Chapter 198

"Oh? So you're admitting you're Father's illegitimate child now?" Evelyn arched an eyebrow, her crimson lips curling into a smirk.

Vivian froze, her eyes darting nervously around the room.

The whispers started immediately.

"Is she really a bastard child?"

"Then everything Ms. Hill said must be true!"

Evelyn's smile deepened. "Isabella Gonzalez was Richard Vanderbilt's lawful wife. How could a legitimate wife possibly give birth to an illegitimate daughter like you?"

The crowd murmured in agreement.

"Exactly! Isabella was the second daughter of the Gonzalez family. She would never tolerate being anything less than the legal wife."

"Only a mistress would produce illegitimate offspring. How disgraceful!"

Vivian's nails dug into her palms as the gossip swirled around her.

Damn that bitch! She tricked me into admitting it!

Seeing Lillian's darkening expression, Vivian desperately grabbed her arm. "Aunt Lillian, please believe me! She's lying! I—"

"Lying?" Evelyn crossed her arms, her voice dripping with amusement. "Let's settle this with a blood test then. Father's blood type is B, Isabella's was O. Yet yours is AB. How exactly does that work?"

Vivian's face paled. "That's bullshit! My blood type is B!"

Evelyn chuckled. "No need to panic. We can have a doctor verify it right now. Or would you prefer a DNA test using your hair?"

Nathan stepped forward, handing Lillian a document. "The proof is all here."

Vivian lunged forward, but Lucas restrained her.

As Lillian scanned the papers, her expression turned stormy. She remembered Nathan's warning from weeks ago.

Her grip crumpled the edge of the document.

"Aunt Lillian, please! Evelyn is framing me!" Vivian cried.

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Framing you? Why don't you tell everyone how you framed Zoe five years ago?"

Vivian's eyes welled with crocodile tears. "What did I do? She's the one who stole Nathan from me! We were together for six years!"

The crowd murmured sympathetically.

"Six years is a long time..."

"That seductress must have stolen him away."

Evelyn's laugh cut through the whispers. "You claim six years, yet my children with Nathan are five and a half. So tell me, who's really the homewrecker here?"

The revelation sent shockwaves through the room.

"Mr. Goldmann already had children with her six years ago!"

"The rumors about his secret marriage were true!"

"This is explosive!"

Nathan's lips twitched at Evelyn's sudden use of his nickname "Nate." He found he rather liked it - a private endearment only she could use.

"If you hadn't gotten pregnant that night, Nathan would be mine!" Vivian shrieked.

Evelyn's smile turned icy. "If you hadn't drugged my drink and had me thrown out of the Vanderbilts, Nate and I would never have met. So tell me, should I thank you for bringing us together?"