Chapter 139

"Evelyn, I'm going to pick up some groceries. You should rest if you're tired," Clara said, adjusting her scarf by the doorway.

Evelyn methodically unpacked their suitcases, carefully placing each item in its designated spot.

"Drive safely, Mom. I'm fine though - I'll finish organizing our things."

"Alright, I won't be long."

The moment the front door clicked shut, the house was enveloped in peaceful stillness.

Evelyn worked efficiently, quickly sorting through their belongings before moving to check on the children.

Lily lay curled up in deep slumber, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. Beside her, Henry's eyes were closed but his fingers twitched slightly - a sign he wasn't fully asleep.

As Evelyn quietly retreated from the room, an uncharacteristic shadow crossed her normally composed features.

Henry was physically healthy, yet fundamentally different from other children his age.

The boy maintained an impenetrable silence around anyone outside their small family circle.

At four years old, he'd never set foot in a classroom.

Evelyn had lost count of the medical specialists they'd consulted.

Every test result came back normal - remarkably so. Scans showed his cerebral cortex development far exceeded average levels.

The challenge wasn't physical, but psychological.

Even the most renowned child psychiatrists couldn't unravel the mystery of Henry's selective mutism.

At least Lily presented no such complications.

While reserved with strangers, she could express herself when needed.

The sudden vibration of her phone startled Evelyn from her thoughts.

"Have you settled in okay, Evelyn?" Wesley Ashford's familiar voice came through the receiver.

"We're all moved in. The kids are napping and Mom's out shopping," Evelyn replied, keeping her voice low. "When's your flight back? We should catch up when you return."

"I'll contact you as soon as I land," Wesley said before his tone shifted. "There's something you should know. Five years ago, Dominic Blackwood commissioned Professor Whitmore for a highly confidential project. Even I wasn't privy to the details. Three days ago, Dominic began investigating all of the professor's former students."

Evelyn's grip tightened on her phone. "What exactly is he searching for?"

"When authorities reviewed the professor's final communications, they found a recorded call with Dominic. Professor Whitmore mentioned transferring the case to one of his students, but passed before specifying who." Wesley hesitated. "Evelyn... I believe that student was you."

A cold wave washed over Evelyn.

"There's no way I could solve something the professor couldn't crack in five years."

"Nobody is more qualified. The professor once told me your abilities had surpassed his own..." Wesley paused meaningfully. "Knowing you're avoiding Dominic, I excluded your name from the student list provided. I only submitted graduates who pursued medical degrees. No one knows you continued working with the professor post-graduation. You're safe."

"Thank you, Wesley." Evelyn exhaled in relief. "Dinner's on me when you're back!"

Her children's safety was non-negotiable.

Any connection to Dominic Blackwood was a risk she couldn't take.

"Just be careful. You're in his territory now."

Later that evening at 9 p.m., Henry and Lily sat cross-legged on their shared bed, their matching pajamas bathed in the soft glow of the bedside lamp.

"Did you find out about our dad, Henry?" Lily whispered eagerly.

Henry's expression remained impassive as he answered, "Julian Whitmore."

"Really? That's his name?" Lily grabbed her brother's arm, eyes shining with excitement. "How did you know? What's he look like?"

Henry's brow furrowed in a frown that eerily mirrored Dominic's signature expression.

Without a word, he slid off the bed with Lily close behind.

Henry opened his laptop to reveal a hospital record photo.

"That's Julian Whitmore. Our father."

Earlier that afternoon, he'd hacked into Ravenswood Medical Center's database, uncovering Evelyn's maternity records from four years ago. The documents clearly listed Julian Whitmore as the father of her children.