The triplets sprawled across the dining table, each absorbed in their own projects, Alex tackled advanced math problems, Lucas arranged colorful stock charts, and Lily filled her music notebook, humming softly. 

The doorbell broke their concentration. Three heads shot up before facing to answer. 

Adam waited on the porch, a bakery box balanced on his lap. Thomas had already retreated to the car. 

“Uncle Adam!” Lily bounced on her toes. 

Adam rolled in, his expression softening. “Thought you might want company for lunch.” 

Lucas eyed the box. ‘Heart Delights?” 

“Maybe.” Adam’s mouth twitched. He opened the lid to reveal decorated cupcakes, triggering an eruption of cheers. 

Joseph appeared, leaning on his cane. “Started a riot, I see.” 

As the kids set the table, Adam glanced around. “Your mom around? 

Alex shook his head. “Hospital emergency. Brain surgery patient had complications.” 

“She’ll be working late,” Lucas added. 

“Called in just today?” 

“Yeah, but it happens all the time,” Alex shrugged. “In R Country, sometimes she wouldn’t come home for a whole week when things 

got crazy.” 

Adam’s fingers froze on his armrest. This casual revelation painted a completely different picture than the woman who’d fallen asleep against his shoulder last night. 

“A week?” he echoed. 

“Mom always made sure someone stayed with us,” Lily explained, setting down glasses. “But we still missed her.” 

Around the lunch table, Adam found himself studying each child, seeing fragments of Irene he saw her resilience in how they’d adapted. 

in them. Beyond physical resemblance, 

“Who looked after you?” Joseph asked, his gruff voice softening. 

“Usually Katherine–Mom’s assistant,” Alex said, reaching for a cupcake. “Sometimes Emily, our godmother.” 

Adam’s eyebrows lifted. Godmother? I didn’t know she had close friends in R Country.” 

“Emily Wilson,” Lily nodded enthusiastically. “She’s amazing! Helped Mom tons in R Country.” 

“Never got mad when we asked a million questions during procedures,” Lucas added. “She’s a doctor too.” 

Adam’s jaw flexed slightly–the only crack in his poker face. Emily Wilson. A name worth remembering. Someone who knew the parts of Irene’s life he was only beginning to discover. 

“Was it hard?” Adam asked carefully. “With your mom working so much?” 

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Chapter 193 

The triplets exchanged glances 

“She worked super long hours, Alex explained, “but always checked hur homework, even if it was by video call from the hospital. 

“Once she drove three hours after a surgery just to see our school play, Lily added proudly. 

‘She almost crashed her car after working seventy–two hours straight Lucas mentioned casually. 

Adam felt his stomach twist. He tried picturing Irene–the confident doctor–alone in a foreign country, juggling demanding surgeries while raising three children by herself. 

Joseph’s face darkened. She never told me any of this…lis voice trailed off, eyes distant with memories. 

Adam didn’t pry further, recognizing the weight of unspoken family history. Instead, he turned back to the children. 

Midway through lunch, a phone rang. Lily hopped up to grab it from the counter. “It’s Mom!” she announced, answering and putting it on speaker. 

“Hey babies, just checking it,” Irene’s voice came through, the hospital bustle faintly audible in the background. “Everything okay at 

home 

“We’re great! Uncle Adam’s here,” Alex replied. 

A brief pause. “Oh? Adam’s there?” 

“He brought cupcakes,” Lucas added. “From Heart Delights.” 

“I see,” Irene said, her tone shifting slightly. “That was… thoughtful. 

Adam leaned forward. “Your patient stabilized?” 

“Adam, hi.” Something softened in her voice. “Yes, we’ve got him stable now. Thanks for checking on the kids.” 

“They’re excellent company,” he replied, surprised by how much he meant it. 

After a few more exchanges, they said goodbye. As Lily set the phone down, Adam caught himself smiling. The triplets exchanged glances, clearly noting his expression. 

“Want to see my chess set?” Alex asked, already heading to retrieve it. 

Adam found himself drawn deeper into their world. Alex challenged him to chess, displaying strategy that would impress college players. Lily shared her music compositions. Lucas showed his financial notebooks filled with surprisingly accurate analysis. 

“Your mom encouraged all this in R Country?” Adam asked. 

The question unleashed more stories–their apartment, the neighborhood playground, neighbors who sometimes brought them food. 

Adam absorbed every detail, building a mental image of Irene’s life before Silver City. The woman emerging from these stories was both familiar and strange–the same determination he’d witnessed, but wrapped in a warmth and vulnerability he’d only glimpsed. 

Who was she when she wasn’t being Dr. Sterling? What had shaped her? 

As Joseph watched the children speak about their mother, a mixture of pride and concern crossed his face. Though he’d been helping Irene since her return, these stories revealed just how much he’d missed during those difficult years abroad. 

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Chapter 193 

By evening, Adam had returned to his office, attempting to focus on reports awaiting his attention. He d just opened a financial analysis when Thomas burst though the door without knocking, face alarmed. 

‘Boss, we’re in trouble! Thomas’s voice cracked. ‘System’s under attack–all firewalls breached, they’re hitting the core database? 

Adam’s expression hardened instantly, thoughts of Irene vanishing as he snapped into crisis mode. “How bad?” 

‘Most sophisticated virus they’ve ever seen. Targeted attack–they know exactly where to hit. 

Adam’s fingers drummed his armrest. ‘Cut all external connections. Bolate core systems now. Who has this capability?” 

“Initial analysis points to Stephenson Group. Since that R Country conflict…” 

“Find out who’s behind this. Whatever it costs.” Adam rotated toward the window, city lights spreading below. “Activate emergency protocols. Get our best team on this.” 

As Thomas rushed out, Adam analyzed the timing and sophistication A successful attack could tank their stock price and shatter partner confidence. Years of work could unravel in hours. 

Every business instinct told him to focus exclusively on this threat. For years, the company had been his singular priority, his entire 

identity. 

Yet strangely, amid these urgent calculations, his thoughts kept drifting to Irene. Lucas had casually mentioned how she’d nearly crashed her car after working three days straight. A thread of worry wound through him at the thought of her pushing similar limits 

now. 

The realization caught him off guard. Facing potential company catastrophe, how could he spare thought for someone else’s wellbeing? 

He dialed his Chief Technology Officer. “Updates every thirty minutes on the attack,” he ordered. 

Hanging up, he turned back to his desk, determined to refocus. His eyes fell on the stack of documents–business reports, analyses, proposals. 

But sitting atop them all was Irene’s treatment plan, her handwriting precise and confident on the page. 

Adam stared at it for a long moment, caught between two worlds–the company crisis demanding immediate attention, and the unexpected connection forming with a woman whose life had been so different from his own. 

As alerts flooded his phone, he found himself in uncharted territory. For the first time in years, Haven Enterprise wasn’t the only thing that mattered. 

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