Chapter 209: The Second DNA Test

Chapter 209: Chapter 209: The Second DNA Test

Keith Sterling had a nagging feeling he’d somehow annoyed his brother and didn’t dare to be alone with him. He quickly asked, "Sierra, where are you headed?"

"You remember Lawrence, right? He’s going back to Yesteria tomorrow. I have some free time this morning, so I’m going to show him around," Sierra Everett replied.

"Then let me go with you!" Keith Sterling enthusiastically volunteered. "When it comes to having a good time, no one knows more than me!"

Sierra: "..."

’That’s true enough.’

Sierra glanced back at Julian Forrester, asking for his opinion.

Julian Forrester raised a hand to his brow, then stood up and walked over, his voice deep and slightly hoarse. "If you don’t want me to go with you, it’s fine for Keith to tag along."

Keith Sterling sidled up with a grin. "Brother, you’re the wisest!"

Julian Forrester gave him a slow, deliberate look.

Keith Sterling immediately puffed out his chest, straightened his back, and stood at attention, his posture the very picture of propriety.

Sierra thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right. I’ll take up your morning then."

"What’s this about taking up my time?" Keith Sterling waved his hand dismissively and sighed with mock gravity. "Sigh, what can I do? I’m just a man of leisure so idle I’m practically gathering dust. It can’t be helped—I was born to have fun!"

Sierra’s mouth twitched. ’A man of leisure? He sounds so punchable!’

After getting ready, Sierra and Keith Sterling drove out.

The two of them first went to the hotel to pick up Lawrence. Then, with Keith Sterling as their guide, they took Lawrence to a few nearby scenic spots with a classic Celestria style.

Sierra wore a mask the entire time, but even so, she was almost recognized.

Luckily, Keith Sterling was quick-witted and ran interference for her, allowing them to make a clean, though thrilling, escape from the tourist spot.

At lunchtime, Keith Sterling highly recommended a restaurant known for its authentic cuisine, its signature dishes being imperial recipes passed down through generations.

The restaurant was located in a quaint, historic alleyway. From the outside, it looked unremarkable, but stepping inside revealed a whole different world.

The restaurant only served twenty tables a day, and its clientele were all powerful bigwigs—the city’s rich and influential.

Even though they had come on the spur of the moment, Keith Sterling’s status spoke for itself. The restaurant kept a private room permanently reserved for him, so the three of them could walk right in without a reservation.

Before entering the restaurant, Sierra glanced back outside. There was no one suspicious in the alley, but... ’Why do I get the feeling someone’s secretly following me?’

"What’s up? What are you looking at?" Keith Sterling asked when he saw her looking back.

Lawrence also stopped. "Sierra, what’s wrong?"

Sierra pulled her gaze back, shook her head, and curved her lips into a smile. "It’s nothing. Let’s go eat."

They entered the restaurant, crossing a classic bridge over a small stream, passing through a courtyard pavilion, and went up to their private room on the second floor.

The three of them sat down at the table and ordered the restaurant’s signature dishes, along with a few Celestria dishes that Lawrence had been craving.

Once the food was served,

Keith Sterling eagerly recommended, "Sierra, you have to try this! The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall here is delicious!"

Sierra took a bite. The flavor was indeed excellent, worthy of the jaw-dropping price.

Lawrence was full of praise after tasting it. Authentic Chinese restaurants abroad were rare, and the food never tasted as good. You had to come to Celestria to get a true taste of its cuisine.

After lunch, the three of them left the restaurant.

As they walked along the alley for a bit, Sierra’s brows furrowed slightly. That feeling of being followed was back.

Sierra took a few more steps, then feigned a casual glance back as she neared a corner.

There was no one suspicious in the alley, but at the corner, she spotted the edge of a piece of clothing peeking out.

Sierra’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’Oh, so that’s where you are.’

"What’s wrong?" Keith Sterling asked worriedly, seeing her keep looking back.

"It’s nothing, let’s keep walking," Sierra said, but then she turned around and headed back toward the corner.

Keith Sterling and Lawrence exchanged a surprised look and quickly followed.

The person hiding around the corner thought Sierra had left and furtively poked their head out.

But the next second, they were caught completely off guard by the sight of Sierra standing right in front of them.

