"Ivan, give me the phone. It's about my identity. I have the right to know." Lia Aiken asked Ivan Horne for her phone again.

Ivan Horne was extremely annoyed at Grace Chandler.

He looked deeply at Lia. Although she was pale and on the verge of collapse, she was determined to get her phone, insisting on seeing firsthand the scandal about her mother and uncle.

"Lia." Ivan gently pulled her hand, leading her to a chair to sit down. He then returned her phone and softly said, "Don't let your imagination run wild. This might all be a big conspiracy. I've already asked Jimmy to help investigate. I believe we'll soon find out the truth."

Lia didn't speak.

There is no smoke without fire. Her father's attitude indicated that ninety-nine percent of the reports were true.

She quickly went online to check the trending topics as Sister Charlotte had mentioned, but they were no longer there. She then resorted to searching, and though she found many results, most had been deleted or had errors when she tried to open them.

Lia knew it was Ivan who had dealt with them.

Her heart was grateful to him, yet she still wanted to see for herself.

Finally, she opened a webpage that hadn't been deleted, revealing the gossip that had recently been trending.

Seeing the accompanying photo, Lia's face turned even paler. The woman in the picture was her mother. That face was all too familiar, as her mother's memorial photo was on her tombstone, and she visited annually, remembering her departed mother's appearance through it.

The man bore some resemblance to Tom Aiken, and Lia knew it was her uncle, whom she had met years ago. As more than a decade had passed, her memory of him had faded.

Their bedroom photos were scandalous. Looking at such pictures, Lia felt an urge to tear them to pieces.

"Lia."

Ivan kept an eye on Lia's expression.

Lia only bit her lower lip tightly, saying nothing. Her face remained as white as a sheet. All she felt was an icy chill, as if she'd fallen into an ice cellar, freezing her from head to toe.

She couldn't believe her mother could be that kind of person, nor could she fathom her own identity being so disgraceful.

"Lia." Ivan embraced her tenderly, gently prying her tightly bitten lip with his fingers, "I know you're very upset now. If you want to cry, then cry. You can lean on my shoulder. Please believe that I will help you uncover the truth, whether it's real or fabricated, and find out who is behind this."

The person who sent those photos and a paternity test result, Ivan suspected, was Tom Aiken's own brother.

That man was retaliating against Tom Aiken.

As for who Lia's real father was, another paternity test would clear that up.

Ivan and Jimmy believed the paternity test was fake. Lia was very likely Tom Aiken's biological daughter. Her uncle was seeking revenge against his brother, orchestrating everything to strain the father-daughter relationship for his own amusement.

"How could this happen? Why is it like this? How? I'm not my dad's daughter. No wonder he hates me, wishes I were dead, and still holds onto his hatred years after my mom's death."

Lia murmured in Ivan's arms, truly devastated by the blow.

Suddenly, she clung tightly to Ivan, burying her face in his embrace, crying out in anguish, "How could this be, Ivan? My identity is so disgraceful, I... Why? Why is it this way?"

She had always wanted to know why her father hated her.

Always wondered why a father who loved her mother could hate her so deeply after her mother's death.

Now that she finally knew the truth, it was too disgraceful, hitting her hard, beyond acceptance.

"Lia."

Ivan was incredibly heartbroken.

Though she was on the brink of breaking down, she didn't cry, which made Ivan's heart ache more. He would have preferred she cried—perhaps venting would make her feel better.

Suddenly, Lia pushed Ivan away and stood up to leave.

"Lia, where are you going?" Ivan swiftly reached out to stop her, asking with concern.

Lia tried to shake off his hand, but Ivan held firmly, pulling her back into his arms, holding her tightly.

After learning about Lia's identity, Ivan worried his parents might look down on her and feared she might feel inferior, thinking she wasn't worthy of him. So he had forewarned his parents, but with Lia, he originally intended to keep it a secret...

Now, seeing Lia's reaction, Ivan feared she might think she was unworthy and want to leave him.

"I'm going back to find my dad. He knows best about what happened back then." Though deeply hurt, Lia Aiken thought this might be a conspiracy, as Ivan said. Regardless, her father was a direct participant, asking him would make things clear.

"I have to ask him how my mother died. Did my mom really have an affair with my uncle? Whose daughter am I really?"

Lia gently pushed Ivan. Seeing him unwilling to let go, she looked up at him and said, "Ivan, rest assured, what kind of blow haven't I experienced? Over the years, the number of blows my dad has dealt me is countless. Yes, I'm upset, but I'm also rational. I won't be crushed. I just want to ask him clearly, figure it out."

Ivan gazed attentively at her. Though her complexion was poor, she was much calmer than before. He said, "I'll go with you."

Lia forced a smile, a reluctant one, so much so that each smile felt like it was cutting Ivan's heart with a knife. He didn't want to see her smiling so painfully.

"Ivan, I'd like to ask him myself. He values face. If you're there, he might refuse to tell me the truth." Lia understood her father well. Tom Aiken was now trying hard to please Ivan Horne, hoping to cooperate with the Valence Group to save the Aiken Family's business, and naturally wouldn't want Ivan listening in on their past grievances.

"Information spreads rapidly online. Initially, the story came from River City, so your stepmother probably knows. Since she knows, how could your dad not? He understands this can't be kept a secret. Although I've asked Jimmy to deal with the trending topics, there are bound to be leaks. So he's well aware that even if I'm there, he'll say what needs to be said."

Lia pursed her lips and didn't stop Ivan from accompanying her back to the hotel.

She felt grateful, at a time like this, she needed someone by her side to support her, and Ivan was there.

"Ivan, would you ever..."

Ivan placed his elegant finger on her lips, listening as he said, "I've known earlier than you did. If I were going to look down on you, I would have long ago. Lia, no matter how disgraceful your family background is, I will never disdain you, nor will my family. Rest assured, no matter what happens, I will always be by your side!"