Ch. 81..90
Chapter 81 The Whisperings
Tony immediately shut his mouth and turned his gaze away from his boss’ chin. He then sputtered out his report at the speed of light and finally heaved a breath of relief when he had finished his presentation.
“President Gardner, that is all for the pre-new year’s plan. I’ll leave the information you need on the table. I’ll be leaving first if there is nothing else.”
Just as he was about to slip away, he only managed to take a few steps out of the office before that familiar, commanding voice told him to stand right where he was.
Tony’s body stiffened for a second there. He then abruptly turned around and peered at his boss with careful eyes. “Is there anything else, President Gardner?” he asked cautiously.
He couldn’t risk acting out-of-line today. He had to be extra careful when dealing with Colton, who was behaving, unlike his usual self.
“Do you have a bandage?” Colton’s low voice surprisingly rang out with a darkened face as he asked his secretary for a bandage.
“Huh?” Tony thought he heard Colton wrong. He finally responded when his eyes fell on the injury again. “Ah. I…I don’t.”
“Go buy me a box, then,” Colton ordered him with a wave of his hand.
Tony didn’t even need to be told twice as he nodded and flew out of the office.
If only Colton had known that the small injury would garner such big reactions from the people around him, he would have accepted the bandage Nicole had offered him this morning.
What Colton had not expected, however, was how much more eye-catching his chin had become after he slapped a bandage on it.
He first noticed how the regular employees kept throwing glances at him and his chin when the executives were giving their reports during a meeting. They even had the nerve to start chattering amongst themselves after peeking at him.
He couldn’t make out what they were mumbling about, but he knew for sure that they were talking about his chin.
It was an understatement to say how much he felt like a zoo animal surrounded by spectators.
It wasn’t like it was a big injury to begin with, but it did get more conspicuous with the bandage on his chin. Finally, after the persistent whisperings in his ears, he ripped the bandage off his face.
Because of that, the ones who were throwing glances every now and then were now staring directly at his chin with wide eyes.
Colton shouldn’t be held responsible for his actions, anyway. He had thought that the most the injury would do was bleed a little. Never would he have thought that teeth marks would start to appear on his chin.
A commotion would definitely have broken out in the office if Colton wasn’t there.
What kind of situation was this?!
The one and only President Gardner, who had been in abstinence for years, actually came to work with teeth marks on his chin!
Looking at the amorous marks, everyone could only wonder if it was done by the lady from the Anderson Family.
Colton’s face was dark all the way until the end of the meeting, and by the time he had left the office, he was a walking block of ice that everyone stayed away from.
Meanwhile, Nicole, the instigator of the incident, had her chin propped in the palm of her hand while sketching a draft on her computer.
As someone who specialized in haute couture for adults, Nicole had to consider the fact that Colton’s sister was a young lady that had not even come of age. She would have to come up with a design that wasn’t as revealing; something less mature and sexy would probably be more appropriate for Wendy.
She gave it a long thought before an idea finally came to her.
There was a time before she had become the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel and she had anonymously entered an international competition for designers. The theme for the final round was ‘Youth’, and she had won first place with a design of hers.
It would have been her stepping stone to overnight success if she had attended the award ceremony the following day, but alas, she had to miss it as she had received news that she was promoted to the position of Chief Designer at F&M Apparel.
She clicked into the file that had her initial draft of the design and after making sure that it was still usable after so many years, she started to make small edits to the design. It was a pity that the final product was never made, but she was happy to give it as a present to Wendy.
Chapter 82 Paying a Visit
Queenie had been staying at the hospital for two days now. Even though there was nothing wrong with her physically, the mere thought of her being surrounded by onlookers after what had happened the other night was enough to make her want to squeeze into a dark hole in some inconspicuous corner.
Because of the influence Gardner Corporation had, the leaders from Lumore, Goldwick and the cities in between had been amongst the attendees of the banquet. Colton might have prevented the incident from getting to the media, but she still couldn’t hide the fact that she made a fool of herself in front of the important figures in the business world.
They obviously wouldn’t have said anything to her face, but she was sure that they were criticizing her behind her back.
Her tears began to well up at the thought of that.
With her jaw clenched, she threw herself into Lydia’s arms and sobbed uncontrollably. “Mom! I have completely embarrassed myself! I can’t show my face anymore!”
Lydia’s heart ached as she saw Queenie crying in her arms. So, she quickly tried to console her.
“It is fine. Everyone knows you were framed! Furthermore, nothing happened between you and Joseph, right? It will all be okay!”
At that moment, Queenie’s eyes were already swollen and tender from the waterworks. She couldn’t stop the sobs that were making her tremble all over. Out of her fear of criticism, she would never have the guts to take a step out of the house now.
She hated—no—despised Nicole. She never imagined Nicole to be such a vicious woman who would go to such lengths to ruin her!
Just as the mother-and-daughter duo conversed, a sudden knock on the door brought their conversation to a halt.
Queenie quickly wiped the pathetic expression off her face and turned to look at Lydia.
