Chapter 409 Inconveniencing Everyone
Thalassa had taken Chicago for her fever treatment. She had planned to take her back to the hotel, but she resisted, so eventually, Thalassa had no choice but to bring Chicago back.
Fiona gathered her into her arms, cheek to forehead, relieved to find the fever gone.
"Mommy, Chicago is all better now," Chicago murmured, nestled in Fiona's embrace while gazing at the sleeping Darwin. She itched to reach his face to ensure he was breathing normally.
"You're so brave, Chicago," Fiona praised, warming her daughter's excellent hands. "Could you do Mommy a favor?"
"Sure," she agreed without hesitation.
"We've been out for quite a while, and your brother is alone at the hotel. He must be worried. Could you go keep him company for me?" Fiona asked softly.
Darwin was still receiving glucose due to significant blood loss, and they had yet to conclude the observation period.
Chicago glanced at Darwin, torn.
Thalassa crouched to speak with Chicago. "You need to give Mom and Dad some alone time. It helps their relationship."
Fiona was shocked.
Burl and Thalassa were out of line, each more than the last.
Chicago's brow furrowed briefly before she wriggled out of Fiona's arms. "Okay, I'll go now!"
Fiona was speechless; she had been convinced.
Thalassa certainly had a knack for the unconventional approach.
But still...
Fiona cupped Chicago's ears. "Did you tell her that her dad and I have a bad relationship?"
"Are you joking?" Thalassa replied incredulously. "Honey, believe in yourself. Even a five-year-old could tell if you and Darwin had a bad relationship."
Fiona was at a loss for words as the child blinked in confusion, looking from Fiona to Thalassa.
Thalassa eventually escorted Chicago away.
When they returned to the hotel, they bumped into Charles and Kenny, who were about to enter the elevator.
"Chicago!"
When Charles saw his sister, he immediately went to her.
She was still wearing the blood-stained clothes from the incident in Chicago, which looked alarmingly stark.
Charles had already stumbled across the news online and even found a video of the event.
That's why he rushed to the hospital, ignoring Kenny's advice against it.
"Don't worry, big bro; Chicago's fine, and so is Dad. The awesome doc said they won't leave any scars on Dad!" Chicago spilled out everything in one breath, then suddenly remembering something, added, "And my fever's gone. I even had ice cream!"
"You had a fever?" Charles was even more shocked.
Chicago fell silent.
Oops! Big brother didn't know! Ah, my big mouth!!
"Charles, there's a bunch of reporters downstairs; you can't go out there," Thalassa squatted down in front of Charles. "Look, Chicago is confident enough to return; Dad's okay. Mom's with him; we need to keep an eye on him for a bit longer, and if there are no other issues, he'll be back."
"Why didn't any of you tell me?" Charles was angry. "Because I was sick? So I don't have the right to know that my dad and sister were attacked?"
It was rare for Charles to get angry. He was always a calm presence. Even his occasional bad moods never reached a boiling point. But now, his anger was palpable.
Thalassa didn't know what to say to Charles and was at a loss for words.
Turning around, Charles's face was steely as he strode toward his room.
Chicago hurried after him, "Big bro, slow down! I can't keep up!"
Even though he was still mad, Charles's steps noticeably slowed down amid his anger.
Thalassa stood straight, looking helplessly at Kenny. "What do we do? I've never calmed Charles down before."
Because Charles was always so rational, sometimes, when she was frustrated, it was Charles who would come out with a line that broke the tension.
"Maybe Chicago can cheer him up?" Kenny suggested after thinking for a moment.
Thalassa had a lightbulb moment, slapping her forehead. "Right, leave it to Chicago!"
"What are you doing? Your forehead's all red. Why are you striking yourself?" Kenny pulled away Thalassa's hand; her fair skin reddened quickly, and now her forehead was a patch of red.
Meanwhile, Xavier swiftly took control of everyone who had appeared at the cemetery that day with his team, moving with a speed that offered no chance for resistance.
The old man Aria, who'd arranged everything and was confused, blurted out, "Aren't you Darwin's bodyguard? Instead of protecting him, you come here; what's this all about?"
"Yeah, I read online that Brother Darwin was attacked. Why aren't you protecting him but coming over to our place?" Aria's young companion practically shoved his phone in Xavier's face.
Xavier remained unshaken.
"Sorry about this, folks." Xavier turned to Aria. "We need to investigate and find out who among the attendees of the old lady's funeral today might have had contact with Ember. Until we conclude, I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause everybody."
His gaze was sharp as he spoke, sweeping across every face in the courtyard, trying to spot any signs of irregularity. However, the reactions were all similar—a mix of shock and disbelief.
"Who in the world is Ember? I've never heard of her. I've got a plane to catch to Malaysia tonight to check on some supplies. I can't afford any delays!" a woman exclaimed loudly.
"Brother, I don't know an Ember either! Look, here's my phone. You can check my contacts!" a middle-aged man offered, trying to hand his phone to Xavier.
Xavier, with hands clasped behind his back, remained unmoved. "No need for your phones. We have our methods to determine who has been involved with Ember."
"This is ridiculous!" someone protested.
"Yeah, we're practically family to Darwin. How can you treat us this way?"
"Enough!" Aria commanded with a voice that carried authority. After his firm reprimand, the once-boisterous crowd fell silent.
"Ember is the lunatic you just watched in that video," Aria stated gravely.
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Xavier looked at Aria with suspicion. Seeming to understand his doubt, Aria explained, "After the chemical plant incident, the CEO tasked me with resettling the victims. Ember's case was peculiar, so it stuck with me."
"Exactly. The madwoman who attacked Mr. Solomon is Ember," Xavier declared with confidence. "The old man knew her. Now tell me, given Ember's off-kilter state, she couldn't have carefully planned this—finding the old lady's grave or ambushing Mr. Solomon at his hotel in Chicago. Someone is pulling her strings, and that person is among us."
Xavier's presence was commanding, his eyes sweeping over each face like a hawk searching its prey. The crowd fell momentarily silent, then burst into a chorus of denials.
"Twenty years ago, I was just a kid. I had no idea who Ember was or what happened at the chemical plant!"
"Yeah, you make it sound like it could be any of us!"
The murmuring continued unabated, and soon another issue arose.
"Why can't I send out any messages from my phone?"
"Me too! And I can't even access the internet!"
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