Chapter 351
Hugh looked up from the documents he had been perusing. “Where is it?” There was a faint edge to his normally smooth baritone.
Brandon passed him the latest intel – the photos of the blood jade that Calvin had posted.
“The jade bears a great resemblance to the one in the photo you shared with us. I think it’s highly likely that this is the same jade that we’re looking for,” Brandon said eagerly, pointing at the object in the photos.
Hugh scrutinized the photos carefully. It does indeed look the same.
“Where did these photos come from?” he asked.
“One of the members of the Jewelry and Jade Association posted it on a forum. I’ve investigated and found that the owner of the photo is actually Mr. Theseira.”
“Contact him now. Let him know I’ll be paying him a visit.” “Certainly.” Brandon turned to leave, intent on carrying out Hugh’s order. He took exactly one step when Hugh added, Get my car ready.”
Oh wow!… I guess he really meant immediately when he said he’d pay Mr. Theseira a visit. This must be really important to him… Brandon mused.
Calvin received the call from Brandon a short while later.
Though surprised by the news of Hugh’s imminent visit, he nevertheless agreed to the meeting.
He ended the call and took a sip of his tea, wondering idly what had brought the man to him. He nearly spat when the next instant, one of his men approached him with a message. “Mr. Theseira, Mr. Hugh Ferguson is here to see you.”
Okay… That was fast. Calvin managed to swallow the tea, albeit wheezing slightly.
Hugh was shown to a meeting room where he waited for Calvin. The tycoon was looking refined and dashing as always, but the cool composure was belied by the light tapping of his foot.
Upon arriving at the meeting room, Calvin greeted him with a smile. “Mr. Ferguson, what a pleasure.”
The receptionist served both of them with coffee. After Calvin dismissed his staff, the two men took their seats facing each other.
“I won’t beat around the bush, Mr. Theseira.” Hugh wasted no time on pleasantries. “I’m interested in the blood jade you’ve put up. I’d like to take a look at the actual item, please.”
Ah!!!. Realization dawned on Calvin’s face. He’s here for the jade.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ferguson.” He drummed lightly on the table with one finger. “The jade isn’t mine, but I’ve been given permission to share the photos because I wanted others to appreciate this piece of beauty as well.”
Hugh hummed, a pensive look in his eyes. “I see. In that case, would you be able to let me know who is the owner, or put me in touch with them?”
“I’m afraid I can’t help you with that,” Calvin said apologetically, keeping to the promise he made with Jessica not to reveal her identity to anyone else.
Refusing to give up any possible lead, Hugh pressed on. What about the original photos? May I take a look at them?”
“Sure, that’s fine,” Calvin passed him a thin stack of photos of the blood jade.
Hugh inspected each photo with keen eyes. When he reached the last photo, his attention seemed to zero in on something in particular.
“Magnifying glass, please,” he muttered without looking up.
The other man placed the requested object in his outstretched hand.
Under the magnifying glass, the interior of the jade became more discernible. Hugh could vaguely make out a single name engraved within. Upon further scrutiny, he was certain that the engraving was his father’s penmanship.
If he was somewhat doubtful while on his way here, the engraving was enough to destroy any last vestige of skepticism he had. Hugh was now absolutely certain that the jade in the photo was the same one he had been searching for so long – the one that belonged to his long-lost sister.
He pulled back from the photos, fingers shaking almost imperceptibly as he laid down the magnifying glass on the table.
“Thank you, Mr. Theseira,” he said. “That’ll be all I need.”
Calvin nodded and smiled. “I don’t mean to pry, Mr. Ferguson… But do you happen to know the artisan who made this jade?” He had caught Hugh’s intense gaze at the engraving earlier.
“I do.” There was something lurking in the depths of Hugh’s dark eyes as he stared straight at Calvin. “My father made it.”
Chapter 352
The smile faded on Calvin’s face; in its stead was a surprise. Jessica is looking for the owner of the jade, and the Ferguson family is looking for the jade… so that means…
A distant memory surfaced at the thought. He could vaguely remember that more than a decade ago, a child in the Ferguson household was said to have gone missing. The Fergusons had dispensed every effort to locate the child but to no avail. It seems like they haven’t stopped trying all these years. Well, that would explain why Hugh is so interested in this jade. If Jessica is indeed the family’s long-lost daughter, however, it might not be that easy getting her back into the family….
