Chapter 309 Eva's Surprise
Randy, stillStill oblivious to the conversation around him, Randy waved excitedly at Martin.
"Daddy, come and see,. tThe game brother Charlie designed is so cool. I bet you can't beat him.
Brother is He's just so awesome."
Charles was deep in the throes of his game when he noticed Martin had returned.
Snapping the laptop shut, he approached his daddy with concern. "Daddy, you're back.
Where's Mommy?"
Randy and Fannie were clueless, leaving Fannie to ask curiously, "Where did Mommy go?"
Martin ruffled her hair gently and said to Charles, "Mommy's back at Riverside Apartments. She's been worn out lately, so she needs her rest. I'll take you kids to see her in the morning."
Charles wished he could see Patricia right away.
But, but he knew that not only Mommy, but also Daddy too must be exhausted from all the running around recently.
His whole frame had slimmed down, dark circles heavily shadowing his eyes.
"Daddy, you should get some rest, too," Charles insisted. "I'll take care of Randy and Fannie. We'll take a bathbathe, and then I'll tuck them into bed. I promise we won't make a peep."
Martin could tell that Charles was growing up fast, becoming more responsible day by day.
"Daddy's not tired yet, buddy. I've been worried sick about you guys,; I haven't seen you in ages!" Glancinghe said, then glanced at the laptop meaningfully, he added,. "What game were you guys playing? Mind if I join?"
Charles gave him a thumbs up.
"Let me walk you through the rules..."."
"Let's do it!"
FatherDad and sons, joined by—plus Fannie, —huddled around the laptop.
Charles took his time explaining the game as if teaching a child.
"It's a puzzle adventure game—pretty straightforward... In each level, there's a mole to uncover. You've gotYou have three tries to find them and move on to the next round. Here, we have coins you can collect coins; they can be traded in for clues if you're stuck, and..."
Martin listened intently, his expression shifting from curious to astonished. Something clicked in his memory.
Something clicked in his memory.
That time Charles and Randy got mixed up that one time, and he accidentally brought home the wrong kid. Then there was the incident with his laptop going haywire, and Charles fixing it in no time—anquickly, expertise not expected in a five-year-old.
Now, itIt wasn't just computer repairs; Charles was explaining game design. And what about viruses?
Connecting the dots with the locations Luke had been tracing, wasn't Riverside Apartments right in that area?
The fleeting thought he had earlier crashed through his mind again. Martin's suspicions grew bolder and crazier as he watched Charles, intently explaining the game rules.
Watching Charles, who was intently explaining the game rules, Martin's suspicions grew bolder and crazier.
Immediately, he was startledStartled by his own ludicrous thought, violently shakingMartin shook his head as if to flingflinging away the absurd idea away.
Impossible.
Even for someone as bright as Charles, he was still just a five-year-old kid.
How could he possibly be C, the computer prodigy who had taken the world by storm?
He had always assumed C to be a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, or at least someone around Luke's age.
Never in a million years had he considered that C might be a mere toddler.
To avoid rousing any suspicion, heMartin pushed down his shock and pretended as if nothing had happened, sitting contentedly with the three little ones, absorbed in their games.
Charles, true to being a game designer, was in his element.
No matter how quick-witted Martin was or how fast he learned, the kid outplayed him with an overwhelming victory.
Nighttime.
After tiring themselves out with play, the three tykes bathed and went to bed. To keep from waking the youngsters, he and Alan entered the living room for a private conversation.
To keep from waking the youngsters, he and Alan stepped into the living room for a private conversation.
"Send someone to look into Charlotte, get. Collect some evidence, and have a DNA test done while you're at it," he instructedMartin said.
Alan, puzzled, asked, "You suspect her?"
Martin replied gravely, "Frank told me there's a mole from Hunter in my midst. TheShe is the only one who's gotten close to me recently, who and just appeared out of nowhere. Her timing's too coincidental.", is her.
Her timing's too coincidental."
"Got it! I'm on it," Alan affirmedsaid as he took his leave.
Martin pulled out his phone and, after much hesitation, texted Patricia.
"Martin: [Are you asleep?"?]
Patricia, lying awake in bed, unable to sleep, saw the message instantly. She hovered over the chat box, typing and erasing repeatedly.
"Patricia: [Not yet—"—]
Feeling it was inappropriate, she deleted it.
"Patricia: [Still awake. You?"?]
That didn't feel right, either. Deleted again.
"Patricia: [You haven't been resting well. Try to get some sleep early—"—]
Realizing this line felt too distant, she scrapped it.
All Martin saw was "Typing..." at the top of the chat for a solid five minutesfive minutes, yet Patricia's message never came through. Impatient, he sent another text.
Patricia's message never came through. Impatient, he sent another text: "??"
Just asMartin: [??]
As Patricia typed in "Can't sleep," preparing to backspace all the way, Martin's message arrived. Startled, she hit send before she intended to.
Martin's lips curved upward almost unconsciously, cradling a handsome arc.. A tenderness he had never exhibited before sparkled in his eyes as he sent over a photo of the three little ones he had just snapped.
In the picture, Fannie laywas lying in the very center of the king-sized bed, with Charles and Randy sprawled on either side.
They flanked her, their arms and legs thrown over Fannie's body in an affectionate imprisonment, rendering her unable to move. Even in the deep throes of sleep, her expression bore a hint of discomfort.
Patricia's eyes misted at the sight of Fannie, snugly ensconced between Charles and Randy. Her heart instantly melted into an uncharacteristic softness, dispelling the gloom that had lingered for days. Her spirits lifted without her even realizing it.
"Patricia: [I miss them so much.".]
Fannie, most of all.
She Patricia was desperate to rush over, to envelop her in an embrace, and hear her sweet voice call out, "Mommy."
A warm glowWarmth filled Martin's chest as he chatted by his texted on the phone for the first time, safeguarding every message that came through.
Being unaccustomed. Unaccustomed to typing, his replies were tentative and slow.
"Martin: [They miss you too. I'll bring them to see you tomorrow.".]
"Patricia: [Let's take Randy to the hospital first. We can't delay his treatment.".]
"Martin: [I'll drop Randy off for his treatment and then bring them to you...".]
"Patricia: [Okay...".]
For the first time, they were engrossed in conversation, hearts undistracted.
In that moment, it It seemed as if none of the turmoil had ever happened; they were like a new couple, reluctant to part, reaching for any topic to prolong their exchange.
And asAs they talkedtexted, Patricia, who had been unable to sleep, unknowingly drifted off while holding her phone.
The next day.
With the crisis averted, Martin got up early. First, he took Charles and Fannie to preschool, then he drove Randy to the hospital.
Just as he was settlingsettled Randy back into his room, the door burst open, and a vivacious figure stormed in, exclaiming, "You're finally here! I've been waiting for you!"
OutShe had clearly run all the way, out of breath, with her hair a tousled mess, she had clearly run all the way.
Taking in her appearance and glancing at her nametag, Martin was taken aback.
"You..."
Eva placed her hands on her hips and spun around .
. "Ta-da! Surprise, surprise... Haha... This is the shockersurprise I mentioned on the phone, the surprise I promised you."
She stood there in her white coat, her long hair neatly tucked under a nurse's cap, her face lightly made up, resembling. She resembled a sprite fallen to Earth —, charming and spirited.
Martin, astonished, blurted out, "You're a nurse at Ivara City Hospital?"
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