Chapter 211: The Real Anna Is in Her Hands
At this moment, my emotions were a whirlwind, and my whole body trembled with excitement. Even if this was just a guess, it was enough to shock me.
“Chloe, calm down. Don’t jump to conclusions without concrete evidence. We don’t want to get our hopes up for nothing. Let’s just consider this a hypothetical scenario,” Carter said, trying to keep me grounded.
“Alright,” I nodded, trying to control my racing thoughts.
“Right now, what we know for sure is that whether this Anna is real or fake, she harbors resentment toward the Sanders. Next, let’s assume that the mastermind behind this has already found the real Anna, taken control of her, and used her DNA for a paternity test. This would allow the fake Anna to easily integrate into the Sanders, right?”
I nodded again. “Yes.”
“If our analysis is correct, there’s another possibility. Even if your sister was alive at that time, so many years have passed that the real Anna might already be dead. You need to be prepared for that,” Carter said, his voice steady yet carrying an undertone of caution.
I knew Carter was right, but hearing those words still made my heart ache. He gave me a sliver of hope and then extinguished it just as quickly.
“Chloe, don’t be upset. If our theory holds, at least we’ll have confirmation that this Anna is a fraud. But until then, we mustn’t alert anyone—we can’t risk tipping off the mastermind.”
I nodded, understanding. “I get it. You want to lure out the mastermind. Anna cannot be touched.”
“Exactly,” Carter said with a deep sigh. “I have a feeling the hook is about to catch a fish. Right now, it’s all about patience. We need to keep our cool to catch the big fish. At least, they don’t know about your rebirth, and that’s our biggest advantage.”
Carter sighed and said, “Actually, this is partly my fault. I focused too much on watching Anna and didn’t anticipate that she might use Sadie to turn the tables.”
Seeing the guilt in his eyes, I quickly reassured him, “Carter, you’ve done so much for me. It’s Anna’s cruelty, not your mistake.”
“By the way, Anna followed Sheila into the Boltons. Do you think Sheila might be part of their scheme, too?”
He shook his head before answering, “It’s possible, but unlikely. If Sheila had the same intelligence as Anna, she wouldn’t be stuck in a powerless position and unable to deal with someone like Luke. I think they’re using Sheila’s identity to insert Anna into the family. Sheila had lost a daughter in the past, and every woman’s instinct would be to protect and care for a child, especially if one was delivered right to her door. So, Sheila is just another pawn in this game,” I concluded.
“That makes sense,” I said, my eyes lit up with new clarity.
“With Ethan dead, Anna should lay low for a while. She likely won’t make any moves for now.”
As I gazed out the window, watching the snowflakes dance in the cold air, I thought about the dream I had the night before. “If the Sanders found out that the daughter they’d protected all these years was the real culprit, what would their faces look like?”
“The priority now is to get Anna’s DNA and retest the paternity with the Sanders. Once the results are in, we’ll know if our suspicions are right,” Carter said, determination in his voice.
I reached for Carter’s hand and said, “I’m so glad I have you by my side.”
“Chloe, I’ve already lost you once. I don’t want to miss my second chance,” Carter replied, his words carrying a weight of sincerity.
Before I could reach the bottom of it, the door swung open, revealing Mom. When she saw our intertwined hands, she quickly withdrew.
“Sorry, I’m not used to Zoey getting married yet,” she murmured, her voice soft.
I quickly let go of Carter’s hand, placing mine on the wheelchair. “Let’s have breakfast first.”
“Alright,” Carter agreed.
Throughout the meal, Mom kept glancing at me, a knowing smile curling at the corners of her lips. Her gaze reminded me of a mother who was content that her daughter had grown up, and it made me slightly embarrassed.
Since learning Carter’s feelings, I could clearly feel that I was developing feelings for him as well. However, those feelings were still not strong enough to be called love. But I believed that one day, in the future, I would let go of my reservations and fully accept him.
After breakfast, Carter left for the office. Philippa pulled me into the bedroom and spoke in a low voice.
“Zoey, your father has been hounding me these past few days. He’s really fixated on the baby I’m carrying, and I’m worried our plan might change.”
I helped her to sit down and said, “Mom, is this child really something you have to get rid of? If you decide to keep it, Carter and I will take good care of your baby, too.”
She sighed deeply and said, “You know about the problems between me and your father. He refuses to divorce me, and even if he files a lawsuit, who knows how long it will take? Having a child will make things even more complicated, especially since this baby came at the worst possible time. I’m afraid…”
Mom bit her lip, hesitating. I asked softly, “What are you afraid of?”
“It’s nothing… just worried that complications will arise and create even more trouble, so I can’t keep it.”
Chapter 211: The Real Anna Is in Her Hands (Continued)
She grabbed my hand and cast… “Do you think your father cares more about the company than anything? Can you get Carter to talk him out of it? Once I’ve had the procedure, everything will be fine.”
I sighed in resignation and said sadly, “Mom, I respect your decision. You have one more day to think it over.”
Tears glistened in her eyes, and despite the reluctant expression on her face, she spoke quickly, “I have to do it, Zoey. We have to go to the hospital today. I’ve made up my mind.”