Julius was stunned when he heard the seriousness in Lilia's voice. He tried to lighten the atmosphere by saying lightly, "Of course I will help you! You don't need to talk to me so formally. So, what do you need?"
Lilia paused for a moment before answering, "… I want to do a DNA test."
After saying that, Lilia could only hear the silence on the other end of the line for a long time. She checked whether the phone was still connected or not. Was Julius mad at her for doubting her blood relationship with Sylvia? Could it be that her uncle wouldn't help her?
Just as Lilia was about to give up and retract her request, she heard a heavy sigh from the other end of the phone.
"Lilia, can you come to my university? I think we need to discuss this in person and not over the phone." Julius said.
"Yes, I'll be right there." Lilia replied relieved. At least her uncle didn't immediately reject her request.
As soon as her uncle hung up the phone, Lilia went straight to the medical university where Julius worked. The trip took half an hour in Clifford's driving speed. Lilia sent a message to Jean on her way to the university.
[Lilia]: "I'm going to see my uncle. I'll come back later. "
Since Jean was attending the meeting, the response was taking longer than usual. When Lilia's cell phone vibrated, she immediately checked the notification. The answer from Jean made the corner of Lilia's mouth lift into a happy smile.
[Jean]: "I'll wait for you to come home."
*****
As Lilia's car approached the front gate of the medical university, she saw her uncle standing on the side of the road. The middle-aged man was wearing a T-shirt and jeans wrapped in a white laboratory coat. As Lilia got closer, she realized that Julius was talking to someone on the phone. His expression was serious and his brow furrowed.
Clifford stopped the car at the gate and Lilia got out of the car. The model paused for a moment to put on her sunglasses, then she walked over to Julius. She smiled when her uncle looked up at her.
Julius spoke in a hurry before finally hanging up the phone. He shoved his cell phone into his coat pocket, then smiled back at Lilia. But that smile could not hide the irritation in his eyes.
"Uncle, is there a problem?" Lilia asked worriedly.
Julius shook his head while laughing, "No, it's just that the senior lecturers at my campus keep arguing about my data source. I already told him that I will discuss it with him later, but he keeps calling me!"
Lilia frowned with a guilty expression, "Uncle, if you're busy right now, I don't mind seeing you another day..."
"Don't worry about that." Julius stepped forward and took his niece's hand, "For the past few days, I have continued to discuss with lecturers and researchers. My head hurts because of them! It is precisely your visit that gives me a reason to rest for a while, you know?"
Lilia chuckled, "If Uncle said that, I will not comment on this again."
"How about we chat at the cafe on campus? You have to try the coffee there! I'm sure you will like it!" Julius invited her.
The two of them walked into the campus while chatting warmly. Lilia occasionally looked around, observing the atmosphere of this famous medical university in Jakarta. There were a lot of students passing by, but the researchers in their laboratory coats were no less. They all looked serious and dedicated to their work.
The cafe Julius mentioned was so quiet that it made Lilia wonder. Could this cafe last long with their income like this? But Julius explained to her that they came at a time when the cafe was quiet. Usually this cafe was full of students who needed extra caffeine to stay up all night.
The two of them chose a table by the window and ordered a caramel latte, as Julius recommended. When Lilia tried her drink, the coffee's light bitter taste but balanced with the sweetness felt right on her tongue.
Lilia sipped her coffee as she stared out the window. A strong wind blew the leaves from the tree and led them to nowhere. 'Lost in the wind' was an apt description of Lilia's current situation. Ever since she read the report, her faith had wavered and she had been carried away by the wind somewhere.
Julius pretended to focus on his coffee, but he continued to observe Lilia. The young woman's expression was filled with confusion and doubt, as if she had lost her footing. Julius's heart ached when he saw his favorite niece like this.
"Lilia." Julius put his coffee cup on the table, "Can you tell me why you suddenly wanted to do a DNA test?" He asked in a warm voice.
Hearing that, Lilia's hand gripped the glass tighter. Her gaze turned to Julius, but she did not immediately answer his question. She was silent for a few moments before finally saying, "Uncle, do you think ... I really am my mother's daughter?"
During her lifetime, Lilia only had a handful of people she could fully trust. William used to be one of them, but the man proved he could not be trusted at all. Then Jean appeared and mended her wounded heart that was broken into pieces. But the one person she could trust from childhood was Julius. Lilia was able to express this suspicion because her uncle had never once betrayed her trust.
As those words escaped Lilia's mouth, Julius closed his eyes to hide his surprise. His hand gripped his coffee cup a little tighter. 'Lilia, did you find anything? Or do you suspect something? Has the time come to reveal the truth?'
Lilia stared at Julius speechlessly. She just waited patiently for the man to answer her question.
"...Did my sister say something to you again?" Julius asked in a light voice.
However, both Lilia and Julius knew that this man was deliberately avoiding answering his niece's question. And that's enough for Lilia to answer.
The young woman smiled faintly and shook her head, "It's not like that. But something happened and I need your help to do this test." Lilia explained.
"And what's going to happen after the test results come out? What will you do then?" Julius insisted, 'What will you do when you find out the truth?' That's exactly what Julius wanted to ask.
The man studied Lilia's expression intently, as if he didn't want to miss the slightest change.
After hearing that question, Lilia was silent for a moment. It wasn't as if she didn't know the answer, but that she was wondering whether she should tell Julius the truth or not.
In the midst of her reverie, the cafe door swung open and moved the small bell that was attached to the doorway. The clear sound of the chimes pulled Lilia out of her mind.
The woman took a sip of coffee before answering, "If I was my mother's daughter, then I would accept that fact. And if not… I'll find out the truth." Lilia's eyes were filled with seriousness and determination.
She was not a clueless little girl. Lilia was a mature woman with her own thoughts. She didn't want to live in ignorance and lies any longer. Even though the results of this DNA test might destroy the belief she had held for the rest of her life, Lilia knew she would regret it even more if she didn't do it.
If this DNA test confirmed that she was indeed Sylvia's real daughter, Lilia would be able to accept all the mistreatment and coldness of her mother up to this day. But if not, Lilia wanted to know who she really was. Even though Jean had said that her identity as Mrs.. Lilia Widjaya would never change, Lilia still wanted to find out where she came from.
The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr𝒆e(w)𝒆bnovel