Chapter 453: Chapter 453
Fifteen minutes later, Avery met Joy
The two sat in a pavilion at the riverside park, surrounded by greenery and low Bowerbeds. There was nowhere to hide, and no one could eavesdrop.
Outside the pavilion, by the side of the path, the street lamps were dim and did not illuminate the two of them.
Avery sat across from Joy, gazing at Joy’s face partially veiled in the dim light.
Joy was also staring at Avery. After a moment of silence, she slowly asked, "When did you recognize me?"
For so many years, she had been acting as Joy. From her looks to her words and actions, she believed that she had acted very well.
Avery said calmly. Tve suspected you since the first day I saw you. Not long after, I found out your last name was Rose. Then I connected it to the fact that Zilvia attended Rose Academy Kindergarten before her disappearance and that Nellie’s husband also came from the Rose family. That was enough to confirm your identity"
She added, "Of course, I’m very meticulous; I wouldn’t rely solely on reasoning to confirm this. So, one time during a school-arranged medical check-up, I secretly took a small sample of your blood and compared it with my DNA."
In the dim light, the shock on Joy’s face was still evident. "I thought I had concealed it well. How exactly did you figure it out"
When it came to the blood draw during the medical check-ups, she would always secretly use some methods to secretly swap her blood bottles.
She never expected that, despite being so careful, Avery still found the opportunity to catch her.
In addition, she had a serious obsession with cleanliness.
This mysophobia was not only caused by her personality but also because she could not easily let others get her DNA. Especially after she returned to the country, even if she ate outside, she would be very careful not to leave her saliva, sweat, and so on on the fork, the spoon, and the glass.
This was probably why Avery went to steal her blood vial during the medical check-up.
In response to her question, Avery’s answer was very simple. "Because I’m a top-level doctor, I can tell your face has undergone plastic surgery. Your plastic surgery was very successful, and it wasn’t anything major. You had your jawbone reshaped, turning your round face into an oval one. You also had eyelid surgery to create sleepy’ eyes and enlarge the comers of your eyes, among other things.
She continued, "I guess you underwent plastic surgery at a very young age, gradually altering your appearance little by little so that no one could tell you had done anything"
Joy was shocked.
Avery was right.
She had always believed she had concealed the changes well, but Avery had easily noticed the ones she was so proud of.
She lowered her gaze, staring at the stone tabletop for a moment before saying, "Since you’ve known all along that I’m Zilvia, why haven’t you told the Carter family?"
Avery smiled lightly and said. "You’re so smart, and you left the Carter family on your own. You also have such a strong background. If I went against your wishes and revealed your identity to the Carter family, wouldn’t I be asking for trouble"
After a moment of silence, Joy looked up and asked, "Since you know this, why choose to bring it up now? Wouldn’t it be better to keep it hidden?"
Avery sighed softly. "I also wanted to keep it hidden, to pretend I knew nothing. But you’re in Rosemont City, right under the Carter family’s watch. My family, especially my mother, has already noticed you. She won’t give up on her child. Only by letting the Carter family know the truth can they possibly give up"
At this point, she wore a mocking smile. "If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for returning to Rosemont City. If you don’t come back, nothing will happen."
Joy picked up the coffee on the table and slowly took a sip. "How do you know Zilvia. left on her own?"
Avery gave another mocking smile. "We’re twins. Not only do we look alike, but we also share a high 19, and our personalities as children were somewhat similar. I’ve put myself in her shoes and thought it over repeatedly. The only conclusion I could come to is that a child as smart as her, in a place with good security and many people around, could never have been tricked or kidnapped by anyone. The only possibility is that she left on her own."
Joy put down her coffee cup and stared at her. "How did she leave? Tell me, how did a five-year-old child manage to avoid so many eyes and surveillance cameras in broad daylight and disappear without a trace?"
People had once suspected that Zilvia left on her own, but there was no evidence or support for that idea.
Avery smiled. "Of course, a five-year-old child can’t do this alone. Someone must have helped her to disappear without a
trace.
Joy sneered. "So you’re saying that Zilvia had already planned with Nellie to leave Rosemont City on Christmas Day before she went missing?"
"No." Avery looked straight at Joy. "Zilvia did not plan with Nellie before she disappeared. Instead, she planned with Nellie how to leave or disappear after she’s missing"
Joy frowned and asked calmly, "What do you mean?"
Avery smiled, her eyes becoming deep. "In this case, there’s a crucial question. Since Zilvia went with Nellie and grew up as her daughter, then where did Nellie’s real daughter go?" Joy’s heart skipped a beat, and her gaze became inscrutable.
Avery said. "In Lockwood’s novel, it’s written that Lara’s best friend died in a car accident. Perhaps Nellie’s daughter also had an accident and unfortunately passed away. She urgently needed a daughter to fill that void, and Zilvia just happened to appear at that time." Joy lowered her eyes, gently turning the coffee cup in her hand and staring at it.