Chapter 351 The Child Left at the Doorstep
(Revised)
Six months later, dawn broke with the first light of morning.
As usual, Martin got the three kids up, went through the morning rituals of grooming and breakfast, and then drove them to school.
Thanks to Frank's meticulous care after the second surgery, Randy's heart condition was cured, making him a healthy, normal kid.
Every day, the three of them traveled to and from school together.
Although Martin no longer neglected eating and sleeping in his frantic search for Patricia, he never gave up the quest to find her.
Dead or alive, no body meant hope. And so, as another day passed without a corpse, the belief that Patricia was still alive held fast in his heart.
Charles was the fastest on his feet, shouldering his backpack and slipping into his shoes well ahead of Fannie and Randy.
"Come on, you two!! We're gonna be late!"!" he called outsaid.
"Just a sec, just a sec—! I'm pinning my hair and. I'll be there!"," Fannie called backreplied.
"Wait for me, bro!. Gotta take a leak..." Randy's voice trailed from the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Martin was in his room, changing clothes.
Charles rolled his eyes, readying another to give another prodreminder, when a baby's cry pierced the waiting silence.
"Huh?" Curiosity piqued.
What was going on?
Why was there a baby crying?
Their apartment took upoccupied the whole floor; there shouldn't be anyoneno one else hereshould have been there.
Puzzled, Charles swung the front door open.
There, on the ground, lay a cardboard box. Inside, a baby with big, round cheeks and eyes was crying its heart out, probably from hunger,. Its lips parted in a loud wail, and tears cliunging to its long lashes.
"Who would leave a baby out here?" Charles mused, habitually reaching for the kids'his kid-safe cell phone to check the security footage habitually.
The screen showed a figure, slender and hard to distinguish as male or female, cloaked in black with a cap and mask, placing. The person placed the child at their doorstep at six in the morning before disappearing.
It The person seemed the person was wary of being discovered, opting to take the stairs instead of the elevator after abandoning the child.
The baby's cries soon drew Martin and the siblings, Randy and Fannie, who hurried to the scene.
"What's going on, bro? Why's there a baby crying?" Randy asked, puzzled.
"What happened, Charles?" Fannie pressed for information.
"Someone left a baby on our doorstep at six this morning," Charles explained, still in disbelief.
"WHAT?" The others exclaimed in unison, shocked.
The familiar scene sent chills down Martin's spine; he rushed to the door and, with a surge of emotion, gently lifted the baby.
Six years before, it was Randy who had beenwas left at the gates of Ellenstein Villa District.
Now, six years later, history was repeating itself.
Could it be that Patricia had brought this child to them? Did that mean Patricia was alive? Was this their child?
Did that mean Patricia was alive?
Was this their child?
The horrifying guess left him too shaken to speak.
Charles frowned in confusion as he said, "I just checked the surveillance footage. Someone definitely did it on purpose. This is abandonment!. What's with people these days? IfWhy have one if they don't want to raise a child, why have one at all?"
Martin didn't respond; instead, he carefully cradled the infant in his arms and gently placed her on the couch, quickly checking to determine the baby's gender.
It—it was a little girl.
The chill of October was setting in, and the baby was stark naked except for a thin blanket haphazardly wrapped around her, her lips turning a worrying shade of blue.
He immediately dialed Alan.
"Get me baby supplies—formula, bottles, clothes, diapers, a crib, and a nanny..." Martin's voice was both crisp and assertive as he listed the necessities.
Alan was shocked.
"B-Boss, why do you need all this stuff?" heAlan stammered.
Suddenly, the cries of the baby filled the background.
Alan thoughtThinking he must have misheard. Incredulously, he, Alan asked, "Boss, is that a kid crying? Where did the baby come from?"
Could it be that the boss couldn't cope with his wife's passing and, in a moment of insanity, had stolen a child to raise?
Martin had no time for explanations, and his patience was wearing thin.
"Hurry up, it has to be here within an hour!"," he insisted, and hung up abruptly, holding the weeping child closely against him. He paced back and forth in the living room, expertly patting her little back and softly humming a lullaby to soothe her.
He exuded a gentle patience.
There was no awkwardness in his touch.
The three little ones came in and stood still, watching the scene unfold before them.
Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing Martin in its warm glow, and for a moment, his face seemed to blur into that of Patricia's.
Tears welled up in the children's eyes instantly. They missed their mommy so much. It had been a whole six months. Though they felt in their hearts that their mommy was still alive, nowhere to be found.
They missed their mommy so much.
It had been a whole six months.
Though they felt in their hearts that their mother was still alive, nowhere to be found.
As time passed, they had begunbegan to doubt themselves, wondering if they should start accepting reality.
Charles quickly composed himself, took a deep breath to stifle the surge of longing, and asked, "Daddy, are you thinking about adopting this kid? I never knew you had such a big heart."
The baby was well-behaved and soon fell asleep, sucking her thumb in Martin's embrace.
Sitting down on the couch with her, Martin gestured for his children to come closer and whispered,. "Take a good look at her face. Does she remind you of anyone?"
The three kids immediately huddled around, fixing their gaze intently on the baby girl's face.
The baby was so tiny, mere wisps of a thing that might've tipped the scales at just five or six pounds. Her face, with delicate wrinkles, suggested she might have been born premature, or perhaps was simply undernourished.
Despite that, it was clear she was beautiful.
Fine eyebrows arched over a pronounced little nose, and her rosy, cherry-like lips hinted at future beauty.
Suddenly, they all widened their eyes in disbelief, turning their gaze towards Martin.
Charles was the first to find words. "She... she looks just like Mommy. She couldn't be... our sister, could she?"
Martin gently stroked the baby's forehead, feeling the softness of her skin and the warmth of her body, and felt his heart melting.
"That's my guess, but let's wait for a DNA test to confirm everything," he replied.
Realization dawned on Fannie, and tears came tumbling down:. "If she's our sister, does that mean Mommy might still be alive?"
Martin nodded in silence.
All The three kids started crying in unison.
Randy and Fannie hugged each other tightly, their sobs heart-wrenching.
Charles bit his lip, refusing to let any sound escape.
The emotion in the room grew thick, and even Martin's eyes reddened as he held the baby a little tighter, as if wanting to press her into his very soul.
InAlan arrived in less than an hour, Alan arrived with a trove of baby supplies.
The nanny prepared some formula, ready to feed the child, but Martin—clutching the baby— wouldn't let go of her. He naturally took the bottle and began to feed her himself.
The baby was starving, latching onto the bottle and sucking vigorously.
She drank so eagerly that milk dripped down from the corners of her mouth.
The three youngsters watched her feed, completely smitten, as if they could never get enough of the sight.
After she was full, Martin propped her up against his shoulder to burp her. His motions were fluid, the deftness of someone who'sd done this many times before.
Once she had eaten her fill, the little one drifted back to sleep.
Martin gently placed her in the crib, tucking her in and wiping the milk from her lips with tender care, his eyes soft with affection.
Alan, who'd been silently watching, finally found a moment to ask Martin,. "Sir, this child is...?"
Martin met his gaze, plucked a strand of hair from the baby's head, and then from himself, Charles, Randy, and Fannie, carefully labeling them before handing them to Alan.
"Take this for a DNA test yourself — and bring me the results as soon as they're ready."
Alan graspedGrasping the urgency, Alan grabbed the hair sample, and hurriedly raced out the door without a moment's delay.
Chapter352
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
