Ricker.
Something was off.
The doctor’s hands trembled. His forehead glistened with sweat.
“Are you certain these results are accurate?” Nathan asked, his voice dangerously low.
Dr. Ricker forced a weak smile.
“Of course, Mr. Carter. Our testing procedures are thorough. There’s no room for error.”
But his eyes—they betrayed him.
Nathan narrowed his gaze.
Dr. Ricker was lying.
The tension in the room grew unbearable.
Emily sensed it and panicked.
“He’s just a forensic doctor!” she interjected hastily. “Why would he lie? Instead of questioning him, why don’t you ask them how they faked the DNA test!”
Her sharp gaze landed on Olivia and Liam.
“You claim you want nothing to do with our family,” she sneered. “Then explain yourself now!”
Liam froze.
His small hands clenched into fists.
His tiny voice trembled.
“No way… I’m not Daddy’s son?”
His wide, tear-filled eyes locked onto Nathan, desperate for reassurance.
“Daddy, I didn’t fake the test results!”
Emily scoffed. “Oh? So the report is false? How convenient!”
Liam’s chest heaved.
He was smart—but still just a child.
How could he defend himself against adults who refused to believe him?
His hands gripped Nathan’s shirt desperately.
Tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill over.
“Daddy, please… you must believe me. I’m not lying!”
—
Olivia’s heart shattered.
She wrapped her arms around Liam, her voice icy.
“That’s enough.”
She patted Liam’s back gently, soothing his silent sobs.
“You don’t need to prove anything to anyone, sweetheart,” she murmured.
Her piercing gaze shifted to Nathan.
Her words cut through him like ice.
“He’s not your son.”
The words stabbed.
For some reason… they left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I’m taking my child home,” she continued.
Tears streamed down Liam’s small face.
His nose turned red as he buried himself in Olivia’s arms, his tiny frame trembling.
She gently stroked his hair, her grip on him tightening.
Then—
She turned to leave.
—
Nathan’s body moved before he could think.
He grabbed her arm.
“Hold on—”
—
Olivia snapped.
Her eyes blazed with fury.
“Mr. Carter, enough is enough!”
Her voice echoed through the sterile room.
“I agreed to this test. I played by your rules.”
She jerked her arm back.
“Now that the results are out, what else do you want?!”
Her heart pounded as she took a shaky breath.
“You wanted proof? You got it. Don’t go overboard, Nathan Carter.”
A cruel smile played on her lips.
“I told you from the beginning…”
She stared him dead in the eyes.
“He’s not your child.”
