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Genius Kids‘ Scheme: Claiming Daddy’s Billionaire Empe 

Chapter 70 

The haunted house stood before them like something straight out of every horror movie ever made, complete with creepy spires and shadows that seemed to move on their own. Irene stared at the entrance, feeling her stomach tie itself in knots. As a surgeon she’d literally had her hands in people’s bodies, but haunted houses? Those were a whole different kind of nightmare. 

This is ridiculous, she told herself firmly. You’re a professional surgeon for crying out loud. It’s just people in costumes and some special effects. But her sweaty palms and racing heart clearly hadn’t gotten the memo. Years of medical school, and here she was, getting freaked out by what was basically a Halloween party on steroids. 

“This is gonna be amazing!” Lucas was literally bouncing with excitement. Behind him, Alex and Lily were having some kind of intense whispered conversation, shooting suspiciously meaningful looks at Thomas every few seconds. 

Thomas caught their not–so–subtle glances and gave them the tiniest nod possible. After weeks of watching these pint–sized masterminds at work, he’d gotten pretty good at reading their signals 

Joseph squeezed Irene’s shoulder gently. “Think I’ll pass on this one, he said, eyes twinkling. “These old bones prefer a nice sunny bench. James can keep me company.” 

“We’ll stay and protect Great–grandfather!” Alex started to say, but Lily yanked him back so fast he nearly toppled over. 

“Are you crazy?” she hissed, hands planted firmly on her hips. “We’re Uncle Adam’s official bodyguards, remember?” The look she shot Alex practically screamed don’t mess up the plan, dummy! 

The moment they stepped inside, Irene’s doctor brain went into overdrive. “Maybe we should check the-* 

“Mom!” Three identical expressions of pure exasperation turned her way. “Can you not turn this into a medical assessment?” 

The ticket collector droned through the standard safety speech while the triplets did this elaborate series of hand signals behind their backs that looked like they’d invented their own secret language. 

As they moved into the darkness, the temperature dropped like someone had cranked the AC to max. Fake fog swirled around their feet, and somewhere in the distance, chains rattled in a way that was definitely not helping Irene’s nerves. 

“Stay where I can see you,” she called out automatically, though the kids were already clustered around Adam’s wheelchair like the world’s tiniest security detail. 

The first displays weren’t totally awful – just your standard creepy furniture and dolls. Then a ghost literally materialized out of thin air right in front of them. Irene jumped back with a strangled sound that was absolutely not a scream, her hand flying to her chest. Thomas let out this amazing high–pitched yelp that echoed through the entire corridor, and Irene felt weirdly relieved. Thank god she wasn’t the only adult being a total mess about this. 

“Oh my god,” Irene muttered, trying to get her heart rate somewhere below hummingbird levels. She could feel her face burning. Way to keep it professional, she thought. Getting scared of holograms while your kindergarteners are handling this better than you. 

“Cool effects!” Alex commented, sounding more like a tech reviewer than a five–year–old. He caught Thomas’s eye and made this super subtle gesture that somehow meant not yet. 

Thomas kept up his performance of being totally freaked out, partly because this place was actually pretty scary, but mostly because he’d noticed how it seemed to help Dr. Sterling feel better about her own obvious terror. Every time he jumped or screamed, her death grip on her sleeves would loosen just a tiny bit. 

Then they entered what was clearly meant to be Hell itself, and the triplets‘ faces lit up with identical looks of pure mischief. This was exactly what they’d been waiting for. 

The narrow hallway opened into this massive chamber that looked like a horror movie set designer’s dream come true. These super 

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Chapter 70 

realistic–looking flames danced along the walls, throwing weird shadows everywhere, and the temperature suddenly shot up like someone had opened an oven. 

Lucas shot Thomas this lightning–quick look, and Thomas responded with a nod so subtle you’d miss it if you blinked. Game time. 

That’s when it happened – this massive skeleton, complete with tattered robes and creepy glowing red eyes, came swooping down from the ceiling with the most horrific shriek imaginable. Irene’s survival instincts kicked in hard, sending her dropping into a defensive crouch faster than she could think. Her heart literally stopped for a second before going completely crazy, blood rushing in her ears like a tidal wave. 

This is so stupid, some distant part of her brain tried to argue. You’ve literally held human hearts during surgery. A plastic skeleton shouldn’t- Another prop chose that exact moment to screech to life nearby, effectively shutting down any attempt at rational thought. 

Her hand shot out automatically, grabbing for anything stable – which just happened to be Adam’s hand. 

The triplets pounced on their cue like they’d been waiting for it their whole lives. 

“Oh my god, look at that shiny thing over there!” Three voices rang out in suspiciously perfect sync. They took off running like they were trying out for the Olympics, moving with the kind of coordination that definitely suggested practice. 

Thomas jumped into action like a pro. “Hey! You can’t just run off like that!” He managed to nail that perfect mix of panic and authority in his voice. “Dr. Sterling, I’ve got to catch them! Can you keep an eye on Mr. Haven for a minute?” 

Before Irene’s brain could catch up with what was happening, Thomas had vanished into the darkness after the kids, though not before shooting Adam this lightning–quick wink that Irene totally missed. 

Around the corner, safely hidden in the shadows, three tiny conspirators exchanged silent high–fives with their favorite partner in 

crime. 

“That was literally perfect!” Lucas whispered, practically vibrating with excitement. 

“Thomas Uncle, you deserve an Oscar!” Lily added, trying so hard not to giggle. 

“Operation Get–Mom–and–Dad–Alone is officially in progress,” Alex declared with all the satisfaction of a master strategist. 

Thomas couldn’t help grinning. “You three are seriously dangerous, you know that?” 

“Shhh!” Lily pressed her finger to her lips. “They need privacy for their romantic moment!” 

Meanwhile, completely oblivious to her children’s elaborate matchmaking trap, Irene still clung to Adam’s hand as if it were the only real thing in this chamber of manufactured horrors. 

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