Alvin Morgan smiled. "Not so fast," he replied calmly. "There’s sothing I need to tell you first. This boy’s ntal capacity will forever be that of a three-year-old."
The expression on Derek Vance’s face froze.
"Impossible! My son is very smart!"
Aiden Vance shot to his feet, staring at Alvin Morgan in disbelief.
Beside him, Indie Lowell’s eyes imdiately reddened, and she burst into tears.
Alvin Morgan continued, "Do you still want to hear the results?"
Derek Vance was silent. Aiden Vance hesitated. Only Indie Lowell, her eyes shimring with tears, shouted, "I know my own child best! He is my son!"
Her voice trembled as she scanned the n seated in the room, her gaze finally landing firmly on Derek Vance.
The Vance Family had once been a family with an Ancient Martial Inheritance, boasting a Great Martial King among their ancestors. However, during a past war, the family’s inheritance was destroyed, and all their High Rank Martial Artists were wiped out. This devastating blow forced the Vance Family to withdraw from Kingsford’s Ten Great Families and lie low in Syland City.
Although the Vance children now practiced martial arts from a young age, very few were highly talented. Their Combat Power levels ranked rather low within the Veridian Martial Alliance.
’If my son really has a ntal problem, even though I’m the Young Master’s Wife, Derek Vance will never acknowledge his identity.’
’If that’s the case, I’ll take my son and leave the Vance Family!’
At this thought, a fierce look flashed in Indie Lowell’s eyes. The Power within her body surged, bringing her to the brink of an outburst.
Derek Vance naturally knew what she was thinking. He glanced at Alvin Morgan and struggled to suppress his anger. "Young Lord Morgan, the boy’s test report is..."
Before he could finish, a sharp female voice from the doorway cut him off.
The voice was high-pitched, almost grating.
"Dad, is Sister-in-law having another one of her episodes? Claiming any stray cat or dog as her child? No one in our Vance Family has ever been ntally deficient..."
A fashionably dressed woman carrying a designer bag walked into the living room. Her eyes and brow resembled Derek Vance’s, but her gaze was tinged with arrogance.
When Indie Lowell saw her, her face darkened. "Dad, Young Lord Morgan is still here!" she said in a hostile tone.
Derek Vance shot his daughter a glare. "If you don’t know how to talk, then shut up!" he scolded sternly.
But Connie Vance didn’t back down. "Sister-in-law," she said arrogantly, "I rember your son had a black mole on his left arm, but the boy from the hospital doesn’t have one."
Indie Lowell’s heart clenched. She forced herself to retort through the blow, "You’re very well-inford, little sister..."
"He is Vance flesh and blood, after all. It’s better to be cautious!"
Amid their back-and-forth, Alvin Morgan stood up, phone in hand. "Head of the Vance Family, I’ll be taking my leave!"
"Wait, Young Lord Morgan! What did the test report say?"
A cold smile touched the corners of Alvin Morgan’s lips. "No biological relation."
With the exception of Indie Lowell, the other three mbers of the Vance family seed to let out a sigh of relief.
Connie Vance sneered, "Sister-in-law, if you’re that sick, you should go to the hospital. Save yourself from giving the family fortune away to an outsider! My Neville, at least, has Vance blood running through his veins."
Indie Lowell’s face turned ashen with rage. She stared daggers at Connie Vance, wishing she could strangle her.
The Vance Family held rather traditional views, passing down the family enterprise to sons, not daughters. But Connie Vance had never accepted this. She was extrely ambitious and had argued with Derek Vance about the inheritance many tis.
After one particularly heated argunt, Derek Vance threw Connie Vance out of the house. But not two days later, her son, Neville Vance, suddenly disappeared.
The Vance Family searched for three days and three nights and even reported it to The Martial Affairs Bureau. The investigation concluded that the child had been abducted by one of the Vance family’s maids. When they found the maid, all that was left was a cold corpse, and Neville Vance was nowhere to be found.
Indie had always suspected Connie Vance was involved, but she had no proof.
Seeing his wife angered by his sister again, Aiden Vance quickly tried to comfort her. "Indie, let’s just drop it. Maybe... maybe our son died a long ti ago..."