As Queenie’s mother, Lydia quickly understood what her daughter wanted from her gaze alone. “Shush, now,” she gently sighed. “I’ll even the score for you. Good girl. Don’t cry anymore.”
As soon as she was done with her sentence, she got up from her seat and in a slightly raised volume, she gave permission to the visitor to enter the ward.
Joseph, dressed in casual clothes, then entered the room. For someone who was entangled in the same gossip as Queenie, he looked especially well and vibrant.
Honestly speaking, Joseph was an infamous playboy that most people had heard rumors of before. The incident this time might have plummeted Queenie’s reputation, but it did nothing to Joseph’s name as it was already tainted.
When Queenie saw the man, her expression remained unchanged. However, she still looked pitiful with her half-lidded red eyes.
Lydia, however, immediately stood between Joseph and Queenie. She then protectively questioned, “Why are you here, Young Master Joseph?”
Joseph didn’t even bother sparing the older woman a glance as he kept his eyes on Queenie. He had planned to talk to Queenie after she was discharged from the hospital, but his last thread of patience had finally snapped after two whole days of waiting.
“I have a question for you,” Joseph announced without beating around the bush.
Queenie was surprised at first, but she quickly caught on. She then turned to Lydia and requested in a soft voice, “Mom, can you please give us some space? I’d like to have a chat with the young master.”
Lydia was hesitant after hearing her daughter’s plea, but she could only agree when she saw the look on her daughter’s face.
“What the hell happened that night?!” Joseph asked after Lydia had left the room, feeling slightly agitated.
The incident might not have harmed his reputation, but Gardner Corporation would definitely not let him off easy if the truth was ever made known. Queenie was Mrs. Gardner-to-be, after all.
Queenie’s face was still wet with tears as she sniffled. As though she was the victim, she gazed back at the man with her red eyes and asked in return, “What do you think happened?”
Bewildered, Joseph lifted his head to look at Queenie’s sad face. She must have felt wronged for her to ask him that.
The Mann Family might be wealthy, but there was no need at all for Queenie, who had gotten herself acquainted with the Gardner Family, to be with him.
His eyes dimmed thoughtfully for a moment before asking, “Was it Nicole?”
Queenie’s eyes were ablaze at the mention of her sister’s name. “Who else do you think did that?” she spat through gritted teeth.
“But why would she do something like that?” Joseph cluelessly asked again.
The hatred in her eyes was quickly replaced by another piteous mask. She lowered her head and muttered with great difficulty, “Nicole was cast out a few years ago by our father after she had given birth to that bastard child despite being unmarried. She must be back to get her revenge!”
Chapter 83 Zachary’s Return
Joseph had caught wind of the rumor about Nicole 5 years ago. He heard that she had spent a night with a random man in exchange for money.
However, if what Queenie said was true, the man from 5 years ago would have been him.
Joseph might have no control over his lower body, but he never had the need to spend money to get a woman in his bed. As a good-looking young master from a wealthy family, there were countless women who willingly threw themselves at his feet.
“Was Nicole not the one I had s*x with 5 years ago?” Joseph asked while looking at Queenie.
Queenie was now lying in the hospital bed with no makeup on. She looked so pale she could easily pass off as someone who was on the verge of death.
Her pupils slightly trembled after hearing Joseph’s question, and after swallowing the lump in her throat, she tilted her head to look at him.
“Could someone have spent money to get Nicole here because they planned to spend the night with you? Or could they have wanted to threaten you with a child after giving birth to one?” she hypothetically asked.
Joseph’s eyebrows began to crinkle together at that. He had spent countless nights with different women. So, he couldn’t possibly tell what everyone’s intention for getting in bed with him was.
However, if Nicole’s child really did share his blood, there was no need for him to continue worrying about anything else.
“So what you’re trying to say is that Nicole was the mastermind behind what happened, yes?” he asked again to reconfirm as he still couldn’t understand why Nicole would do what she did.
Queenie’s face fell again when she heard that name she despised and instead of answering him, she threw him another question, “Who else could it have been?”
“But why would she do that?” Joseph asked again.
“The paternity test of you and her child is already in her hands. She will use this opportunity to drag me and you down. That way, she can whip out an excuse to not let you meet the child even if you are proven to be the kid’s biological father.”
She briefly shut her eyes and by the time she had opened them again, they were already coated with tears threatening to fall. She then sniffled before continuing, “Nicole has always hated me and Mom. Doing something like this will be like hitting two birds with one—”
She intentionally left out the rest of the sentence as she was sure that Joseph already knew what she was trying to say.
Joseph’s frown was glued on his forehead throughout the entire conversation.
Come to think of it, he had heard that Nicole was looking for him to tell him something when he was with the Andersons, and coincidentally, he was drugged swiftly after that. There was no one other than Nicole who could have done such a thing.
His anger began to flare at the thought of that. How dare she include me in her evil schemes! She won’t get away with this! he fumed.
“Alright,” he eventually said with a nod.
Thinking back, he was grateful that nothing had happened between them then. It would be hard for him to protect his reputation otherwise.
