Genius Kids' Scheme: Claiming Daddy's Billionaire Empire Chapter 274

The door clicked shut behind Irene. Adam was checking emails when Thomas burst in, breathing hard.

"Found them," he blurted. "Jackson's family."

Adam's head snapped up, emails forgotten. "Where?"

Thomas leaned in, dropping his voice. "Suburbs. But we missed them by minutes. Dinner still warm on the table, TV on—they ran." He ran a hand through his hair. "They're in the system for leaving the country. Fresh records."

Adam's jaw tightened. His fingers tapped a quiet rhythm on his armrest.

"Wait, there's more," Thomas added quickly. "The wife—Kelly—she ditched the escape plan at the last second. Never got on the plane. Our guys think she's still in Silver City." A hint of satisfaction crept into his voice. "Wright's people are scrambling worse than we are."

Adam gave him a look that made the room temperature drop. "Next time, all the news at once. Not in chapters."

"Right. Sorry."

Adam turned to the window. "Zero in on the Old Quarter. That's where they'll hide her. Wright's crew will be sloppy—they're panicking."

"On it."

When the door closed, Adam stared at his reflection in the darkened glass. His eyes had turned cold and calculating.

Across town, Samantha wore a path in her bedroom carpet, each step making her heels click angrily. Her security guy hovered by the door looking uncomfortable.

"Disappeared?" She kept her voice down but couldn't hide the fury. "You had one job—stick them on a plane!"

He fidgeted with his earpiece. "They were at the gate. Turned around during the final check and—poof."

"A woman and a kid!" She grabbed a pillow, fought the urge to scream into it. "What, did they sprout wings?"

She spun toward her window, mind racing through scenarios, each worse than the last. If Adam got to them first...

"Find them," she snapped, whirling back. Her voice cracked. "I don't care if you have to tear this city apart brick by brick!"

When the door closed, Samantha crashed onto her bed face-first. *One stupid plan*. That's all it had been—scare that Sterling woman back overseas. Now Tommy was in Adam's hands, his family running scared, and Adam... God, Adam was hunting.

Sleep? Forget it. Every time she drifted off, she saw those cold blue eyes—not angry, worse. Calculating. The look that made CEOs quit before they got fired. By morning, she looked awful.

Her phone buzzed. She pounced on it.

"Got them," her guy said without greeting. "Cheap motel in Old Quarter. Team's closing in."

She sagged against the headboard. "Lock it down. No more mistakes."

After hanging up, she stared at the ceiling. This nightmare might still have an exit. With shaky fingers, she called her father.

"Dad? That Walter thing? We need to speed it up." Her voice found steel with each word. "I need Haven protection. Yesterday."

Morning sun bounced off breakfast dishes as Irene hummed, enjoying the quiet after the triplets headed to school. Her phone lit up, Matthew's name flashing on screen.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked, drying her hands on a dishtowel.

"So... they've come up with this silly solution to our team problem." A sigh came through the speaker. "They want you and Jennifer to face off. Doctor-style."

"What, like a contest? Seriously?" Irene laughed. "What is this, high school? Do we slap each other with rubber gloves at dawn?"

"Pretty much." Matthew's chuckle held no humor. "Whoever figures out a tough case faster gets the team. Jennifer's dad has the board in his pocket, so we need something nobody can argue with."

Irene leaned against the fridge, something waking up inside her—that competitive spark she'd almost forgotten. The doctor who never backed down from a challenge.

"Game on," she said, a smile creeping into her voice. "When?"

"Today good? I can swing by at two."

"See you then."

Matthew's car pulled up at 2:30 sharp. Stepping out at the Medical Center, Irene spotted Jennifer with her friends near the entrance. The younger doctor's face darkened when she saw Irene, her expression souring like she'd bitten into something rotten.

Irene just nodded and kept walking. *Let her glare all she wants. This isn't about drama—it's about medicine.* Today wasn't about office politics or jealousy; it was about proving who was the better doctor. And Irene hadn't spent years becoming the best just to lose to daddy's little girl.

The research floor was packed. Staff from every department squeezed in, whispering like they were at a reality TV finale. Two glass-walled labs sat side by side—like fish tanks where everyone could watch the action.

Director Williams clapped his hands. "Quite the situation we have," he announced, clearly enjoying the drama. "Two great doctors, one leadership spot."

He pointed to the labs. "Same case, same tools. Figure out what's wrong with the patient and how to fix it. Best solution wins the team."

Jennifer stood across the room, practically glowing with confidence. *Daddy's girl thinks she's already won*, Irene thought, meeting her stare without blinking.

"Begin when ready," Williams called.

The lab felt like coming home. Irene ran her fingers over the tools—brain scanners, testing equipment, everything she needed. Through the glass, Jennifer was already digging through files, working fast. But every half minute, her eyes jumped to the observation area—straight to Matthew.

*Big mistake*, Irene thought, turning her full attention to the patient's file.

Severe nerve damage after an accident. Tricky, but nothing she hadn't seen before. Irene's mind clicked into a gear she hadn't used in months. She pulled up similar cases, matched symptoms, checked the newest research. Her fingers flew across the keyboard like she'd never left.

The crowd outside grew. Matthew's voice carried through the glass as he chatted with some researchers.

"You should've seen her work overseas," he was saying. "Changed how we treat nerve problems completely. Been ahead of everyone for years."

Jennifer's head whipped up at that, looking ready to spit fire before forcing herself back to work.

Irene bit back a smile. *Keep watching Matthew instead of your patient, honey. See how that works out.*

The minutes ticked by. Irene built her diagnosis step by step, then created a treatment plan that mixed tried-and-true methods with new ideas she'd developed overseas. She double-checked everything, hit send, and sat back.

"Dr. Sterling has finished," Williams announced, surprise in his voice as he checked the time. "Twenty minutes early."

The crowd murmured. Jennifer started working faster, panic creeping into her movements.

The judges huddled over Irene's work, heads nodding, fingers pointing to different parts. One older doctor actually whistled.

Williams cleared his throat. "The committee all agrees. Dr. Sterling's work shows better accuracy and introduces a breakthrough treatment approach that could really help patients recover better."

He turned to Irene. "The research team is yours."

Jennifer froze, her face going white. Without a word, she stormed out, pushing through the crowd like they were in her way on purpose.

Suddenly Irene was surrounded by the same people who'd given her the cold shoulder days earlier, all smiles and questions and "we should work together" offers.

Later, alone in the quiet hallway, Irene let herself really feel it—that rush of being in her element again. Not just Adam's doctor or the triplets' mom or Joseph's granddaughter, but *Dr. Sterling*. The thrill of solving medical puzzles, pushing boundaries, knowing her work made a difference.

She'd found a piece of herself she'd almost forgotten. And damn, it felt good to have it back.