496: Chapter 491 Did I Do the Right Thing?

That sentence exploded in the conference room like a clap of thunder.

Everyone was stunned.

Andrew's expression froze on his face.

It was a look mixed with extreme shock and terror, twisting his entire face.

"You... you're talking nonsense... You're slanderous!"

His voice, sharpened by fear, sounded like a chicken whose neck was being squeezed.

"Whether I'm talking nonsense, you know better than anyone, don't you?"

Shen Yan's gaze shifted to Old Hossen.

Old Hossen's body trembled violently.

His lips quivered, and his face turned ashen, like that of a dead man.

He wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

The others in the conference room finally snapped out of their shock.

They looked at Old Hossen and Andrew with disbelief in their eyes.

This rumor had always existed within the family.

But no one had ever dared to mention it in front of Old Hossen.

Now, this thinly veiled secret had been ruthlessly exposed by an outsider.

"No... impossible... Father! Tell them! Tell them it's fake!"

Andrew lunged in front of Old Hossen, grabbing his arm and shaking him frantically.

Old Hossen, however, acted as if he hadn't heard, just staring intently at Shen Yan.

That look was as if he wanted to devour him alive.

Shen Yan ignored his gaze and gently pushed a file folder to the center of the conference table.

"Saint Ludo Gene Identification Center, Report No. A-734."

"The samples tested were yours and Mr. Andrew's."

"I assume I don't need to read out the conclusion, do I?"

The file folder was like an ignited bomb.

It completely destroyed Andrew's last shred of hope.

His body went limp, and he collapsed onto the floor.

He kept muttering under his breath, "Fake... it's all fake..."

The entire conference room fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

All eyes focused on the aged man sitting in the main seat.

Waiting for his final judgment.

After a long moment.

Old Hossen slowly closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, all the pain and struggle in his eyes had vanished.

In their place was a bone-chilling coldness and finality.

He didn't spare another glance at Andrew on the floor.

As if the man wasn't the son he had cherished for twenty years, but merely an eyesore, trash.

His gaze landed on Kevin.

"From today onward,"

Old Hossen's voice was hoarse, yet filled with irrefutable authority.

"Kevin Hossen is the sole heir of the Hosen Family."

"He will take over all the assets and power under my name."

The conference room erupted in an instant.

But this time, no one dared to object.

The relatives who had just been hostile towards Kevin underwent a complete 180-degree change in attitude.

Their faces were instantly covered with fawning smiles.

"I knew it, Kevin is the most outstanding!"

"Congratulations, Kevin! The future of the family rests on you!"

Uncle Marcus even stood up, trying to reach out and shake Kevin's hand.

Kevin sat there, motionless.

Looking at the various expressions before him, he felt no joy.

Only a vast, icy desolation.

This was what he had risked his life to reclaim.

This was the family for which he sought revenge.

"Dispose of him."

Old Hossen's voice sounded again.

He was referring to Andrew on the floor.

Two bodyguards walked in and dragged the mentally collapsed Andrew out like a dead dog.

From beginning to end, Old Hossen never looked at him again.

The meeting was over.

Shen Yan patted Kevin's shoulder.

"Let's go."

"Our business here is done."

The two walked out of the conference room.

Behind them were the flattering voices of the Hosen Family members, showering them with attention.

But Kevin found those sounds incredibly grating.

He turned back and glanced at the old man sitting in the main seat.

Old Hossen was also looking at him.

The gazes of the grandfather and grandson met across the air.

There was no kinship, no warmth.

Only the naked transfer of power.

Kevin withdrew his gaze and followed Shen Yan into the night outside.

The night wind in Saint Ludo was very cold.

It felt like a knife against his face.

But he felt that his heart was even colder than the night wind.

Revenge was successful.

Yet, he felt like he had lost something too.

Inside the black sedan leaving the Hossen Estate, it was deathly silent.

The streaks of light outside the car window were like silent whips, lashing across Kevin's pale face.

He leaned against the window, watching the night scenery of Saint Ludo rapidly recede, his eyes hollow, as if his soul had been ripped from his body.

Shen Yan sat beside him, saying nothing, nor looking at him.

He just closed his eyes, his fingers rhythmically tapping lightly on his knee.

One tap.

Two taps.

It was like calculating the rhythm of some massive plan.

The driver in the front dared not even breathe.

The air pressure inside the car was low enough to be suffocating.

Finally, Kevin moved.

His lips moved, but no sound came out, as if a block of ice was stuck in his throat.

Shen Yan opened his eyes.

He didn't ask what was wrong with Kevin.

He just told the driver an address.

"To 'The Alchemist's Corner'."

The driver froze for a moment, then immediately entered the unfamiliar name into the navigation.

The car made a turn and drove into a secluded street.

'The Alchemist's Corner' was a tavern that looked quite old.

There were no neon lights, only a dim, yellow, vintage gas lamp hanging next to an oak sign.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a scent mixed with whiskey, old books, and cigars rushed out.

There weren't many people in the tavern.

Melodious blues music echoed softly in the air.

Shen Yan led Kevin straight to a booth in the farthest corner.

The deep red leather sofa isolated them from the hustle and bustle outside.

A waiter wearing a vest silently approached.

"One 'Nightfall', on the rocks,"

Shen Yan's voice was very soft.

Then, he looked at the crestfallen Kevin opposite him.

"Get him a cranberry juice."

The waiter showed no surprise, just nodded and turned to leave.

Kevin's gaze finally gained a slight focus.

He looked at Shen Yan, his lips dry.

"I..."

"Drink something first,"

Shen Yan interrupted him.

Soon, two drinks were served.

One was amber-colored whiskey, the ice cubes clinking crisply in the glass.

The other was a deep red juice, its color as rich as blood.

Kevin stared at the glass of juice, motionless for a long time.

The light in the tavern was dim, just enough to make out silhouettes, yet blurring all expressions.

Time flowed by, second by second, with the melody of the blues music.

Finally.

Kevin's voice, carrying an almost imperceptible tremor, broke the silence.

"Mr. Shen..."

"Was what I did right?"

This question, like a pebble spat out after exhausting all strength, sank into the silent lake surface.