Chapter 320 Everything Falls Apart
The word "fake" hit Daisy like a slap.
"A fake?" she blurted.
Her face drained of color.
That couldn’t be right.
She had personally taken the jade pendant from the Bennett family’s private collection.
It wasn’t something displayed for customers. It had been locked away in a secured vault alongside the family’s most valuable heirlooms.
How could it possibly be counterfeit?
Beside her, Samantha looked just as shaken.
She turned toward Daisy in disbelief.
"What do you mean?"
Before Daisy could answer, Derick stepped forward.
Grace silently handed him the pendant.
He examined it carefully beneath the light, rotating it between his fingers before lifting his eyes toward Samantha and Daisy.
His expression turned cold.
"So this was your plan all along?"
"You intended to fool the Taylor family with a fake heirloom."
The accusation landed heavily.
Everything had changed.
Before, they might have argued that the DNA results were a misunderstanding.
Now...
The counterfeit pendant became evidence of something much worse.
Premeditated fraud.
Identity theft.
Calculated deception.
The room’s atmosphere turned icy.
"No..."
Cold sweat rolled down Samantha’s temples.
"This isn’t what it looks like."
"There has to be some mistake."
"Someone must have switched it... Someone’s trying to frame us."
Her thoughts spiraled out of control.
Tonight had already gone nothing like she’d expected.
First, the DNA results.
Then the pendant.
Every backup plan she’d relied on had collapsed one after another.
Grace’s eyes hardened.
"A mistake?"
She let out a bitter laugh.
"The last time I saw this pendant, you never took it off."
"I only caught the flaws now because I’m finally holding it."
She raised the jade.
"I commissioned the original myself."
"You think you know my family’s heirloom better than I do?"
Neither Daisy nor Samantha had an answer.
The silence spoke for itself.
Grace looked toward Rose.
"Rose."
"You spent years working in emergency medicine."
"Draw Samantha’s blood."
"We’ll repeat the DNA test right now."
The room fell silent.
Samantha’s pupils contracted.
Her breathing stopped.
Last time...
Everything had been prepared in advance.
This time...
There was nothing she could do.
If they drew her blood here—
Everything would truly be over.
She stood frozen.
Unable to answer.
Unable to move.
Rose quietly watched her.
Samantha wasn’t refusing because she felt insulted.
She was refusing because...
She was terrified.
She knows the truth, Rose realized.
She doesn’t dare take another DNA test.
Grace noticed it.
Derick noticed it.
Everyone did.
Samantha’s hesitation had already answered the question.
The tension inside the room became almost unbearable.
Grace suddenly exploded.
"What do you think this family is?"
She slammed the counterfeit pendant onto the marble floor.
Crash!
The jade shattered into dozens of pieces.
Fragments scattered across the foyer.
"Get out."
Her voice shook with fury.
"Get out of my house."
"We spent years searching for Sophia’s child..."
"And the two of you used that pain to manipulate us."
"I’ve rarely met people more shameless."
Rose immediately hurried to Grace’s side.
"Easy."
She gently supported the older woman’s arm while discreetly checking her pulse.
Thankfully...
Her blood pressure had risen, but nothing appeared immediately dangerous.
Rose quietly let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Victoria also stepped forward.
Unlike her usual gentle demeanor, her expression had become unusually firm.
"You’ve caused enough damage."
"Please leave."
"And don’t ever come back to this house."
Daisy’s face twisted.
Only minutes ago, Victoria had been the one cornered and humiliated.
Now...
Everything had reversed.
Victoria had regained her dignity.
And Daisy had become the disgrace.
Her mind refused to accept it.
Where had everything gone wrong?
The DNA.
The pendant.
Neither should have failed.
Yet both had.
Derick’s voice cut through the silence.
"Escort them out."
His tone left no room for negotiation.
Samantha suddenly turned toward Ryan.
Her eyes filled with tears.
She desperately searched his face.
He had to believe her.
He always had.
"Ryan..."
"I can explain."
"I swear I don’t know how this happened."
She reached toward him.
He didn’t move.
His eyes remained lowered, his expression unreadable.
Was he angry?
Disappointed?
Or had he finally realized she’d deceived him too?
Fear tightened around Samantha’s chest.
"Ryan..."
Finally, he looked up.
His dark eyes were calm.
Almost emotionless.
"Let’s go."
That was all he said.
No defense.
No reassurance.
No promise to stand beside her.
Just...
"Let’s go."
Those two words hurt more than any accusation.
Within moments, estate security arrived.
Without ceremony—or courtesy—they escorted Samantha and Daisy toward the front gate.
Neither woman resisted.
Rose watched Ryan with quiet surprise.
She had expected him to intervene.
To argue.
To protect Samantha the way he always did.
Instead...
He’d simply let it happen.
What are you thinking, Ryan?
Victoria turned back toward Grace.
"Are you okay?"
Concern filled her voice.
She knew tonight had devastated the older woman.
After all...
Samantha wasn’t family.
Which also meant Victoria was no longer carrying the blame for keeping the Taylors from their true granddaughter.
It didn’t erase Grace’s disappointment in her.
But at least it gave her room to breathe.
Grace looked exhausted.
She waved away the question.
Instead, she turned toward Rose.
"I’m sorry."
A weary smile appeared on her face.
"You came all the way here tonight..."
"And all you witnessed was this mess."
Victoria quietly stepped back beside Derick.
She said nothing.
She’d grown used to being overlooked.
Derick glanced at her.
"You okay?"
Victoria forced a small smile.
"I’ll be fine."
Rose understood Grace’s heartbreak.
"It’s okay."
She smiled gently.
"When you get home, take your blood pressure medication."
"And try to get some rest."
"No more thinking about tonight."
Grace nodded slowly.
"I will."
For the first time that evening...
She looked every bit her age.
Her shoulders, once straight and dignified, seemed weighed down by years of disappointment.
Watching her walk away, Rose couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.
Derick rubbed his forehead.
The evening had spiraled completely out of control.
His mother had suffered another devastating blow.
Their search for Sophia’s daughter had reached another dead end.
The weight of it all showed plainly on his face.
After a long silence, he turned to Ryan.
"Mr. Knight..."
"Please see Ms. Bennett home."
Ryan’s gaze shifted toward Rose.
Before he could speak, Rose answered without hesitation.
"No, thank you."
Her tone was polite.
But unmistakably final.