Even though he only met Jessica that one time, Calvin already had the feeling that she was only doing this for her own closure, and sought nothing else – certainly not kinship – besides the truth.
“Ah, I see. My compliments to your father – it’s a finely made piece of jade,” Calvin said with a sincere look while completely ignoring the fact that he had expressed distaste toward the craftmanship of the jade not too long ago.
Although the visit had turned out to be somewhat fruitful, Hugh’s expression did not relax. The contemplative frown seemed permanently glued to his face. Turning to Brandon, who had been waiting for him with his car, Hugh instructed in a low voice, “Run a check on Calvin Theseira and let me know the people he has been in contact with for the past few days.”
Brandon nodded. “Roger that.”
Meanwhile, Calvin made a call as soon as Hugh left.
“Uncle Calvin.” Jessica’s voice came from the speaker when the call connected.
Calvin cut to the chase. “I know who made the jade.” It felt different and almost strange to hear Jessica’s voice again after Hugh’s revelation earlier. He was certain, more so than ever, that there was more to this girl than what meets the eye.
On the other end of the line, Jessica’s expression sobered.” Who are they?”
“It’s Aaron Ferguson. He’s the head of the Ferguson family in Dellmoor,” he said plainly.
He had nothing to hide, nor did he need to. He knew without a doubt that Hugh would have already put into action a series of checks on him to identify those with whom he was in contact. It would not be long before Jessica popped up on Hugh’s radar. I might as well tell her upfront. At least she can be mentally prepared for what’s coming.
“The Ferguson family in Dellmoor…” Jessica muttered to herself.
“Thank you, Uncle Calvin,” she said softly.
“You’re very welcome.” Calvin opened and closed his mouth as if there was something more he wanted to say but ultimately decided against it. A small fry like me should probably avoid meddling in the affairs of the upper crust.
The first thing Jessica did after ending the call with Calvin was to go online and enter Ferguson’s family, Dellmoor into the search bar. To her disappointment, however, the search results did not yield any useful information on the said family.
Jessica contemplated her next move with a frown marring her elegant features. The next second, her head snapped up as epiphany struck. She remembered that Richard Salvatore had attended her birthday banquet as a representative of the Ferguson family at Jack’s behest. Jack is a Ferguson… He might know something.
Closing her laptop, Jessica went to knock on Samantha’s door.
Yawning, Samantha emerged from the room a while later. ” What’s wrong?” she asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
“Want to pay a visit to Jack?”
Samantha perked up, the drowsiness evaporating almost immediately. “Awesome! Give me two minutes to get ready.” A mad rush of ablution and dressing up ensued. “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s go,” she said a little breathlessly, re-emerging from her room.
Jessica smiled in amusement. “Aren’t you going to put on makeup?” She was getting used to seeing Samantha in eyeliners every day.
The other girl shook her head. “Nope, no time.” She latched onto Jessica’s arm and pulled her along. “Come on, let’s go already. I can’t wait to see my favorite actor up close.”
On the way to the set, Jessica tried to call Jack to give him a heads-up. She dropped a text when the call went unanswered.
“Sam,” she turned to the girl beside her, “what do you know about the Ferguson family in Dellmoor?”
Consumed by thoughts of her idol, Samantha had assumed that Jessica, like her, wanted to get to know Jack better. “You should ask Jack since he’s a Ferguson. It’s just that not many people in the entertainment industry know that he’s from the Ferguson family.”
Chapter 353
Jessica hummed. “Can you tell me more about that family though?”
Samantha thought about it. “I’m seldom in Dellmoor, so I don’t know much about them either,” she said slowly, trying to put what she knew into words. “The Fergusons are a major family with a lot of influence. Jack is the son of the head of the family, who has four children – three sons and a daughter, including Jack.”
“Are all of the children alive and well? Are they all with the family?”
“Uh-huh! But I’ve never seen Jack’s sister. Apparently, she rarely shows her face due to health reasons. Quite the mysterious one if you ask me.”
