Genius Kids' Scheme Claiming Daddy's Billionaire Empire novel Chapter 373

Chapter 373

Irene’s head snapped up, panic ashing across her face. “Why would you suddenly ask about that? The warmth drained from her voige as she unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself.

Her breathing quickened as she shifted toward the corner of the sofa creating a gulf between them that felt wider than the actual inches.

Adam immediately recognized his mistake, regret washing over his features. Shit, I’m sorry,” he said, lowering his voice. I shouldn’t have ambushed you with that question.” He reached out but stopped mid–air when she tensed, letting his hand fall back to his side.

Irene stared at the floor, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “I’ve never talked about this with anyone, she admitted, voice barely audible. “Every time I think about it, my chest just… closes up.”

She lifted her eyes, vulnerability replacing her usual composure. “Suven years, Adam. For seven years I’ve wondered what would happen if the truth came out. A humorless laugh escaped her. “I’d lose everything.”

“Hey, don’t say that,” Adam moved closer but maintained enough distance to respect her space. “This is on me. I wasn’t thinking.” His eyes softened. “I just wanted to understand, to help somehow.”

“You don’t get it,” she said, shaking her head. “How can I explain to my kids something I don’t even understand myself?” Her voice cracked, “Lily once asked why we don’t have any pictures of her dad. had to make something up on the spot.”

She ran a hand through her hair. “And Lucas… God, when he asks about his father, I literally feel like I’m having a panic attack. She looked directly at Adam. “You know what the worst part is? I don’t even know how to describe the man.”

Her voice sharpened. “Ever had your own brain betray you? It’s like having a black hole where memories should be.”

She dropped her gaze. “Sometimes I think forgetting might be a mercy. Maybe the truth is worse than anything I could imagine.”

Adam took a deep breath. “Listen to me,” he said, his voice low and steady. He gently tilted her chin up. “Those kids will never leave you. Never.”

His thumb brushed away a tear from her cheek. “They see how you fight for them every single day. How you’d move mountains for them without a second thought.”

“I didn’t ask to hurt you,” he continued. “I want to help you face this so it stops haunting you.”

His eyes held a promise. “Whatever we find, we face it together. I won’t let anyone hurt you or the kids.”

Irene’s breathing gradually slowed. She leaned back, eyes fixed on some distant point.

“I get these… flashes sometimes,” she said quietly. “Rain. It was pouring that night.” Her fingers tapped against her leg, mimicking raindrops. “I remember the sound on the windowpane, water dripping somewhere nearby.”

She closed her eyes. “Dim lighting. A bed. There was a clock on the wall, ticking so loudly.”

Her eyes flew open, confusion clouding them. “Then nothing. Just… blank space. Like someone took scissors to my memories.”

Irene’s hand suddenly gripped the armrest, her knuckles whitening. “But there’s one thing that’s crystal clear.”

She met Adam’s gaze. “He had a scar on his right shoulder,” she traced a line from her shoulder down her arm, running all the way down like this.”

“It’s the only thing that never blurs in my dreams. Like it’s branded into my brain.” She frowned. “But his face? Complete blank.”

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Chapter 373

She gave a small, bitter laugh “Sometimes I wonder if my mind is jo making stuff up to fill the gaps.

Adam froze at the mention of the sear, his hand unconsciously moving to his back where a similar mark had once been, now faded with time.

The brain protects itself,” he said softly, taking her hand. “Some memories are too painful to keep in active rotation.”

His thumb traced circles on her palm. “But this doesn’t change who you are to those kids. Or to me.”

Irene’s composure finally shattered. “What kind of mother doesn’t even know who fathered her children?” she whispered, voice breaking.

She looked up, eyes swimming with tears. “You should see how Lucas and Alex look at other kids with dads. It kills me every time.”

Her grip tightened on his wrist. “And the worst part? I don’t even know if that night was… consensual.*

The word hung heavy between them.

“If it wasn’t- her voice caught, “how do I tell my children that? Will they think they shouldn’t exist?”

A tear slid down her cheek. “I love them more than anything in this world. But sometimes when I look at them, I see this… this void

where answers should be.”

Adam pulled her against his chest, one hand cradling the back of her head.

“The mother you are is defined by what you do every day,” he said against her hair. “Staying up all night when Lucas has a fever. Driving across town in a storm because Lily forgot her music book.”

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