Genius Kids' Scheme: Claiming Daddy's Billionaire Empire Chapter 59: Uncle Adam Can Help

The triplets froze instantly, their milk-mustached faces turning serious in perfect unison. Three pairs of identical eyes widened as they heard a muffled thud.

"Mom?" Alex called out, milk sloshing over the rim as he slammed his cup down. "What happened? You okay?"

All three children sat bolt upright on the bed, bodies tense like tiny soldiers ready for action.

"I'm fine!" Irene's voice floated through the bathroom door, the strain obvious despite her casual tone. "Ugh, just slipped on the tile. No big deal!"

Lucas and Lily exchanged worried glances while Alex already had one foot on the floor. The forced lightness in their mother's tone wasn't fooling any of them. They'd heard that exact same voice when she'd cut her finger last month but didn't want them worrying.

"Mom, you sure you're not hurt?" Lucas called, his little face scrunching with concern. "Want us to come help?"

"Don't sweat it, sweetie," Irene called back, though the slight catch in her breath betrayed her. "Just a little slip-up. Nothing to freak out about."

*Actually, this hurts like hell*, Irene thought, grimacing as pain shot through her ankle. She'd slipped on the unfamiliar bathroom tile, and her ankle had twisted awkwardly beneath her. To make matters worse, she'd instinctively shot out her hand to break her fall, sending a sharp jolt through her wrist. Both were already starting to throb uncomfortably.

The bathroom floor suddenly felt very cold and very hard beneath her. She took a slow breath, assessing the damage with a doctor's clinical detachment. Ankle: likely a minor sprain, already swelling. Wrist: probably just strained, but definitely painful when flexed.

Outside the bathroom, Alex had already sprung into action. His little legs carried him down the hallway at top speed, his heart hammering with worry. Without hesitation, he skidded to a stop outside Adam's door and knocked with urgent little fists.

"Uncle Adam! Uncle Adam!" His voice pitched high with panic. "Come quick! Mom wiped out in the bathroom!"

The door swung open almost immediately. Adam sat in his wheelchair, dressed in silk pajamas, his expression morphing from surprise to concern at Alex's frantic face.

"What's going on?" he asked, already wheeling into the hallway.

"Mom took a bad fall!" Alex explained, practically bouncing with nervous energy. "She's trying to play it cool, but I know that voice—she's totally hurt!"

Thomas stumbled out of the guest room, hair sticking up wildly on one side. "What's with all the commotion? Heard someone yelling."

"It's Mom!" Alex said, already zipping back toward their room. "She wiped out in the bathroom—and she's trying to act all tough about it!"

When they reached the guest room, Lucas and Lily were camped outside the bathroom door like tiny bodyguards. Their worried faces lit up briefly at the sight of backup arriving.

"She locked herself in," Lily reported, squeezing her stuffed bunny against her chest. "But I totally heard her make that hurt noise—you know, the one she tries to hide."

Adam wheeled up to the door, shooting Thomas a quick look before calling out, "Dr. Sterling? You okay in there? The kids say you took a tumble."

Inside the bathroom, Irene nearly jumped at Adam's voice. *Perfect. Just what I need—an audience for my graceful swan dive*. She'd managed to hoist herself onto the edge of the bathtub, but every time she put weight on her ankle, pain shot up her leg like lightning.

"All good!" she called back, forcing cheerfulness into her voice. "Just got a little too fancy with my dance moves in here. Nothing major!"

Outside, five people waited in various states of concern. The triplets had formed a small huddle near the door, occasionally whispering among themselves. Thomas hovered uncertainly, while Adam sat patiently, his expression unreadable.

Several minutes passed before the bathroom door finally opened. Irene emerged in her pajamas, her hair still damp from the shower. She was clearly trying to walk normally, but the slight limp was impossible to miss. Each step made her wince almost imperceptibly.

"Mom!" The triplets swarmed her immediately, forming their own little protective detail around her. Despite their tiny size, they moved like a well-oiled machine, each taking up position to prop her up.

Alex, sharp as ever, spotted the problem right away. "Whoa, your ankle's all puffy!" he exclaimed, pointing at the angry redness peeking above her slipper. "And look at your wrist—it's totally red!"

Irene brushed it off with a tight smile. "Just twisted it a bit, buddy. Nothing some ice and sleep won't fix."

"Want me to find a doctor?" Thomas blurted, looking genuinely worried.

Irene snorted despite the throbbing pain. "Um, Thomas? You do realize you're talking to a doctor, right?" She limped toward the bed, trying to keep weight off her screaming ankle. "Got any of that good anti-inflammatory cream around? The prescription-strength stuff?"

Adam motioned with his head. "Thomas, grab that medical kit from my bathroom. The fancy one with all the good meds, not the basic one."

"On it, boss," Thomas replied, practically sprinting out the door.

Irene carefully lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, the triplets watching her every move with wide, concerned eyes. When she tried to bend down to examine her ankle more closely, she couldn't suppress a small wince as her wrist protested the movement.

Thomas returned quickly, a substantial medical kit in his hands. "Got all kinds of stuff in here," he said, setting it on the bedside table and flipping it open. "Boss is big on the whole 'better safe than sorry' thing." He dug through the neatly organized supplies, pushing aside bandages and medications before pulling out a tube with a triumphant smile. "Ah! Found it! The good stuff - and look, it's not even expired."

He handed the tube to Irene, who accepted it with a grateful nod. "Thank you. This should help."

As she fumbled with the cap, her wrist protesting every twist, her face scrunched in pain. She was about to slather some cream on when Lucas jumped forward.

"Hold up, Mom!" he said, face suddenly dead serious.

Irene froze, eyebrows shooting up. "What's the matter, sweetie?"

Alex stepped in, looking like a miniature doctor making rounds. "Mom, you know you can't just slap medicine on a sprain like that. Gotta massage it first, get the blood flowing. Otherwise the medicine just sits there being useless." 

Irene couldn't help but smile at his know-it-all tone. "Yeah, yeah, Dr. Alex. I'm familiar with the concept. Let me just—" She reached for her ankle again, but her wrist screamed in protest, sending the tube tumbling from her fingers with an embarrassing fumble.

After a couple more pathetic tries, she finally threw in the towel. Her stupid wrist was officially on strike.

Lily sidled up next to her, eyes all big and worried. "Mom, I saw you babying that wrist. You messed it up when you fell too, huh? Remember what you always tell us—if you don't fix it right now, it'll be way worse in the morning."

Irene had to smile at getting her own lecture thrown back at her. These little mimics didn't miss a trick.

"Your wrist's toast, Mom. No way it can handle the pressure you need for a proper massage," Alex pointed out, sounding suspiciously grown-up. Then, like he'd just had the most brilliant idea ever (though the mischievous spark in his eye said otherwise), he snapped his fingers. "Wait, I got it! Uncle Adam should help you!"