Chapter 176: Irene's Necessary Preparations for Returning Home

Who would have known that after giving birth to four more boys, the Robertson family's hope for a daughter finally came true when Mrs. Robertson was thirty-nine years old. When this youngest daughter was born, Mrs. Norman showered her with an unimaginable level of love and care. Everything, from the stitches in her clothing to every drop of water she consumed, and even every plant in her room, was meticulously overseen by Mrs. Norman. After the girl went missing, Mrs. Robertson fell into a near-mad state. The entire family lived in constant fear during those days. Mrs. Norman was engulfed in sorrow, crying every single day until the eldest son, Gray Norman, brought his wife and her sister to Mrs. Norman. When Mrs. Norman saw the girl who bore such a striking resemblance to her lost daughter, she slowly stood up, and the surrounding maids nervously rushed to her, fearing that Mrs. Norman might have a breakdown and hurt the elder son's wife and her sister. But Mrs. Norman began to smile. She seemed like the perfect lady she had been years ago—elegant and beautiful. That night, Old Master Robertson sent all his sons away from the hall and spent the night alone, smoking in front of the decorations on the living room wall. Finally, Old Master Robertson decided to let Alice Raphael stay with the Norman family. This decision restored Mrs. Norman’s sanity and brought peace to the family after years of turmoil. However, since then, the most stubborn third son never returned home for Christmas. Every year, he had either a mission in the army or some secret training he couldn’t talk about. Old Master Robertson could only remain silent. Mrs. Norman's memory was inconsistent; sometimes she remembered well, other times she didn’t even recall giving birth to a daughter, let alone the fact that she was missing. Every Christmas, Mrs. Norman would feel a deep sadness, sensing someone missing from the family, and Old Master Robertson would have to comfort her. Back then, even Old Master Robertson's father couldn’t do anything about it. They had consulted numerous psychologists for Mrs. Norman, but no matter how many they tried, the psychologists all said the same thing. They could awaken Mrs. Norman's memories, but doing so forcibly could have severe consequences. Thus, Old Master Robertson's father could only accept the situation. In the fifth year after Irene went missing, Old Master Robertson's father passed away. Itha returned home for only three days. Afterward, he stayed in the Norman family’s old mansion to handle Old Master Robertson's funeral arrangements. Even though his mother had become more emotionally stable due to Alice, neither Itha nor the sixth son, Holt Norman, ever acknowledged the girl’s status in the family. To them, no one could ever replace their sister. For years, Itha and his sixth brother never gave up searching for Irene. The Norman family had also been constantly looking for her, aware of the rumors circulating outside. However, the Norman family valued their reputation too much to let these rumors affect them. They couldn’t make the situation public, as it would only endanger their sister. With so many people driven by greed, they couldn’t guarantee that enemies wouldn’t try to kidnap Irene. In this situation, making it public would only make things more dangerous. The Norman family had hired numerous private investigators, but they all reported that the chances of success were slim. Itha and his brother Holt had created countless files, hoping that one day they would find their sister. Itha had even come here on a mission after receiving some clues from a private investigator. Every year, on their sister’s birthday, they would celebrate with a picture generated by AI, imagining what she might look like as she grew older. Now, Itha had finally found her! Standing to the side, Stefan finally understood why Irene had never celebrated her birthday before. At the same time, he felt a deep sense of pity for her. Now, Irene could finally have a birthday. Itha was overjoyed. He wanted to say something to Irene, but Barton hesitated for a moment and then stopped him, saying, "Young Master, to be absolutely certain, we should still conduct a DNA test." Barton was worried that if his assumption was wrong, all the joy would be for nothing. "Young Master, even though Mag and Klan's reactions strongly suggest that our guess is correct, we should still conduct the DNA test," Barton insisted. Itha, however, was displeased. "DNA can be faked! She is definitely my sister!" Itha trusted his intuition more than anything. It had saved his life on the battlefield multiple times. There was even one time when he came home on leave, and upon seeing a business partner with his brother, he felt an inexplicable unease. Later events proved his intuition right. If it were anyone else, Barton might not have been so thorough. But given his position, Barton had to consider every possibility. "Young Master, we believe it, but outsiders might not. If we don’t verify with DNA, Miss Irene could be subject to much speculation when she returns home." "Also, we need to find evidence that those two never had children!" Barton added. "From what those two said earlier, it seems like one of them, either Mag or Klan, is infertile." "Even their eldest son—if we take Mag at her word—was also a kidnapped child." Only by doing all of this could they ensure that no one would question Miss Irene’s identity. The Norman family wasn’t stupid. Even in the military, people knew how to navigate social situations. With just a few words from Barton, Itha realized the depth of the situation. If he wanted his sister to come home happily, these things had to be handled in advance. Itha glanced around. The soldiers were standing at a distance, far enough not to hear their conversation, and they had been speaking in hushed tones. As for Stefan, while Itha had liked him earlier, now that he saw him as a rival for his sister's attention, he couldn’t help but feel a bit less fond of him. Itha whispered to Barton, "The fact that we’ve found my sister can’t be revealed yet. We need to make sure that this man keeps his mouth shut." Looking at the cold sweat on the old official’s forehead, Itha said calmly, "Coming from a government office, you should know what to say and what not to say." The old official quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied, "Young Master Norman, I understand, but I can’t guarantee others will..." Itha turned to see Mag and Klan trembling as they watched him.