“What about other families that branched out from the Fergusons? Do you know anything about those relatives?” Jessica prodded.
“Not really… Probably nothing special-” Samantha stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening as she finally realized what the other was getting at. “Jess, you don’t mean…?”
Jessica nodded. “Uncle Calvin said the jade was made by Aaron Ferguson, the head of the Ferguson family.”
“Yeah, he’s Jack’s dad all right.”
Jessica committed the information she got from Samantha to memory. All the children in the main Ferguson household are still around, so I’m probably not one of them. But there’s still the possibility of the distantly related members of the household…she reasoned internally. Aaron Ferguson could have made the jade and gifted it to someone else, likely someone close since it’s hand-made.
She told Samantha as much. “I’m guessing the jade was probably a gift from Aaron Ferguson to someone close to him.”
A knowing look settled on Samantha’s face. Jess is visiting Jack to fish for information. He’s a good place to start if she wants to know anything about his father and the jade.
As the two of them approached the set where Jack was filming, one of the staff noticed their arrival and immediately came over to shoo them away.
“Hey, you two, no trespassing! This set is off-limits.”
“We’re here to visit Jack,” Samantha said.
Scoffing, the staff jabbed a finger at the group of girls congregating nearby. “Yeah, so are they. Feel free to join them over there.”
Eyebrow raised, Samantha glanced at the fans, who were looking in their direction curiously. “No, we are actually here for Jack.” She tried to explain to the staff. “He gave us blanket permission to visit him.”
The latter barked out a laugh of derision. “Yeah, right. What’s next? Are you going to tell me you’re his girlfriend now?”
“I wish,” Samantha muttered.
Meanwhile, Jessica had dialed Jack’s number again. The call connected after the second try.
“Jack, I’m outside the set with Samantha,” she said into the receiver.
“Ah, Ms. Jessica?” It was Benny, Jack’s assistant, who picked up. “Sure, I’ll get someone to get you.”
“Okay, thank you.”
In a matter of minutes, another staff came hurrying out of the set. “Which one of you is Ms. Jessica?”
“I am.”
“Benny asked me to show you the way,” the staff said with a smile.
Only moments ago, the group of onlooking fangirls had been convinced that it was just an antic by two crazy fans. They had deemed it impossible for the staff to give those newcomers the green light. Now, however, they could only watch, dumbfounded and slack-jawed, as Jessica and Samantha were led into the studio.
Being a die-hard fan of Jack, Raegan Anson was well-known in the fandom for her dedication and impassioned adoration toward the said star. Naturally, she was among the group of fans who gathered outside the set in hopes of catching a glimpse of Jack.
Having witnessed the whole thing, she was indignant that the staff had let who she presumed to be two random, no-name fans into the studio, while she herself was denied entry. Huffing, she marched toward the staff and demanded to know why.
The staff was still embarrassed by his earlier mockery of Samantha and was in no mood to entertain Raegan. “Oh sure,” he said with a hint of sarcasm. “You can go in too if you can get Jack Ferguson to send someone for you as well.”
Raegan reeled in shock. “Jack asked for them to be let in?!”
Chapter 354
The gaggle of fans erupted into chatter upon hearing what the staff had said. Just who are those two girls? The same thought flashed across everyone’s mind.
As the self-proclaimed number one fan of Jack, Raegan saw fit for her to take charge of the situation. “Spread the word about those two within our fan club; let’s see if anyone knows who they are.”
Unaware of what was happening outside the set, Jessica and Samantha wove through the scurrying film crew and the maze of filming equipment and props, until they saw Jack in the midst of a scene.
Playing opposite him was the actress they had seen before – Jeanette Winston.
“Oh, it’s Jeanette.” A hint of surprise colored Samantha’s voice. “Has she recovered already?”
Benny, who had come over, caught her question. “She hasn’t,” he said in an undertone. “But it’s fortunate that her
scenes don’t require much action. This show has already been delayed because of her. The crew really can’t afford to wait any longer.”
He cast a furtive glance at Jeanette before continuing. “I heard that the director initially wanted to cast someone else to replace Jeanette since she was injured, but she wheedled and pestered her way into putting the filming on hold for more than two months. Thank God it’s finally nearing completion now.”
