Chapter 3

Another elder, Helen, gave a nod of agreement. "If that doesn't work, you could always let him audit classes at the Supernatural Academy.

"When he grows up, he can marry someone from an ordinary supernatural family and live a quiet, peaceful life. There's nothing wrong with that."

Around the table, everyone chimed in with their own suggestions. The conversation grew louder and livelier.

I never said a word.

Seeing that I remained silent, Evelyn grew so anxious that a sheen of sweat formed on her forehead.

"Honey, please say something.

"If this is what you want, we'll find a way. No matter what it costs."

I finally looked at her.

"Fine.

"Bring me the umbilical cord blood we preserved on the day our son was born."

The ballroom instantly fell silent.

For hundreds of years, the White family had followed the same tradition.

Whenever a tiger cub was born, its umbilical cord blood was collected. It was sealed inside a crystal vial engraved with the White family crest, then locked away forever in the family vault.

It served as both proof of bloodline and one of the most important symbols of a White heir's identity.

The crystal vial had already been prepared while Evelyn was pregnant. It had been stored in a temperature-controlled safe at the hospital. Even if the baby had not been born a tiger, family tradition required the blood sample to be preserved.

Evelyn's face turned ghostly pale.

"H-Honey... that vial...

"I thought that... since the baby wasn't a tiger, we wouldn’t have any use for the sample. So... a few days ago... I asked Jack to dispose of it."

The corner of my mouth lifted into a faint smile. My voice, however, grew colder with every word.

"You disposed of it?

"It was nothing more than an orange cat's blood sample, so why are you nervous?"

Evelyn opened her mouth. Nothing came out.

Several of the elders exchanged uneasy glances.

The umbilical cord blood of an orange cat might not have seemed especially valuable. However, there was a world of difference between destroying it on purpose and preserving it forever according to family tradition.

I stared straight into Evelyn's beautiful eyes.

"Evelyn.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear.

"That orange cat… is not my son."

A chorus of shocked gasps swept through the ballroom.

Every trace of color vanished from Evelyn's face.

"Honey… what... what are you saying?

"Did... did something happen the day our baby was born?"

She had not even finished speaking before I slammed my palm onto the dining table. The impact was so powerful that every wineglass bounced into the air.

"Donald!

"Contact St. Mary's Medical Center immediately!

"Pull every surveillance recording from the night our child was born. The delivery room, the hallways, the elevators. Everything. I want every second of it played here, live.

"Bring Dr. Wilson, every nurse, every midwife, and every staff member who was on duty that night. Not a single one is to be left out. And notify the Supernatural Affairs Bureau."

"Tell them to bring the Bloodline Resonance Crystal."

"Today... I'm going to find out exactly who dared to lay a hand on my son."

The elders exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared to speak. They all knew I was truly furious. My eyes settled on Evelyn's pale face as she stood there, looking every bit the innocent victim. She was putting on a flawless performance.

Less than half an hour later, the giant screen that had been showing birthday messages flickered back to life.

Jim Wilson was escorted to the front.

After hearing the entire story, his face turned deathly white. He nearly dropped to his knees on the spot.

"Mr. White, this has nothing to do with me!

"I cut the umbilical cord myself. The moment the baby was born, I carried him straight to you. There was still blood on him. We hadn't even cleaned him off yet.

"There were at least seven or eight people in the delivery room watching. How could I possibly have switched the babies?"

Several of the elders also stepped forward to back him up. Each of them swore that a baby swap was absolutely impossible.

The surveillance footage began to play on the giant screen.

With my own eyes, I watched Jim lift that chubby orange kitten from Evelyn's arms. Then I watched the man in the recording, the one who looked exactly like me, take the little orange kitten into his arms with tears streaming down his face.

However, that was not my smile.

Those were not the expressions I would ever make.

Despite this... not a single person there seemed to notice anything strange.

Just then, four officers from the Supernatural Affairs Bureau entered the ballroom carrying a transparent crystal nearly as tall as a person.

A soft silver light flowed inside it. Ancient magical runes covered the stone pedestal beneath it. It was the Bureau's highest-ranking sacred artifact for verifying bloodlines.

The Bloodline Resonance Crystal.

Surveillance footage could be forged and witnesses could lie. This crystal, however, never could. It preserved the truest resonance of blood itself. All it required was a single drop of pure water to reveal the truth.

Then two people who shared a bloodline would place their hands on the crystal together.

The crystal would awaken the echoes of their shared bloodline, projecting moments from their childhood that only true family could possess. No magic could counterfeit them. No illusion could deceive the crystal. No one could alter the truth it revealed.