Chapter 155

Richard's POV

I stepped through the front door, immediately sensing something was off. The house felt different—quieter.

In the main living area, I found two children seated at the dining table, looking suspiciously well-behaved. Max was folding napkins with excessive concentration, while Kathy swung her legs. Lily ran over to me.

"Daddy!" Lily exclaimed, her voice pitched higher than normal. "We're waiting for lunch!"

"Where's your mother?" I asked casually.

"Upstairs," Kathy answered quickly. "She's... resting."

"Still not feeling well?" I kept my tone neutral.

Lily nodded vigorously. "Her head hurts really bad. We're being super quiet."

I lifted Lily into my arms, inhaling subtly. She smelled of conspiracy.

"Have you been taking good care of her?"

"Uh-huh! We're being really good helpers!"

I noticed Max glancing nervously toward the staircase.

As I turned toward the stairs, the three children huddled together, whispering something.

Elena's POV

'Dad's coming upstairs!!!'

Max's text sent me into panic mode. I dove for the bed, knocking a book to the floor, and arranged myself in what I hoped was a convincing posture of illness.

The door opened without a knock. I kept my eyes closed, but Richard's presence was unmistakable.

The mattress dipped as he sat beside me. A warm hand brushed a strand of hair from my forehead.

"I know you're awake, Elena."

Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to find Richard studying me with an unreadable expression.

"I was resting," I murmured weakly.

Richard's eyes narrowed slightly. "You refused Emma's examination today? Are you feeling better?"

"No... not better. My chest hurts and my legs... my legs aren't good, can't walk." I tried to make my voice sound feeble.

Silence hung between us, and my heart began to race. Had he discovered my ruse?

Finally, he spoke. "Not better but you won't let her examine you? Do you want me to throw you in the hospital?"

"No, I don't want to go to the hospital. I... I'll have Anna call her over later," I said nervously.

Only after that did he turn and go downstairs, and I let out a long breath of relief. I had almost been caught.

I couldn't help but smile as the kids burst into my room, their faces glowing with pride. Richard had left for work, and the moment his car disappeared down the driveway, they excitedly rushed in.

"Mommy, mommy! Is Lily first to stop Daddy? Lily good girl?" My youngest daughter bounced on the bed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I pulled her close, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Yes, you were absolutely amazing, my little darling!"

Max cleared his throat dramatically, drawing my attention. "And what about your tech genius son?" He was practically bursting with pride as he held up his tablet. "Do you know how hard it was to hack Dad's phone?"

I raised my eyebrows, both impressed and slightly alarmed. "You hacked your father's phone?"

"Just his calendar and location settings," Max shrugged as if it were nothing. "Had to make sure he wouldn't surprise us again. I've got alerts set up for when he leaves his office."

"That's... impressive and slightly terrifying," I admitted, ruffling his hair. "My little genius."

"I helped too," Kathy said quietly.

"Thank you, sweetheart. You were all—"

A sudden groan interrupted me. Lily frowned, her face beginning to turn pale.

"Lily? What's wrong?" I jumped up, alarmed.

Max looked worried. "Lily's been like this for a week now. It comes and goes."

Has Lily's illness persisted for so long without improvement?

I carried Lily directly to the kitchen where Anna was cleaning kitchenware.

"Anna," I began carefully, "what exactly is Lily's condition? Why has she been sick for so long without getting better?"

Anna's hands paused briefly over the bowl. "Lily did have some issues a week ago. Fever, weakness. But she's much better now, though still in the recovery stage."

"Who treated her? Sunrise Medical Center?"

Anna looked uncomfortable. "No. Dr. Wells has been treating her. Said it was some kind of fungal infection."

"Emma?" I repeated, surprised. "Not the hospital?"

"She wasn't getting better at the hospital either, so Mr. Blackwood had Dr. Wells treat her. She's been researching a treatment, but..." Anna hesitated.

"But what?"

"She said it might take time to fully resolve."

Looking at Lily's pain-stricken face, my heart was breaking.

After settling the children, I drove to Emma's clinic. I needed to know the specifics of Lily's condition.

---

Emma's lab was pristine and sterile, much like her attitude toward me when I arrived. Her face tightened when she saw me.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you say you didn't need me to examine you this morning?" she asked coolly.

"I'm sorry, I was too rude this morning. I hope you don't mind, but I came to learn more about my daughter's illness," I stated firmly.

She scoffed. "Even if I give you the medical analysis, would you understand it?"

I swallowed my pride. This wasn't about me. "You're right. I certainly don't have your outstanding abilities. But I understand some medical theory. So please, let me see Lily's test results."

She turned to her computer and pulled up several files.

"These are Lily's blood samples from a week ago," she explained, pointing to images on the screen.

I leaned closer, studying the images. Even with my limited knowledge, I could see something was seriously wrong. The white blood cell count was dangerously low, and a critical protein was almost completely absent.

"This protein... it's almost non-existent," I whispered, my fingers trembling as I pointed to the screen.

"It's better now," Emma said, sounding slightly defensive. "When she first came in, we could barely detect it at all."

My blood ran cold. "Emma, this level of deficiency could cause severe immune system damage. Long-term effects could be devastating to her development."

"I'm well aware of that," Emma snapped. "Why do you think I've been working overtime on this?"

"When exactly did this start? What triggered it?"

Emma hesitated. "She was brought to the medical center from Gerald's estate. She was already like this then."

A memory flashed in my mind. "This isn't the first time," I realized aloud. "Last time she visited the Blackwood Manor, she came back sick too."

I didn't wait to hear more. I thanked Emma briefly and hurried back home.