Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

"What?"
"Is that true?"
Jasper and Alyssa exclaimed at the same time-one looking astonished, and the other agitated.
Sean gulped. He was parched from rushing all the way here. "It's true! To prevent anyone from tampering with the result, I made Dr. Lovelace perform the DNA test in Mosgravia. The DNA test in Solana City was carried out in one of the Taylor family's hospitals. I even monitored the entire process!"
Jasper's lashes cast a shadow under his eyes. He repeatedly read the outrageous and wicked results printed on the report. It clearly said that Betty was not related to Javier.
Alyssa soon calmed down after all the agitation. The report had confirmed her longtime skepticism. She had started questioning Betty's bloodline from Betty's personality, character, and looks. Now, the truth had finally been revealed.
"Sean, did Julien say anything to you when you requested the DNA test?"
"Oh, he did." Sean looked amused. "He asked me if any one of Mr. Winston's wives was pregnant and if Winston was the one requesting the DNA test out of skepticism. He even vowed to carry the secret to his grave!"
Alyssa was dumbfounded at Julien's hilarious response. There was no way Julien would carry the secret to his grave. He was simply craving for some juicy gossip.
"Sean, don't let anyone else hear about this."
Sean scratched his head with a troubled look. "Uh... Mr. Jonah knew about Betty's DNA result because Dr. Lovelace immediately updated him."
Feeling exasperated, Alyssa relented. "Fine. They're a couple anyway, so it's fine. Do not let anyone apart from Jonah and Julien learn about the results. Got it?"
Sean quickly nodded.
At that moment, she sensed a threatening air. When she looked up, she found a scarily furious look in Jasper's eyes.
She questioned him in a softer tone, "Jasper, are you alright?"
Jasper gently tossed the crumpled report onto the table with vacant eyes. "I'm fine. Just thought the entire situation laughable.
"Lyse, for a moment, I thought of my mom. I remembered the day when a heavily pregnant Sophia Kirkman showed up at our home. All the memories flashed across my mind."
Feeling sorry for Jasper, she clutched his cold hand firmly. "I know how you feel. I understand you.
"My dad asked for a DNA test the day after Sophia gave birth to Betty. The test confirmed that she was his daughter. Looking back, I believe that Sophia had made the necessary preparations. It was way easier to forge a DNA report back in the day compared to today."
Sean shared Jasper's heartache. He, too, hated Sophia to the bone, even when she was dead.
"That's true. The move wasn't that surprising, coming from an evil woman who was determined to marry into wealth and get out of poverty.
"I'm just surprised that Javier had never suspected Sophia and Betty once, after years of living with a daughter who did not resemble him at all." Her expression was clouded with disbelief. "I occasionally heard Winston and Jonah mentioning your dad when I was younger. Javier was a very capable man, and his business strategies were nothing short of epic.
"Sophia was nothing more than a vixen, pulling shoddy tricks to take advantage of him. How could he have never suspected her of anything?"
"When Sophia showed up, Dad and Grandpa were at the height of a war in the company. The more Grandpa disapproved of Sophia, the more Dad wanted to marry her. Not to mention he and my mom were having relationship troubles at that time. Sophia took her chance to ruin their marriage.
"Besides, Dad was extremely arrogant. It helped that Sophia was meek and subservient around him. He truly believed that a woman of Sophia's humble origins would never have the courage to harm a man of his superior social standing."
Jasper lowered his gaze. His deep, magnetic voice was tinged with sarcasm. "There's another possibility-my dad might have been deeply in love with Sophia. If he was even oblivious to the fact that Sophia killed my mom, how would he ever think of running a paternity test?"
An oppressive silence descended on the wine cellar.
"Hah. To be honest..." Alyssa smirked. "...I'd rather Javier loved Sophia. Only then would his world be crushed when he learned the truth. He'd lose everything that he believed in."
"I always wished for my dad to be in love with Mom, even if just a little. I couldn't stand the thought of my mom giving all her love to a man who didn't care for her." Jasper put on a relieved smile. "But now, I'd rather he never loved her. He doesn't deserve the privilege of loving her."
Alyssa stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the corner of his lips. She purred, "Your love is all that matters to me."
He placed a hand on the small of his waist and returned the kiss. He'd respond to her at any time, anywhere.
"How do you plan to use this crucial information?" Sean inquired.
At the same time, Jasper's phone buzzed.
"Hello, Xavier."
"I have bad news, Mr. Beckett! Our men lost track of Betty!"