"No! My son is blessed with good fortune. He would never be killed by so bitch!" As Indie Lowell said this, the Power around her surged again. She slamd her hand on the coffee table and stood up. With a loud CRACK, the table leg snapped.
"Connie Vance, watch out for retribution!" With that, she strode out.
The lingering Power in the room made the expressions on the other three change.
’Her power has grown stronger again!’
Connie Vance pointed at the coffee table, venting her anger at Aiden Vance. "Brother, this is your wife! Threatening people the mont things don’t go her way—"
But after his initial shock, Aiden Vance shot her a glare. "It’s not your place to talk about my wife!"
Then he strode out after her.
The expression on Derek Vance’s face wasn’t pleasant. His gaze was heavy as he stared at the broken coffee table, seemingly lost in thought.
Suddenly, he barked a resonant order to soone outside, "To the testing center!"
***
In a discreet black car, Dean Morgan glanced at the rearview mirror, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Young Lord, about Tiger’s background..."
"He is rely Aurora’s junior martial brother and Leigh Miles’s younger brother."
"Understood..."
Dean Morgan retracted his gaze, seeming to finally be at ease.
anwhile, the mbers of the Vance Family who had rushed to the testing center received results consistent with what Alvin Morgan had told them.
"Dad, look at this! And you’re always saying I’m the ambitious one. I think the most ambitious person in our family is Sister-in-law! Her son is gone, so she can’t inherit the family enterprise, and now she’s suspicious of everyone and everything. I don’t think her Lowell Family is up to any good! Does she really think our Vance Family is easy to bully...?"
Derek Vance’s face was grim. He pursed his lips and said nothing. Connie Vance continued to fan the flas: "If you ask , Sister-in-law can’t have any more children in her state. She’s going to cause my brother to have no heir. Why not have my brother divorce her and find soone else? Maybe you’ll be holding a grandson by next year!"
But Derek Vance glared at her, his face stern. "Shut up!" he warned. "Are those words that should be coming from you?"
The Lowell Family mbers had extrely high martial arts talent, and they always placed great importance on bloodline inheritance, rarely marrying their daughters out. The Vance Family had gone to great lengths to marry The Lowell Girl; how could they divorce her so easily?
’Still, my son’s lack of an heir is a real problem. If The Lowell Girl continues to be this unhinged, won’t my son be left without a descendant?’
At this thought, Derek Vance’s gaze darkened a few shades.
***
The Martial Affairs Bureau - Syland City Branch.
The three mbers of the Vance Family who had been captured were released.
Bruno Vance, his arm in a sling, and Ron Vance cautiously arrived at an ordinary-looking restaurant.
"Boss, can I use your restroom?"
Without looking up, the owner pointed upstairs.
Bruno Vance led Ron Vance to a private room on the second floor, opposite the restroom. It was empty.
The two of them pushed aside a decorative painting in the room, revealing a hidden compartnt. From inside, they pulled out two pitch-black pistols.
Ron Vance stared at the guns, his throat tightening. "Brother, do we really have to do this?"
"Of course! If we don’t, we’re dead! You’ve seen what that person’s temper is like..."
Ron Vance seed to recall sothing and shivered, his eyes filled with terror.
"Drake, you’ve been with for years. I wouldn’t harm you! After we finish this job, the two of us will take the money and go abroad."
"Brother, I’m really scared... Just looking at this makes my legs go weak... Let’s run away! Let’s go abroad right now..."
Bruno Vance’s anger flared instantly, and he slapped Ron Vance across the face. "Run? Where can you run? That person is imnsely powerful, they could crush the two of us with one hand! You think you can escape?"
Just as he finished speaking, the door to the private room was suddenly thrown open. The restaurant owner stood there, a smile on his face. "Gentlen, you’re requested to co with —"
Fear finally appeared on Bruno Vance’s face. He shook his head repeatedly, his body backing away instinctively. "No... don’t..." Then he spun around and tried to open the window.
With a THUD, to Ron Vance’s horror, Bruno Vance’s body collapsed to the floor, and a splash of crimson stained the ground.
"The gentleman requests your presence. It would be best to cooperate quietly."
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