Chapter 35 Time to Verify

Finished

Maybe it was the sheer weight of what she’d just “heard,” but Sienna stood there frozen for a long time, stunned into silence.

Her mind was in chaos, thoughts tangled like a nest of wires

Jean noticed how dazed she looked and gently furrowed her brow. Her voice bwas /bsoft. “Mom, you don’t look too good… Are you tired? bMaybe /bgo lie down and rest a bit.”

Sienna slowly came back to herself.

But the turmoil inside didn’t fade. It kept rippling through her chest, like the waves after a stone hits still water.

She btook /ba deep breath and forced herself to stayposed, but her fingers trembled visibly.

“I’m fine, bJean/bb./b” She shook her head with a tight smile, but there was something dim and distant in her eyes.

Jean had no idea what had upset her so bsuddenly /b

Poor beautiful mom still waiting for that scumbag dad toe home. Does she really believe he’s overseas on business? His old me is there. His secret daughter is there. bFor /ball we know, he’s probably enjoying ba /bhappy little family reunion right now.

Sienna’s face went ghost–white. She froze on the spot, like she’d turned to ice.

She couldn’t breathe.

“Mom? Are you okay?” Seeing her pale and shaky, Jean instinctively reached out to steady her.

Sienna looked like she was about to pass out, and Jean was genuinely worried she might copse.

Sienna stayed silent for a long moment. Then she clutched Jean’s hand as if it were a lifeline.

Even now, part of her refused to believe it.

That man–who had been sweet and wless for decades, always attentive, always doting–could he really be bas /bawful as her daughter said?

She didn’t want to believe it.

But she couldn’t pretend nothing had happened, either.

to

She had to find out the truth.

“Jean, get some rest, okay?” Sienna forced a smile and gently squeezed Jean’s hand. “You’re right–1 should go lie downb./bb” /b

Jean nodded understandingly. “You go ahead.”

Sienna let go and walked down the stairs.

In the foyer, an older woman walked up to her. Her eyes were framed by deep wrinkles, but still carried a gentle warmth. “Ma’am, you don’t look well.”

This was Linda, the long–time housekeeper who had raised Jean. But to Sienna–whose parents had passed away young- Linda bwas /bblike /ba second mother.

“Jean came out of her room just now,” Sienna said, her face nk and her posture rigid. She was still bshaken/b.

Linda lifted her brows bin /bsurprise. “Miss Jean actually?

Sienna rubbed her temples but said nothing more. Instead, she changed the subject. “Ms. Linda, I may need to head overseas. again

PM

Chapter 35 Fine to Venity

Finished

Back in her room, Jean booted up herputer.

She thought back to meeting Sienna for the first time and sighed.

To be honest, her beautiful mother had always treated the bhost /bquite well–quietly, wholeheartedly, without reservation.

But the host was cold to everyone. Distant. Withdrawn.

Over time, that wore Sienna down. Her heart broke a little more each day, until eventually, she gave up hope.

Then bcame /bSarah–the real daughter.

Her warmth and cheer slowly healed Siennab. /bFor the first time, Sienna experienced the kind of bbond /bshe had always longed for with a daughter.

So when everyone turned on the host in the end. Jean couldn’t really say it was undeserved.

She’d

brought it on herself.

Even after that, she wasn’t satisfied. She had to go after Sarah too, digging herself deeper. She practically sentenced herself.

Still–what bJean /bcouldn’t understand was.

The host was born into wealth. Her body was healthy. Why was her personality so broken?

What had she gone through? What was she hiding?

The novel never said. Neither did the memories. Jean couldn’t guess out of thin air.

And then there was the so–called father–the scumbag

He was a real threat.

Just knowing a ticking time bomb like him was lurking nearby was enough to make anyone feel unsafe.

Should iI /iexpose him?

Maybe. But it needed to be timed just right.

Theputer finished, booting, Jean logged into League of Legends.

She’d been so busytely, she hadn’t touched the game.

The moment she got online, word spread across the forums.

“Alert–Wingre’s bback /bfrom the dead!”

“No way! I thought he rage quit.”

“I figured he’d retired after bthat /bbeatdown from Deadmark.”

“Losing to Deadmark is normal. If you can’t handle bthat/b, don’t y.”

“Deadmark’s online today too. Wonder if they’ll match up.”

“If Wingre really did quit, that would’ve beenmeb./b”

Jean jumped into ranked like she always did. She checked her opponents–no sign of Deadmark.

422 PM

Chapter 35 Time to Verify

“Is it just me, or has Wingre gotten even better”

“Still looks cool bas /bhell. Too bad he can’t beat Deadmark.”

“Losing doesn’t mean anything. Being hot is forever”

“Why are people still hyping Wingre: One match with Deadmark and everyone shut up real quick”

“Please. If it’s so beasy/b, byou /bgo do it.”

“Wingre’s decent, but Deadmark is on another level

Ever since Jean lost to Deadmark, her reputation had been prizing.

Finished

Most yers thought the hype was overblown–said she couldn’t hold a candle to Deadmark But she still hard her fans, too. who insisted her skills were the real deal.

And so the fandom split, arguing over Wingre every single day.

Jean, of course, had no idea.

After several matches, she took a break.

She snacked on some bear–shaped cookies, bdrank /bsome water, and clicked on Deadmark’s profile. He was online

But the algorithm just wouldn’t match them.

Until she faced Winston again, she couldn’t win that bet

And Jean wasn’t giving up.