A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 466

While the others couldn't see the caller ID, Suzanne Jensen, sitting next to Laurel, saw it clearly. Since signing their divorce papers, Laurel and Lawrence had almost no private contact. This call could only mean one thing: the DNA results were in. Laurel sensed her mother's sudden tension. She picked up the phone and gave Suzanne's back a reassuring pat. "I'll take this."

It wasn't just Suzanne; Laurel's own feelings were a tangled mess. The idea of Marcia being Vera… was difficult for all of them to accept. For the first time, the Wilkinsons found themselves hoping the test results were wrong, hoping the real Vera was still out there waiting for them.

Laurel walked into the backyard to answer the call. There were no pleasantries, just a direct question. "Are the results in?" That was her style—always calm, composed, and straight to the point. In all their years of marriage, she had rarely shown her softer side to anyone but her family.

Lawrence wasn't surprised. He replied in a businesslike tone, "Yes. I'm sending you the digital copy now."

"Okay," Laurel said, her voice cool. "That's all for now." And with that, she hung up.

Lawrence stared at the ended call on his screen, a sense of helplessness washing over him. He opened their chat and sent the digital report, adding a message: [Laurel, congratulations to you all.] He knew how desperately the Wilkinson family had wanted to find their lost daughter.

When Laurel received the notification, his message made her stop in her tracks. She hadn't even opened the report yet, but her heart had already sunk. She forced herself to open the file, her already stoic expression turning unnaturally calm.

Maya’s heart skipped a beat. "Laurel, don't you think that will hurt Vera's feelings? She's been away from home for so long, and now that she's back, we're questioning her identity over and over again."

Laurel shot her a cold glance, her scrutiny well-hidden. "That's why I said we'll *find an opportunity* to do it." Meaning, it would be done without Marcia's knowledge. If she was truly one of them, the test would confirm it without hurting anyone's feelings. But Maya grew even more panicked. This meant that fool Marcia would be completely defenseless. She was no match for Laurel, a woman who had navigated the cutthroat world of politics from a young age.

"But… isn't that a bad idea? What if Vera finds out? It would be even more…"