A Replacement Bride

Chapter 362

"You can get a DNA test done if you don't believe what I'm saying, but I don't see why that would be necessary to prove anything to you. So, I'm going to repeat it. From today onwards, I don't want to hear any word of slander toward Kathy and Noah. Go ahead if you're not afraid of the consequences!" Joaquin's words ended with ruthlessness and determination in his dark eyes.

"Don't even try to bring up the affluence of our family or our hypocritical relationship bound by blood. The Levisays meant nothing to me. Hah! If I had a choice, I would not have chosen to be born into this family!"

Following that, he picked up a bewildered Noah in one hand and grabbed Katherine's hand in the other. "Let's go home."

Then, Katherine bit her lips as she followed him out of the house without uttering another word.

After the three had left, Jeremy let go of Hera and dusted his hands before leaving with his men.

Meanwhile, the large living room was in shambles, as if hit by a violent storm.

At that moment, Hera's entire body was throbbing with pain, and she clenched her teeth in defiance of the discomfort. "Mom, look at what that b*stard and b*tch have done! How could someone from our family be so rebellious and unfilial? How could he hurt me? You have to seek justice for me, Mom!"

Suddenly, Elizabeth's face became ashen, and she glared at her in annoyance. "Justice? What justice? Don't you know how capable those two are?"

Hera was stunned by that remark and uttered, "A-Are we going to throw the towel on them like that? How could we?! We suffered such a big loss today. There is no way we'll give in to them like that!"

At that moment, Elizabeth's anger intensified as she caught sight of her fallen bodyguards sprawled all over the floor. "Leave the matter alone for the time being." Then, as exhaustion crept into her mind, she returned to her bedroom.

"Mom! Mom, you—" Nevertheless, Hera was still unable to let the matter drop. When she saw Elizabeth ignore her, her expression became more subdued as she turned to the bodyguards to release her pent-up rage. "What's the use of having all of you good-for-nothings?! I can't believe you couldn't even take down that group of people! Moreover, you have dropped the ball on this one!"

She was fuming with rage but was unable to do anything about it. Consequently, after cursing angrily, she stormed off to her room in a huff. Nonetheless, she wasn't willing to leave the matter to rest, so she immediately called John and vented her frustrations to him.

…

On the other hand, Joaquin and Katherine were unaware of what Hera did, nor did they take it to heart.

As soon as the couple and child left the manor, they got into their car and drove off.

Meanwhile, Noah snuggled in Katherine's embrace, but her gaze was fixed on Joaquin. She looked at him in rapt attention, seemingly unable to get enough of him.

When the traffic lights turned red, he pursed his lips and used that as an opportunity to turn sideways and poke the child's chubby cheeks. "You must have been terrified. Sorry that we came late. Let's spend a lot of time together at home later, and I'll cook all your favorite dishes, alright?" He sounded like he was getting used to coaxing children.

After hearing that, Noah blinked her eyes and asked him in a soft voice, "Does that mean I don't have to go back to the hospital?"

In response, Joaquin shook his head. "Nope. Didn't you say you wanted to go home? I'll take you home right now."

Since her health has been gradually improving, it is okay to stay home to recuperate. Furthermore, I have reservations about leaving her in the hospital. If the Levisays went insane and did something terrible to Noah, I have no idea what I would do in that situation! Suddenly, a quick chill flashed across his eyes, but it was fleeting. Then, he quickly put on a gentle front and gently pinched his daughter's cheek.

After waiting for the traffic light to turn green, he resumed driving in the direction of their home.

Meanwhile, Katherine took advantage of the opportunity to thoroughly examine Noah. Once she had confirmed that her daughter had no injury marks, she breathed a sigh of relief.

When they got home, Noah washed her hands with her mother, staggered up to Joaquin, raised her head, and tugged on his cuff.

"Daddy," she called him with a hesitant but anticipatory expression. "I have something to ask you—"

Joaquin knew what she was going to ask, so he kneeled down, picked her up in his arms, and sat down on the couch while he asked her patiently, "What is it?"

Then, Noah twiddled her thumbs, hesitated for a second, and blurted, "When you said you were my biological father in the Levisay Manor, is it true?" When she finally managed to get the question out of her mouth, she did so with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. A small part of her was worried that her happiness would be for naught if he told her it was a lie.

After hearing his earlier declaration, she was overcome with joy. Throughout her life, she had no idea who her father was, and she even entertained the idea that her father might be a horrible person. As a

result, she had to go through an excessive amount of suffering and misery that a person her age shouldn't have been forced to endure. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

As if he could read his daughter's thoughts and emotions through her eyes, Joaquin felt heartbroken for her. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her silky hair as his expression softened to one of love and pity.

"I'm so sorry for not staying by your side all these years, Noah. I regret not being able to watch you grow and not being able to share your joys and sorrows. It's all my fault. Will you give me a chance to make it up to you by staying by your side and protecting you as you grow?"

That statement stunned Noah, and it took her a moment to respond. Then, she straightened up, raised her chin, and stared intently into his eyes with her sparkling eyes. "Does that mean it's true, Daddy? You are my father, and we are blood-related, right?"

As he looked into his daughter's hopeful eyes, Joaquin nodded, his expression unchanged and his eyes filled with tenderness.

Suddenly, her eyes turned red, and tears quickly formed.

Seeing her tearful appearance, he felt helpless and quickly wiped the crystal-clear tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, Noah. Be good. It's all my fault. If you can't accept me for the time being—" He assumed she was either overwhelmed by the new information or resentful of him. Still, he did not expect her to throw herself into his arms and start crying in the middle of his statement.

"You've finally come to me, Daddy… Daddy—" Noah sobbed uncontrollably, almost shattering Joaquin's heart with each sob. Instantly, he wrapped his arms around her and comforted her in a soothing tone.

Nevertheless, it took her quite a while to calm down. She broke down in her father's arms, but a look of contentment spread across her face, and her eyes sparkled with happiness and joy despite being drenched with tears.

"I finally have a father. We are a complete family now! I'm so thankful that it's you, Daddy. I can't describe how happy I am now—"