The CEO's Mischievous Little Bride
Chapter 184 The Words Did Not Sink In

Vera wished to speak out impulsively, but she feared alarming the Chase family. After all, Mia was her best friend, and she couldn't afford to be too reckless. She already felt guilty for using her today. "Mia, I won't stay for dinner. Patrick is coming soon, so I'll wait for him at the door. You all go ahead and eat."

Descending the stairs, Vera prepared to leave. Mia and Sebastian insisted on seeing her off. As they stood at the entrance, it wasn't long before Patrick drove up. He understood Vera's intentions; she had deliberately asked him to come so he could see Mia for himself and dispel any doubts. He appreciated Vera's thoughtfulness and came in person.

"Patrick is here, so I'll be going now."

Patrick parked the car and stepped out, noticing the girl who was as tall and similarly built as Vera, and the familiar face of Sebastian. He walked over and shook hands with Sebastian. "Hello, I'm Vera's husband, Patrick."

"Nice to meet you. In Donnicia, everyone knows Mr. Olteran. I'm Sebastian, the captain of the police department."

As they shook hands, Vera sensed an odd tension in the air. She quickly pulled Patrick's attention toward Mia. "Honey, this is Mia, me and Randall's best friend."

Mia, having been noticed by him before, glanced awkwardly at Patrick and then, somewhat fearfully, moved closer to Sebastian. Patrick looked at her without saying a word. "I've picked up Vera, so we'll be leaving now. See you next time," Patrick said calmly, as if he and Mia were meeting for the first time.

Sebastian nodded, and he and Mia watched the car drive away. After they left, his brow furrowed, sensing a hint of danger. He turned to Mia, "Mia, come inside with me." "Okay."

On the way home, Vera asked Patrick, "Did you notice anything?"

Patrick didn't reveal his true thoughts to Vera, only giving her the answer she wanted to hear. "No."

In the following days, to help clear Mia's name and to help Patrick see the truth, Vera put in a lot of effort. She frequently visited the Chase Villa. Even Shawn got jealous. "You don't take me along, but you take Mia everywhere. Why?"

Vera was at the Chase family again, and this time, Sebastian wasn't home, leaving her and Mia undisturbed. She opened the photo album she hadn't finished looking through that day. Mia pointed to a picture and said, "This is me at five years old."

Next to it was another photo taken at the same time, labeled [Mia at five years old]. In one picture, she had no bangs, but in the other, she did. The two children looked completely different. Without needing further explanation, Vera confirmed that Mia was not Patrick's biological sister. After all, even if someone wanted to fake it, they couldn't have done so fifteen years ago, especially since Mia had photos from ages one to five. "Where's your six-year-old photo?"

Mia replied, "Did you forget? I had chickenpox when I was six."

Vera had heard about it. Mia didn't take any photos that year. Chickenpox was contagious, and no one dared to come near her, not even for her birthday. The next photo was of Mia at seven years old. "Is this you?" Vera asked, pointing to the picture.

Mia nodded. "Yes, it was my brother's 12th birthday. I mischievously smeared cake on his face, and he didn't hold back, smearing cake all over mine. My parents laughed so hard and took this photo of me." Later, as Mia's face gradually matured, Vera began to remember her appearance from middle school.

"Mia, I'm sorry," she apologized.

Mia looked puzzled. "Why?"

Vera didn't explain. She got up, washed her face, and then left, planning to drive to Patrick's office.

At the same time, Patrick was also looking at a photo of Mia at five years old. His face was expressionless, and Jack hesitated whether to continue speaking.

"Go on," Patrick said.

Following orders, Jack continued, "I've found Mia's birth certificate. I also interviewed Mr. Chase's former aides and visited Mia's hometown. I even investigated among Sebastian's classmates. It confirms that Mia is indeed a member of the Chase family. She was never lost. We showed Mrs. Molly Olteran's picture around, and the neighbors all said they had never seen her. It's highly likely that Mia is not Mrs. Molly Olteran."

Patrick stared at the photo, unblinking. After a while, he saw someone through the surveillance screen. He put the photo away. "You can go now. Vera will be here soon. Don't mention this to her." "Yes, sir."

Jack left, and Vera appeared. As she pushed the door open, she called out, "Honey."

"Here," Patrick smiled as he saw her.

"Honey, I've figured it out. Mia isn't your sister. I've seen all her photos from childhood; it can't be her."

Patrick stood up and opened a bottle of drink for Vera. She took a sip and said, "You must have been mistaken that day."

"Alright, I was mistaken."

He closed his laptop. "Vera, shall we go on a date?"

"Another date?"

Vera and Patrick went on dates so frequently that she began to see them as routine, losing any sense of anticipation. Last time, she couldn't sleep at night, so he took her to the mountains to watch the stars. According to Patrick, they were stargazing and dating. She had merely complained about being bored at home, and Patrick took her to an amusement park, where they spent the entire day. It wasn't until they got home that she remembered she had skipped class. However, Patrick said, "You're the principal; no one dares to mark you absent."

She was quick-witted. "Honey, does that mean I can graduate even if I don't go to school because I'm the principal?"

Once again, she left Patrick at a loss for words.

During this period, Vera went to a concert and fell asleep. They went to a theater, and she got drowsy. They went to the beach, and she yawned. The only time she was fully engaged was when eating steak, which she finished cleanly. At Rustic Hearth Cafe, she ate for two hours. At the dessert shop, she sat for an entire afternoon. Eventually, Patrick concluded that Vera was a foodie.

Vera blinked innocently. "Can't you afford to feed me? If you can't, I'll find someone else who can."

Patrick hugged the soft Vera, looking at her and whispering, "Not only can I afford to feed you, but I can also afford to feed our future children, who will probably be little foodies too."

However, Patrick began to worry that Vera's artistic sensibilities seemed lacking. One day, Patrick asked Vera, "Vera, who is Beethoven?"

"A painter."

"What about Da Vinci?"

"A singer."

"And Einstein?"

"How do you not know this? He's that famous physicist," Vera said, looking at Patrick with disdain.

She wondered how someone with Patrick's intelligence could achieve such great success.

Patrick felt a slight sense of relief. At least Vera's schooling wasn't entirely wasted; she had absorbed some knowledge.