Andrea opened her mouth and called out softly, "Val."
Valentine Anderson pretended not to hear her and replied, "Mrs. Andrea Singers, my secretary informed me you wanted to meet with me. What can I do for you?"
Andrea stiffened, her shock evident as she recognized the voice of Valentine Anderson, though the face before her belonged to Pascal Willow. Her eyes reddened with the realization that her husband she believed to be deceased was indeed alive. She had harbored doubts, but now there was no question in her mind.
"Valentine," Andrea said, her voice choked with emotion and her eyes brimming with tears.
Tony, who had been ready to excuse himself to give them privacy, froze when he heard Valentine Anderson deny his identity. "Mrs. Singers, I understand you miss your husband, but you can't just address anyone as Valentine," he said, causing Tony's frown to deepen at this unexpected denial.
Ignoring the tension, Valentine Anderson casually walked to a chair, sat down, and reclined. "Mrs. Singers, I'm a busy man. If there's something important, please say it," he urged, glancing at his watch with impatience.
Tony, unable to contain his frustration, blurted out, "Valentine, if you continue lying, you'll lose Andrea."
Andrea furrowed her brows and scolded Tony, "Tony, enough."
Realizing his mistake, Tony fell silent. Andrea took a deep breath and faced Valentine Anderson with determination. "Val, why do you deny who you are?" she asked.
Valentine's expression darkened. "Mrs. Singers, watch your words. I am Pascal Willow, not Valentine Anderson," he retorted sharply.
Andrea's anger was palpable as she clenched her fists, infuriated by his insistence on this false identity. "Then explain why you sound exactly like my husband, Valentine Anderson?" she demanded through gritted teeth.
Valentine was taken aback. He hadn't expected Andrea to still consider him her husband, especially in light of her marriage to Lucas Anderson. Curiosity piqued, he was about to inquire further when the door to the private room swung open and Margret Willow entered.
"Honey," Margret called warmly to Valentine.
His face brightened with a smile. "Darling, I thought you'd be waiting at the office," he replied affectionately.
Margret approached and pecked his cheek. "I couldn't wait any longer. You were taking too long. Who are these people?" she asked, glancing at Andrea and Tony.
"They're from the Singers Group, looking for their deceased brother and husband," Valentine answered with detachment.
Tony clenched his fists in anger, and Andrea looked at Valentine with a mixture of disappointment and heartbreak. Tears spilled over as Margret leaned in for a kiss, which Valentine returned in full view.
Andrea wiped away her tears and stood, walking out without a word.
Tony struggled with the urge to stop Andrea from leaving but instead turned to Valentine and Margret, his voice laced with contempt. "Valentine, I thought you were better than your twin and truly loved Andrea. I didn't realize you were so selfish," he said bitterly.
With that, Tony headed for the door. Pausing, he added, "Andrea has cared for your son, Pete, for six years. I hope you don't realize too late what you've lost—you risk losing not just her but your son as well." The door slammed behind him, the sound echoing heavily in the room.
Margret, noticing Valentine's distraction, handed him a DNA test result. "Pascal, this is the result of a test my people conducted. Pete, Andrea's son, is the biological child of your twin brother, Lucas Anderson."
Valentine's grip tightened on the paper, his fury palpable. His eyes blazed with such intensity that it would make anyone witnessing it shudder with fear.
After leaving the private room, Andrea settled into the backseat of the car in silence, lost in her thoughts. When Tony eventually got in beside her, neither spoke for a while.
"Drive to the airport. We're going back to Vegas City," Andrea finally said, breaking the silence.
Tony hesitated before responding. "Andrea, rushing back might not be the best idea. We should try to understand why Valentine Anderson is denying his own identity. There could be danger involved, or—"
But Andrea cut him off sharply, "Just drive!"
Tony flinched. It was the first time she had ever spoken to him with such harshness. Until now, no matter his mistakes, she had always addressed him with a calm demeanor.
As he glanced at her, noticing the tears streaking her face and the redness in her eyes, Tony realized that convincing Andrea to stay was futile.
With a heavy sigh, he started the car and headed for the airport. Upon arrival, Tony turned to Andrea with a look of concern. "Are you sure about this, Andrea? No matter what has happened, Valentine is still the biological father of your child."
Andrea was momentarily taken aback, torn by Tony's words. But after a brief pause, she replied with a cold finality, "He's not worth it."