Genius Kids' Scheme: Claiming Daddy's Billionaire Empire Chapter 152: A New Doctor from the Past

"Matthew," Irene murmured, her thoughts drifting back to her time in R Country.

Katherine leaned forward. "You know him well?"

Irene spread the medical scans across the coffee table, immediately focused on the brain images. Her finger traced over the complex shadows.

"We worked together for years," she said quietly. "One of the best I've ever seen."

The tumor's location made her stomach knot. Nestled deep within critical neural pathways, one wrong move would be catastrophic.

"Wow," she muttered, tapping a particularly concerning area. "Right up against the speech center. No wonder Matthew's hesitating."

Memories flickered through her mind—Matthew's steady hands during marathon surgeries, his calm voice guiding residents, the way he'd simply been there when she was just "Joy," struggling to build a life in a foreign country.

"He was one of the few people who knew me as Joy," she said, softer now. "Never pried about my past. Just accepted me and the kids as we were."

Katherine pointed to a notation in the file. "He says this is the toughest case he's seen all year. Claims only you can improve the odds."

Irene snorted. "From anyone else, I'd call bluff. But Matthew doesn't play games."

"He's coming back soon," Katherine added. "Partly for this case. They're hoping to schedule surgery as soon as possible."

Irene flipped through the remaining pages, mentally calculating angles and approaches. Despite the complexity, a plan was already taking shape in her mind.

"I'll take it," she said, closing the file with a snap. "Not gonna be easy, but I've got some ideas."

Katherine nodded. "The patient's family will be relieved. Matthew said they've been desperate for hope."

A hint of a smile touched Irene's lips as she gathered the files. "I should look at my old research notes from when Matthew and I worked on similar cases. We had some good approaches."

After Katherine left, Irene lost herself in the case. She barely noticed the afternoon light shifting across the floor until small voices broke her concentration.

"Mom? New patient?"

She looked up to find her kids hovering nearby, hair tousled from their naps and eyes curious. She hadn't even heard them come down.

"Yeah, tricky one," she replied, not bothering to hide the files. Her kids had grown up around medical talk.

"So you're gonna go full zombie mode again?" Lucas asked with the resignation of someone who'd seen this movie before.

Irene nodded, already drifting back to the case. "Need to focus. Go play, okay?"

The triplets traded knowing looks before retreating. They'd seen this plenty—once Mom locked onto a medical challenge, everything else became background noise.

Gathering the files, Irene headed to her study. Time slipped away as she dove deep into research, completely absorbed in the challenge before her.

Adam arrived that evening to find only the triplets in the living room, hunched over trading cards in a circle on the carpet.

"Uncle Adam!" Three heads popped up in perfect sync.

"Where's your mom?" he asked, scanning the room.

Alex stood, slipping into his little-adult voice. "Upstairs with medical stuff. She won't come out till she's done."

"Classic Mom," Lucas added with a shrug.

The casual way they described it told Adam this wasn't new territory—they'd adjusted to their mother's work habits long ago.

He pulled out his phone. "Thomas, have the chef prep dinner and keep it warm. Irene's working." He turned back to the kids. "Hungry? Let's eat while your mom finishes up."

Lucas jumped up. "Starving!"

"Uncle Adam," Lily asked softly as they headed out, "think Mom can help this new patient? Those papers looked super complicated."

Adam met her worried gaze. "If anyone can crack it, it's your mom."

The quiet hum of Irene's computer was the only sound in her study as night settled in. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, organizing everything into a treatment plan. She saved the last document, then leaned back, rolling stiff shoulders.

A glance at her screen's clock made her wince. Past eight already.

*Really lost track of time. Kids must be wondering where I disappeared to.*

Her gaze landed on the drawer holding her other phone—the one linked to her Joy identity. Only a handful of people had that number, and she rarely turned it on these days.

She pulled it out, entered the passcode, and scrolled to "Matthew Hayes." The call connected almost instantly.

"Irene?" His voice came through clear. "Guessing you've seen the case."

"Just finished going through everything," she replied, sliding into work mode. "Complex, but not hopeless."

"So... you'll take it?" Hope and tension mingled in his voice.

"I can get the success rate to seventy percent," she stated. "And you know I don't make promises I can't keep."

His relief was audible. "That's why I reached out. You always deliver. Looking forward to working together again."

His tone softened. "How are the kids? Is Lily still playing piano?"

Irene's expression warmed. "She's getting better all the time. They all ask about you."

"Miss them too," Matthew admitted. "They lit up my clinic."

He paused. "Meeting you and the kids was... different."

"You'll have to visit," Irene said. "The kids would flip."

They covered some technical aspects before ending the call, leaving Irene with that familiar buzz that came from tackling a worthy challenge.

When she finally made it downstairs, she was surprised to find not just her kids and grandfather, but Adam too.

"Mom's alive!" Lily announced, spotting her first.

Irene gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Got sucked in."

Alex rushed over. "Chef made your dinner, Thomas heated it up," he reported. "Uncle Adam said to make that salmon salad you like."

Irene glanced at Adam, touched. He acknowledged her with a slight nod, his eyes carrying a hint of concern.

"Thanks," she said softly. "I'm starving."

After a few bites and some water, Adam spoke up. "Heard you took on a new case?"

"Complex brain surgery," Irene replied, "with a survival twist."

Adam studied her. "Won't that mess with your recovery? You were just sick."

Irene waved it off. "I'm fine. Besides, it's fascinating—old colleague specifically asked for me."

Adam's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Old colleague? From R Country?"

"Matthew Hayes," she explained, her tone shifting to something warmer than her usual clinical voice. "We were a good team back then. If Matthew's struggling with this one, it's something special."

Joseph remained quiet, watching the conversation with interest, particularly noting the subtle shifts in Adam's expression at the mention of Matthew.

Later that night, as the clock neared ten, Irene checked her watch. "Treatment time," she told Adam. "Want to try some new neural points today."

In the treatment room, Adam noticed additional equipment beyond her usual setup.

"Got an idea for a new approach that might speed things up," she explained, adjusting settings with quick, practiced movements.

Adam watched her profile as she worked, her face completely focused. He didn't bring up Matthew again, but something about this doctor from Irene's past caught his attention more than he'd expected. The subtle warmth in her voice when she mentioned his name, the way the kids immediately lit up - whoever this Matthew was, he clearly meant something to Irene beyond just a professional relationship. 

The thought settled uncomfortably in Adam's mind as he watched Irene's hands move with practiced precision across his legs.