Chapter 12

Henry had searched for hours, but by noon, he still hadn't seen Kayden. Brian waited with a stormy expression, scaring everyone silent. Arlo was almost in tears. "It's my fault! I didn't watch over Kayden. He's been gone so long. What if something happened?" Brian pursed his lips tightly as worry began to creep in. When Kayden ran off before, he always left clues. The one time Kayden erased them was early this year when Estelle pushed him to marry Lydia. Kayden had hidden in a suburban villa basement for a day and a night and ended up with a fever. This time, there was not a single trace. Brian felt his heart leap into his throat, and his vision suddenly went black again. He frowned harder. Henry noticed it and asked, "Mr. Norman, is it your eyes again?" "Leave me," Brian said, suppressing his anger. "Find Kayden first. My sight will come back soon." His tone left no room for argument, so Henry sent the men out again. But the blindness lasted far longer than usual this time. An hour passed, and Brian still saw nothing. Henry grew frantic. "Mr. Norman, let me take you to the hospital. You must have overworked your eyes!" The Norman family was huge, and rivals circled them constantly—Brian never had a moment to relax. That made the condition worrying. Brian stayed calm. "No. Mr. Foster arranged for a doctor to see me this afternoon, right? Call him and ask if the doctor can come earlier. Finding Kayden is still the top priority! Do not make me repeat myself!" Henry had forgotten about the appointment. "The search is ongoing. I'll call the doctor right now!" He dialed the number at once. … Back at Charlotte's place, lunch was ready. Kayden raved about her cooking. "Ma'am, you're amazing! Your food tastes just like our chef's!" Soup was his favourite, and the one she made tasted exactly like the chef's. Charlotte, sipping her soup, choked when she heard it. Of course, it tasted the same—during her marriage, she had learned from the chef at the Norman residence. She wanted Brian to have hot meals, even though he rarely ate them and never knew she was the one who cooked. Now, his son was complimenting her. "Ma'am, are you okay?" Kayden asked. He hurried over, patting her back. "Is that better? Do you feel bad?" She wiped her mouth and shook her head. "I'm fine. Don't worry." After a minute, she could breathe again and put more food on his plate. "If you like it, have some more." Just then, her phone rang. The caller ID showed an unknown local number. She answered her phone. "Hello?" A young male voice asked, "Is this Dr. Mandy?" Her voice was still raspy from choking, but she responded, "This is she. Who's speaking?" "Great! Dr. Mandy, Mr. Foster referred us to you and said you agreed to take our case. Could you come a bit sooner? My boss' old condition has flared up, and it is urgent. I am sorry to trouble you." Charlotte didn't mind, for her schedule was free now. Besides, the caller was polite, so she agreed right away. "Sure. I'll need previous records, test results, and a fully equipped treatment room. Should we meet at a hospital or—" Before she could finish, Henry cut her off. "Not a hospital. We'll meet you at our own medical lab. I'll text the address." Brian's identity was special. They had always kept the issue with his eyes a secret from the public, for they couldn't let it leak out. That was why they had made preparations in advance. When she heard that, Charlotte raised her eyebrows but didn't seem surprised. A private medical lab made sense, especially when they were paying a billion dollars in medical fees. "Alright. See you in an hour," she said and hung up. She turned to Kayden and said, "Sorry, kiddo. I have to work now, so I'll have someone take you home a bit early." At that moment, Kayden felt his food become tasteless, and his eyes reddened. Charlotte hadn't expected that reaction from him. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" He shook his head, his voice thick with sadness, and said, "If I go, I'll never see you again." Then, suddenly, he teared up.