As an afterthought, he said in a slightly irked voice, “Jack has to do some additional filming because of her.”
The three of them watched Jack in action. Ten minutes later, the latter was done with his scene and headed straight to where Jessica was sitting.
Jeanette was about to invite him to go over the lines of their next scene together only to find him long gone.
She watched his retreating figure dubiously before her gaze landed on the two girls sitting not far away.
It’s her. Jeanette recognized one of the faces at once. Jessica’s look had made a lasting impression on her. After all, it was impossible to forget such stunning beauty, the like of which was rare even in the entertainment industry. What is she doing here, and what’s her relationship with Jack?
Jeanette could not help but feel the burn of jealousy as she watched Jack plop beside Jessica, the affection evident on his face.
Her attempts to pursue him were practically an open secret in the industry, yet Jack remained cool and unmovable in the face of her overtures of adoration.
Jeanette had always found solace in the knowledge that he was inherently aloof and detached. Such a perception was shattered, however, when Jessica came into the picture. The man sitting next to Jessica was leagues away from the person Jeanette thought she knew.
The bitter taste lasted in her mouth long after her assistant helped her off the set.
Oblivious to Jeanette’s thoughts, Jack was in a rather good mood. He looked at Jessica fondly. “What took you so long to visit me, Jess? Congrats on your graduation, by the way. Are you going abroad or staying here to further your studies?”
“I’m going to Dellmoor,” Jessica said, seemingly unaffected by Jack’s enthusiasm.
Jack smiled. “That’s great. I live in Dellmoor, you know. We’ll get to hang out there. Come look for me, and I’ll bring you to eat the best street foods Dellmoor has to offer.”
Jack Ferguson and street food? Samantha thought in a daze, unwittingly conjuring up a mental image of the suave-looking Jack munching away on a corn dog with ketchup staining the corners of his mouth. She felt the pedestal she had put the man on crack slightly at the image.
Oh, well… I guess what they say is true – you should never meet your favorite idols in person…She sighed wistfully. But damn, he’s still so devastatingly handsome.
“Sure thing,” Jessica replied evenly. Then, in a seemingly casual tone, she asked, “By the way, Jack, do you know a thing or two about jade stones? Blood jade, for example?” Surprise flashed in Jack’s eyes. He smiled nonetheless.” Blood jade, huh? I don’t know much about jade, per se, but I do have a piece of blood jade myself.”
Jessica tried her best to suppress her own surprise. “Can I take a look?”
Jack readily agreed. Turning to Benny, he said, “Go get that box for me from my trailer.”
Benny returned with the box within minutes and handed it to Jack. Upon opening, the box revealed a pendant made of blood jade.
Jessica and Samantha traded looks. Both of them could tell that it was nearly identical to the one Jessica possessed.
Holding up the pendant under the light, Jessica could make out a word etched on the inside – Jack
Chapter 355
“It’s pretty,” Jessica said nonchalantly. “Where did you buy it from?”
“You can’t find it on the market. I’m sorry, Jess. I’d offer this as a gift to you if I could.” Jack sounded regretful. “But it’s kind of special.”
Jessica adopted a curious look. “Special how?” she asked with an arched brow. “Did your girlfriend give this to you?”
“No, it’s not like that,” Jack hurried to explain. “My dad made a jade pendant for me and each of my brothers and sister. All four pieces were cut from the same piece of blood jade. It’s a symbol of our kinship, I guess.”
“Ah, I see. Did your father do the same for anyone else? For your relatives, maybe?” Jessica probed further.
Here comes the crucial question! Samantha looked at Jack with her heart in her throat.
“No,” Jack said with certainty. “The four pendants were made from the leftover jade stone after it was used to craft a set of jewelry for my mother. There was hardly enough to make our pendants, as it was.”
He looked at Jessica questioningly. “Why the sudden interest, anyway?”
The latter gave nothing away as she smiled calmly in response. “No reason. I was just curious, I guess. I didn’t know you had a sister. What’s her name?”
“Lilian. Lilian Ferguson.” The name seemed to have an instantaneous effect on Jack. His expression grew somber while sadness tinged his voice.
“It’s a good name,” Jessica said in a muted tone.
