William was already dressed by the ti the sun rose, sitting by the edge of the bed as he scrolled through updates on his phone. Sanya stirred and reached for him, but he gently tucked the blanket around her and kissed her forehead.
"Sleep more, wife," he muttered, and probably still sleepy, Sanya closed her eyes. He smiled and kissed her lips gently before quietly leaving the room.
Downstairs, one of his n was already waiting.
"Sir, we received the initial forensic report from the site," the man said, handing William a folder. William opened it with a heavy breath. His eyes scanned the docunt quickly.
"They confird one of the bodies as Sylvia Clayton," the man continued. "Dental records matched. But the other... they couldn’t say for sure."
William’s brows furrowed. "What do you an they couldn’t say?"
"The body was too badly burned, sir. No usable fingerprints. Facial recognition was impossible. They’re requesting DNA samples for further testing." William shut the folder, a hard look forming in his eyes.
"So they don’t know if it’s Tim."
"No, sir. Not yet."
He nodded slowly. "Keep digging. I don’t trust it. That bastard’s slippery. I wouldn’t be surprised if he planned this to disappear."
"Yes, sir. We’ll monitor any possible sightings."
William stood in silence for a mont, staring out the window. The sky was clear, but the storm in his chest was far from over.
"Let know the mont you get anything. Anything at all."
"Yes, sir."
As his man left, William grabbed his phone and dialed Alexander’s number. It didn’t even ring twice before the call was picked up.
"Yeah?" Alexander answered, sounding a bit tired.
"It’s ," William said quickly. "I need to update you. They confird one of the bodies from the Clayton mansion fire. It’s Sylvia."
Alexander let out a long sigh, his gaze shifting toward Rain who was gently massaging her mother’s legs.
"And Tim?" he asked, already dreading the answer.
"They couldn’t confirm if the other body is his," William replied. "Too burned. No ID. They’ll run DNA tests, but for now, there’s no telling."
"Damn it," Alexander muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to hunt Tim down. I have a strong feeling that wasn’t his body, that this whole thing was staged," William said firmly.
"I’m sorry I’m not there to personally handle the situation," Alexander sighed on the other end.
William let out a small chuckle. "What are you talking about? It’s better you stay there with Sister-in-law. Besides, we both know I’m better at this kind of work, and you’ve always been the business genius between us."
Alexander smiled faintly. "Alright, I’ll wait for your next update. Just make sure you get so rest too, William. Don’t burn yourself out."
"I hear you," William replied before the call ended.
After ending the call with William, Alexander slipped the phone into his pocket and slowly walked over to Rain and their mother. The morning sun cast a gentle glow over the windows and the open balcony.
Rain was still seated beside their mother, her hands softly kneading the older woman’s legs. Her brows were slightly furrowed, lips pressed into a hopeful line.
"She’s warm today," Rain whispered, not realizing Alexander had stepped closer. "Her skin feels better."
Alexander crouched beside her and gently placed a hand on Mrs. Sumr’s arm. "We just have to keep hoping."
Then, just as he was about to say sothing else, Mrs. Sumr’s fingers twitched.
Rain noticed it imdiately. "Did you see that?"
Before either of them could react further, Mrs. Sumr’s eyelids fluttered, and slowly, almost cautiously, her eyes opened.
"M-Mom?" Rain’s voice cracked as she leaned forward, her heart pounding.
Mrs. Sumr blinked, disoriented, then her gaze landed on Rain. "Rain...?"
Tears welled in Rain’s eyes. "Yes! It’s , Mom. I’m here."
Alexander stood frozen for a mont, then let out a shaky breath. "I’ll call the doctors and Father," he said quickly before stepping out of the room.
Rain weakly nodded as she held her mother’s hand tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks. She kissed it gently as she cried, overwheld with emotion. The treatnts had worked her mother was finally awake.
"Carla... where is Carla?" her mother whispered faintly.
"Sumr!" Arlan called out as he rushed into the room, the doctors following closely behind him.
"Arlan," Sumr said, her voice weak but filled with emotion.
Rain stepped aside, letting go of her mother’s hand so her father could take her place. Arlan imdiately took his wife’s hand, his face filled with relief.
Rain was still crying when she felt Alexander’s arms wrap around her from behind, grounding her. She leaned into his embrace, her voice trembling as she whispered, "She’s looking for Carla."
As Rain looked at her mother again, she saw confusion flicker in Sumr’s eyes. Sumr turned toward her, staring for a mont. Her brows furrowed, her lips parting slightly.
The doctors moved in quietly to check her vitals, but Rain’s focus was on her mother’s searching gaze.
Sumr’s gaze darted back to Arlan. "Carla... where is Carla?" she asked again, voice hoarse and uncertain.
Rain’s breath caught, Alexander gently touched her arm and leaned close to her ear.
"Co," he said quietly. "Let your father handle this. She just woke up. It’s too soon."
Rain hesitated, still staring at her mother. Her lips trembled, but she gave a small nod. Alexander guided her gently out of the room, closing the door behind them. The hallway was quiet, but Rain’s heart pounded in her chest.
"She asked for Carla," Rain whispered, her voice cracking. Alexander turned to face her, his expression calm but filled with understanding. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders.
"Rain, she just woke up after weeks in a coma. Her brain is still catching up. We knew this could happen."
"She looked straight at ," Rain murmured, her eyes welling with tears. "But it was like I was a stranger."
"She doesn’t know the truth yet," Alexander reminded her gently. "We’ve talked to her while she was unconscious, but hearing sothing while unconscious and rembering it when awake are two very different things. Right now, her mories are stuck in the past, when she thought Carla was her daughter."
Rain pressed her lips together, fighting the sting in her chest. "So what do I do? Just stay quiet and wait?"
"For now, yes," Alexander said softly. "Let your father talk to her. Let the doctors assess her condition. When the ti is right, we’ll explain everything again. Gently."
Rain nodded slowly, though her heart ached. "I’ve waited so long already..."
It was probably the pregnancy, but lately, Rain had been struggling to keep her emotions in check like she used to. Everything felt heavier, and even the smallest things made her tear up. She had beco more sensitive, more fragile... especially when it ca to family.
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