Their conversation soon came to an end. As Queenie stared at Joseph’s retreating figure, her sad expression was instantly replaced by a pleased one. Now, she could just be the spectator of the dog fight without having to be involved directly!
Meanwhile, Lydia was back in the ward as soon as Joseph had departed. Her trained eyes stayed on her daughter while she closed the ward door with her hands. “Did he find out about anything, Queenie?” she urgently asked.
Queenie only shook her head in response. As her eyes shone a dangerous glint, her gentle facade was gone when she was alone in the ward with her mother.
“Don’t worry, Mom! That idiot Joseph believed everything!” she singsonged.
At the company, Nicole had shown the finished draft of the gown to Wendy. Wendy was so pleased that she immediately started to pick the fabric to make her gown come true.
Nicole finally managed to take a rest after her hectic schedule. By the time she looked at the clock, it was already past 7 in the evening. Even though she was way later than usual today, she immediately rushed home at the thought of her son being alone at home.
The first thing she saw after opening the door to her house was Zachary’s upright figure sitting on the couch. He seemed to have been reading a magazine until the moment he heard the sound of the door closing. “Nicole,” he greeted as he turned to face her.
“Why are you back so soon? Didn’t you say that you will be spending at least another half a month there?” Nicole chuckled as she walked forward.
Zachary’s stoic face had become gentle in that instant. After putting the magazine down, he approached her while scanning her top to bottom with her eyes.
“I kept calling your phone but it went straight to the mailbox every time. I only found out that you are okay after giving Hayden a call. However, I was still worried because I didn’t hear from you directly.”
Feeling slightly bashful, Nicole scratched the tip of her nose and quickly explained herself. “My phone is currently under repair. I got water in it by accident. You could have just told Hayden to pass the word if you needed me. There is the house phone that I—”
However, she couldn’t finish her sentence as Zachary immediately enveloped her in a bear hug.
Rendered speechless, she felt her body freeze upon contact.
Chapter 84 Picking a Fight
Nicole almost felt suffocated by Zachary’s tight hug. After some time, he finally let go of her.
With both hands holding her by the shoulders, there was panic in his voice when he exclaimed, “I heard from Harvey that you were drugged!”
Harvey? As in Harvey Mann? Nicole wondered after hearing his name. She thought that she had heard Zachary wrong, but indeed, Harvey was the one who had come all the way to Colton’s home to treat her.
“I’m alright now. Harvey gave me an injection. I’ll be fine after a night’s rest,” she reassured him.
She then slightly tilted her head to look at Zachary’s face, but she was quickly distracted by the dark circles around his eyes. There were traces of fatigue lacing his handsome features as if he had not had a proper sleep in a long time.
Worried that Nicole would have to live the rest of her life in fear if she had caught the perpetrator’s interest, he quickly interrogated her, “Who was it?”
Nicole couldn’t help but feel a surge of warmth in her chest as she looked at the caring man. It was obvious that he had come back earlier because he was concerned about her.
However, instead of troubling others with it, she would rather handle her own problem. So, she merely shook her head and assured him, “Zachary, I’m not a child that needs your protection. I’ll get back at them my way. They’ll wish they were dead for messing with me.”
The man only continued to stare at Nicole who firmly stood her ground. Indeed, he brooded. Nicole is a strong woman who managed to get her position as the Chief Designer through her own capabilities.
He had gotten calmer after that reassuring thought.
“Fine, then. Just let me know if you ever need my help with something. Don’t worry about causing me trouble.” He finally relented in a low voice.
Initially, he wanted to head straight to Nicole after learning from Harvey about her being drugged. The only reason he had returned two days later was because of the many responsibilities holding him back.
He was so busy with work that he barely had a wink of sleep for the past two days just so he could come back to her as soon as possible.
“Got it!” Nicole cheered.
She then tugged on his arm and examined his tired face.
“Go take a rest. Just look at how dark your under-eye circles are. I don’t want to have to take care of you too,” she pouted with concern evident in her words.
In response, Zachary only nodded without a word. He was so tired from the lack of sleep that his brain felt too big for his skull. His eyes, too, had trouble concentrating. Besides that, his tall and built figure felt like it was going to fall over any second now.
He started to make his way to the bedroom upstairs while being oblivious to the gaze that stayed on him from behind. Nicole felt a mix of emotions as she looked at him as she only looked away when he was out of her sight.
“Mom!” Hayden suddenly popped up out of nowhere. “You like Mr. Yates, don’t you? Why don’t you go after him?”
Nicole peered at her young son and gently caressed his head. “Children should only worry about children’s things. Go wash up and head to bed,” she urged.
“But it is still so early!” Hayden grumbled.
Regardless of her son’s adorable tantrum, she stayed firm to her teaching. “Sleeping early means you get to wake up early,” she said while going hand in hand up the stairs with Hayden.
With the nanny at home, Nicole managed to leave for her workplace with a peace of mind the next morning. She then resumed her work on Wendy’s gown soon after she had arrived at the office.
Her day had been smooth sailing—until Queenie had suddenly appeared around lunchtime.