Samantha decided to do her own fishing for information.” She’s the youngest in the family, isn’t she? I don’t think I’ve ever seen your sister. I heard that she hasn’t been in very good health.”
Jack stiffened. “That person you’re referring to is not my sister.”
Jessica and Samantha were taken aback by both his words and the hard edge in his voice.
Clapping his hands together as if trying to dissipate the doom and gloom, Jack announced cheerily, “Okay, enough with the twenty questions! Jess, if you want to buy jade stones, I can put you in touch with some of my contacts. They’re experts in the area.”
“Thanks, I’ll consider it.” Jessica smiled before changing the topic. “Anyway, how did your filming go? Tough day on the set?”
Jack shrugged. “It’s not so bad. The story is set in modern times and not some historical period. That makes it easier for me to get into character.”
The three of them chatted idly for a while before Jack was called away to get ready for the next scene. With no other reason to linger, Jessica and Samantha bid their farewell to Benny and left the set.
They walked a short stretch in silence until Samantha finally blurted, “Is it me, or is Jack saying that the daughter of the Ferguson family is not his actual sister?”
She stopped dead in her tracks suddenly and gasped in recollection. “Oh my god, I just remembered – the daughter’s name is Yuliana, not Lilian. So that means… She’s not the biological daughter of the head of the Ferguson family.”
Samantha’s eyes lit up with excitement. She had the sudden urge to shake Jessica by the shoulders. “Oh my god, Jess. Do you know what this means? You could be a Ferguson!”
Jessica bit her lip in a rare show of uncertainty. While she had the same thought, she knew it was still too early to reach that conclusion.
“Should we tell Jack and get a DNA test or something?” Samantha suggested.
“No, we don’t have to tell him.”
“Then how will we know the truth?”
Jessica showed her friend what she had been holding in her hand.
Squinting, Samantha realized that it was a few strands of hair. “Are those Jack’s hair?” she asked in amazement.
Jessica nodded. “We’ll use these to do the DNA test. Sam, you have to promise me not to tell anyone about this.”
Samantha took in the other’s serious expression and inclined her head. “I won’t tell a soul.”
The two girls traveled back to Horington City on the same night.
At around the same time, Hugh had finally gotten a conclusive report on the person behind the photos of the blood jade.
Brandon had a strange look on his face as he said, “Boss, we found the person. It’s… Jessica Stone.”
Never could he have imagined that Jessica was the one who had the blood-jade pendant.
Chapter 356
Hugh’s surprise mirrored Brandon’s. “Say that again?” “It’s Ms. Jessica, Boss. It’s the Little Stock God.” No wonder she’s so capable. It runs in the family, after all. All of her three brothers are elites; why would she be anything less?
After the initial surprise wore off, Hugh felt things were starting to click into place. He was finally able to place that sense of familiarity that had been bothering him since they met. When Jessica’s visage surfaced in his memory, he now saw his sister’s eyes looking back at him – bright as the moon in the midnight sky and just as lovely. It was the same pair of eyes that his baby sister used to look at her family members, melting the hearts of parents and siblings alike.
“Boss, should we contact Ms. Jessica?” Brandon asked carefully.
“No rush,” Hugh muttered quietly as if to himself. In a louder voice, he said, “Find a way to obtain a few strands of her hair and run a DNA test. Don’t let anyone else know.”
After Brandon had left, he pulled out his phone and scrolled past the list of contacts before stopping on Jessica’s name. Plagued by internal turmoil, Hugh hovered his finger over the call button for several long minutes, trying to tamp down the hope that was spreading in his heart like a vicious wildfire.
For years, the searches had turned out to be nothing but disappointments. There was even a time when Hugh had found a girl who was pretty much a carbon copy of his mother when the latter was young. He had been so sure that she was the one, but that, too, was a letdown in the end. Will this time be any different?
Hugh had a feeling that it just might, but the years of fruitless searches had taught him not to set any expectations. Be patient, he told himself. Wait for the test result to come in.
Back in Horington City, Jessica arrived at the DNA testing facility that she went to before.
She dutifully filled in the necessary forms and passed them to the nurse at the counter.
