Chapter 1429

Jonathan slept poorly after reading the online discussion. The following morning, he immediately checked his phone for public reaction. He nearly tumbled out of bed upon reading Farwell Group's statement. "Am I dreaming?" he thought. "I've long suspected Essie is Roxanne's daughter, but this… could it be true the boys were born at the same time as Essie? They seem the same age; it's not inconceivable they were born together. Why didn't Lucian tell me? If this is true, why would he work so hard to pursue her when they could simply be a family?"

Confusion reigned. "I can't focus on work without answers." He quickly washed and drove to Farwell Group. "I must get answers from Lucian himself! If Lucian and Roxanne are the boys' parents, I'm more than happy to give a generous gift. But if not, Lucian's a lovesick fool—accepting them as his own when he isn't their biological father. That's highly commendable."

His car stopped before Farwell Group. He entered the building, stepped into the elevator, and bumped into Cayden, exiting the PR department. Cayden looked weary, dark circles under his eyes betraying a sleepless night. Despite this, he managed a polite, "Mr. Queen."

Jonathan, preoccupied with the online discussion, only nodded absently. Then, a thought struck him, and he spun around, looking perplexed. "What's with that statement your company released last night?" Lucian hadn't personally released it; it had to be Cayden.

A wave of misery washed over Cayden. He shook his head. "You should ask Mr. Farwell. I was just following orders." He'd fielded the same questions from PR all night and could only say he didn't know. Fortunately, Jonathan simply patted his shoulder. "Thank you for your effort."

Cayden breathed a sigh of relief. "I was just doing my job." Their brief exchange ended as the elevator reached the top floor. Jonathan waited for Cayden to announce his arrival before entering Lucian's office.

Lucian sat behind his desk, his expression unreadable, as if the online firestorm were irrelevant. Upon Jonathan's entrance, Lucian calmly asked, "Why are you here?"

Jonathan sat down heavily. "How dare you ask me that? I want to know if last night's statement is true. Are the boys yours?" He stared intently at Lucian.

Lucian remained unfazed. "What do you think?"

Jonathan was baffled by his indifference. "I don't think so," he replied carefully.

"They aren't mine," Lucian said simultaneously.