Nicole couldn’t help but let out a snicker as she looked at Queenie’s purposeful strides into her workplace.
She didn’t think that Queenie had it in her to still make a public appearance after that embarrassing incident. Still the same old b*tchy Queenie it seems, Nicole chuckled to herself.
Judging by the way Nicole’s eyebrows raised, she was definitely entertained by Queenie’s appearance, but that didn’t mean Queenie deserved the time of Nicole’s day.
Queenie could only hold her anger back as she looked at Nicole busying herself with work. Queenie then squeezed out through clenched teeth, “My dear older sister, why aren’t you saying hi to your beloved younger sister who is standing in front of you?”
Upon hearing her words, Nicole let out a subtle laugh. “Oh, my apologies. I didn’t know that I had a younger sister!”
Queenie’s face remained unchanged at that. In response, she pointed her finger at Nicole and replied, “Oh, dear sister. You had the whole plan figured out, didn’t you? You even drugged your own sister!”
Nicole finally looked up when she heard the accusation. Her eyebrows wiggled in delight as she let out another laugh. “Woah, now. Don’t blame something like that on me. I didn’t bring anything with me when I went over to your house. As for what had happened between you and Joseph… I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you, right?”
“Nicole!” Queenie’s eyes started to turn red as it seemed that Nicole’s words somehow managed to drive a nail straight through Queenie’s sore spot. With her fists balled, Queenie gritted out, “I will be your hell as long as I’m a part of Gardner Corporation.”
Chapter 85 Trouble Seeker
Smiling, Nicole stood up and walked toward Queenie with her eyes tinged with disdain.
“I came back this time with no intention of setting myself against you, but there’s nothing I can do if you continue being insensible,” she blurted coldly.
As Nicole said that, her face darkened as the smile in her eyes was replaced with frostiness.
In fact, she had already given Queenie many chances before this—from the first time when Hayden was kidnapped, until this time when Queenie set her up.
Nicole felt she had already been very tolerant toward Queenie. If Nicole were to continue to let her be, Queenie might have the guts to threaten her life one day.
Since you are still unable to learn how to behave, then don’t blame me for being hostile.
“Since you kept insisting on coming to Gardner Corporation, you must have a motive for doing so, am I correct?” Queenie lifted her head to stare at Nicole and retorted. With her dark eyes filled with anger, she clenched her fists as she recalled how Colton did not even want to see her ever since the incident between her and Joseph occurred.
Even when she went up to Colton’s office today, she was stopped by Tony Larson, Colton’s personal assistant, so she couldn’t blow up at him either. As a result, her pent-up anger could not burst forth.
Although Nicole was not too interested in Colton, she did not deny Queenie’s question when she perceived her aggrievance.
So, she amusingly replied, “Even if I’m actually interested in Colton, what can you do?”
Nicole went back to her seat, leaned against the chair, and placed her chin on her hand. Then, she smiled and continued, “I’m the chief designer of F&M Apparel. With this identity, there’s nothing you can do about me!”
Queenie trembled in rage upon being provoked by Nicole. In fact, Nicole was telling the truth. As long as she held the position of chief designer in Gardner Corporation, there was nothing Queenie could do about her no matter how hard she tried.
Nevertheless, her helplessness did not mean that Nicole could do as she pleased.
“Joanna is coming back in a few days. Do you think she’ll let you off after you get rid of her subordinates? We shall wait and see, Nicole!” After Queenie was done with her sentence, her gaze fell on the design draft on Nicole’s desk.
Nevertheless, she quickly averted her gaze after casting a glimpse.
At the same time, her eyes darkened. She had heard through the grapevine that Nicole was recently helping Wendy to design a dress for her graduation party.
As the most loved child in the Gardner Family, Wendy was pampered ever since young and was given the best things in all aspects. Thus, if there were to be an issue with this dress…
The only reason Nicole is so arrogant right now is that she holds the title of the chief designer of F&M Apparel. Since that’s the case, I shall sabotage her and see how else she can oppose me!
The best way to sabotage a designer was to frame him or her for committing plagiarism.
If Nicole was deemed culpable for plagiarizing, she would not be able to continue her designer career, let alone stay in F&M Apparel.
At this thought, Queenie’s sulkiness was dismissed at once. She lifted her head and sneered haughtily, “Mind you, your good days are coming to an end. By the time Colton discovered the affair between you and Joseph five years ago, I bet he’ll want nothing to do with you!”
Nevertheless, Nicole was not stirred up when she heard Queenie bring up this matter. Instead, she was rather calm.
“Do you know why I was safe and sound even after being poisoned by your mother?”
Queenie hurriedly denied it when Nicole mentioned the incident. “Stop your nonsense! Since when did my mother poison you?!”
Perceiving Queenie’s stubborn denial, Nicole did not mind it at all and continued, “The drug indeed took effect on me that night and I was suffering. But fortunately, President Gardner brought me home toward the end and took care of me throughout the night.”
After spitting the sentence word by word, Nicole smiled even brighter when she saw the rage that appeared again on Queenie’s face.
