The Billionaire's True Heiress: From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 652

But if Octavia had known from the start that the child wasn’t her own, why hadn’t she said anything?

Now, with both her husband and daughter demanding answers, Octavia could only stare, helpless. The world tilted on its axis for a second—the day she dreaded had finally arrived.

She had been drifting through life in a fog, never expecting Latham to return at a moment like this.

But only Claire knew: Latham had arrived long before anyone realized, his face already stormy as he stepped through the door. His anger wasn’t just from what she and Octavia had been saying a moment ago—it ran deeper.

What was it, then, that set Latham off? Trouble? Something worse?

“Mom, if you’ve always known Claire isn’t really your daughter, why didn’t you ever come find me?” Cindy’s voice was small, but full of hurt. Did Octavia ever truly love her? Why did she always feel that mother’s love was missing?

“I… I don’t even know what to say,” Octavia stammered. “I had no idea where you were, Cindy. I didn’t even know if you were alive.”

“I was scared. If I went looking for you, I might have put you in danger. The person who swapped you out… it was Fallon.”

“She hated your father. She hated me, too.”

Cindy pressed further, her voice laced with accusation. “Is that because you two killed her baby, and left her unable to have children forever?”

The words hit Octavia like a slap. She glanced instinctively at Latham for help, but his face was a mask of fury, impossible to read.

“We were never going to divorce, your father and I. Fallon never had a chance to take my place. Yes, she lost her baby in a car crash, but we still bear some of the blame for what happened.”

“She hated us for it. After she took you away, she made sure no one would ever know where you were.”

“I tried searching, quietly—but I never found you.”

“I never imagined she’d swap you out, send you off to the countryside, hide you like that.”

“If I’d known any of this, I swear, I would have brought you home long ago.”

Cindy didn’t know if she could believe any of it. But before she could respond, Latham cut through the lie like a blade.

“This is a fake! Someone made this up, trying to ruin our marriage.”

“Latham, you can’t possibly believe this over me. You’d really take that bitch Fallon’s word?”

“This has her fingerprints all over it. She’ll do anything to get back at us.”

“Nothing ever happened between Darius and me—absolutely nothing!”

“Oh, really?” Latham’s eyes never left her face, searching for the smallest sign of guilt.

But Octavia was an old hand at this. She clung to her pitiful, wounded act, hoping he would give her the benefit of the doubt.

“Octavia, there’s not a stitch of truth in anything you say.”

“Why don’t you prove it? Let’s get a new DNA test for Cindy and me—unless, of course, you’re afraid of what we’ll find.”