A Woman Worth Billions Dated the Wrong Brother novel Chapter 290

roze the image.

A man walked calmly across one of the academy’s courtyards.

He wasn’t wearing a visitor’s badge.

He wasn’t accompanied by a teacher.

Yet he walked just beside two security guards as if he belonged there.

Jason leaned closer.

“I know him.”

“So do I.”

I zoomed in.

The image sharpened.

The same reporter.

The one who had continuously interrupted Mrs. Sun during the inauguration ceremony.

The one who had asked strangely specific questions about our family.

The one I had thought was simply an overly persistent journalist.

Only…

Journalists weren’t supposed to wander around a private school after an event had ended.

I followed him through the different cameras.

He wasn’t interviewing anyone.

He wasn’t taking photographs.

He wasn’t even pretending to work.

He was watching.

More specifically…

He was watching Iris.

Jason immediately started a facial recognition search.

Within seconds, the system returned a result.

Santiago Stiles.

Occupation: Investigative Reporter.

Employer…

I wasn’t surprised.

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“He works for the Vinny family.”

Jason let out a slow breath.

“So they sent him.”

“We need everything.”

Jason nodded.

Within minutes we were combing through every communication connected to Santiago Stiles, the Vinny family the Vincents, and even the Becker family.

Eventually…

We found encrypted emails.

Jason broke the encryption while I read over his shoulder.

The first email came directly from the Vinny family.

Investigate the two new girls living with the Ashers. Find out where they came from.

A few days later Santiago replied. 1

Rose told another student that she is Amber’s cousin but that Amber legally adopted her into the main Asher family.

That wasn’t particularly surprising.

Røse had never hidden it.

Then I reached the paragraph about Iris.

I have not been able to identify Iris. She appears to have arrived recently. I overheard her telling a teacher she had to learn everything from scratch in less than six months because she never had access to formal education before. The teacher had asked how it was possible that she had never read the classical middle and high school books required by the curriculum.

I remembered that conversation.

Iris had answered honestly.

She had no reason to suspect someone nearby was listening to every word she said.

The next email made my stomach twist.

Proceed with a DNA test.

The Vincents are demanding the whereabouts of a missing heir.

The Beckers have no recent record of her.

She does not appear on the rescued children’s registry.

Jason and I stared at the screen in complete silence. 1

Finally, I whispered,

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“They thought the Beckers lost her.”

Jason nodded slowly.

“Which means they believed the Beckers were responsible for keeping track of the missing heir.”

“But…”

I frowned.

“How did they compare Iris’s DNA?”

Jason immediately searched for the laboratory request.

There it was.

A DNA comparison had been requested. 1

But…

There was no indication of the comparison sample.

No listed relative.

No family reference.

Nothing.

I looked at Jason.

“The Beckers didn’t have any recent records.”

“No.”

“They didn’t have Iris.”

“No.”

“So…”

I folded my arms.

“Who did they compare her DNA against?”

Jason remained silent.

The question lingered between us.

One possibility slowly formed in my mind.

“What if…”

I hesitated.

“…there’s another Stanley family member still under the Vinny family’s control?”

Jason slowly looked at me.

“Another survivor.”

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Another heir.

thought sent chills down my spine.

If there really was another member of the Stanley family alive….

Then Iris wasn’t the only person Alexander Vincent had been searching for.

Another possibility came just as quickly.

“What if they didn’t have another Stanley?”

Jason frowned.

“They could have hacked the DNA reports.”

“The hospital.”

“The fertility clinic.”

“The adoption records.”

“The DNA sample I ordered for Iris.”

Jason immediately checked the access logs.

Minutes passed.

Then he shook his head.

“No unauthorized access.”

I stared back at the emails.

Something wasn’t right.

If they hadn’t hacked the reports…

And they didn’t officially have Stanley DNA…

Then how had they confirmed Iris’s identity?

I read the message one last time.

The Beckers have no recent record of her.

Not…

No record.

Just…

No recent record.

Meaning there had once been records.

Meaning someone, somewhere, had Stanley DNA in their possession.

I slowly closed the laptop.

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