“In the end, it’s you who have done us the favor. Thank you, my dear sister.”
Queenie’s face turned as dark as coal when she heard Nicole’s words. She was so infuriated that she was at a loss for words.
If Nicole really had sex with Colton…
At this thought, Queenie couldn’t help scowling, “You debaucherous slut!”
With that, she slammed the door shut and left.
Watching Queenie walk out of the office, Nicole lifted her brows and thought the former was insane.
Did she come all the way here just to pick a fight with me?
Chapter 86 Send the Gown
Nicole finally finished making the gown in a hurry on Saturday, so she informed Wendy about it over a call. At the same time, Wendy told Nicole that Anna wanted to see her as well, so it would be the perfect time for her to bring the gown over too.
Nicole agreed and immediately drove to the Gardner Residence.
Wendy was very satisfied upon seeing the gown, and her bright smile was the best proof.
As Anna was a designer when she was younger, she too was impressed to see the gown which Nicole designed.
“You really deserved the title of F&M Apparel’s chief designer. This design is eye-catching and suits Wendy’s age too.”
Wearing a humble expression, Nicole nodded and responded, “You’re flattering me, Mrs. Gardner. The style of my design is actually much more mature as youthful designs are not my forte. If Miss Gardner has any comments for improvement, I’ll make the necessary amendments.”
Wendy shook her head while holding the gown. “Not at all. I like it very much. Thank you, Ms. Lisa!”
After saying that, she lowered her head to look at the gown in her hands. Even if the name ‘Lisa’ had been removed from the gown, it would not discount how dazzling the gown was, so Wendy was confident that she would definitely outshine the others at the evening party.
“By the way…” Wendy trotted to Nicole with the dress in her hand as if she recalled something all of a sudden. “I’m turning 18 in a month, Ms. Lisa. Can you design a coming-of-age gown for me? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to ask Colton to pay you a price that is higher than the market rate.”
It was the first time that Anna saw her beloved daughter being close to a person. She reached out with her hand to pull Wendy over and explained with a smile, “Lisa is having a collaboration with Gardner Corporation this time round, so I’m afraid she won’t have so much time to make another gown for you. We’ve already troubled her this time. I’ll ask Joanna to make you a dress next time.”
Wendy lowered her head to look at the dress in her hands as disappointment appeared on her originally smiling face.
Although Joanna’s design was good too, it was not as striking as Lisa’s.
On the other hand, Nicole was envious after seeing the mother and daughter’s intimate interaction. She gave a gentle smile and replied, “Don’t worry, I’m working in Gardner Corporation anyway. Designing a dress won’t take too much of my time. Just let me know what your requirements are, Miss Gardner.”
Hearing that Nicole was willing to design a dress for her, Wendy immediately approached her to give a hug, after which she squealed with a smile. “Thank you, dear Ms. Lisa!”
“Just call me Nicole.” Nicole nodded with a smile. In fact, she was also fond of this young lady who was more than 10 years younger than her.
Maybe it was because Wendy was loved by her family since young that there was no trace of schemes that the adults had in her eyes, which made it a pleasure to see her clear and bright eyes.
“Sure, Nicole,” Wendy replied with a beam.
With that, she went upstairs with the dress. Thereafter, Anna continued chatting with Nicole for a while longer due to Nicole’s job as a designer.
Since both of them were fashion designers, they found many common topics in their chats.
Despite the fact that Anna was no longer working as a designer, there were still many things about the career that they could talk about.
As such, Nicole continued to stay at the Garner Residence for almost two hours before she left.
Tomorrow was the weekend, and an appointment had been made for her to go for the DNA paternity test with Joseph. A flustered Nicole stood at the entrance and covered her forehead with her hand as she recalled the incident from five years ago…
Suddenly, the scene of darkness and passion combined with the man’s sharp, fierce eyes flashed through her mind. With her arms resting by her side, she tightly clenched her fists as she just couldn’t recall who the man was.
Is it really Joseph? If it isn’t him, how would he dare to ask to do the DNA paternity test upfront? And he was not intimidated at all when I proposed to do it on the spot.
Nicole shook her head as she decided to stop thinking about it. Regardless of whether Joseph was Hayden’s biological father or not, she would not allow Joseph to get his way.
Chapter 87 Prepared
After leaving the Gardner Residence in the evening, Nicole rushed to Colton’s place.
While Anna and Wendy stayed at the old Gardner Residence, Colton had his own mansion.
The DNA paternity test between Hayden and Joseph was scheduled for tomorrow, so Nicole had to make all the necessary preparations tonight.
By the time she arrived at Colton’s residence, it was already past 8 in the evening. She had been to the place before, so she was rather familiar with the layout.
After parking her car, she walked through the yard and directly entered the house via the main entrance.
The light from the enormous chandelier in the mansion was blinding as it radiated on Colton seated on the couch with a laptop. His slender, bony fingers were typing swiftly on the keyboard as it made a crisp, clattering sound.
