[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603222E6F78-156":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},156,58,"Chapter 58: The B-Type Discrepancy","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Albert Harrison felt a suffocating weight in his chest as he stared at the medical report. Shiloh’s blood type was B.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Rose was type A. Caspian Hughes was type O.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The math didn't add up. The conclusion was a cold, hard knife to the gut: this child likely wasn't Caspian’s.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Albert’s brows knit together, his heart curdling with dread. His daughter was still lying in that hospital bed, her future hanging by a thread. If the child’s paternity was a lie, how could he look the Hughes family in the eye? He felt sick.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He let out a long, jagged sigh and signaled for his wife, Margaret Hayes, to come over.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Albert? What’s wrong?\" Margaret looked frayed, her face pale and drawn. The last few days had taken a toll, leaving her looking years older.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Margaret, you’ve been through so much,\" Albert said, pulling her into a tight, desperate embrace. He closed his eyes, his exhaustion absolute.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Don't talk like that,\" she choked out, her voice trembling. \"Look at you—your hair has gone white overnight.\" She knew the pain he was in; Rose’s condition was tearing them both apart.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Albert paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed the bitterness rising in his throat. He patted her back, forcing a shift in focus. \"We still have Shiloh to think about. How is he doing today?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Margaret wiped her eyes. \"He’s doing well. The doctor said Rose took such good care of herself during the pregnancy that Shiloh hasn’t suffered much. A month of proper care at the hospital and he’ll be back to normal.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Good. Good. As long as the boy is fine,\" Albert murmured, though his voice remained strained. He took a steadying breath. \"There’s something we need to discuss.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What is it? Tell me.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Albert sighed again, the sound hollow. \"Shiloh... he might not be Caspian’s child.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What?\" Margaret’s eyes went wide, her composure shattering instantly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You heard me correctly,\" Albert confirmed, his voice dropping to a whisper.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"But... how...\" Margaret couldn't even form the words.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"We have to be honest with the Hughes family,\" Albert said, shaking his head. \"We can't hide something this significant. And there's the other issue—Caspian never told his parents about Rose’s previous marriage.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’ll call them tomorrow,\" Margaret said, her brows furrowed in distress. \"What Caspian did… that wasn't right.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The next day, the two couples met.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The atmosphere in the room was heavy, suffocating. Both sets of parents sat in silence, the shadow of Rose’s medical crisis hanging over them like a shroud.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Veronica Hughes, thinking this meeting was about the secret marriage Caspian had failed to disclose, reached out with a stiff smile. \"Margaret, please, don't be so hard on yourselves. Caspian told us about Rose’s past. Gideon and I… we’ve accepted it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Gideon Hughes nodded in agreement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Margaret glanced at her husband, then looked down at her hands, her voice barely a breath. \"It isn't just that. Albert and I... we have another, much worse suspicion.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"A worse suspicion?\" Veronica asked, her smile faltering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Margaret closed her eyes, plunging into the dark water. \"Caspian is type O, isn’t he?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Yes, that’s correct,\" Veronica said, sensing the shift in the room.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Gideon’s expression hardened. He turned his gaze toward Albert, a sudden, sharp question in his eyes. He didn't need to ask. Albert simply closed his eyes and gave a slow, silent nod of confirmation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The truth hit Gideon like a physical blow. He gripped the edge of Veronica’s coat, his face a mask of jagged, complex emotions.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272923529]