Chapter 60
Irene padded down the dark hallway, using her phone’s flashlight to guide her way to Grandfather’s room. She tapped lightly on the door, and James appeared almost instantly, like he’d somehow expected her.
“Everything’s totally dark,” she whispered, not wanting to disturb Joseph. “I’m thinking of taking the kids next door. How’s Grandfather doing?”
“Mr. Sterling just took his medication and dozed off,” James whispered back. “He’s sleeping soundly.”
“Thank god,” Irene sighed, relief washing over her. “You should get some rest too, James.”
As she headed back down the hallway, Irene couldn’t shake that weird fluttery feeling in her stomach. It’s just a power outage, she told herself firmly. Not some cheesy romcom setup.
Minutes later, she stood at Adam’s front door with three suspiciously well–behaved children. Her finger hovered over the doorbell for a second before she pressed it, the chime echoing in the quiet evening.
Thomas swung the door open, his eyebrows shooting up. “Dr. Sterling? Is it treatment time already?”
“Actually…” Irene gestured vaguely behind her. “Our power’s completely out.”
“Just your place?” Thomas’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “That’s super weird. This whole area’s on one smart grid. I’ve never heard of just one villa losing power.”
“Yeah, I don’t really get all the tech stuff,” Irene admitted, trying not to fidget like one of her kids. “But we’re sitting in pitch black over there. Could you maybe take a look?”
“Thomas, grab the laptop.” Adam’s voice floated over from his desk, making Irene’s pulse jump for absolutely no reason whatsoever. “Let’s figure out what’s going on.”
Thomas disappeared and returned with his computer, typing furiously as code reflected in his glasses. After a few minutes, he looked up, completely baffled.
“Sir, this is weird. Somehow the two villas‘ smart systems have been forcibly disconnected from each other.”
Adam’s eyes narrowed slightly. The triplets exchanged lightning–fast glances, their faces innocent as angels even while excitement
bubbled underneath.
“The system restoration will take some time,” Adam said finally.
Failed with my system, so they went after hers instead, he thought grimly. Whoever tried to breach his security this morning had clearly just shifted focus next door. Irene and her family were simply caught in the crossfire – no need to worry her with these details. He’d handle the security threat quietly.
As Thomas disappeared into the study with the kids trailing behind him like eager puppies, Irene suddenly realized she was alone with Adam. The air felt thick and awkward between them.
She cleared her throat. “Well, since we’re stuck here anyway,” she said, trying to sound casual, “might as well do your treatment.”
Adam’s mouth twitched. “Always the dedicated doctor, aren’t you?”
“Someone has to be,” she shot back, grateful to slip into her familiar routine. The medical stuff was so much easier than… whatever this tension was.
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Chapter 60
The treatment went as usual, but something felt different – like every casual touch carried a little spark of electricity. When Thomas finally returned, both adults seened weirdly relieved.
“Boss, I called the IT department,” Thomas reported, looking sheepish. “But given how sophisticated this hack is, they can’t promise to fix it tonight.”
Irene’s face fell. “The kids haven’t even had their baths,” she sighed. They never sleep well when they’re not clean…”
Right on cue, the triplets launched their performance.
“Mom, we need our baths!” they wailed in perfect harmony, with Lily adding a dramatic, “I’m scared of the dark! I don’t wanna go back!”
“Don’t you have any emergency lights we could borrow?” Irene asked hopefully.
The triplets froze mid–performance. Three little faces transformed into perfect pictures of panic. Alex’s mouth hung open like a startled fish, Lucas looked like someone had just canceled Christmas, and Lily’s bottom lip started trembling with impressive precision.
Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! Their identical expressions screamed silent alarm. Nobody planned for this!
Lucas shot his siblings a desperate look that clearly said, “We’re toast!” while Alex’s fingers twitched nervously. Lily clutched her stuffed bunny tighter, looking ready to burst into tears though whether from genuine distress or award–worthy acting was anybody’s guess.
But before their whole scheme could fall apart, Thomas accidentally saved the day.
“Actually,” he laughed awkwardly, scratching his head, “this neighborhood never loses power. We don’t keep emergency stuff because the whole area’s on that fancy smart grid. This is literally the first time anything like this has happened.”
The transformation was instant and hilarious. Like puppets whose strings had suddenly been yanked, three drooping heads snapped up at once. Their expressions flipped from devastation to delight so fast it was almost comical. Alex’s eyes lit up with barely hidden triumph, Lucas fake–coughed to cover his grin, and Lily practically vibrated with excitement.
Lucas seized his moment perfectly. “Uncle Adam,” he asked, his voice the perfect mix of hopeful and hesitant, “could we maybe use your bathroom? And… stay the night? Just until they fix everything tomorrow?”
Adam didn’t object to the request. After all, this massive villa had more bedrooms than he could count.
Besides, they were only in this mess because of him – whoever had targeted his systems had apparently moved on to theirs when they couldn’t break through his defenses.
What bothered him was not knowing the hacker’s true objective. The situation wasn’t exactly an emergency, but it wasn’t trivial either. The electrical system connected directly to security protocols if someone compromised those, the consequences could be serious. Yet strangely, there hadn’t been any follow–up attacks. The lack of activity left Adam feeling puzzled and slightly uneasy.
“Of course you can stay,” he replied, putting his concern aside.
After Irene grabbed their stuff from home, the evening took on an almost surreal domestic vibe. The triplets, freshly bathed and adorable in their animal pajamas, sat drinking warm milk while Thomas watched with barely hidden amusement. Even Adam’s usually stern face softened as he watched them.
Alex sipped his milk quietly, watching his mother with thoughtful eyes. Lucas played with the corner of his pillowcase, while Lily swung her little feet happily, her smile practically lighting up the room.
“Finish your milk and brush your teeth before bed,” Irene said, giving Lucas’s small hand a gentle pat. “I’m going to take a shower.”
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Chapter 60
The moment she disappeared, Alex huddled closer to his siblings. “Olay, they’re finally in the same house, he whispered excitedly. “How do we get Mom and Dad to spend more time together?”
Before they could properly scheme, a startled cry echoed from the bathroom.
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