Chapter 591: Once Doormat Now Untouchable

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Chapter 591

The next second, a slap cracked across Raymond's face. The

sharp sound echoed through the room, and red marks bloomed

at once on his clean-cut cheek.

Raymond frowned faintly. He licked the blood at the corner of

his mouth and raised his eyes to the middle-aged man before

him. He looked at him not as a father, but as a stranger.

Diana froze for a moment, then seized Raymond's arm. When

she saw the injury on his face, something shifted in her usually

cold eyes.

She turned sharply toward Theodore and said firmly,"

Grandfather never laid a single finger on Ray."

Growing up, none of them had escaped Albus's punishments.

Yet no matter how often the old man complained that Raymond

was unruly, Raymond remained, aside from Vivian, the one he

favored most.

"When did you learn to use the old man to pressure me?"

Theodore snapped. "Did you not hear the vile things coming out

of his mouth? Is that how he should speak to his own sister?"

He had assumed the siblings were merely making trouble over

Megan's tampering with the paternity test.

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"Sister?" Raymond curled his lips into a cold, humorless smile.

If | remember correctly, my mother gave birth to only one

younger sister | recognize. Vee."

He tipped his head, openly dismissive. "What kind of sister is

Megan supposed to be? Your illegitimate daughter? We do not

acknowledge that.”

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Theodore roared, his hand

lifting again.

“Theodore, touch Ray again and | will divorce you." Florence's

voice rang out from the doorway.

James stood behind her, his hands on the wheelchair.

Her gaze fixed on the injury on her youngest son's face, and a

chill swept through her. “In your eyes, my children were never

important anyway."

When Vivian had been taken away at the age of two due to

Megan's actions, Theodore had made a great show of anger,

then let the matter drop.

Florence's resolve and indifference were unmistakable.

Theodore looked at her, then at his three children, and realized

they all wore the same expression. All except Megan.

Only then did he truly notice how badly swollen Raymond's face

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had become.

For once, unease crept into his expression. "Florence, you know |

did not mean it that way. Meg has always been alone and

helpless. Hearing what Ray said, | acted in the heat of the

moment."

"That recording," Diana cut in. "Did you finish listening to it?"

At her words, disbelief flickered across Theodore's face. The

recording clearly described how Megan had switched the test

samples.

He did not answer Diana. Instead, he turned to Megan. "Tell me

the truth. Did you tamper with the paternity test samples?”

Megan stiffened. This had been traced back to her, and they

clearly had proof.

After a brief hesitation, her eyes reddened. She looked at

Theodore, her voice trembling, "Dad, I'm sorry. | knew you and

Mom were desperate to find Vee. | lost my head for a moment

and thought letting Penelope stand in temporarily might ease

Mom's longing."

Her talent for twisting facts came as no surprise to the Hutton

siblings.

James spoke next, calm and direct. "Then where did you get the

correct sample? If you already knew who Vee was, why did you

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not bring her back? Why go to the trouble of using a substitute?"

"That was because..." Unaware that they had already identified

Vee, Megan continued with feigned sincerity. "| had not found

her yet. The test looked correct because | treated the hair roots

with a solution. That solution can make the results basically

match."

Raymond laughed. "Since when does such a solution exist? |

should call my former brother-in-law and ask whether he has

ever heard of this miracle liquid."

“Enough.” Theodore spoke before Megan could respond, his

tone heavy. "No irreparable harm was done. Just kick Penelope

out.

Florence felt her heart turn cold. "Just that?"

"Florence." Theodore softened his voice as he faced her. "

Children make mistakes. Sometimes, you turn a blind eye and

move on. As for Vee, | will arrange for people to continue

searching for her by every means possible."