Chapter 272

Layla felt that the time had finally come—if she didn’t tell her daughter the truth now, Hazel might never be able to move on from the pain she was carrying. "Hazel, there's something important I need to tell you," Layla said in a calm but firm voice. "Once you know, maybe your fear will disappear on its own." "What is it, Mom?" Hazel asked, a mix of hesitation and curiosity in her voice. Layla took a deep breath and revealed the truth without any hesitation. "It’s about your identity, Hazel. James is not your real father. You’re the daughter of another man." Hazel felt like the ground beneath her had crumbled. Her entire being froze. "What? Mom... Dad isn’t my real father? When you brought me into this family, didn’t he get a DNA test done? Didn’t he ever suspect?" "He did suspect," Layla admitted honestly. "But when he went for a blood test to confirm paternity, I secretly switched your sample with Ruby’s. That’s why the results came back normal, and he never doubted anything." Hazel