Chapter 9
1248words
I stood at the end of the corridor, watching those medical staff in white coats busily preparing equipment. Today many parents would come to school, including those important figures who rarely showed up. Damian couldn't come due to business meetings, but Jax... he would definitely appear.
"Mr. Vance." The head nurse waved to me, "Could you help maintain order? The children are a bit nervous."
"Of course." I organized the folder in my hand, which contained detailed allergy records for each child.
At ten in the morning, Jax appeared at the school entrance right on time. He was wearing a tailored dark blue suit with golden cufflinks that glittered in the sunlight. Even on such an occasion, he had to display his sense of superiority.
"Mr. Thorn," I took the initiative to greet him, "Thank you for taking the time to attend Evelynn's physical examination."
"This is what I should do." Jax's tone was somewhat stiff, obviously still irritated about Rio's disappearance. "When does the child start?"
"It will be her turn soon." I looked at my watch. "By the way, I need to confirm Evelynn's allergy history with you. She's allergic to seafood, correct?"
"Yes, very severe." Jax frowned. "She can't touch even a tiny bit."
I pretended to casually flip through the documents in my hand. "How strange... this type of allergy is very rare in children, usually it's hereditary." I looked up at him. "Do you or Ms. Serafina have this condition as well?"
Jax's expression froze for an instant. "I... I'm also allergic to seafood. Very severe."
"That explains it then." I nodded, as if suddenly understanding. "Genetics are truly amazing, children always inherit certain traits from their parents."
I could see a subtle change in Jax's eyes. The seed of doubt was silently sprouting in his heart.
In the afternoon after the physical examination, the school hosted a small art exhibition. Parents could come to appreciate their children's works and attend a tea party.
I deliberately arranged for Evelynn's painting to be hung in the most conspicuous position—it was a watercolor family portrait, with her standing between Serafina and Damian, but her eyes... those deep green eyes, were identical to Jax's.
"This child has real artistic talent," Jax said, standing in front of the painting, his voice somewhat low.
"Yes, she is special," I stood beside him, "and her personality is also unique. Unlike other children who are more docile, she has a kind of... wildness."
Jax turned his head to look at me, a dangerous gleam flashing in his eyes. "Who do you think she takes after?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it." I pretended to be thinking, "Perhaps it's a case of skipped-generation inheritance? Sometimes children bypass their parents and directly inherit traits from their grandparents."
Just then, Evelynn came running through the crowd, her golden hair flowing behind her. As she turned the corner, she bumped into the display stand, causing a few strands of her hair to fall to the ground.
"Be careful, sweetie." I crouched down, pretending to adjust her clothes while actually collecting those few strands of hair with follicles attached.
Jax's eyes were fixed intently on my movements.
"Mr. Vance, I lost my hairpin," Evelynn looked somewhat flustered.
"It's alright, I'll help you find it." I stood up, discreetly placing the hair into a small transparent sealed bag, then casually set the bag on the nearby table.
"Mr. Thorn, your tea has gone cold. Let me get you a fresh cup," I said with a smile toward Jax.
During those few minutes when I left, I could feel Jax's gaze fixed on that small bag. By the time I returned, the bag was gone.
Perfect.
That evening, I received a call from Damian.
"Eight o'clock tonight, the usual place." His voice sounded somewhat tired, "I need to play chess with you."
Damian's private study was located on the top floor of his mansion, with floor-to-ceiling windows on all four sides offering a view of the entire city's night scenery. There was an antique ivory chessboard that he had purchased from an auction for millions.
"You seem to be in a bad mood," I said as I sat down across from him and began arranging the chess pieces.
"Business matters," Damian loosened his tie, "Some partners aren't very reliable."
We played chess in silence for several moves. Damian's chess style was as aggressive as ever, but tonight he seemed somewhat distracted.
"Mr. Braxton," I moved a chess piece, "do you believe in genetics?"
"What do you mean?" He raised his head and looked at me.
"I'm talking about the influence of parents' genes on their children. Not just appearance, but also personality, IQ, and even certain... tendencies." I gently stroked the ivory chess piece. "For instance, if a child exhibits traits completely different from the father's, what does that suggest?"
Damian's hand froze in midair. "Go on."
"Today at school, I observed Evelynn playing with other children. She has a very special... aggressiveness. Not like your rational desire for control, but more like a primitive, wild impulse." I deliberately paused, "Very similar to Mr. Thorn's style."
Damian's face instantly darkened.
"Of course, this might just be my misconception," I continued moving my chess piece. "After all, many factors contribute to a child's personality development. Environment, education, peer influence..."
"When did Evelynn display this... aggressiveness?" Damian's voice was low.
"Just this afternoon, there was a boy who tried to take her toy, and she pushed that child to the ground, even threatening to 'let him know who's the boss'." I fabricated the details, "That look in her eyes... it was very similar to certain adult males with strong possessive tendencies."
Damian remained silent for a long time. When the chess game reached the middle stage, he suddenly spoke: "During the time Serafina was pregnant, she frequently went out to attend various social events."
"Is that so?" I pretended to be not very interested.
"Sometimes she would come home very late, saying she was with friends," Damian's voice carried a dangerously calm tone, "Including Jax."
I looked at him, saying nothing. Sometimes silence is more powerful than any words.
"Check." Damian suddenly moved his queen, forcing my king into a desperate situation.
I looked at the chessboard, the corner of my mouth slightly curling upward. "You win, Mr. Blaxton."
"Yes." He stood up and walked to the window, "I always win."
But there was no joy of victory in his voice, only a cold threat.
On my way back from Damian's house, I received a text message from Julian: "Jax went to the gene testing laboratory in downtown this afternoon."
I laughed in my car. Two men who thought they controlled everything were secretly competing for the same child's bloodline. And I only needed to give a gentle push at the critical moment to trigger a bloody war.
My phone rang. It was an urgent video from Maria.
I opened it to see Evelynn crying in the bedroom, while Serafina stood outside the door, looking pale. The little girl's sobbing was intermittent:
"Why is mom never home... Why is dad always angry... Did I do something wrong..."
The video ended there.
I stared at the screen, the smile slowly disappearing from my lips. This child... this innocent child...
But on second thought, I smiled. Yes, innocents always get hurt. Just like me eighteen years ago.
