Chapter 321 - 320: Adrian Is Truly a Filial Son

Chapter 321: Chapter 320: Adrian Is Truly a Filial Son

"I feel like Mrs. Fletcher’s feelings for Julian are a bit... off," I whispered to Asher.

Asher looked at me. "You lived with the Fletcher family for so long. Have you ever met Julian’s father?"

I froze, thinking back carefully. In my memory... "There were a few times I heard the nanny mention that ’Sir’ had returned, but I never actually saw him."

It was as if the man were merely a decorative prop in the house.

"They said he was in poor health and had been living in a sanatorium in Porchester," I added. Mrs. Fletcher also went to Porchester quite often.

"I had Lucas Grant look into her itinerary," Asher said, his voice dropping low. "She only had her assistant buy flights to Porchester, but she never actually boarded any of them."

That meant her trips to the Porchester sanatorium were nothing but a convenient excuse—a smokescreen to deceive everyone. She had never set foot in Porchester at all.

"So..." I stared at him in astonishment. "Her frequent, lengthy absences from home weren’t to visit her husband. It was... a deliberate cover-up to hide the fact that she was going to the laboratory?"

"We can’t rule out the possibility," Asher nodded.

Zeke Shaw looked between us. "I know which direction to take the investigation now. Let’s get you two home first."

Later, at Asher’s place, Asher and I got out of the car and said our goodbyes to Zeke and Madeline Quinn. Madeline waved at me before Zeke drove off.

"In my memory, Madeline was always loud and carefree, but she was also very timid..." I murmured.

Asher cast a glance at me. "You suspect Madeline."

I shook my head. I desperately hoped my suspicions were wrong. At the very least, there were no visible red flags so far.

"What did Julian’s mother say to you?" Asher asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"She’s the one who killed my parents and your father," I said softly. "She deliberately sold my parents out to the Genetics Organization."

My parents probably went to their graves never knowing that they were betrayed by their most trusted friend and best business partner.

"The human heart is unpredictable," Asher said quietly. "In this world, people’s hearts are always the hardest things to read."

By the door, Adrian and Stella were playing with the dog, Stella. Seeing us return, the kids immediately stood at attention, looking like perfectly obedient children who had no intention of causing any trouble.

"Asher..." I started softly, keeping my eyes on the two children. "Julian’s mother said these kids are mutants. She said they’re masters of disguise..."

They were like chameleons. Their personalities were fluid, and they were excellent actors. No one knew what they were truly thinking inside.

"She told me that the real mastermind behind the cruise ship laboratory intentionally let us find them," I continued. "Bringing them back... might just be part of the experiment itself."

I was worried that these two children had already been molded into weapons for the enemy. Their current docility could be nothing but a facade. And Gigi, who had led us to them, wasn’t someone I could completely trust either.

Asher looked at the two little ones and shook his head. "We aren’t looking for anything in return, and it doesn’t matter if we’re being played. They have to walk their own paths. We just need to do what we believe is right and keep a clear conscience."

I stared at him, briefly stunned. Even after dying once, I still didn’t have as clear a perspective on life as he did.

Reaching out to grasp his fingers, I smiled at him. "Yeah, you’re right."

Not everyone was born knowing how to be a parent. It was a gradual process of adapting to the children.

"I brought you guys French fries, fried chicken, burgers, and cola," I said, waving them over.

We had passed by a burger joint earlier, and I bought the food on a whim. Even though it wasn’t exactly healthy to eat all the time, this was the kind of childhood junk food that kids usually loved. When I was young, I didn’t know what it meant to "like" something, so I never had much of a preference when it came to food. But I wanted these two little ones to know what it felt like to enjoy something and to understand what they truly wanted. Only then would their lives carry any real meaning.

"It’s burgers! And fried chicken!" Adrian cheered happily, his eyes brimming with surprise.

Yet, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was faking it—pretending to be exactly what we wanted him to be.

"Have you ever eaten this before?" I asked gently.

Adrian picked up a piece of fried chicken, handed it to Stella first, and then shook his head at me. "I’ve seen it on TV, but I’ve never eaten it. The nanny said it was junk food with zero nutritional value and that it would hinder our cognitive development."

I nodded, my heart aching as I gently patted both of their heads.

"Dad, Mom... they’re watching us," Adrian suddenly said after we moved further into the house.

I instantly tensed, my eyes darting around the room. Watching us? Were they from the Genetics Organization?

Asher scanned the surroundings with equal vigilance.

Adrian trotted over to the TV stand, climbed up, and pulled out an extremely well-hidden camera from inside one of the decorative ornaments above it.

I stared at the camera in shock before turning to Asher. "When did someone plant this here?"

This was Asher’s personal residence. It couldn’t have been placed by anyone from the Lancaster family. That meant someone must have been spying on him for a very long time. Just as we feared, it felt as if our every move was being monitored.

"There’s one over here, too," Adrian called out. He scurried into the kitchen, subsequently digging out multiple cameras from various corners of the house.

Asher’s expression darkened, though he also looked a bit strange.

I was furious. "These people really are pervasive." Gritting my teeth, I picked Adrian up. "How did you find all these cameras?"

"They require a connection to the home Wi-Fi," Adrian explained quietly.

"Are there any more?" I asked.

Adrian looked around and then made a dash for Asher and my bedroom.

"There aren’t any in the bedroom!" Asher gritted out, hastily snatching Adrian up by the collar.

Adrian looked at him and asked innocently, "Dad, did you plant the cameras?"

Asher sighed in defeat, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Not all of them."

I narrowed my eyes at him, exuding a dangerous aura. "You planted hidden cameras too? What were you trying to do?"

Asher lowered his head guiltily. "I just... I just wanted to watch you."

Whenever he wasn’t home, he constantly wanted to know what Cecilia Caldwell was up to.

I ground my teeth and viciously stomped on his foot. Asher didn’t dare make a peep. He could only stare at me with a pitiful, kicked-puppy expression.

Seeing me head for the bedroom, he quickly chased after me, not forgetting to shoot a secretive glare at Adrian. "Am I really your biological father? Why would you throw me under the bus like that..."

Adrian answered with absolute seriousness. "In biological theory, yes, you are my biological father."

Stella, whose face was completely smeared with grease from her food, giggled from the sidelines. "Brother, you totally threw Dad under the bus."

The moment I stepped into the bedroom, Asher grabbed my wrist and pinned me against the wall. He pulled me into a tight embrace, whining playfully as he nuzzled against me. "Cece..."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop whining."

"Sebastian Lancaster!"

Just as Asher leaned in to kiss me, Felix Foster’s shrill shout pierced through the courtyard.

Asher clenched his jaw and his fists. "He’d better have a good reason for this..."

"Someone leaked the news and videos from the cruise ship!" Felix burst into the house, practically buzzing with excitement. "The incident has already triggered a massive public outcry! The public is demanding the truth, and the families of the victims want answers. The ugly reality behind the Genetics Organization’s organ donations is now fully exposed to the public eye!"

However, Asher didn’t look the least bit pleased. He knew this wouldn’t damage the foundation of the Genetics Organization; it would only put them on higher alert.

"Isaac Sullivan is back," Felix continued, his tone shifting. "But... that celebrity, Stella Abbott, has gone missing."

Asher and I instantly went on high alert. Someone had taken Stella Abbott. Did they think they could use her to control Isaac Sullivan?