The moment he noticed the strange atmosphere, someone called out to him.

“Are you Dr. Philip McWood?”

The stranger’s voice was cold and, at the same time, extremely horrifying to the point that it gave him goosebumps; Philip turned around with a squeak and came face to face with a man who was going through the patients’ records.

He was a tall man wearing a long black coat and a dark hat.

“What the hell are you doing? Ughhh!”

As soon as he exclaimed, a group of men came up behind him and pinned him on his knees, snapping his arms and forcing him to kneel. Having come closer to Philip, the man lowered himself to his eye level and held his head high, causing Philip to look at him.

“I’m only going to ask you once, Dr. McWood, a blonde-haired woman, with green eyes, beautiful, in her late twenties, her name is Rowena Philone, but she probably uses an alias.”

His mind flashed back to the woman who had left about an hour ago.

” Is there such a woman living in this area?”

“I don’t know.”

Philip instinctively shook his head. As soon as his eyes met the man’s, an instinct took over him that he must not say anything.

The man who had been staring at him as if trying to read his true intentions straightened up.

“When you decide to talk, contact me through this hotel. The reward will be worth it.”

He ordered a subordinate to hand him his card and passed it to Philip. Philip read the name on the card with wavering eyes.

Genok Gilliters.

He was an entrepreneur who had recently surfaced from the shadows.

* * *

“Auntie!”

Damian smiled and hugged Harriet. She giggled as she felt his small body snuggled into her chest and patted his head.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes! And you?”

“I slept well. You were a good boy and listened to your mother, weren’t you?”

The next question made Damien’s eyes roll instead of answering. Rowena, who had been watching them intently, interrupted with a smirk.

“You don’t want to tell her that you whined about not wanting to go to bed early.”

“Mom!”

Turning his head to the side, Damian pouted his lips.

“We’ve decided to keep this a secret from Aunt Harriet, haven’t we?”

“When did I agree to that?”

As the soft smile widened in Rowena’s eyes, she noticed the twins hiding behind Harriet and throwing glances at her.

“How are you, Lawrence? Rosaline?”

“Aunt Rebecca!”

“Come here.”

As soon as they opened their arms, the twins dug into Rowena’s arms.

Damian, growing upset, stretched out his arms to be embraced by his mother. Rowena burst out laughing at the sight of him.

“Damian, you’re hugging Aunt Harriet, and you don’t like it because your siblings hug your mom?”

“You’re mine!”

“I sense a lot of greed.”

“Your angelic mother is not like that at all. I wonder whom he got this from? Could it be his father?”

Harriet chuckled and pulled the twins into her arms. Moments later, with an embarrassed look on her face, Rowena apologized.

“I’m sorry to leave it to you again.”

“Don’t worry about it! It’s much better when they have friends.”

Harriet was another worker in the textile factory, two years older than her. Rowena had relied on her for the last five years. She was also grateful to Harriet for introducing her to the midwife and her workplace.

“Rebecca, you came here when I was pregnant with the twins. We’ve been birth buddies since then, so don’t feel too bad about it.”

“It’s because I’m ashamed of myself for being indebted to you every time.”

“Stop saying that.”

Smiling through her frowning eyes, Harriet gestured to the twins and Damian to go play in the front yard.

As soon as they got the signal, the children rushed out, and the hectic house became a little more peaceful.

The two went to the kitchen and sat face to face. Harriet, who served warm tea, asked carefully.

****