Chapter 0292
After Serenity handed over the lock of hair, she returned to glass while Maximus headed straight to the clinic. On the way, he called the director, Dr. Rivers, from his phone, questing that the DNA test be expedited as soon as the sample was handed in. He didn’t want to waste any more time on this matter. He had already lost the entire day and couldn’t afford to be absent from the office much longer. If Marcus or Alexis began to suspect something, it would jeopardize his plans.
Maximus arrived quickly and headed directly to Rivers’s office, where the doctor was already waiting for him. Fortunately, the equipment was available, so the sample could be analyzed immediately. Still, Rivers felt uneasy in Maximus’s presence. The man’s imposing demeanor left little room for error, and the doctor wasn’t sure how Maximus would react if something went wrong.
“Mr. Palmer, come in, come in! Do you have the missing sample?” Rivers asked, rising from his chair.
Maximus opened his jacket and produced a generous lock of dark hair.
“This should be enough for the test.”
Rivers examined the sample and nodded. “More than enough, actually. There’ll even be some left over.”
“Good. Get started. I’ll wait for the results.”
The doctor left his office and handed the sample to his analysts. To avoid being under Maximus’s intense gaze, he disappeared into the lab.
The initial test was underway when one of the analysts noticed an issue: the equipment seemed miscalibrated Maintenance was called to recalibrate the machine, and the test was repeated. However, during the shift change, the first analyst didn’t communicate the earlier issue, so the new analyst simply proceeded with the test and reported the results to Rivers.
Rivers returned to his office, holding the sealed results in hand.
“Mr. Palmer, the results are here. Would you like me to read them for you?” he asked, hesitantly breaking the seal.
“I already know what the result will say. Just read it,” Maximus replied, focused on his phone.
But as Rivers read the report, his expression shifted to one of shock. Something wasn’t right.
“Excuse me, Mr. Palmer. There’s an issue with the result,” he said abruptly, leaving the room.
Maximus watched him leave with growing irritation. The doctor hurried to the lab to consult his team, who decided to repeat the test yet again. After a few minutes, the lead analyst returned with the new report- this time, already unsealed. She explained to Rivers that the machine had been meticulously checked and the test repeated three times, each yielding the same result.
Rivers had no choice but to return to Maximus’s office. The constant back–and–forth was starting to irritate him. As the doctor entered, Maximus stood up, grabbed the envelope from his hand, and glared at him.
“What the hell is going on? Why all this back and forth? When I brought in samples for my kids, it didn’t take this long—and you tested all three of them!”
“Mr. Palmer,” Rivers began cautiously, “may I ask you a sensitive question?”
“What is it?” Maximus snapped, his patience nearly gone.
“Is there any chance that you and the mother of the girl being tested might… share a particularly close
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Chapter 0292
relationship?”
Maximus froze, his expression shifting to one of disbelief.
“What exactly are you implying?” he asked, his voice cold.
+25 BONUS
“See for yourself. The report is in your hands,” Rivers replied, gesturing to the paper.
Maximus unfolded the report and read it carefully. His breath caught as he saw the result: a 99.99% compatibility. A chill ran through his entire body.
“We’ve repeated the test three times,” Rivers explained nervously. “Maintenance has checked the machine thoroughly, and the result remains the same.”
Maximus’s mind raced. He couldn’t believe what he was reading, but deep down, he knew the implications. While the possibility had always seemed remote, it wasn’t something he could dismiss outright. The only person who could provide clarity on this matter would be visiting the Palmer Group’s marketing and advertising agency later that afternoon. He needed to hurry to intercept her.
“Sign the report. I’m in a hurry,” Maximus said curtly.
“But, Mr. Palmer…” Rivers began, visibly anxious.
“Sign it,” Maximus repeated, his icy glare cutting off any argument.
