Chapter 319 The Truth Comes Crashing Down
Rose glanced at the caller ID on Dr. Grace’s phone.
James Taylor.
Even saved in her contacts, her grandson’s name was written in full.
She checked the time.
10:00 p.m.
Late for a phone call—unless it couldn’t wait.
Across the room, Samantha’s lips curved into a confident smile.
Finally.
She’d been waiting all day for the DNA results.
Once the Taylor family officially confirmed she was Sophia’s daughter, Rose would finally have to stop acting like she belonged beside Grace.
More importantly...
This would be the final step before she became Mrs. Ryan Knight.
Grace’s expression tightened.
"Give me the phone."
Ryan, who had been standing nearby, casually slipped his own phone into his pocket and took a half-step back.
He looked unusually calm.
Rose caught the subtle movement.
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
Of course he was calm.
If Samantha really was the long-lost Taylor heiress, nothing would stand in the way of Ryan marrying her.
The Taylors were one of New York’s oldest and most respected families. Even Chairman Knight—still overseas on business—would have little reason to object.
It would be a perfect ending.
Or so everyone thought.
The commotion drew Derick, Victoria, and the others back into the room before they could leave.
Grace accepted the call.
"James."
"Grandma..." James sounded slightly out of breath. "Before I tell you anything, I need you to stay calm."
Grace frowned.
"I’ve waited over twenty years. I don’t need a warning. Just tell me."
She tapped the speaker button.
Silence fell over the room.
Daisy quietly squeezed Samantha’s hand.
Samantha straightened her shoulders.
She had already begun imagining her future.
Then James spoke.
"To eliminate any possibility of error, we repeated the DNA analysis two more times."
A pause.
"The results were identical."
Another pause.
"Samantha Hill is not biologically related to my father."
The room froze.
"She isn’t a member of the Taylor family."
For several long seconds...
No one breathed.
Rose stared blankly at the floor.
What?
Even she hadn’t expected that.
Samantha’s smile froze on her face.
It slowly cracked apart.
"...What?"
Daisy was the first to explode.
"That’s impossible!"
Her voice echoed through the room.
Everyone finally snapped back to reality.
Victoria remained quietly against the wall, saying nothing as he watched everyone’s reactions.
Derick walked forward, his face unreadable.
"You’ve verified it?"
Grace’s voice had already regained its composure.
"Is that the official conclusion in the report?"
"Yes."
James answered without hesitation.
"I personally supervised the entire process. The report has been reviewed multiple times."
"There is no biological relationship."
"Samantha isn’t my sister."
His voice carried mixed emotions.
He’d spent years hoping to find the missing child left behind by Sophia.
Learning Samantha wasn’t family was heartbreaking.
Yet strangely...
He also felt relieved.
He couldn’t explain why.
Maybe...
Deep down, Grandma felt the same.
That’s why he’d called immediately instead of waiting until morning.
The room fell silent again.
Derick lowered his eyes.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, he’d never felt the inexplicable closeness everyone else claimed to have with Samantha.
Now all that remained was a vague sense of disappointment.
Grace stood motionless.
Years of hope...
Gone.
After what felt like forever, she slowly turned toward Samantha and Daisy.
Neither woman looked remotely prepared for the verdict.
In fact...
They looked even more shocked than the Taylors.
That realization made Grace’s eyes narrow.
Samantha’s heartbeat pounded in her ears.
"There has to be a mistake," she blurted.
"The test must be wrong."
"It can’t be."
Grace’s gaze turned icy.
"So you’re questioning the laboratory?"
"No—I..."
Samantha immediately stumbled over her words.
Beside her, Daisy looked even paler.
"This is impossible," she muttered.
"I know exactly what sample we—"
She stopped.
Too late.
Her eyes widened.
Cold sweat appeared along her forehead.
Ryan’s gaze instantly shifted toward her.
Sharp.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
Daisy forced herself to continue.
"There... there must have been some mix-up during testing..."
Samantha felt like the floor had disappeared beneath her.
Instinctively, she reached for Grace’s hand.
"Dr. Taylor..."
"Please..."
Grace jerked her hand away.
"What exactly are you expecting me to believe?" she demanded.
"Your story?"
"Or three separate DNA reports from one of the country’s most respected forensic laboratories?"
Samantha’s lips trembled.
"I..."
"You’ve wasted years of this family’s hope."
Grace’s disappointment had already transformed into anger.
"Now answer my question."
"Where did you get Sophia’s heirloom jade pendant?"
The room went silent again.
Daisy flinched.
Without thinking, her eyes drifted toward Rose.
Her blood ran cold.
The kidnapping...
The blood sample...
She’d switched everything.
She had always believed Rose was unquestionably Sophia’s daughter.
So why...
Why didn’t the DNA match?
Nothing made sense anymore.
Grace took another step forward.
"You and your daughter fabricated an entire story to gain access to this family."
"Do you have any idea what you’ve put us through?"
"Give me the pendant."
"Now."
Her voice echoed through the room.
Samantha’s face had turned completely white.
Whether the DNA result was wrong or not no longer mattered.
The Taylor family would never forgive them.
Her entire future had collapsed in minutes.
Panicked, she looked toward Ryan.
Please...
Help me.
Say something.
Do something.
Ryan met her eyes.
His expression remained calm.
Almost detached.
"You should give Dr. Taylor the pendant," he said evenly.
"There’s no reason to upset her any further."
His tone wasn’t harsh.
But it left no room for argument.
Samantha’s fingers shook as she unclasped the chain around her neck.
She handed the jade pendant to Grace.
Watching the scene unfold, Rose couldn’t help letting out a quiet, bitter laugh.
Love really was strange.
Sometimes...
It made people overlook everything.
Even the truth.
Grace accepted the pendant with trembling hands.
For a moment, her fingers gently traced the familiar carving.
Her thoughts drifted to Sophia.
To the little granddaughter she’d never found.
Pain clouded her eyes.
She closed her fingers around the jade...
Then stopped.
Her brow furrowed.
Something felt...
Wrong.
She lifted the pendant beneath the chandelier.
Turned it over.
Studied it from every angle.
The color wasn’t right.
Natural jade reflected light differently.
This one...
Didn’t.
Her breathing quickened.
She inspected the engraving.
Ran her thumb across every carved line.
Then her expression darkened.
"This..."
Her voice trembled with fury.
"This isn’t Sophia’s pendant."
She looked straight at Samantha and Daisy.
"You forged it."
"You created a fake heirloom..."
"...and tried to deceive the Taylor family from the very beginning."
The accusation landed like a thunderclap.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
For the first time that night...
Even Ryan’s expression changed.