Genius Kids' Scheme: Claiming Daddy's Billionaire Empire Chapter 335

While Adam and Joseph headed toward the Sterling mansion, an unexpected knock rattled the door of the Claire household across town.

Mike groaned, peeling himself off the couch with zero enthusiasm. "Who the hell's showing up this late?" he muttered, dragging his feet across the carpet, potato chip crumbs stuck to his stained sweatpants.

The moment he yanked the door open, his grumpy expression vanished. Irene stood on his doorstep, her simple outfit somehow looking more expensive than his entire wardrobe.

"I—you—what brings you here?" Mike's slouch disappeared like magic. His face stretched into a smile that wouldn't fool a toddler. "Come in, come in!"

The commotion brought Jenny scurrying from the kitchen, dish soap bubbles still clinging to her hands. Her eyes widened before her face arranged itself into the exact same fake smile.

"Irene! Look at you!" Jenny chirped, frantically wiping her hands on her pants. "Word on the street is you've snagged yourself a Haven! Talk about hitting the jackpot!"

Irene took them both in with a single glance, her face unreadable. "I'll keep this short," she said quietly. "I'm here about Ethan."

She pulled out a sealed envelope. When Mike reached for it, fingers grasping eagerly, she pulled back just enough to keep it out of reach.

"This sets up Ethan's college fund," she explained, watching Mike's hands carefully. "Money goes straight to a dedicated account. Only pays for education—tuition, books, that stuff."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I'll be checking the accounts. Regularly. Try anything funny with this money..." She let the sentence hang there. "Let's just say you really don't want to find out what happens."

Mike's hand retreated like he'd touched a hot stove. "Jesus, Irene. We wouldn't—I mean, Ethan's education is our top priority."

"Always has been," Jenny jumped in, nodding so hard her earrings jangled. "We've been saving for the best colleges—"

"Cut the crap," Irene said evenly. "Ethan filled out every scholarship form by himself. You don't even know what classes he's taking this semester, do you? Or who his friends are?"

A key turned in the lock, interrupting them. The front door swung open, and Ethan trudged in, backpack hanging off one shoulder, looking like he'd lost a battle with his homework. Then he spotted Irene, and his whole face lit up.

"Sis!" He dropped his backpack with a thud and practically tackled her with a hug.

Irene's transformation was instant—her face softened, the ice in her eyes melting as she hugged him back fiercely. She ruffled his hair automatically. "Hey buddy. School kicking your butt or what?"

"Nah, I'm kicking its butt," Ethan grinned, then tilted his head. "Something's off with you. What's up?"

Mike and Jenny exchanged glances before backing toward the kitchen, mumbling about making coffee.

Irene guided Ethan to the couch. She listened as he rattled off stories about debate team drama and a frog dissection disaster that had everyone evacuating the lab. She laughed at all the right places, asked the right questions, her eyes following his animated gestures with obvious pride.

"How about that algebra mess you texted me about? Figure it out?" she asked.

"Yeah! Adam showed me this trick—" Ethan stopped mid-sentence, his teenage radar clearly picking up signals. "Wait a sec. Did you guys fight or something? You get weird when I mention him."

Irene looked startled, then laughed softly. "When did you turn into such a mind reader?"

She fidgeted with a throw pillow. "It's not exactly a fight. It's... messy. Adult stuff. I just need some breathing room."

"Breathing room?" Ethan's eyebrows scrunched together. "You taking off somewhere?"

Irene fixed his crooked collar, a habit that hadn't changed in years. "I need to go back to a place that helped me when I was lost before." Her eyes held shadows he couldn't quite read. "Won't be long, I swear."

"Promise?" Ethan's voice cracked, suddenly sounding younger.

"Cross my heart." She touched her forehead to his briefly. "And hey—you hit any roadblocks, call Adam or Brandon, okay? They've got your back."

At the door, their goodbye hug lasted longer than usual. Irene held onto him like she was memorizing the feel of him.

Standing alone at the corner after leaving, Irene took a deep breath that seemed to empty her entirely. She pulled out her phone and dialed, her knuckles white around the case.

"Hi there. I need the first available flight to R Country, please..."

Meanwhile, Thomas was wrestling with Adam's wheelchair at the Sterling mansion steps, muttering about "accessibility lawsuits" under his breath. Joseph trailed behind them, looking like a man heading to an unpleasant medical appointment.

Before they could even reach for the doorbell, the massive door swung open. Rose and John stood framed in the doorway, looking completely surprised.

"Adam? Joseph?" Rose's hand fluttered to her throat. "This is unexpected."

Adam cut straight to the chase. "Where's Irene?"

Rose's bewilderment seemed genuine. "Irene? Why would she be here? Has something happened?"

John stepped forward. "Is there trouble we should know about?"

Adam's shoulders slumped, the weight on them suddenly visible. Joseph shook his head. "Looks like we bet on the wrong horse."

Rose gripped Adam's wheelchair, her knuckles whitening. "Tell me what's going on. Is Irene okay?"

"She's gone," Adam said, the words falling like stones. "Left a note saying she needed time. I thought she might come here."

Rose's face went paper-white. "Gone where?"

"Wherever she is, I'll find her," Adam said quietly but firmly. "She's not running—she's searching."

Back in the car, Adam stared at raindrops racing down the window. Joseph broke the silence. "Still think she'll end up at the Sterling place?"

"Eventually," Adam nodded, his jaw set stubbornly. "That house is ground zero for her pain. She'll need to face it before she can move forward."

"So what's our next move?" Joseph asked.

Adam's fingers tapped a restless rhythm. "Check on the kids first." His eyes narrowed slightly. "And I've got this gut feeling... she's headed to R Country."

They arrived home to find Brandon wearing a path in the living room carpet. He spun toward them the second the door opened. "Tell me you found her."

Adam shook his head. The hope draining from three small faces on the staircase was almost painful to watch.

"No Mommy?" Lily's bottom lip quivered dangerously.

Adam opened his arms, and they came flying down the stairs like tiny meteors, crashing against him. "Your mom will be back before you know it. That's a promise."

The doorbell interrupted the moment. Brandon yanked it open, hope flashing across his face before disappointment took its place. Ethan stood there, looking like he'd sprinted the whole way.

"Where's my sister?" he asked, still catching his breath.

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**Author's Note:**

Sorry if the chapter break felt a bit awkward—I got so caught up in writing the emotional scenes that I wasn't paying attention to where I cut things off! Just keep reading—I promise the story won't disappoint you!