Chapter 696

Colorful snack wrappers littered the desk.

Lily and Lotus stood stiffly nearby, nervously twisting the hems of their shirts.

"Mr. Hamilton, Dr. Carter... is this your baby?" Lily asked timidly.

Alexander's Adam's apple bobbed. "Yes."

"You already have a child?" Lotus's eyes widened. "Dr. Carter never mentioned it."

Lily leaned over the stroller, her eyes sparkling. "She's so beautiful. Much fairer than my brother was as a baby."

"Hey, was I really that dark?" Lotus scratched his head.

"Idiot, you wouldn't remember nursing," Lily retorted, making everyone chuckle.

Evelyn returned with a warmed bottle, joining Alexander in soothing the fussy infant.

The moment the baby caught their familiar scent, her cries ceased. Tiny lips began eagerly suckling.

Alexander attempted to sit, but the baby's face scrunched up the second his weight touched the couch.

He sprang back up instantly, expertly cradling the bottle while pacing the lounge.

"Let me take over." Evelyn noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "You haven't slept properly in days."

"No need." His voice softened. "You'll face greater challenges soon. Rest while you can."

Just then, Emily's video call came through.

"Mr. Hamilton, the water samples were split for dual testing. I kept backups."

"Excellent work." Alexander stepped away to avoid disturbing the baby.

Evelyn intuitively activated the stroller's musical mobile.

Emily lowered her voice. "There's something else. Someone left an item in the car."

Lily immediately tugged her brother up. "We'll wait outside—"

"Stay." Alexander stopped them. "This concerns your village."

Evelyn drew both children close as the four focused on the screen.

"It's an envelope." Emily held up a kraft paper packet. "I didn't open it."

Alexander narrowed his eyes.

"That's exam paper from the village school," Evelyn recognized. "I've seen it at the clinic."

"Open it," Alexander commanded.

Emily unsealed the envelope, extracting two handwritten pages in neat, anonymous script.

Evelyn scanned them rapidly. "It's about the pond case."

"The writer was cautious," Emily analyzed. "The details align with the elder's account but include new specifics."

Alexander pondered. "Leonard never acts directly. He pays others to take the fall."

"Should we identify the sender?"

"Don't alert them." Alexander shook his head. "I suspect it's that volunteer teacher."

Evelyn reread the letter as the pages rustled in the breeze.

"Is this about the disabled college student?" Lily suddenly asked.

Lotus looked bewildered at his sister.

"The adults said he went mad after a car accident..." Lily's voice trailed off.

"That was no accident," Alexander stated grimly. "The letter says he'd hired a lawyer to return when he rescued a harassed girl."

"She begged him to escort her home, but thugs ambushed them on the road."

"They beat him half-dead and shoved him under a truck. Before losing consciousness, he heard someone call her—Miss Laurent."

The air turned leaden.

That so-called "Miss Laurent" could only be Lydia.