Chapter 376
“The paternity test results are in.
James’s words hung in the air. Before sending James on this macabre mission, Henry had agonized over his decision for days.
Desecrating a grave–especially that of a war hero–wasn’t something Henry had considered lightly. When he first ordered James to retrieve DNA from Sam Davis’s remains, his loyal assistant was appalled.
“Mr. Harding, this is beyond unethical,” James protested. “It’s a desecration of a fallen soldier’s grave. I strongly advise against this.”
But Henry remained unmoved. The resemblance between himself and Sam had haunted him for years.
And Billy looked so much like him… Henry needed to know the truth.
“I’ve made up my mind, Henry replied coldly. “Either you handle this with discretion, or I’ll find someone who will.”
Now, hearing James’s labored breathing on the phone, Henry felt his chest tighten. “What do you mean? What are you implying?” Despite asking, he already knew the answer in his gut. “Billy is that man’s child, isn’t he?”
At first, all Henry had known was that Sam was a soldier buried in the military cemetery. But as he’d learned more about him, a suspicion had taken root in his mind: What if Billy resembled him because he was actually Sam’s son?
It seemed too coincidental that he and Sam shared such similar features without being related. Could it really just be chance?
James hesitated for several long seconds before answering. “Yes. The DNA test confirms they share a biological relationship.” Another pause.
“I believe your suspicion was correct. Sam is Billy’s biological father. Since you and he look remarkably similar, that explains why Billy resembles you as well.”
A rush of blood surged to Henry’s head, followed immediately by a vicious, twisting pain in his chest.
As the symptoms of his heart condition flared again, Henry clutched at his chest and staggered toward the bedside table, desperately searching for his medication.
Whether it was the emotional shock or the severity of this attack, Henry had barely managed to pull open the drawer when the pain became overwhelming.
The room tilted sideways as he collapsed to the floor.
“Mr. Harding? Henry?”
James’s voice called frantically from the phone that had clattered to the ground.
“Henry, can you hear me? Henry!”
Receiving no response, James immediately hung up and dialed both the family doctor and Richard. Within minutes, the mansion erupted into chaos as servants and security personnel rushed to help.
The unconscious Henry was quickly loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.
After learning that Billy was at Maple Grove, Richard immediately called Sophia
“Sophia, please come collect Billy. Henry’s been taken to the hospital.”
I hadn’t gone far–just walking along the road not far from the estate to clear my head.
1/3
Chapter 376
When I heard about Henry being rushed to the hospital, I ran back to Maple Grove.
Arriving at the mansion, I found Richard waiting in the grand foyer.
“How is Henry? Is it serious? Was it his heart condition again?” I blurted out these questions, not hiding my concern for Henry at all.
Richard spoke gravely, “His heart condition has flared up again. This is the second time in three months.”
He sighed heavily. “When you were by his side, I never worried about his health like this. Now that you’re gone, these attacks keep happening. It’s concerning.”
The older man’s expression softened. He had always liked Sophia–she was thoughtful, kind, and had always put Henry first.
His son had been a fool not to treasure her.
“Sophia, dear, Henry has made mistakes, and as his father, I share some responsibility. I didn’t raise him properly.” Richard’s voice was gentle, apologetic. “I want to apologize on his behalf.”
Richard hesitated, then continued: “In relationships, many people focus on finding the right person, but aren’t willing to work at being the right person themselves. I don’t think courage means ending things when they get difficult–walking away, cutting ties.”
I listened quietly, not interrupting as Richard spoke.
“But Sophia, do you know what true courage is? It’s forgiving past wrongs, showing grace, discovering each other’s flaws and still choosing to love. Love isn’t about leaving when things aren’t perfect or giving up when boredom sets in. It’s about feeling brave and tender, about remaining faithful after the excitement fades. When you’ve experienced enough, you’ll realize it’s easier to change yourself than others. You must allow others to be themselves. The flaws you see in Henry might not exist in someone else, but that person will have flaws Henry doesn’t. If you can accept Henry’s shortcomings, then continue–don’t think changing partners will solve everything.”
Richard was speaking from personal experience. After Henry’s mother died, he had grieved for years. When his father arranged his marriage to Catherine, he’d thought perhaps she could take his first wife’s place and give him a family again.
But many problems aren’t solved by simply changing partners. He could never forget his first wife, never forget their history together.
There had been times when he’d forced himself to accept Catherine, but he never truly succeeded.
I listened patiently until Richard finished, and finally spoke.
“Dad, I understand everything you’re saying. I know the problems in our marriage weren’t entirely Henry’s fault.” I paused, considering m words. “But love requires effort from both sides. Henry doesn’t love me, so even though what you’re saying makes sense, it doesn’t apply to us. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I need to get Billy now, and you should head to the hospital.”
Richard shook his head, sighing deeply. “Fine, if you won’t listen to what I’m saying, then let it be. I have only one request–please visit Henry when you can. He genuinely cares for you. If he didn’t, why would he have taken that knife from David meant for you? If he didn’t care, why would he have rushed after you with Billy in the middle of the night?”
“My son is just too stubborn, too proud to admit it.”
Not wanting to push me too far, Richard left it at that and hurried out to his car, heading to the hospital.
I stood in the night breeze, waving at the disappearing taillights, my heart conflicted.
Richard’s final words had struck a chord with me.
When Henry had taken that knife for me, I couldn’t deny the feelings involved.
But if love had been strong enough, how had we ended up apart?