Seeing Nicole’s arrival, Colton kept his laptop away and asked Annie to serve coffee. Only then did he turn to greet, “Hi, Miss Anderson, just tell me what you need me to do tomorrow.”
Nicole nodded and answered, “It’s nothing much, actually. President Gardner, you have taken a DNA paternity test with my son and are aware that there’s no blood relation between the two of you, but I won’t dare to make a bet for Joseph’s case, so I’m hoping you can help to change the hair sample during the test.”
Colton nodded with a half-smile and had no objection. “Sure.”
Although the act of switching the specimen sounded despicable, he decided to break the rules for once since it was Nicole who had requested it.
Perceiving Colton’s response as his consent, Nicole smiled subtly and expressed her gratitude. “Thanks a lot for your help, President Gardner.”
“No worries. I still need to trouble you for my sister’s matter, though,” he replied with a smile.
Both of them had some small talk before she left Colton’s place on the pretext that it was getting late.
Zachary was nowhere to be seen when Nicole arrived home. Meanwhile, Hayden was sitting on the couch and shaking his legs while elaborating, “Mr. Yates went out in a hurry after answering a call. He told me that he might not be coming back tonight and asked me not to worry.”
Nicole nodded in comprehension as she reckoned the incident which happened abroad the last time was not completely settled yet. She lowered her head to gaze at Hayden since she had yet to inform him about the DNA paternity test tomorrow.
Feeling that her throat was dry, she had no idea how to bring this topic up to the child.
Nevertheless, Hayden was a sharp boy and he could guess that something was going on by his mother’s hesitant look.
Staring fixedly at Nicole with his clear, bright eyes, he asked with a pout, “Mom, is there something you want to tell me?”
As Hayden hit the bullseye, Nicole rubbed her nose awkwardly and looked at her son with a sense of guilt.
“Shall we go out tomorrow?” she asked softly.
Although he was young, he was very sensible. Observing her unnatural expression as he stared at her, he could more or less feel something was off.
“Just spill it, Mom. It’s not like I won’t agree to it,” Hayden said with a smile.
“Let’s go for a DNA paternity test tomorrow. What do you think?” Nicole babbled quickly.
Although Hayden was her own son, she didn’t know why she still felt guilty for bringing this up.
“A DNA paternity test?” Hayden asked in confusion as he continued staring fixedly at Nicole with his dark eyes.
Nicole bit the bullet and explained, “Yeah. With Joseph.”
The moment Hayden heard the other party was Joseph, he frowned at once and grumbled with a moue, “He’s not my dad. I’m not going to take a DNA paternity test with him.”
Nicole knew that Hayden would give such a response. She looked at her son with a sigh before explaining, “That guy took your hair and had already done a DNA paternity test. If you refuse to go this time, I’ll have no choice but to send you to him.”
Hayden was dumbfounded upon hearing that. Refusing to believe it, he blurted, “That’s impossible! Even if he has done a paternity test, he can’t possibly be my biological father!”
The truth was that he had already retrieved Joseph’s gene from the computer base and compared it with his own specimen, and they were not father and son at all!
“However, the report from him claims that both of you are father and son. If you want to prove that his report is a fake one, you have to personally go,” she explained calmly.
After lowering his head and pondering for a moment, Hayden thought there was something fishy, and it was only then that he nodded in agreement.
Chapter 88 Mr Handsome, Shall We Do a DNA Paternity Test Too?
Zachary was still not home the next morning, so Nicole reckoned that he indeed had some serious matters to attend to.
Nicole and Joseph had agreed to meet at the ground floor of Gardner Corporation, so she rushed to the destination with Hayden in tow.
When they arrived at Gardner Corporation, not only Joseph was there but Queenie too.
Nicole brought Hayden out of the car and felt amused to see Queenie. She curled her lips and snickered. “What’s going on? Are you so free that you want to meddle with every affair, or you can’t bear to be apart from Mr. Mann, so you need to tag along wherever he goes?”
Queenie was ruffled by Nicole’s comment. Narrowing her eyes, she snorted, “Cut your nonsense! By the time the DNA paternity test report is out, you’ll be extremely sorry!”
Nicole didn’t care about her and smiled while continuing to stand with no intention of moving.
When Queenie cast a strange glance at her, she blurted, “Aren’t you coming? Don’t tell me you’re scared.”
“I’m waiting for someone,” Nicole hummed.
As soon as she said that, a tall man dressed in casual attire walked out of the building.
Although Colton did not wear a suit today, he actually looked good in whatever outfit that he chose to wear because of his well-defined physique. When he walked closer and noticed that Queenie was around too, he furrowed his brows and darted a side glance at her. “What brings you here?” he asked coldly.
She had not thought that Nicole would actually ask Colton to come. Pressing her lips, Queenie pinched her hand and bit the bullet to explain, “Nicole is my sister after all, so I’m worried about her…”
After saying that, she wore a smile that looked like she was fawning.
Nevertheless, he did not bother to talk to Queenie and retracted his gaze after glancing coldly at her.
In fact, his arrival had disrupted her plan as he was not as gullible as Nicole, in which her mischief could be easily seen through.