“You again?” The nurse immediately recognized her as the poor girl from the other day who came to do a DNA test on herself and her parents. Her embittered laughter and tears when the results came out were difficult to forget. “Do you want to expedite the test result this time as well?”
“Yes, please.”
The nurse left to make the necessary arrangements. When she returned to the counter, she could see a lone figure in the waiting lounge. Despite her delicate frame, there was an air of resilience and strength that seemed to emanate from Jessica.
“I hope she’ll be able to find her family this time,” the nurse lamented to her colleague.
The other sighed. “She’s still so young but I can tell she has suffered through a lot. I wonder if she’ll ever really be happy even if she found her family.”
“Maybe she will. She’s a tough and independent girl. She deserves the good things in life.”
To the others, Jessica might have seemed forlorn and piteous. She knew, however, that she was anything but those.
While she was waiting, Jessica received a call from Samantha. Once the latter found out where Jessica was, she came over at once to offer her company.
To keep their operation in the dark, Samantha had deliberately chosen to hail a taxi instead of getting her chauffeur to drive her to the facility.
Bursting into the waiting lounge like a whirlwind, Samantha was met with the sight of Jessica’s lonesome figure in the empty lounge. Tears sprang to her eyes, but Samantha quickly wiped them away. Taking a shuddering breath, she approached Jessica and gave her a big hug.
“Hey, what kind of friend are you?” she complained with faux anger, though the smile in her eyes had already betrayed her. “Why didn’t you ask me along?”
Jessica blinked like a child being caught with her hand in the candy jar. “I… forgot?” There was a smile on her face as well.
In her previous life, she was used to shouldering all the burdens by herself so much so that she had forgotten that in this life, there were people whom she could rely on.
Chapter 357
“I’ll forgive you this time. Please don’t do it again. You should have asked me to accompany you.” Samantha put her hand on Jessica’s shoulder.
Whenever Samantha was around, Jessica never felt lonely because she was talkative.
It was already sunset when a nurse called out in the corridor, “The report is out.”
Samantha immediately kept quiet and turned to the window nervously.
Jessica approached the nurse and took the report from her. Instead of reading it immediately, she went back to her seat.
Samantha was anxious and curious about the result, but she didn’t rush Jessica.
Jessica’s mind went blank as she stared at the report in her hands.
Part of her hoped that things had finally come to an end, yet part of her hoped it wasn’t.
A few nurses, who knew the result in the report, felt anxious as they watched her quietly.
“Why isn’t she reading it yet?”
“She must be afraid.”
“You didn’t see what happened to her the last time. It was so terrifying. After experiencing such a huge blow, she must be traumatized.”
With the attention of those people around her, Jessica’s eyes glinted. She then looked down at the report, opened it slowly, and turned to the last page.
The moment she read it, her heart skipped a beat.
Samantha couldn’t help but peep at the last sentence. Biologically related.
She was relieved that Jessica was really part of the Ferguson family.
“Jess,” she whispered.
Jessica came back to her senses. She lifted her head and smiled at Samantha.
Finally, she had uncovered one of the secrets she didn’t manage to find out in her previous life.
Samantha said, “Jess, I heard that the Ferguson family had adopted a daughter. However, she shouldn’t be a threat to you because you’re their biological daughter. Should we inform them?”
Without answering Samantha’s question, Jessica stood up and walked to the trash bin. Then she threw the crumpled report into it.
Samantha was stunned by her move.
What is she…
Jessica turned around and looked at Samantha. “It’s unnecessary.”
“Why?” Samantha was confounded.
She spent so much effort in finding the owner of the blood jade and her biological parents. Wasn’t it to get back to their side? Why does she feel that it’s unnecessary after finding them?
Jessica smiled. “I only want to find out the truth. It’s fine now since I already know it.”
Every abandoned orphan wants to know their biological parents. I’m satisfied after knowing the truth.
“You are willing to allow someone else to take your place and enjoy anything that should have belonged to you?” said Samantha as she felt it was unfair to Jessica.
Samantha knew Yuliana was innocent. However, she couldn’t bring herself to like Yuliana after knowing what Jessica had gone through.
She was annoyed that someone else had replaced Jessica’s place in the Ferguson family and had no qualms about it.
