Shaking off the thoughts, she dropped down the glass and started walking back to the stairs.
After reaching the bedroom door, she slowly extended her hands to turn the knob but suddenly paused and glanced sideways at the door which was on the far end of the hallway.
She sighed inside, then started walking toward the room which she made out to be the study room.
Stopping at the door, she carefully pushed it open, and walked inside while her eyes slowly wandered around the room, then landed on the guy who was deeply asleep on the couch, with the light from the laptop's screen glowing on his calm face and some papers were strewn beside it on the table.
She silently gazed at him for some seconds and a soft smile slowly crept up on her lips then she turned back and walked out of the room. Some minutes later, she came back, with a pillow and a blanket in hand.
After putting the pillow behind his head and carefully spreading the blanket on him, she heaved a soft sigh as her gaze lingered on his face for a while. Then she started caressing his hair with a soft smile and after some time, slowly lowered her head and placed a soft kiss lingering on his forehead.
Her attention turned back to the laptop's screen and she carefully turned it off then closed it before standing up and started arranging the papers.
She picked them up one after another, and just as she was about to place down the third one, her eyes suddenly caught the words which were written boldly at the top of the paper.
'Huh?... What is this?' She frowned slightly while her gaze slowly narrowed on the paper. 'Avuncular DNA testing?'
She gasped as her heart stopped for a second, then it started beating rapidly while she stared wide-eyed at the contents.
'No... This is a lie.' She slowly shook her head while her hands trembled slightly and she slowly took a step back while glancing between the guy who was deeply asleep on the couch and the paper again.
Her attention snapped to the other papers on the table and she slowly picked them up, then carefully skimmed through each of their contents. And just like the other papers, they also had that same name embedded on them, with the same kind of DNA results from different laboratories. 'And a photo?'
Her eyes widened once more as she stared down at the photo which has a woman in it... The lady was just about her age. However, the most surprising thing was that she looks exactly like her. 'What is happening.'
By then, streams of tears had started rushing down her face and she shook her head rapidly, now staring at the guy with an indescribable emotion.
Her hands shook rapidly and she tightened her grip on the photo then swallowed hard. She slowly placed down only the papers back on the table before rushing out of the room.
********
__ The Next Morning __
After waking up, Carl sat up on the couch while rubbing the sleep off his eyes.
Glancing down at the bed sheet and pillow, a small smile slowly crept up on his lips and he sighed happily then stood up with a chuckle.
He picked up the pillow after carefully folding the bedsheet then stood up from the couch while wondering if she had woke up already.
And just as he was about to start walking toward the door, his eyes subconsciously darted to the laptop which was now closed and his heart started thumping rapidly before he slowly turned his attention to the papers on the table and the photo__ 'where is it?'.
'Clara?' He stared wide-eyed at the slight creases on the papers, confirming his doubts. She couldn't have looked into them right?
After breaking out of his shock, he rushed out of the door toward his room.
"Clara?" He called out anxiously after getting inside the room but found the place empty, then he hurried toward the bathroom door.
Finding the bathroom also empty, after opening the door, he hurried out of the room and downstairs toward the kitchen which he also found empty.
He walked back to the living room and sighed heavily while slumping down on the couch. He had intended to show her those papers and the photo after returning from the province and finding out everything, but now__
He stood up with another sigh, then glanced at the wall clock and grabbed his car keys before striding out of the apartment.
********
__ One Hour Ago __
Clara dragged her feet along the empty street while staring down at the photo in a daze.
This is a lie, right? It is all lies. How could she be related to this lady? No, she has parents. She thought inside while sniffing now and then as more tears streamed down her face.
Glancing up at the dark sky which is slowly turning bright, she sniffed again while splaying one hand on her chest to stop her erratically beating heart.
This is a dream. Yes, it is a dream and she would wake up soon. Or the guy is just playing a prank on her, right? No, maybe the reports are about someone else that had the same name as hers.
She tried to convince herself with so many thoughts. However, looking down again at this photo and remembering the looks on Jack's mother's face and also that woman that had hugged her that day__ "No, It is a lie!!!"
She shouted on the empty street and burst into loud sobs.
Her parents would never do this, she's their real daughter__ those reports are all faked.
Not able to carry herself further, she slumped down on the empty street and continued sobbing with a hand splayed on her chest while the other hand gripped tightly to the photo.
'Who am I fooling?' A sad chuckle escaped her lips amid the tears that kept rushing down.