Chapter 163: Chapter 163: The Main Culprit

Yuri Walsh replied, "The results are excellent. Based on our hospital’s observations, the medicine is markedly effective against respiratory and lung infections, as well as chest tightness and pain. Many critically ill patients have shown significant improvement after taking it."

Melody Summers was very happy to hear this. As long as the medicine was effective, her sleepless days and nights spent preparing it weren’t in vain.

Melody smiled, thanked Yuri Walsh, and turned to go back to Brianna White’s room.

The two of them chatted with Brianna for a while longer. They told her to get some rest, then got up to leave.

Walking down the hospital corridor, Sophie Thorne whispered to Melody Summers, "She keeps telling me she wants to write me an IOU for the hospital fees. She says she’ll work hard to pay me back after she’s discharged."

Sophie sighed. "Sigh... She really doesn’t want to owe anyone anything. How could a girl like her be slandered as a gold digger?"

Melody Summers also sighed. Just as she was about to say something, she caught sight of a familiar figure in her peripheral vision and stopped dead in her tracks—

Two women were walking toward them up ahead, both wearing masks. Just as Melody saw them, they turned to walk down the corridor to the right.

Melody immediately grabbed Sophie and quietly followed them.

As they passed the corner, she saw the sign. It clearly indicated that the corridor to the right led to the Paternity Testing Center.

Meeting Sophie’s confused gaze, Melody said in a low, complicated voice, "One of those two women just now was Sylvia Lancaster."

After all, they had lived together for so long in her past life. Melody could still recognize Sylvia Lancaster, even with the mask.

Sophie Thorne froze for a moment. Seeing the words "Paternity Testing Center" on the sign, she clearly realized something.

She grabbed Melody’s hand and quietly led her forward.

Sylvia Lancaster sat in the Paternity Testing Center’s waiting room, looking through the two paternity test reports in her hands. One was for her and Lily Adler, the other for her and Hector Hayes.

Seeing the results on the reports—"Paternity Confirmed"—the heavy weight in her heart finally lifted.

’Without a doubt, I am the biological daughter of Lily Adler and Hector Hayes.’

Lily Adler was also relieved. She leaned in to hug Sylvia and asked with satisfaction, "Daughter, you can finally rest easy now, right?"

Sylvia’s body stiffened slightly as Lily Adler hugged her. It felt a little awkward.

But after a moment’s hesitation, she hugged Lily Adler back and whispered, "...Mom."

Sylvia had been thinking a lot these past few days. She had worried that Raymond Hayes and Clara Hayes would make things difficult for her if they found out the truth, and that Lily Adler might not be able to protect her.

But based on her recent observations, the maids and servants at the villa were all very respectful to Lily Adler—even more deferential than they were to Clara Hayes. It was clear Lily Adler was a capable woman to have earned their approval.

’With Lily Adler protecting me,’ Sylvia thought, ’I won’t have to be afraid of a falling out with Clara Hayes.’

’Although I’m still worried about Clara’s older brother, Raymond Hayes, when I really think about it... I’m just a girl. I’m no threat to his position as the heir, so there’s no reason for him to make things hard for me.’

’Besides, Raymond Hayes hasn’t been back once since I moved into the Hayes Family home. It seems he doesn’t really get involved in family matters anymore.’

’As long as I can seize this opportunity to win Hector Hayes’s favor,’ Sylvia figured, ’I won’t have to fear Raymond Hayes in the future.’

Having figured all this out, Sylvia decided that acknowledging her relationship with Lily Adler was all benefit and no harm. ’If everything goes smoothly, I can completely replace Clara Hayes and become the rightful heiress of the Hayes Family.’

Hearing Sylvia call her "Mom," Lily Adler’s eyes reddened slightly, and she hugged her even tighter.

Melody Summers and Sophie Thorne stood around the corner not far from the Paternity Testing Center’s waiting room. A moment later, they saw Sylvia Lancaster and another woman in a black trench coat come out.

Both of them had taken off their masks and were standing at the doorway of the waiting room, talking to a doctor in a white coat.

From where Melody and Sophie were standing, they had a perfect view of Sylvia Lancaster’s and the woman in the black trench coat’s profiles.

Melody narrowed her eyes slightly. From this side angle, the contours of the two women’s noses and mouths looked almost identical.

Even the curve of the bump on the bridges of their noses was exactly the same...

Melody’s heart skipped a beat. ’Such a similar appearance... and at a paternity testing center...’

’Could it be...’

Melody’s heart pounded in her chest. ’This woman might be Sylvia Lancaster’s biological mother!’

Soon, Sylvia and the woman in black finished their conversation with the doctor. They raised their hands to put their masks back on and turned to leave.

Melody and Sophie quickly ducked into the fire exit stairwell.

After Sylvia and the woman had walked away, Melody and Sophie looked at each other, seeing the same shock reflected in each other’s eyes.

Before Melody could speak, Sophie said in astonishment, "Were Sylvia Lancaster and that woman here for a paternity test? The lower halves of their faces look so much alike. Could she be Sylvia’s mother?"

Sophie muttered in disbelief, "This is just... unbelievable..."

Melody heard that something was off in her tone and asked, puzzled, "What’s wrong? Do you know the woman in the black trench coat?"

Sophie’s mouth opened and closed. With a complicated expression, she said, "I’ve seen her before at parties with my dad. She’s always there as Hector Hayes’s date. Hector Hayes is the big boss of the Oceanus Hotel."

Those words struck Melody like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes went wide as she asked in disbelief, "What did you say?!"

Under Melody’s shocked gaze, Sophie continued, "Hector Hayes’s first wife died over ten years ago, and he never remarried. He’s been surprisingly constant with this Lily Adler. For all these years, whenever there’s a slightly formal occasion, Lily Adler is always his date."

Even though Lily Adler never had an official title, she had been by Hector Hayes’s side all these years, which was why Sophie recognized her.

Melody was so stunned by this flood of information that she was speechless. After a long moment, she finally murmured, "So you’re saying... Sylvia Lancaster could be Hector Hayes’s biological daughter? ... That she and Clara Hayes might be half-sisters...?!"

The news was so shocking that Melody and Sophie were still discussing it all the way back to The Metropolis Residences.

Sophie frowned in thought. "Based on Sylvia Lancaster’s age, Hector Hayes’s first wife must have still been alive when Lily Adler gave birth to her..."

"I heard from my father that Mrs. Hayes was a formidable woman. She definitely wouldn’t tolerate any deceit..."

Melody frowned as she listened. ’What a clichéd and traditional drama.’

’The formidable first wife from a well-matched family, the philandering husband, and the forbearing mistress who ran away while pregnant.’

’Later, the first wife died, and the mistress came back to rekindle her relationship with the cheating man.’

’So where did the mistress’s child go? Why wasn’t Lily Adler in a hurry to bring her biological child back to the Hayes Family to live a life of luxury?’

’Either the child was already dead, or... Lily Adler had already arranged a better place for the child.’

’For example, she had her child usurp another’s place, replacing the newborn daughter of the wealthy Lancaster Family.’

’And the real heiress, after being swapped out, was abandoned by the side of the road.’

’That would explain everything.’

Neither Sophie nor Melody was stupid; they both quickly came to this conclusion. Sophie said in shock, "So you’re saying that Sylvia Lancaster’s biological mother, Lily Adler, is the real culprit who separated you from your parents?!"