But now, Zaden felt bewildered and unsettled. He even felt everything around him becoming unreal. Kate looked at the shock and confusion on Zaden's face and sighed deeply. "Zaden." Her voice was low and clear as she said gravely, "It's normal that you don't believe it, because I orchestrated this entire thing myself. You had no idea whatsoever!" Kate's words were like an ice-cold blade, precisely cutting open the truth that had been buried for seven years. Zaden suddenly staggered back a step, his pupils contracting. His brain couldn't process the information in that sentence at all. "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! How could Teri possibly be ... " Suddenly, Zaden's memory flashed back to seven years ago. That blurry figure, that passionate night. Perhaps everything from that evening had been branded into his heart, which was why he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity when he first saw Athena. Why he couldn't help but want to get close to her, to be near her. Because Athena carried a scent he found familiar! Kate continued. "Zaden, do you remember seven years ago when Maya broke up with you out of the blue, and later you drowned your sorrows and got drunk?" Zaden froze. That was the time he'd gotten blackout drunk, then accidentally had relations with a strange woman, which resulted in Teri. How could he possibly forget that! "It was at that time ... " Kate's voice carried the pain of uncovering the truth. Her tone was bitter as she said, "Athena faced the biggest turning point in her life. She met that man Lewis and even injured her hand because of him. I've always had good judgment about people. "That Lewis was no good. Athena was my most treasured student. How could I bear to watch her whole life being ruined by a man like that? "Later, I happened to see Lewis taking Nina to the hospital for a checkup and learned that Nina was pregnant. I wanted to convince Athena to leave, but at the time Athena wouldn't listen to anyone. "And I also happened to learn about Lewis's scheme. Of course I couldn't let him succeed. "You had also been abandoned by Maya at that time. I thought perhaps you could help Athena ... " Kate's voice was calm as she slowly revealed the truth from back then, piece by piece. Basically, Zaden and Maya had broken up, and Lewis wanted to scheme against Athena because of Nina. After Kate learned about it, she secretly switched things around so that Zaden and Athena ended up together. And on the day Athena gave birth, Kate had someone switch the baby! "She was pregnant, but Lewis and Maya worked together to deceive her. They told her the baby was premature and died, but in reality, they secretly sent the child away." Zaden's heart felt as if it was being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand. Breathing became difficult. Athena had told him about this later, but still ... "That child wasn't sent to some remote town in Southwest. The child that the Obstetrics and Gynecology director took away was an orphan from the hospital. The child Athena gave birth to, I sent her to your side! Kate's voice paused. Watching as all color drained from Zaden's face, she continued. "When you learned that you had a daughter that night, you were shocked and furious. But when Teri smiled at you, you fell in love with that quiet, beautiful baby girl at first sight."What happened after that, you know yourself. Soon you completed all the paperwork, brought her home, and have been taking care of Teri ever since. "And Athena stayed with Lewis, just as I'd thought. Lewis turned out not to be a good man. He ended up betraying Athena's trust. "At the time, I thought if Lewis could truly give Athena happiness, then I'd admit I misjudged him. I would never speak of Teri's true origins and would take the secret to my grave. "But if Lewis betrayed Athena ... " Kate's voice carried a trace of melancholy and some complex emotions. Boom! It was as if a thunderbolt exploded in Zaden's mind. The entire world spun! All the clues, all the fragments, came together in this moment in a cruel yet perfect way. Athena's child who had supposedly "died." The child that strange woman had secretly given birth to. That unbreakable sense of closeness between Teri and Athena, which had been evident from their very first meeting. And Teri's eyes, that vague familiarity when she smiled. It turned out fate had already bound him and Athena together in a way he never could have imagined! The child he'd been searching for all this time had been by his side all along, calling him Daddy! The flesh and blood his beloved woman thought about day and night was actually the daughter he'd cherished and loved for seven years! The overwhelming shock, wild joy, and disbelief crashed over him like a tidal wave, instantly drowning him! Zaden's tall frame swayed, almost unable to stand steady. His eyes turned red and wet in an instant.