The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 483

Winona scoffed. "What the hell are you talking about? You find out I inherited Ms. Chase's fortune and suddenly you want to claim me as family? Have you no shame?"

Her eyes, filled with disgust, swept over the four of them.

Old Mr. Shepherd wept openly. Old Mrs. Shepherd wanted to look at Winona but couldn't meet her gaze, stealing furtive glances instead. Jason watched her with a look of desperate hope.

Hrietta was a pitiful sight, hunched over, her body twisted as if one leg were shorter than the other. Her hair was matted and her face caked with grime, making her look uglier than ever.

Seeing Henrietta in this state, Tiana was no longer afraid of her.

The little girl stepped forward, her voice calm and firm. "Why are you at my mom's house again? I'm not scared of you anymore. My mommy told me that if bad people like you try to hurt us, I should tell my parents or the police right away! I'm not afraid!"

Looking at the poised and well-dressed Tiana, Henrietta suddenly burst into tears. The pain was so sharp it felt like every drop of blood in her body had turned to needles, piercing her from the inside out.

"The one I tried to choke… was my own granddaughter?" she rasped, her voice raw with agony. "It was really my own granddaughter? Oh, God… just strike me with lightning and kill me now… The one I tried to choke was my own granddaughter…"

Winona froze, the color draining from her face in an instant.

She looked from the Shepherds to her grandmother.

Grandma sighed helplessly. "I told them so many times that you were their real child, but they wouldn't believe me. I gave them their chance…"

Winona felt her heart plummet into a cold, dark abyss. It was a sensation of pain, distortion, and utter humiliation.

Seeing the shift in her expression, Jason quickly pulled out the DNA report. "Mom… she got a sample of Tiana's hair and we had it tested with hers, Dad's, and mine. I took it to three different labs myself this time. The results confirm it. You're their biological daughter."

Winona just stared at him, her eyes vacant, as if she were in a trance.

He wanted to scream at the heavens, "You can't treat someone like this! You just can't!"

Seeing their mother in such distress, Tiana and Zane each took one of her hands. The two children were crying, their small faces filled with fear and confusion.

Winona's heart ached. She forced herself to calm down, pulling her children into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry, babies. I'm so sorry. Mommy scared you."

"Mommy, I'm a little bigger now. I can protect you," Tiana said, her voice resolute.

"Mommy, I'll protect you and sister!" Zane declared, stretching his small arms out as if to shield them both.