Chapter 10
Oscar fell silent, his mind churning with thoughts.
He had been with Emily since childhood and knew well how hard she worked. He understood even better those tears Emily secretly shed in the dead of night.
Those were tears of longing for her eldest son.
And the person before him was very likely his brother.
Looking at Aiden's equally pensive face, Oscar had already made up his mind.
He glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before leaning close to Aiden's ear and whispering, "I have an idea. Let's switch identities."
His words gave Aiden quite a scare.
"This... how would we switch?"
He stammered, "Dad's people are coming to pick me up soon. I can't possibly stay here."
"You stay here with Mom in a bit, and I'll go with them in your place."
Aiden froze at his words, then shook his head. "No way. What if you get mistreated at the Brown Mansion?"
"I look just like you. They won't be able to tell us apart." Oscar's eyes were determined, showing a cleverness far beyond his years.
"I need to go to your house and see what's really going on, and find out why we were separated and what exactly happened back then." The more he spoke, the more resolute his expression became.
He had a strong feeling they were real brothers.
He paused, then added, "You met him before I did."
As he spoke, Oscar's gaze settled on William sitting quietly in the courtyard.
Aiden followed his line of sight, feeling somewhat hesitant.
Perhaps triplets really did share a psychic connection—he could sense what Oscar was thinking.
"It's just..."
"Just tell me his habits and your situation at the Brown Mansion. I definitely won't slip up."
Aiden's mind raced, and after a moment, he agreed. "The Browns are all very respectful toward Dad. I usually keep to myself at the Brown Mansion, spending most of my time studying. If anything comes up, just act quiet. They won't suspect anything."
"Don't worry." Oscar patted his shoulder like a little adult.
"We need to agree on this—I'll stay at the Brown Mansion and gather information. After some time, I'll find a way to contact you, and then we'll come clean to Mom."
"Okay." Aiden nodded firmly, feeling both worried and excited.
After all, he was just a child who wanted to stay by his mother's side.
The two quickly compared each other's appearances and habits, making sure they hadn't missed anything, before Oscar walked out with a cold expression.
The next morning, Emily woke from her sleep rubbing her throbbing temples. She kissed Nina in her arms, then patted her back to wake her up.
"Mommy, why is he here?" Nina groggily opened her eyes to see Emily lying in bed, while William sat in his wheelchair in her blind spot.
Hearing Nina's words, Emily froze and turned around sharply, only then noticing William's presence.
William had dark circles under his eyes, looking like he hadn't slept well.
Before Emily could wonder about this, she suddenly realized she had walked into the wrong room.
Her cheeks instantly burned red. Wishing she could crawl into a hole, she apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry, I had too much to drink last night."
William just waved his hand at Emily's apology and yawned.
Perhaps because of his weak condition, staying up just one night had taken its toll on him.
Seeing he understood, Emily quietly breathed a sigh of relief, wanting to move past this awkwardness.
However, Nina rubbed her sleepy eyes and said something shocking. "Mommy, why did you sleep in the same room with him? The kids at kindergarten say only daddies and mommies sleep together."
At these words, Emily's face turned even redder. William's eyes flickered, his gaze falling on Nina's chubby little face, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
Emily quickly covered Nina's mouth, lowering her voice. "Nina, don't talk nonsense. Last night was just an accident."
With that, she picked up Nina, ready to get out of bed.
But Nina pushed Emily's hand away, pouting her little mouth and persistently asking, "Why isn't he Daddy? He looks so much like me."
As she spoke, she even moved closer to William, using her little hands to compare their features, looking like she was seriously investigating.
Seeing this, Emily's heart tightened. She quickly pulled Nina back to her side, her fingers trembling slightly.
Remembering the tattoo on that man's body years ago, and how William had no such marks, Emily became even more certain.
He definitely wasn't that man from back then.
She composed herself, got out of bed, and pulled Nina into her arms.
"Nina, he's really not your daddy. Your daddy is far away. Let's not bring this up again, okay?"
Nina looked at Emily with half-understanding, while Emily's eyes held unwavering determination.
She pursed her lips and nodded reluctantly.
Seeing that she finally stopped bringing it up, Emily breathed a sigh of relief.
Throughout all this, William just quietly listened to the mother and daughter's conversation without offering any opinion.
But seeing Emily so certain they had no connection, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Could everything last night have been his imagination?
But memories and feelings don't lie.
Emily didn't notice his reaction; she only held Nina in her arms, softly comforting her.
She knew Nina had always wanted to know about her father.
But when even she didn't know who that man was, how could she give Nina a definite answer?
Emily could also tell that Nina really liked William.
Of course, William was also tolerant and patient enough with Nina.
Perhaps to Nina, William really was just a handsome man who looked a lot like her.
But to Emily, this man was just a troublesome problem she couldn't shake off for now.
The scars on William's body were proof enough that he wasn't a simple person.
If it weren't for the fact that he had lost his memory now, and Emily couldn't just leave him to die, she would never have gotten involved with William.
Her thoughts drifted until a clear "Mommy" sounded from the doorway.
Emily turned to look and saw "Oscar" standing at the door, looking at her with delight.
"Come here!" Emily broke into a smile, opening her arms to him.
"Oscar" rushed into her embrace with quick steps, his little hands holding Emily tight. "Mommy."
He nuzzled his little face against Emily's chest, breathing in her fresh gardenia scent, his heart suddenly stirred.
Was this his mommy?
Emily gently held him, feeling somewhat puzzled.
Although Oscar usually clung to her too, he had never been this clingy.
Why was he acting so strange today?