As her fists were coated in a layer of perspiration, Queenie looked at Colton and felt her throat becoming dry. “Colton, what brings you here…” she mumbled.
The moment she asked the question, she could feel Colton’s frosty glare, which made her tremble in fear and subconsciously shrink her neck.
Colton looked toward Queenie with eyes that had unconcealable detest. “Miss Nicole Anderson is a VIP of Gardner Corporation. Someone is attempting to set her up, so I naturally have to come and be a witness.”
Queenie’s heart jolted when she heard Colton’s statement. Then, she gulped and quickly attempted to cover her tracks. “You’re right. If Mr. Mann’s DNA paternity test hadn’t shown a positive test, I wouldn’t believe that he is actually Hayden’s father either.”
He remained silent while pressing his lips. He had been well aware of her schemes in the past, but prior to this, he never fancied having a woman around, so he didn’t take steps to deal with her.
However, the situation was different. If Queenie had gotten rid of Nicole, the collaboration between Gardner Apparel and F&M Apparel would be severely affected.
It was an opportunity for a collaboration that Colton had waited for years, so the last thing he wanted was for the plan to be screwed up due to a jealous woman.
“If there’s anything else, we’ll talk about it later after the report is out.” Colton looked downward as impatience flashed through his dark eyes.
On the other hand, Joseph was scared speechless when he saw Colton because he had already received a fierce kick from Colton back at the Anderson Residence, which left the man intimidated even until now.
Nicole had directly decided to carry out the test in Town Central Hospital. Since Colton was around, Queenie could not object and merely tagged along.
Meanwhile, Hayden was extremely fond of Colton. When he saw the older man’s arrival, he tugged on Colton’s pants and squealed in a cute voice, “Mr. Handsome, shall we do a DNA paternity test too? I somehow feel that you’re my dad…”
Standing aside, Queenie freaked out at once when she heard that. As she broke out in cold sweat, she scoffed, “Stop saying stupid things. Colton is the president of Gardner Corporation. How can he possibly be your father?! Stop claiming kinship with him.”
When Queenie had such a huge reaction, it left Colton feeling strange.
It was only much later when she regained her composure and sensed his gaze. Knowing that she had acted too recklessly, she quickly explained, “Colton, I’m just afraid that he’ll keep pestering you…”
Nevertheless, Colton ignored her and reached out with his hand to carry Hayden and bring him into the car.
Queenie did not dare to come after Colton, so she could only drive to the hospital on her own.
Chapter 89 Hospital
The hospital was extremely crowded during the weekend in which the majority of the visitors had shown up for their health screening.
Meanwhile, Hayden became clingy toward Colton and insisted for Colton to carry him after alighting from the car.
In fact, Colton did not detest children, especially those who looked adorable.
Nicole was resigned to see her son clinging onto Colton. So, she silently shot a glare at Hayden and mouthed a warning, ‘Don’t cross the line!’
However, Hayden immediately turned away and acted as if he did not notice her warning. He instead encircled Colton’s neck with his short, chubby arms before burying his head against Colton’s shoulder, which left Nicole speechless.
The five of them entered the hospital and went straight to the department where DNA paternity tests were being carried out. It was because of Colton that even the hospital director came to the department.
“Hi, President Gardner, what brings you here today?” the director asked in a sycophantic manner. Colton had his personal doctor, so he had never visited the hospital. Hence, the director wondered what was behind the matter that caused this big shot to show up in the hospital today.
Before this when the hospital was purchasing medical equipment, Colton had lent them a helping hand. As such, the director naturally treated him with all the courtesy due to his favor.
Standing straight while carrying Hayden, Colton replied nonchalantly, “I’m here for a DNA paternity test.”
The smile on the director’s face stiffened as he glanced at the kid in Colton’s arms. At the same time, Hayden politely turned to let the director see his face.
Now that both their faces were observed side by side, anyone could tell with naked eyes that they were father and son.
Although the director had not heard that Colton had a son, he still wore a fawning smile and curry favor with Colton. “Your son bears a close resemblance to you. I’m sure he’s your biological son.”
Queenie’s face turned ashen when she heard the director’s comment. She quickly walked over and interrupted, “Please don’t make a wild guess. Colton never had a child. This kid is his!”
The director followed Queenie’s gesture to see Joseph. Looking at the sulky woman in front of him, he remained silent and did not speak up again.
As the few of them walked together, any observant person would be able to tell that Colton was Hayden’s father because the two of them bore similar resemblances.
Hearing the director’s statement, Hayden smiled as bright as a sunflower. Clinging to Colton, he nodded and responded, “You’re right. I think I look exactly like Mr. Handsome too.”
On the other hand, the only thing Joseph wanted to do now was to quickly complete the DNA paternity test as he had no intention of being involved in any unnecessary troubles. As long as it was proved that Hayden was his son, Nicole would surely curry favor with him for the sake of custody. If that happened, Mann Apparel would be able to prosper with Nicole’s help.
“Let’s quickly go for the test and save the rest for later,” Joseph urged as he did not want any more accidents to happen.
