Chapter 175

Days passed uneventfully.

Hilda was feeling better, and the doctor finally cleared her to leave the hospital. After finishing up the paperwork, Jeff made his way back to her room and quietly began gathering her things.

He moved with a gentle focus, making sure her coat was fastened all the way and tucking a soft scarf around her neck.

Hilda let him fuss over her, but her gaze drifted. Her energy seemed low, as if she were lost in thought.

Silence stretched between them until she finally spoke, voice soft but determined. "Jeff, I'd like to see Eleanor. Could you bring her to me?"

Jeff, halfway through pouring a glass of water, hesitated for a moment at her request.

He passed her the cup and tried to keep his tone light. "The doctor wants you to rest. Let's not get distracted with worries that aren't helpful right now."

"You älready know what's weighing on me." Instead of accepting the water, Hilda kept her eyes on him,refusing to back down. "There's something about her..."

"About what? You already know the answer." Jeff cut her off. His patience was wearing thin, a frown appearing on his face. "Lainey filled me in. Eleanor's been plotting from the start."

He gave her the short version, how Eleanor supposedly schemed her way close, how she got fixated on their money and status the moment she realized she looked like her.

Not once did Hilda interrupt. She just listened in silence, letting him say his piece.

Only after he finished did she slowly shake her head. "I don't buy it."

A lifetime of meeting people had sharpened her judgment. Eleanor's eyes told her everything. There was a kid of honest clarity there, like water untouched by anything false.

That just wasn't the kind of person Jeff described.

Seeing that he couldn't convince her, Jeff grew frustrated. "Why are you so sure I'm wrong? Lainey is our daughter, and she wouldn't lie to us. Plus, l've checked into Eleanor myself. There's more to her than she lets on."

"I still won't believe it," Hilda said, her voice trembling.with something she could not quite name. "When I look at her, it's like looking into a mirror of my younger self. How could that be a simple coincidence?"

It went beyond just the way they looked. There wasa familiar spirit there, a kind of silent connection that went deeper than appearances.

And especially her eyes, they brought back memories of her own reflection from years ago.

Some things, Hilda thought, only a mother could feel.

Jeff froze in place. He shifted his gaze to the world beyond the window, letting silence fill the space between them.

Doubts had been simmering beneath the surface for a long time.

Every encounter with Eleanor had left him shaken, stirring emotions he couldn't quite explain.

But the DNA results were right there, as black-and-white as anything could be.①

Science didn't care about feelings, and Myah would never fake the truth.

He forced himself to bury all uncertainty, clinging to logic over heart.

Still,everything that had happened recently only made things messier inside.

No matter how hard he tried, the likeness was impossible to ignore.

Hilda caught his arm, her grip fierce, her eyes wet with emotion. "You see it too, don't you? She's just like me," she said, her voice trembling with hope and fear. Desperation crept in as Hilda leaned in, refusing to let go. "That's our daughter, Jeff. I know it in my bones!"

Those tearful eyes broke his heart.

Old doubts clawed their way back to the surface.

Turning back to her, Jeff took her icy hand in both of his, his voice steady and sincere.

"Hilda, listen, if we both feel something's not right, let's do another test. This time, I'll take care of everything myself. I want to make sure we know the truth, once and for all. Does that sound fair?"

Dragging her through endless questions was no way to live. He needed real answers.

Whatever came next, they deserved clarity.

The suggestion stunned Hilda.

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she nodded, clinging to his hand like it was her only anchor.

"Okay," she whispered.

Neither of them realized someone was eavesdropping just beyond the door.

Lainey stood there, fists balled up, her glare sharp as broken glass.

She cursed under her breath.

She had known that old woman to ruin everything.

If they went through with another test, she would lose it all.

She had to act,and fast.