Chapter 324

Charlie and Thalia were anxious. "So, what do you have for us?" they asked hurriedly. "Did something happen to our daughter? Please tell us. The Kelley family will reward you handsomely."

A trace of mockery flashed in Sandra's eyes, hidden beneath her cap. As expected, the couple still adored Tiffany.

Sandra recalled her past rage, her desire to disfigure Tiffany. Thalia had slapped her and thrown her out. It was the same now; anything concerning Tiffany was a major event for this family. Sandra wondered, "If this couple finds their biological daughter, will they still dote on Tiffany as they do now?" A sly smile touched her lips. She anticipated the answer.

"Tell the servants to leave us alone," Sandra said firmly, settling onto the sofa. "What I'm about to say is a secret." They dismissed the servants. Thalia and Charlie exchanged glances, unsure of Sandra's intentions.

Once alone in the villa's main hall, Charlie said in a deep voice, "Now you can—"

"Sure," Sandra interrupted, looking up with a sweet smile. "Uncle Charlie, Aunt Thalia, long time no see. How have you been?"

A moment of silence followed. Then Thalia stood, pointing at Sandra. "It's you? I can't believe my eyes. I thought you were—"

"Dead, right?" Sandra finished for her, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "Thanks to you and your husband, I'm alive and well—millions of times better than when I lived under your roof."

Charlie's expression hardened. "Tell me, why are you here? If you're here to boast, you're not welcome." He had given up on Sandra and her family; their ingratitude had worn him down.

Thalia's face turned cold. "I don't want to hear anything from you. Just go. You're not welcome here."

"What's the rush?" Sandra shook her head. "If I leave now, you'll have trouble finding your biological daughter."

Thalia's heart skipped a beat. "How did you know?" She and Charlie exchanged shocked glances. Sandra, who had faked her death, was different.

Sandra was pleased with their reaction. "It was eighteen years ago, wasn't it?" she began. She recounted their past: Charlie, a recent graduate starting his career; Thalia, a famous dancer with tens of thousands of fans; their chance meeting and whirlwind romance; Thalia's retirement from show business; Charlie's quick rise to success; their blissful first year of marriage, culminating in their daughter's disappearance on Halloween night. The subsequent years of searching, Thalia's despair, and the eventual (false) report of their daughter's discovery.

"I suspect you never found your biological daughter," Sandra said slowly, a confident smile on her face. "You adopted a girl of similar age to replace her, correct?"

The couple was speechless, their faces ashen. Sandra's words were like knives, reopening old wounds, bringing a sharp pang of guilt.

Charlie's fury ignited when Sandra revealed Tiffany's true identity. "How did you know?" he snapped.

Sandra smirked, crossing her legs. "Fate. I learned this a month ago while observing Felix; I saw him drawing up a death list. Tiffany and Melody were surprisingly on it, sparking my suspicion. I recalled, from my childhood, rumors from Stan and Selena about Charlie's missing daughter and his supposed luck in finding her years later. I didn't think much of it then. But later, something felt wrong."

"How could there be such a coincidence?" Sandra mused. She followed her suspicions, using Felix's resources, uncovering a secret few knew. Tiffany wasn't Charlie's biological daughter. "She was a nameless, parentless bastard," Sandra concluded coldly. She raised her chin. "Uncle Charlie, Aunt Thalia, do you like my surprise?"

"Get out!" Charlie hissed, slamming the coffee table in his rage.

Ignoring him, Sandra produced a document. The paternity test results deeply agitated the couple. "Half a month ago, I bribed your servants to obtain your hair and the girl's for this test. The result is 99%. What's wrong? Don't you want to see your biological daughter? Don't you want to know what she's been through?"

Charlie was dumbfounded; Thalia burst into tears. They had searched for years, a dark time they'd eventually given up on, showering Tiffany with their love. They'd hoped anyone finding their biological daughter would care for her as well as they cared for Tiffany.

While they were tempted by their curiosity and parental love, ultimately they tore the report apart unread.

"Get out!" Charlie shouted.