Andrew's Cousin

I walked in and called out to Anna, "Anna, why are you asleep? The child isn't asleep yet; you can't just let him play by himself."

Anna didn't move. Worried it might be a trick, I went over and pushed her. She remained unresponsive, sleeping deeply.

I kicked her hard, and her body merely jolted slightly, still without reaction.

My heart raced. I quickly grabbed Anna's water cup from the cabinet, rinsed it out to remove any possible drug residue, and put it back.

I found one of Anna's outfits and put it on, styling my hair like hers to avoid being recognized by the security cameras.

Then I picked up Kyle, carried him downstairs, placed him in the stroller, and started pushing him outside.

At first, Kyle resisted, looking back at me and calling out, "Nanny," but once he was in the stroller, he stopped fussing. He even clapped his hands excitedly, realizing we were going out.

Just as we stepped outside the gate, Inara's car pulled up. We quickly got in and drove away from the compound.

In the car, the nursery teacher Inara had brought immediately took over, giving Kyle lots of new toys. His attention was quickly diverted, and he forgot about "Nanny."

Inara hugged me, looking me over with concern. Her eyes reddened as she asked, "Chloe, are you okay?"

I nodded vigorously, holding back my emotions, afraid to speak lest I break down.

The series of actions had exhausted me, leaving me trembling and breathless, my heart pounding as if I'd narrowly escaped death.

Inara understood and held me close, gently stroking my back without speaking.

After a while, I felt my breathing return to normal and noticed that our driver was the same worker who had come to repair our electrical system the other day.

Seeing me looking at him, Inara introduced, "This is Andrew's cousin, Gabriel Donovan. He's a well-known private investigator."

Gabriel glanced at me through the rearview mirror, smiling with a hint of amusement. I felt a bit awkward.

I nodded to Gabriel. No wonder he had been so quick-witted; he was a detective.

"Thank you, Mr. Donovan!" Despite my embarrassment, I sincerely thanked him.

"No need to thank me. You're my cousin's friend. Besides, if Inara asks, I dare not refuse. I owe my living to Inara!" Gabriel replied humorously.

Inara raised an eyebrow, teasing, "At least you have some conscience!"

She then turned serious and explained her arrangements to me.

Gabriel had tracked Sean's movements and confirmed that he had gone to Red River City, staying there for three days with my parents.

Although Sean had told me this, hearing it again made me frown slightly.

Inara quickly added, "My dad also called to confirm this. They had meals together, and he spoke highly of Sean. Sean even arranged for a maid to take care of your parents."

"A maid?" I muttered, feeling a pang of unease. I looked at Inara and asked, "Inara, I have a feeling things aren't that simple. I've been sick for so long; why would he suddenly go to Red River City?"

Inara followed my line of thought, "You mean… dig deeper?"

We locked eyes, and I asked, "Do you have time soon? Could you visit Red River City?"

"You want me to visit home and check on your parents too?" Inara understood immediately.

"Yes!" I nodded appreciatively. This was the tacit understanding between Inara and me. Then I told Inara, "Sean said he told my parents I went abroad to relax and undergo psychological treatment to avoid worrying them."

"Damn… after everything he's done to you, you still believe him?" Inara scoffed, nearly swearing.

"That's why I want you to go," I explained.

Gabriel glanced at me again through the rearview mirror.

Inara agreed without hesitation, "Alright!"

The car sped into the emergency section of the hospital. Gabriel and the nursery teacher stayed in the car with Kyle, while Inara took me straight to the doctor's office, where someone was already waiting for us.

I had no idea how influential Inara was, but she had managed to get the hospital director to personally assist us.

My examination went smoothly, without any waiting, taking less than two hours.

However, the final results would need to wait for the lab tests to be processed.

To prevent any slip-ups on Anna's end, Inara spoke briefly with the director before we left the hospital without delay.

Just as we stepped into the hallway opposite the elevator, a group of men walked towards us. The sight of them made my scalp tingle with fear. I quickly turned to Inara, whispering urgently, "Close the door, quick!"

Reacting instantly, Inara pressed the elevator's close button repeatedly. The men shouted, "Wait!"

My heart pounded as I stared at the slowly closing doors.

As they approached, the elevator doors finally shut. As it descended, I faintly heard someone furiously pressing the elevator button and cursing, "Damn it! I told them to wait!"

The elevator descended quickly, and I leaned against the wall, exhaling in relief.