He wasn't going to tell Jonathan yet. There was no need to give him an excuse to demand $300,000. It wasn't as if Benny couldn't afford the money; he just couldn't bear losing this.

Benny arrived home late that night. He lived in Gerton Residence, one of Nareigh's most exclusive neighborhoods. It wasn't solely about money; residents needed the right social standing.

His father, Clint Simpson, had returned earlier and found a DNA test report on the table. Startled, he grabbed it and shouted, "Benny! Get out of your room right now!"

Benny, having just finished in the bathroom, was still adjusting his belt as he reluctantly emerged. "What's all the yelling about?" he asked, only to have the report flung at his face.

"So, you've finally caused trouble, haven't you? Did you get someone pregnant? Are they demanding responsibility?" Clint demanded sharply.

"Did you even read the last part? It's an invalid DNA test. The child isn't related to the other party. And for the record, this isn't mine. I did this for a friend," Benny explained.

"Oh, sure, I believe you. Which friend are we talking about?" Clint asked incredulously.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me. So why bother?" Benny replied with a shrug.

Clint slammed the table, glaring at Benny before dramatically wiping his eyes. "Ungrateful brat! All you do is mess around. You're thirty and still unmarried, and now you're pulling stunts like this? Do you even care about how I feel?"

Benny's patience snapped. "Clint, you think I don't care about your feelings? If I didn't care, I'd have already spent money to hack the hospital's system, check the birth records, and pocket that $300,000. Or I'd hire a private investigator, tail people, wiretap them, and track them down. One way or another, I'd get that money. But no, I've been keeping my head down and staying out of trouble because of your status. And you still think I don't care about you?"

"Three hundred thousand dollars? Are you out of your mind?" Clint clicked his tongue. "Oh, so now you're a hacker and a spy? Why not start your own superhero squad while you're at it? I'll even get you a cape so you can fly around."

Benny wasn't about to back down. "Wow, Clint, you're on fire today. Why not quit your job in Nareigh and start a comedy tour? You'd single-handedly revive Nareigh's entertainment industry."

Clint glared, his face darkening. "I'm not here to trade barbs with you. Just answer me honestly. Did you get someone pregnant? Otherwise, why would you need a DNA test? Tell me the truth. I can handle it."

Benny's eyes flickered with a sudden thought, but he quickly dismissed it, looking annoyed. "I know what I'm doing. I didn't get anyone pregnant."

"Are you willing to swear on your life?" Clint asked.

"I'll swear on your career. Happy now?" Benny said sarcastically.

Clint's face turned a deeper shade of red, his anger boiling over. Huffing, he thought, You just wait, Benny.

Meanwhile, although Jonathan claimed he didn't care about Benny's DNA test, he still messaged him: [Did the results come in yet?]

Benny lied: [Not yet.]

Seeing the reply, Jonathan sent another message: [Forget it.]

Defiant, Benny called Jonathan. "The kid looks just like you. How can you not see that?"

"So? People say that all the time. We did the DNA test. It shows he's not my kid." Jonathan's voice was calm, almost detached, as if he'd already accepted it.

Benny frowned, frustrated. Where did it go wrong? he thought. He'd been racking his brain the whole way back but couldn't figure it out.

Could it really be true that the kid isn't related to Jonathan? Is my sixth sense wrong? Then where are Michael's parents? he wondered.

"You're still in Chicoham, right? We'll talk when you get back," he said before hanging up. Jonathan had already left Chicoham and was driving on a quiet highway back to Nareigh.

Teresa was fast asleep, her long hair cascading over half her delicate profile. Jonathan held her hand, as he had on their wedding day, while soft music they both loved played softly in the background. Every now and then, he gently squeezed her hand. He leaned down and kissed her hand softly. His lips were warm against her skin. Teresa stirred awake, opening her eyes to find Jonathan kissing her hand. She tried to pull away, but he held on firmly.

As they reached the toll booth, the large "Nareigh" sign stood out brightly. Jonathan paid the toll, and the car passed through.

Returning to this familiar city, Teresa immediately felt the weight of pressure settle back upon her. Leaning against the seat, she sighed and said, "Just drop me off at Rosary Estates. I don't want to go to your place."

"You're driving me crazy, Teresa. What now? What did I do wrong this time?" Jonathan asked.

"You didn't do anything," Teresa said.

She thought to herself, If it weren't for your son insisting on staying with you, I wouldn't even bother going there. It's not like you're the only one with a big house in Nareigh.

Turning her gaze away, Teresa said, "I'm so fed up right now. I know you're just going to drag me to the hospital again. I've already told you I'm not pregnant. Why can't you just believe me?"

Jonathan said, "The doctor said your symptoms might indicate pregnancy, but he wasn't sure. I just want to confirm it at the hospital so we can stop worrying. If you are pregnant, we can figure out what to do about the baby together. Okay?" Teresa shook her head. "Forget it."

Jonathan said nothing, his expression darkening slightly. They had arrived in Nareigh. Familiar with the roads, he didn't need GPS and casually drove to a quiet area in the development zone. There was no one around, so he pulled over.

"We need to talk," Jonathan said, cutting the engine and unbuckling his seatbelt.