Chapter 358
Nonetheless, Jessica was unaffected by Samantha’s words.
I don’t want to suffer again as in my previous life. It’s better not to think, compete, and bother. I like being alone.
“It’s fine.”
Samantha felt angry and distressed after listening to Jessica’s reply.
Who else can carry on their life like nothing had happened like her?
She walked to Jessica and held her arm. “We don’t need them. I’ll be your family member.”
“Sure,” Jessica replied with a smile on her face.
Meanwhile, Brandon walked into Hugh’s office with a sealed plastic bag in his hand. “Mr. Hugh, I had taken Jessica’s hair.”
There were a few strands of long hair in the plastic bag.
Hugh glanced at the plastic bag in front of him and took out another plastic bag from his drawer. He then picked up his jacket and went out.
“Cancel all my schedule for today and tomorrow.”
“All right.” Brandon was prepared for it.
Hopefully, it won’t be futile this time.
Hugh drove to a lab on the outskirts of Marsingfill. When he arrived, he walked towards the basement and was greeted politely by those who came across him.
After walking through several doors, he finally reached the main lab area. A man in the room nearly reproached the intruder. However, he immediately held his tongue after he saw Hugh.
Hugh stepped forward and saw his brother being engrossed in his work, totally unaware of anything happening outside.
“Open the door,” Hugh ordered.
The person in charge immediately opened the lab door.
He walked toward Sebastian and before him.
Nevertheless, Sebastian continued focusing on the task at hand until he finished it. Only then did he turn his head and look at Hugh.
“How can I help you?” He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. Hugh took out two items.
Sebastian raised his eyebrow slightly after seeing those things.
There wasn’t much of a reaction from him as he was already used to it.
“Which little girl meets the criteria again?” Sebastian took the samples and said casually.
“That blood jade had shown up. These hairs belong to the owner of the jade pendant.”
“The jade has shown up?” Sebastian’s eyes gleamed because the Ferguson family had been looking for the blood-jade pendant for more than a decade.
It has finally shown up.
“Give me the result as soon as possible.”
“All right.”
Sebastian was surprised that Hugh decided to wait outside for the result after he left the lab.
Hugh used to wait for the result during the first and second times. However, after that, he no longer waited for it.
It sparked Sebastian’s curiosity about the owner of the hair. Although Sebastian looked casual, his progress was fast. He was familiar with the procedure after conducting the same thing several times in the past years.
The paternity test was an easy test that he could delegate to his subordinate. However, he chose to do it by himself.
The moment the result was out, Sebastian, who had been calm and steady all the time, shivered slightly.
Chapter 359
Hugh stood up when Sebastian walked out of the lab. “How is it?”
“Please tell me who the hairs belong to and where she is right now!”
Sebastian felt surreal that they had finally found her after so many years.
“Her name is Jessica, from Horington.”
“Jessica,” Sebastian murmured as he recalled Jessica’s beautiful eyes.
It’s her! That bedridden girl who was in despair is my sister!
At that time, he wondered why she was in such despair at such a young age.
Now, he was heartbroken as he recalled the sorrow and hopelessness in her eyes.
Sebastian kept quiet and took off his gown. He then ordered his assistant. “Don’t bother me for the next few days.”
His assistant and those lab researchers were shocked to see him acting so abnormally.
“She is the one, am I right?” Although it was a question, his tone was firm.
Sebastian nodded.
Hugh’s eyes lit up after receiving Sebastian’s confirmation. She is our sister.
They immediately left the lab and headed to Horington.
“Have you informed mom and dad?” Hugh asked.
Sebastian turned around abruptly. “Shouldn’t you inform them?” he asked. Hugh glared at his brother. “How am I supposed to inform them while I’m driving?”
Sebastian reluctantly took out his mobile phone and called their father. Their father finally picked up his call on his
third attempt. “What’s the matter?” A deep voice came from the other side.
Although Aaron sounded cold and stern, Sebastian was used to it. “We found Lilian.”
There was a long silence on the other side.
Then Aaron asked, “Where is she?”
“Horington. I am on the way there with Hugh.”
