Chapter 378

Upon hearing this, Will took a box from the drawer beside him and handed it to Maeve. "Here, Mom, take this."

"What's this?" Maeve asked. Curious, she opened the box and saw the tanzanite bracelet she had given Will. "Oh, you've already reworked it?" she added.

Will nodded. "I've hidden the sleeping powder Theo made behind each gemstone. Press here if you're in danger, and the powder will scatter. Also, there are about a dozen needles hidden here, already tipped with poison. Press here, and they'll pop out, perfect for close-range use."

He continued, "I also hid a locator and sensor inside the pendant. It can monitor your heart rate and other conditions and send updates to my phone."

Maeve was amazed. There was no way to tell, just by looking, that the bracelet was packed with so many hidden features. She wondered if Will might be a genius.

"And don't forget about the antidote I made!" Theo exclaimed, wedging his little head between Maeve and Will. "If you accidentally get exposed to the powder, the antidote is in the largest gemstone."

Will said, with a serious expression, "I'll monitor the sensor updates constantly and call to check on your safety."

Theo added, "Make sure to call us regularly, or we'll worry about you."

Maeve Reese was moved to tears. Will and Theo were incredibly thoughtful. It was strange. Maeve couldn't shake the feeling that she was like a little kid about to go on a big trip, and Will and Theo were two anxious parents fussing over her safety when she was supposed to be their mother. But Maeve decided to relax. With a little hop off the bed, Theo said, "Mommy, let me help with packing your things."

Whenever Maeve had to go on a business trip, Theo would always help her pack. That was until Maeve found a mini hand cannon tucked at the bottom of her suitcase, along with a note reminding her to stay safe and use it if things got rough. If she hadn't thought her suitcase felt too heavy and decided to check it in the airport restroom, she might have been detained by security and Theo would have lost her at just two years old.

Feeling the weight of Theo's love, Maeve hugged him close. "No, it's alright. I've got this."

Theo pouted. "Mommy, you've changed. You used to let me help you pack. Do you not love me anymore?"

Maeve couldn't resist his adorable sulking. "Fine, when we get home, I'll let you pack everything, alright?"

If Theo packed anything dangerous again, she could always sneak it out when he wasn't paying attention.

Theo, satisfied, happily trotted off to get Maeve a glass of water.

Noticing the bittersweet look on Maeve's face, Will quietly asked, "Is Theo not very good at packing?"

"He does a good job," Maeve said, her voice catching. "It's just that every time, he slips some small weapons in my suitcase that can't make it through security, so I'm always on edge at security." There was no doubt that her little troublemaker Theo was always showing his love in a way that was almost too heavy to bear.

Will was silent for a few seconds. "Are you talking about the black-and-gold mini cannon with the scope that's about the length of an arm?" he asked.

"Theo showed you?" Maeve clarified.

"Theo sleeps with it under his pillow every night. He says it gives him a sense of security," Will answered, knitting his brows in a puzzled frown. He had assumed it was just a toy. Now that he knew it was a real weapon, his sense of security disappeared instantly.

Maeve was speechless. She thought, 'How did Loren let Theo get away with this? I will confiscate all these weapons when I get back!' Maeve had been in the hospital ward for over an hour, but there was still no sign of Byron. Theo was nowhere to be found either.

On the other side, the elevator stopped at the top floor. The doctor helped Byron, who had just finished his eye exam, step out.

Byron gestured that he didn't need support. With one hand feeling the railing along the hallway, he walked forward at a calm, steady pace.

"When will the test results be ready? What are the chances of a full recovery?" Byron asked in a low voice.

The doctor responded respectfully, "By tomorrow morning at the latest, Mr. McDaniel. As you know, your eye injury is quite complex. The test drug still has significant side effects. And your case is the first one like this we've seen at our hospital. The treatment will be very challenging."

Byron's expression was icy. "I've heard that same nonsense at least twenty times. Say something new."

"Yes, sir. Our conservative estimate is that there's less than a 30% chance of recovery for your eye. But if Dr. Chatterly is willing to assist, we could raise that to at least 60%," the doctor replied.

"What, is Jaylen Chatterly the only miracle doctor left in the world?" Byron remarked.

The doctor said, "No, it's just that he's the most suitable."

'He is the most suitable? He could hardly take care of himself these days,' Byron thought. Even the world-class medical team Byron sent over had no solution for Jaylen's condition. The most they could do was buy him another year, maybe a little more. Byron was doing this to help Maeve repay Jaylen's favor.

A sudden movement caught Byron's attention. He paused and turned. "Who's there?"

The doctors and nurses accompanying Byron looked over as well. What greeted them was a little furry head poking out from behind a potted plant, with a face smeared entirely in black.

"It's me," Theo said in a muffled voice.

Byron didn't expect it to be Theo. He frowned slightly. "Did you catch everything we just said?"

"Yes," Theo admitted, glancing at Byron from time to time.

Byron tightened his grip on the railing and took slow steps forward until he was right in front of Theo. Though he couldn't see, he still managed to pinpoint Theo's exact position. He didn't bend down and towered over Theo. "You're not to mention anything we talked about to anyone, got it?"

Theo remained silent. He had a hunch that his "Stinky Daddy's" eye injury was serious, but he hadn't expected the chances of recovery to be so low.

Theo pondered, 'If Jaylen could help, things might be different. But he might not have the capacity to help now.'

With no answer from Theo, Byron's lips tightened slightly. "You wouldn't want Maeve to be hurt, right?"

It was almost a threat. Theo found himself in a dilemma.

Byron continued, "Alright then, this is our secret."

Theo tilted his little head. "Sure, this might make my sister upset, but how do you know that when she finds out the truth later, she won't feel even worse? Is what you're doing really what she would want?" Theo was still too young to understand the complexities behind all this. He just knew Maeve well enough to feel she wouldn't like being kept in the dark.

Byron paused at Theo's words. Recalling everything that happened in the bathroom last night, he started to doubt whether what he was doing was right.