Chapter 176 Difficulties
He had visited Ethan and Emma's home numerous times and never once seen their daddy. Moreover, hadn't Ethan and Emma said they didn't have a daddy?
Why would they lie to their great-grandma?
Sam couldn't decipher Ethan and Emma's strategy, but he wouldn't expose them. There was an inexplicable trust he felt toward them.
Could it be they spoke this way to keep from being discovered by their dad?
"Thanks, Great-grandma."
"You're the best, Great-grandma."
Ethan and Emma hugged Madam Lancaster again.
With a warm smile, Madam Lancaster said, "It's the weekend, isn't it? Are your mommy and daddy still working today?"
Emma blurted out, "Nope, they're off today."
They snuck out to play, leaving Mommy alone at home for some peace and quiet.
"Well then, let's give your parents a call. I'll cook extra for lunch. I have yet to meet them, and they must be quite the individuals to have raised such wonderful children," said Madam Lancaster, as naturally as if the thought had just popped into her head to invite them for a meal.
After all, they had become honorary kin; it wouldn't do to have not even met the child's parents.
Ethan and Emma felt a jolt of panic in their hearts. Oh no, they'd let something slip and dug themselves into a hole.
Ethan quickly tried to cover it up. "Emma, you remembered wrong. Daddy left on a business trip yesterday, and Mommy is meeting up with her gal pals today.”
“Oh, right, I forgot, Great-grandma, I'm sorry.” The little one adopted a remorseful demeanor. Her head dropped, and her voice became even more tender and soft, tugging at the heartstrings.
Madam Lancaster's mind brimmed with questions, but she put them all aside for the moment.
How could she have the heart to pry any further from these children?
They were so endearing—if someone had sent them with ulterior motives to get close to Sam, to infiltrate the Lancaster family, then it was surely instigated by villains.
Despite her age, Madam Lancaster's shrewdness had not diminished one bit. As clever and natural as the two children appeared, they couldn't escape Madam Lancaster's perceptive gaze.
Their arrival was no accident.
At this moment, however, Madam Lancaster showed no displeasure. To put the children at ease, she continued to playfully engage with them, chuckling all the while.
Sam, too, occasionally joined in with gestures.
Laughter and merriment filled the room, a stark contrast to the usual stillness of the old Lancaster house.
Today, Madam Lancaster seemed more spirited than she had in days, even taking the three kids outside to play in the snow, engaging in a snowball fight that nearly sent Betty's heart racing with worry.
Madam Lancaster turned into a mischievous sprite, lightly tossing handfuls of snow at the kids.
Their playful strikes were gentle and caused no pain.
The three youngsters showed restraint, lobbing snowballs back at their great-grandma—each hit met with her hearty laughter, echoing with their giggles.
The group of one adult and three children reveled joyously in the yard.
Betty’s worries subsided as she stood alongside them, occasionally helping Madam throw a snowball or two.
The kids played until their noses turned red and their cheeks were flushed with rose, all amidst fits of giggles. Madam Lancaster thought she might have been mistaken; she thought she heard Sam laugh out loud.
But upon closer attention, she saw Sam was just grinning without making a sound.
Madam Lancaster resolved that if Ethan and Emma were indeed being manipulated by evildoers and brought to the Lancaster family with a hidden agenda, she would uncover the truth and rescue the children.
It pained her heart to see such young ones being exploited.
Ethan and Emma were unaware of Madam Lancaster's thoughts; their aim today was to cheer up their great-grandma. Mommy had said that keeping a positive attitude can work wonders, perhaps even cure an illness.
After instructing the kitchen to whip up the children's favorite dishes, Madam Lancaster ensured they had their fill before ushering them upstairs for a nap, finally giving herself a quiet moment to think.
Betty brought a glass of water to Madam Lancaster and fetched the medication from the nightstand, handing her three pills.
"Time for your medication, Madam," Betty said softly.
With practiced ease, Madam Lancaster took the pills, waved off the offered water, and swallowed the bitter tablets dry. Over her years of constant medication, her sense of taste had almost vanished, barely registering the bitterness anymore.
"Betty, tell Simon to keep digging. I'm beginning to suspect that those kids were intentionally sent our way." Madam Lancaster even found herself hoping that Ethan and Emma were truly her great-grandchildren. And the DNA test? Perhaps someone tampered with it.
Was it possible, then, that someone was watching their every move from the shadows?
Madam Lancaster instructed sternly, "Tell him to investigate discreetly and personally. Be careful not to alert anyone."
"Right away, I'll inform Simon," Betty responded with equal gravity.
This seemed serious, and while she wasn't as bright as Madam Lancaster or one to delve deeply into matters, Betty knew her role was to follow Madam Lancaster's orders without question.
Both she and Simon, the driver, had been with the Lancaster family for years, and Mr. Song had a knack for uncovering things. As she contemplated this, Betty went to convey Madam Lancaster's instructions to him.
Simon pondered for a moment. "Does Madam Lancaster suspect that Ms. Kelly might still be alive?"
"I believe so," Betty replied with furrowed brows.
"Alright, I know where to start." He remembered how their initial search into the children's background came up empty. Maybe this time, starting from the tragic childbirth of the young mistress, they'd find some leads.
Meanwhile, Madam Lancaster lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling as she whispered, "My dear husband and my son and daughter-in-law who are with you in heaven, please bless me with the strength to uncover the truth. Guide me to learn if Sophia and those children are indeed still alive."
"If they are, lead me to them."
Madam Lancaster had endured the loss of her husband in her earlier years, later facing the agony of a parent burying her child when her son and his wife passed away. She had hoped for the joy of spending time with her pregnant granddaughter-in-law, but even that turned into grief when she died during childbirth.
Had it not been for her concern for her great-grandson, Sam, she might have already joined her loved ones. Just as her health seemed to be failing, the sudden prospect that the children might be her presumed deceased great-grandchildren – and that her granddaughter-in-law might still be alive – renewed her hope.
Upstairs, three little kids slept soundly, and upon waking, Sam decided to show off just how much his daddy loved him by escorting Ethan and Emma into his usually off-limits art studio.
As Emma walked in, she let out a gasp of awe. The room was a kaleidoscope of paintings, each one radiating beauty and a deep sense of emotion.
Emma might not have been able to put her finger on what exactly made each piece so captivating, but there was no denying they were striking—Sam sure had some serious talent!
With no one else around, Sam started to open up.
"This," he said, motioning around, "is a studio Dad set up just for me. It's kind of my own little sanctuary. Whenever I'm feeling down, I come here to paint. And when I'm happy? Well, I paint then too."
Emma couldn't help but think that Sam's dad must be the world's greatest father.
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