The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 364

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She was certain it wasn't true. Even if there had been an error in her DNA tests with Henrietta, Teague, and Jason, Felicity's test with Teague couldn't have been wrong, could it? They had done all of this years ago. It had to be conclusive. Anyone who suggested she was a Shepherd child would make her physically ill.

"Nona, even if you throw me out, disown me as your sister, and never give me another penny, I have to say this!" Mia declared, her voice firm. "This question has been weighing on my mind for too long, and I have to ask it today."

"Don't you find it strange? Why did your biological parents from the mountains refuse to acknowledge you from the very beginning? Why did they dote on Felicity, and even after she returned to the Shepherd family, they continued to send her gifts from the countryside—all sorts of things—but never once offered to take you back?"

Winona was silent. She felt no emotional connection to the couple from the mountains; they had always felt like strangers. Her desire to have parents back then had been a childish yearning. Now, she had all but forgotten they even existed. She had never stopped to wonder why they had so steadfastly refused to claim her as their own.

"Nona, Grandma and I saw it with our own eyes," Mia continued, her tone earnest. "For two years, we saw how desperately you wanted to return to the Shepherd family. You would spend hours, day and night, just watching their front gate, that look of longing in your eyes… It's an image we'll never forget. If there's a real chance for you to be with your parents, we both want you to take it. Even if it means you stop supporting us, it would be worth it to see you finally have a real family."

Helga nodded, tears streaming down her face.

Winona suddenly understood. They still thought she yearned to be a Shepherd. But the truth was, she had long since shed any affection for them. More than that, she felt nothing. If Teague and Henrietta were hit by a car and crushed to a pulp right in front of her, she wouldn't feel a single pang of grief.

She took Mia's hand in one of hers and Helga's in the other, her voice low and firm. "Listen to me, both of you. You are never to mention the Shepherd family again. There are no ties of affection between us. Ten years ago, Teague legally disowned me. We are done. Now, they are the enemy of all three of us."