Genius Kids' Scheme Claiming Daddy's Billionaire Empire novel Chapter 294

Chapter 294

Sunlight warmed the living roo as Irene grabbed her purse, keys dangling from her fingers. Matthew’s art show started in less than an hour, and her kids were still howhere in sight.

“Hello? Anyone coming with me today?” she called up the stairs.

Three heads popped over the railing, all wearing the same guilty grin that set off every mom alarm she had.

“Mom!” Lucas yelled down. “We changed our minds! No art stuff today!”

Irene’s eyebrows jumped. “Oh really?”

“Uncle Brandon’s taking us to see race cars instead,” Alex said, pushing his glasses up with ‘one finger.

“The art show sounds boring,” Lily added, “but today we want something with zoom!”

Brandon’s face appeared–hext to the kids, looking like he’d just won the lottery. “Don’t worry about a thing, sis! I’ve got the rugrats covered. Go–enjoy your fancy art!”

Irene folded her arms. This stank worse than gym clothes forgotten in backpacks. These three never willingly ditched her on weekends, and Brandon volunteering for babysitting? That was like one of their pets suddenly learning to cook dinner.

“Okay, what’s really going on?” she asked.

“Nothing!” they sang together, faces so innocent she knew they were up to their necks in trouble.

Irene sighed, wondering what they were plotting this time. Whatever it was, she’d find out soon enough.

“We took care of everything,” Alex said, suddenly all business.

The doorbell rang, making her jump. Before she could move, Lucas was already racing down the stairs, flinging the door open.

Adam waited on her doorstep, sitting in his wheelchair looking nothing like the tough businessman she knew from board meetings. In jeans and a simple shirt, he seemed younger, more approachable.

“We gave Uncle Adam our tickets,” Alex said, appearing behind Lucas “All fixed!”

“You liked looking at the stars that night, right?” Lily added with a big wink that wasn’t subtle at all. “Maybe they’ll have star

pictures!”

Irene’s cheeks burned. These kids weren’t even pretending anymore.

“You guys are impossible,” she whispered.

“You promised him!” Brandon shouted from upstairs. “Can’t back out now!”

Stuck between wanting to hide and giving in, Irene grabbed her jacket. “We’re talking about this later,” she told the kids, who high- fived each other behind her back. Looking at Adam, she asked, “Ready to go?”

“Absolutely,” he said, with a real smile that reached his eyes.

In the car, Thomas drove while neither passenger in the back seemed to know what to say. Irene played with her jacket zipper, super aware of Adam sitting beside her, thinking about that night they shared a drink on the island.

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Chapter 294

“Been a while since we got back, Adam said first. “Been busy with the Snow deal.”

“The kids keep talking about the island non–stop,” she said, happy he broke the ice. “Every day it’s some new wild story about what they discovered there.”

“Kids and their imagination,” Adam said with a smile she’d never sed in business meetings. “I saw how much they liked art. Lucas couldn’t take his eyes off those beach pictures.”

“They don’t get to see much of that,” Irene nodded. “Wesley knows about art, though he never finds time for it.”

“Too wrapped up in his own stuff?” Adam finished for her.

“Yeah, pretty much,” she agreed..

Matthew was pacing, at the gallery entrance, his face brightening when he saw Irene. His smile dropped when Adam’s wheelchair rolled up beside her

“Adam,” Matthew said surprise written all over his fac

“Didn’t expect to see you. I thought the kids were joining us.”

“They picked race cars with Brandon instead,” Adam answered easily. “Irene didn’t want to cancel on you, so I stepped in.”

Matthew kept smiling, but his eyes turned cold. “What timing. I’ve got some new pieces I really wanted to show Irene.”

The tension between them was so thick Irene could almost touch it. She cleared her throat. “Should we go in?”

Inside, Matthew guided them through rooms filled with all kinds of art, showing off how much he knew about each piece and artist.

Irene stopped in front of some ocean paintings, especially one showing moonlight on waves. She couldn’t look away, getting lost in the scene.

“Reminds you of our beach?” Adam asked softly, coming up beside her.

She nodded, smiling slightly. “That night when the moonlight hit the water and-” She stopped herself, suddenly realizing what she was saying.

Matthew appeared on her other side. “What do you think? Not many people know this artist yet, but I think he’s going to be huge.”

“It’s really beautiful,” she said, glad for the change of subject. “Wesley would really like this–he’s into this kind of style.”

Adam didn’t say anything, but she caught him watching which paintings she looked at longest, like he was taking mental notes.

The auction was in another room with rows of fancy chairs. Irene sat between Matthew and Adam, feeling like a referee in a match. she never signed up for.

As prices shot into the millions, Irene kept checking her watch and trying not to yawn.

“Bored?” Adam whispered, spotting her fidgeting.

“There are better pieces coming up that I know you’ll love,” Matthew cut in.

Irene smiled politely. “Everything’s amazing, but spending millions on something to hang on a wall? Not in my world.”

Matthew opened his mouth to say something, but the auctioneer announced another huge bid, drowning him out.

Halfway through, Adam’s phone buzzed. He looked at it, then turned to Irene.

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Chapter 294

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