Genius Kids' Scheme: Claiming Daddy's Billionaire Empire Chapter 203

Morning light flooded the breakfast table at Emerald Garden as Wesley made his way downstairs. His steps were steadier now, and the dark circles under his eyes had faded slightly. For the first time in ages, he looked almost human.

Brandon perked up instantly. "Well, look who decided to join us!" He kicked out a chair. "Better grab something before these kids demolish everything."

Wesley sat down, his thin face relaxing into something that resembled a smile.

"Sleep okay?" Brandon asked, watching his brother like a hawk.

"Yeah." Just one word, but after years of sleepless nights, it sounded like a miracle.

Wesley looked over at Irene, who was buttering her toast and seemed completely unfazed by his improvement.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

She glanced up. "Don't get too excited. We've just started fixing what's broken. There's still a long way to go, and not every treatment will feel this good. If you quit halfway like with every other doctor, I'm done."

Wesley nodded seriously. "I hope my sister will help me." The word hung in the air between them – an unexpected peace offering.

Irene paused mid-bite, something flickering behind her eyes. Not warmth exactly, but perhaps recognition. The sister label meant nothing to her – she hadn't grown up craving the Sterling name – but his acknowledgment of needing help, that was something she could respond to.

"I'll try," she said simply, neither accepting nor rejecting the new connection.

Brandon grinned from ear to ear. "See? Told you she's amazing! Our sister could probably wake the dead if they annoyed her enough!"

Irene rolled her eyes and stood up. "And you'd still be talking their ears off in the afterlife."

The triplets scrambled after her as she headed for the door, their sneakers squeaking against the floor.

"Where are we going?" Lucas asked, bouncing with each step, always the most energetic of the three.

"To check on Uncle Adam," Lily answered knowingly, her romantic little heart already spinning fantasies.

Alex adjusted his glasses. "Mom needs to talk to him about medical supplies," he stated practically, though his shrewd eyes missed nothing.

"Sure, that's why," Lucas whispered with a giggle.

Adam's place smelled like coffee and fresh laundry. Thomas moved quietly around them while the triplets scattered—Lily sprawling dramatically on the couch, Lucas checking out the chess pieces, and Alex studying the bookshelves with intense focus.

Irene went straight to the point, ignoring how Adam's face brightened when he saw her from his wheelchair by the window.

"Where do you get your medical stuff? The quality's really good."

Adam wheeled closer, his fingers tapping once on the armrest – a small habit he'd developed when pleased to see her. "Make a list. Thomas will take care of it."

She thought for a moment, adding up everything she needed for treating everyone daily.

"Thanks," she finally said. "I'll write it up later."

"You know," Adam said, his voice softer, "you could just say 'thanks' without making it sound like a business deal."

Irene tilted her head, studying him curiously. "You've been extra nice lately. Not that I'm complaining. Just... noticing."

Adam sighed silently. This woman, brilliant as she was, could be remarkably dense about some things.

Thomas shot his boss a look of pure sympathy. The road to winning her heart would be long and difficult – nothing he could help with.

The triplets watched the adults with varying reactions. Alex's analytical gaze missed nothing, Lily pressed her hands to her cheeks in frustration, and Lucas rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Mom's so clueless!" Lily whispered.

"How can someone so smart be so blind?" Lucas added.

Alex adjusted his glasses thoughtfully. "Emotional intelligence doesn't always match other abilities. We definitely need to step up our efforts."

Adam appeared in the doorway around noon, keys in hand. "Got meetings all day and dinner tonight. Don't wait up."

Irene nodded without looking up from her reading. "Got it."

As he walked away, she found herself staring at the empty doorway. A strange feeling washed over her—like they'd done this exact exchange a hundred times before. Like they were playing house without even realizing it.

*What was that about?* She shook her head, trying to clear the thought away. Why did his leaving suddenly make the room feel emptier? Behind her, she caught the triplets exchanging knowing glances, but quickly busied herself with her papers.

At Haven Enterprise, Adam sat in his wheelchair surrounded by reports and spreadsheets, but kept checking his watch. The numbers blurred together while his mind wandered to homework sessions and chess games and the way Irene's eyes lit up when the triplets made her laugh. His fingers tapped restlessly on the wheel of his chair, his focus completely shot.

In a budget meeting, he caught himself sketching a small chess piece on the corner of his notes. When had corporate conquests started feeling less real than breakfast tables with sticky-fingered kids and chess games he purposely lost?

His phone buzzed with his father's name on the screen.

"Dinner tonight," Marcus Haven said without any greeting. "Luxury Vista. Eight o'clock. Car's picking you up."

Adam's grip tightened around the phone. He wanted to say no, to make up some excuse, but years of habit won out. "Fine."

He stared out his office window, suddenly feeling trapped in the empire he'd built. When had boardrooms started feeling less real than breakfast tables with sticky-fingered kids and chess games he purposely lost just to see Irene's triumphant smile?

The rest of the day crawled by in endless meetings. By evening, Adam found himself wheeling into Luxury Vista, following his father through the fancy lobby. The restaurant inside was designed around a water feature, with light dancing across the ceiling and softly illuminated tables arranged for privacy.

Adam took it all in with a distracted glance. *Would Irene like this place? Maybe he should bring her here sometime. Away from patients and treatments, just the two of them talking over dinner...*

The private dining room door opened. Adam wheeled himself in, still half-lost in thoughts of Emerald Garden, automatically positioning his chair at the table.

Then he saw them, and his daydreams of Irene vanished like smoke.

Mr. Wright sat with perfect posture, but it was Samantha who immediately caught Adam's attention. Her face lit up with practiced precision, lips curving into the exact right degree of pleased surprise as she leaned forward slightly, diamond earrings catching the light. Everything about her was calculated for maximum effect.

"Adam, it's been too long," she said, her voice honey-sweet but eyes sharp as they flicked briefly to his wheelchair before returning to his face with well-rehearsed warmth.

Adam's expression shifted from distraction to steel in an instant, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly.

Samantha Wright—his mother's persistent pick for "perfect wife material." The society beauty who'd play the devoted partner role to perfection. The same woman who'd once been treated by a brilliant doctor overseas and spent months complaining about how cold and clinical "Dr. Joy" had been.

The same Dr. Joy who was actually Irene.

The woman who'd been furious to discover her elite medical consultant was now living in the same social circle, ruining Samantha's perfectly orchestrated world.

Something protective ignited in Adam's chest as he adjusted his chair at the table. A battle line formed in his mind, invisible but absolute. These people would never get anywhere near Emerald Garden—never get close to the woman who'd somehow become the center of his world.

Not if he had anything to say about it. And he had plenty.