"AH—!!"

Dustin Everett and Wyatt Everett shrieked in unison.

Only Lucas Everett remained relatively calm, though a complex and intense emotion filled his eyes as he saw Sierra appear before him.

Sierra’s expression instantly turned to ice.

’So it was the three of them.’

Keith Sterling was speechless. He’d thought it was some kind of monster, but it was just these three idiots from the Everett Family. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you secretly following Sierra?"

"Sienna!" Wyatt Everett recovered from his shock and launched into a string of thoughtless praise. "How are you so smart? You caught us right away!"

Dustin Everett nodded along, the very picture of a doting older brother. "Yeah, yeah! Our sister is so smart!"

’Anything Sienna does now is amazing in their eyes!’

’No, our sister has always been amazing!’

Keith Sterling’s skin crawled listening to them. He impatiently dug a finger in his ear. "Are you guys sick in the head? So now you know how to be proper big brothers? Where was all this before?"

Sierra didn’t want to waste a single extra word on them. Her gaze was cold. "Why are you following me?"

Lucas Everett was still dressed in his black motorcycle leathers, but his face looked much more haggard, and his expression wasn’t as fierce as it used to be. His voice was hoarse and rough. "Sienna, we just wanted to see you..."

Sierra: "..."

’They’re seriously sick in the head!’

Wyatt Everett took a step forward and said cautiously, "Sienna, I know I was wrong about so many things before..."

’All he wanted now was a chance to make it up to her, to atone for his sins.’

Dustin Everett’s eyes were pleading. "Sienna, I know you’re doing well since you left the Everett Family, but if there’s anything you need help with, you can tell us. No matter what it is, we’re willing to do it for you!"

Sierra said flatly, "Is that so?"

Dustin Everett immediately nodded. "Yes, anything at all!"

Seeing that Sierra was finally showing a crack in her armor, Lucas Everett and Wyatt Everett looked over, their faces full of anticipation.

But Sierra just gave them a blank look, her tone resolute and icy. "Then... never follow me again!"

Dustin Everett froze as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. A sharp, stinging pain flooded his heart, and he was consumed by despair.

After saying her piece, Sierra turned and left without a second glance.

Keith Sterling and Lawrence hurried to catch up.

Wyatt Everett watched Sierra’s retreating back, his eyes filled with misery.

Lucas Everett wanted to chase after her, but he hesitated and stopped. "Sienna doesn’t want to see us right now. Let’s not bother her. We’ll try to find her again in a couple of days..."

’What could they possibly do to win back the sister they had hurt...?’

「 ... 」

After lunch, Sierra went with Keith Sterling and Lawrence to visit a few more nearby attractions.

When it was time for her appointment with Ian Prescott to go to the hospital for the DNA test, Sierra took Lawrence back to the hotel where he was staying, then told Keith Sterling to go home first.

"Sierra, where are you going? You’re just gonna make me go home alone? If my brother doesn’t see you come home, he’ll miss you to death!"

"...Can you not be so dramatic?"

"How is that dramatic? My brother thinks about you every single moment!"

"...Okay, I get it. I have something to do, so you should head home first."

Keith Sterling was also a perceptive guy. Guessing that Sierra had some private business to attend to, he nodded. "All right, then. I’ll head home. If you need anything, call me anytime... no, if you need anything, call my brother anytime!"

’See? How clever am I!’

Sierra didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Fine, I got it."

After seeing Keith Sterling off, Sierra went to find Ian Prescott.

It wasn’t that she intended to hide it from Keith Sterling, nor that she didn’t trust him. It was mainly that this DNA test needed to be kept confidential for the time being, away from prying eyes.

When she arrived at the hotel where Ian Prescott was staying, Javier Prescott was there, looking like he’d just gotten off a plane. He had brought the blood samples from the Prescott parents, and Dr. Dunn was with him as well.

"Sienna, thank you for your trouble," Ian Prescott said apologetically. He felt truly embarrassed for troubling a young woman with a DNA test time and again.

"No, it’s no trouble at all," Sierra said, not minding in the least. "Let’s head to the hospital now."

"Okay."

They all went to the hospital together. The procedure was the same as last time: a blood draw, and then the wait for the test results.