You Lost

Sitting on opposite ends, Anthony stared at the couple across from them. Doctors were called to take cheek swabs from the couple and Shirley. Results could be released within a day and there was nothing but awkward silence between them.

As much as Anthony wished to call the couple by their surname, he couldn't address them in front of strangers. If he did, then he could die millions of times without knowing what he did wrong. Their identities were too secretive to be exposed to the public.

As they waited for the results to come out, Shirley's body trembled from fear. Anthony removed his blazer and wrapped it around her body. He sighed, "It's alright. Are you cold? Poor thing, it'll be over soon. When the results come out, you can go home with your parents. They'll accept you."

He consoled Shirley like he always did in the softest voice he could ever make. While he was comforting her, the couple were in their own worlds. With one hand spread out, she showed her husband her crystal nails with a satisfied smile. Her head leaned against his shoulder as he whispered his opinions of it to her ears.

By the time the results were ready, the couple sat with a poker face.

The doctor took out the documents and announced the results. "According to the paternity test results from the lab, Miss. Shirley Han is not the child of this couple."

Anthony's eyes widened and arms stopped rubbing Shirley's arms. Turning to the side, he stared in disbelief. "That's impossible! I've never left your child alone ever since I've taken her from you two!"

Crossing her arms, the wife argued, "Does it matter whether it's possible or not? The truth is spread out on the table. Like I've told you, this young lady is not my daughter. At least open your eyes and try finding any kind of resemblance between her and us. Which part of her looks anything like me, my husband or both combined?"

"W..Where did things go wrong?" Anthony shoved all ten fingers into his hair and slouched forward in a confused state.

"When you challenged my wife." The man across from him spoke.

"Huh?" Anthony looked up to meet the man's threatening gaze.

"Didn't you just ask where things went wrong? You lost the bet because you doubted my words. And now, the truth proves you wrong. I don't know where you got this young lady from but it won't cover the fact that you failed to protect my daughter. From your reaction, I can already guess something has happened to my baby girl while you were being fooled by someone."

Her toneless voice made it difficult for Anthony to figure out whether she was angry or not. Nevertheless, he indeed had failed his task. Therefore, he had no rights to speak up for himself. Since the doctor was no longer needed there, he gathered his stuff and left the luxurious villa. Once he had left, the husband stood up from his seat. "Since you've lost the bet, the Han family will be taken off the prestigious family's list and live in poverty from now on."

"No! Not that! Please, I was just confused. I'll help you find your daughter! I'll work very hard. Please don't take my businesses away from me! Besides, what's the point of destroying a good business?" He rubbed his sweaty palms together and looked at the couple with a helpless expression.

Seeing the way, Anthony was begging the couple, Shirley started feeling anxious again. If Anthony Han had been raising and spoiling her for this powerful couple, then that means she was now exposed as a fake. Once Anthony comes back to his clear mind, she would get abandoned! She needs to do something quick!

Facing the complicated situation, she decided to play along and pretend she didn't know anything. She kneeled on the carpet and begged the couple to let Anthony and the rest of Han family go. With more tears bursting out of her eyes, she sobbed in a brittle voice.

"P..Please don't destroy our family. I don't know what happened. My father needs his business or else we will have nowhere to go. If you lost your daughter, we can help you guys find her. We'll definitely find her for you." Shirley pleaded while bowing her head.

"Good acting, young lady. Except, your tears have no effect on neither of us. Since the beginning, those greedy eyes on your face have disgusted me. Even if the Han family falls, you can join the entertainment industry with your amateur acting." The wife smirked as she looked away from Shirley's cosmetic smudged face.

"As for the Han family's business, Mister Han should know whether we are capable of making something out of it or not. If we can give you the power to be part of prestigious families, we can drag you back down in a second." Leaning against her husband's hard chest, she crossed her arms and wiggled her crystal nails in the air.

Wrapping his arm around his wife's slim waist, he pulled her closer to him when he saw Anthony getting closer to her. His warning gaze made Anthony and Shirley move backwards. With a rich, deep voice, he spoke once again.

"Wife, Mister Han is correct about one thing. Getting rid of his business is a huge loss considering the many properties under his name. Since we were the ones who made investments in all his projects, I suppose we shouldn't waste our own money like that." He lowered his gaze with a small smile to his wife.

Hearing his words, Anthony rushed to agree with his decision. "Yes! Yes! Why waste all your money? That's such a waste!"

Understanding his meaning, she snapped her finger. "Oh? Then we don't have to destroy the businesses."

The smile on Anthony's face stretched so wide that his cheeks hurt. Catching the smile on his face, she continued speaking, "Let's save it for our daughter's dowry. I mean, we've saved plentifully for her, but who knows? Maybe she would like to own her private business as well. Right? Hubby."

"I have the same thought. Then, everything under the Hans will belong to our daughter. With our resources, we can find her and our son. Even if she doesn't want to manage it, our son could take over. We can teach him everything. Once they come back, we'll celebrate our reunion." He nodded in agreement.

Turning his head towards Anthony, he warned. "Remember to sign the transfer agreement by the end of tonight and have it delivered to my lawyer. If not, then prepare yourself for the front headlines with you, your wife and your fake daughter on it. Scram."

Staring at the stapled documents on the floor, Anthony's body trembled. Shirley's voice echoed in his ears, but he couldn't hear anything she was saying. He had lost everything in the matter of hours.

Worst of all, he had raised Shirley as his own child. He spoiled her in all ways because the money was provided by the powerful couple to care for their daughter. Now, their daughter has really gone missing. He's doomed.