“All right.” After hanging up the call, Aaron sat on his seat, frozen for a long time. Then he stood up, walked to the next room, and eyed the beautiful woman in there. She was carrying a wooden puppet in her arm while she hummed gently. If there wasn’t a wooden puppet, it would’ve been a heartwarming scene.
He walked up to her and took the wooden puppet away from her.
The woman, who had been so tender, was infuriated. She snatched the wooden puppet back aggressively.
“Don’t take my daughter away. Good girl, don’t be afraid. Mom is hugging you. Mom will be with you always. Lilian, my good little girl. Don’t be afraid.”
That woman patted and caressed the wooden puppet caringly as if it were a real child.
Aaron’s heart wrenched as he watched his wife.
He then said softly, “Yusra, we found Lilian. Hugh will bring her back here in two days. If Lilian sees you carrying this, she will be unhappy.”
Immersed in her imaginary world, Yusra didn’t respond to her husband.
“Don’t you want Lilian?”
Hearing that, Yusra lifted her head and looked at Aaron in confusion. “Where is Lilian? I want to find her now.”
“We’ll wait at home for Hugh to bring her back.”
“No, I want to go on my own. Stop lying to me!”
Chapter 360
“All of you are liars. You’re all liars! Where did you hide my daughter?” Yusra grabbed Aaron’s arm with anger and hatred in her eyes.
“Yusra, please calm down. I’ll bring you to find Lilian if you listen to me,” Aaron coaxed her.
However, his words failed to deter her. “I don’t trust you. I want my daughter. You all are a bunch of liars!”
Aaron hugged her tightly in his arms. Even when Yusra started punching him, he didn’t let go and continued to comfort her.
“Yusra, she’s back. I’m not lying to you. No one can replace her. Our daughter is finally back.”
After half an hour, Yusra finally calmed down.
She was either tired or persuaded by his words.
Before she slept, she kept repeating a sentence. “You must bring Lilian back.”
Aaron caressed her face and looked at her with gentleness in his eyes. “Sure, I will,” he said softly.
Meanwhile, Jack returned to his car after finishing his last scene. His assistant handed him his mobile phone shiveringly and said, “Mr. Ferguson, it’s your father.”
Jack was stunned because he never expected his always-busy father to call him.
“Hello.”
“I called your brother, but I couldn’t get him. After you find Lilian, bring her home as soon as possible.”
“Hold on! What did you say? Lilian? Did you find Lilian? When did it happen?”
Aaron was stunned by his question. “Don’t you know about it?”
What the heck? Everyone knows about it except me. Jack was furious because he felt left out.
“Where’s my sister?” Jack asked in annoyance.
Aaron frowned. “Don’t try to be funny.”
Jack snorted. “I don’t have the guts to do so.”
“Your brothers are on their way to Horington. Pass my words to them when you’re able to contact them.” Aaron hung up soon after he finished his words.
Jack’s face turned gloomy. He felt offended that his father hung up on him so heartlessly. The thought of him being left out annoyed him immensely, which somehow made him annoyed over the return of his own sister as well. However, he still asked his assistant to inform the director of his departure despite his annoyance. “Tell the director that I’ll be away for two days.”
Benny nodded at his request.
Jack immediately drove to Horington. He couldn’t hide the excitement in him as he drove. “Well, I’m driving to see Jess, not that annoying little sis of mine,” he murmured on his way there.
Refusing to admit his excitement to meet his long-lost sister, he convinced himself that he was simply excited to see Jessica, who happened to live in Horington as well. Despite that, he was still curious about his sister. Hence, he decided to call Hugh and ask for further details.
However, his call was unanswered after several attempts.
When he was about to give up, Hugh finally picked up his phone.
“What’s the matter?” Hugh asked in a serious tone.
Jack was annoyed once again because Hugh sounded exactly like Aaron.
“I heard that you have found that annoying little sis of ours. How’s she? Is she easygoing? If she isn’t, I won’t treat her well, even if she is my sister. Anyway, forget about it. I think I’ll find Jess instead. Let me know after you reunite with our sister.”
Hugh said calmly, “Well, Jessica is actually Lilian.”
Slash!
Jack’s car screeched to a stop. He nearly collided with the railing after hearing the reply.
“What did you say?!”
र金
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