Queenie regretted her decision because given the situation now, the test result would definitely show that Joseph was not Hayden’s biological father. After all, Town Central Hospital was not somewhere where she could easily tamper with the report.
Apart from that, she would be completely doomed if Nicole eventually tracked her down by the time the test produced a negative result.
Truth be told, the situation would not be as serious if what was discovered was merely Joseph’s fake report as Queenie could still shift the blame to Joseph. However, she did not dare to imagine the consequences if they found out that Colton was…
At this thought, Queenie broke out in cold sweat and her face paled in nervousness.
“Mr. Handsome, since we’re already here, why don’t we take a test too?” Cuddling Colton, Hayden squeaked in a childish manner.
When Nicole heard that, she became awkward and took a step forward to look at Hayden while responding, “Cut the nonsense!”
However, Colton actually did not mind the suggestion. “Since we’re already here, it’s just a quick procedure and I don’t mind taking the test,” he said nonchalantly.
She recalled her conversation with him last night and figured that it might be easier to switch the specimen by doing so, which was why she did not reject his proposal.
When the doctor finished collecting their specimens in the lab, Colton secretly switched the specimens. Although he still thought it was a rather despicable thing to do, he decided to properly complete the task since he had already promised Nicole.
However, they were unaware that a stealthy figure appeared when they left and switched the specimens that Colton had already swapped.
Chapter 90 Probability of Paternity: 0%
They sat outside the lab and waited for around two hours, within which Hayden kept pestering Colton to ask all sorts of questions. Hearing their conversation, Nicole pulled a long face as the little brat had a big mouth.
“Mr. Handsome, why don’t you consider my mom? She earns a lot of money and rarely causes trouble. Most importantly, she’s useful too.”
Hayden lifted his innocent face and stared at Colton with bright eyes since he was dying for Colton to marry his mother.
Before Colton could respond, she had already seized Hayden by his collar and brought him back to her seat.
“Cut your nonsense!” She stared at the shameless child in her arms.
The DNA paternity test report was released faster than usual partly because of Colton.
The doctor brought over two reports and distributed them according to the name on the reports.
Upon receiving the report, Joseph quickly opened it in a hurry and saw the eye-catching words on the piece of white paper—Probability of Paternity: 0%.
Originally, Joseph still had a smile, but the moment he saw the result, he almost blacked out. As his face paled, he quickly denied the results. “This is impossible! This report must be fake!”
His voice was extremely loud in the quiet hospital and it caused the doctor who sent the report to be a little annoyed after hearing him. “This is Town Central Hospital, and the authenticity of the results we produce is guaranteed.”
Queenie’s face turned ashen too when she lowered her head to look at the row of red words on the paper. How is this possible? I remember I’ve indeed swapped the specimens. Could it be that I’ve made a mistake? But that’s impossible. I clearly remember that I swapped the specimens on the two sides.
Seeing the report in Joseph’s hand, Nicole’s lips curled into a smile as she lifted her head to look at Joseph and commented, “Mr. Mann, you should be well aware how the previous report came about. Now that the result is out, please stop disturbing me with this kind of matter in the future. Otherwise, I’ll not let you off easily!”
Repeatedly reading the report, he couldn’t help feeling light-headed as he thought that it was impossible. As he tightened his grip on the report, he stared at Nicole with bloodshot eyes.
“You must have tampered with the report, hence this outcome!”
Although Nicole had indeed tampered with the report, she still wore a steady look and lifted her brow to question Joseph in return, “Mr. Mann, from the beginning until now, my son and I have been staying here and we had not even left for the restroom. How can I possibly tamper with the report?”
“But my previous report clearly shows that—”
Before Joseph could finish his sentence, she directly interrupted, “Mr. Mann, you should be well aware of the authenticity of your report. If you refuse to believe this result, I can ask my son to do another test with you.”
Nicole’s gaze fell on him as she wore a frosty look.
“However, if the result still shows the same, I’ll represent F&M Apparel to cast the Mann Family out of the fashion industry!”
Her voice was as cold as the ice water in an ice cellar.
When he heard Nicole’s threat, Joseph’s heart skipped a beat. If F&M Apparel had really taken action, Mann Apparel would not even be able to pull through half a month.
He lowered his eyes to stare at the report in his hand, on which his name was clearly printed. It was distressing to see the row of bright red words on the report—Probability of Paternity: 0%…
Since Nicole had already made herself clear, Joseph would not dare to make the bet even if he was 99% confident because he couldn’t risk the entire Mann Apparel.
Gripping the report in his hand, he bit the bullet and spat through gritted teeth, “It is my fault. Please forgive me, Miss Nicole Anderson.”
She glanced at him and chuckled. “Mr. Mann, I hope you can remember the lesson this time and not simply believe in rumors. Advice given by certain people could turn out to be harmful instead of helpful.”
Queenie’s face reddened in embarrassment when she heard Nicole’s implication. How is this possible when I’ve actually swapped the specimens, though? Could it be that Colton is not that brat’s father either?