Now it was Vera''s turn to look after Patrick, which seemed unreal. Noah texted: [Did you drug Patrick to knock him out?]


    Patrick, who was peeking, grinned.


    Vera: [I don''t need drugs. Just lying next to him does the trick.]


    Noah: [Too bad you don''t use your thick skin as armor.]


    Vera was confused. [Did you learn to insult people from Molly?]


    Noah''s insults were top-notch. Vera was speechless.


    The phone disyed eleven o''clock. Patrick couldn''t keep up the charade any longer and took Vera''s phone from her hands from behind.


    Vera followed the phone with her eyes, tilting her head up with a cute, sparkling gaze. As she chased after it, she turned around to see that Patrick, who had been sleeping beside her, was now wide awake. Vera asked, "Honey, did I wake you?"


    Patrick, holding Vera''s phone, replied to Noah: [Focus on your studies. I''m putting Vera to sleep.]


    Noah: [Patrick, did Vera wake you up because she''s so annoying?]


    Vera reached for the phone. "Honey, give it back. Let me insult him onest time; then I''ll sleep. Noah called me disgusting, and I can''t sleep until I''ve given him a piece of my mind."


    Patrick raised the phone out of her reach and typed: [If you can''t outwit Vera, don''t try to match Molly''s sharp tongue. Once she has a baby, she''ll be unstoppable.]


    Vera, satisfied, pulled her arm back under the covers. "Exactly, they all bully me because I''m pregnant and can''t fight back."


    Patrick patted her shoulder. "Close your eyes and sleep."


    Vera nestled in Patrick''s arms, her face pressed against his side, and soon her breathing evened out.


    Only then did Patrick fall asleep peacefully.


    The next day, Randall suddenly showed up. "Where''s Patrick?"


    Vera pointed upstairs.


    Randall went to find Patrick.


    Vera and Molly exchanged puzzled looks. "What''s up?"


    Vera shrugged. "No idea."


    Cindy saw Vera and Molly getting curious. "You two, sit quietly in the living room."


    Vera and Molly huddled together, whispering.


    Randall told Patrick, "The test results are out. Dn and Joe''s brains are fine; the data is normal."


    Randall handed the data to Patrick. "They''re definitely faking it. I followed Molly''s advice and threw a snake in there. Their instinctive reactions gave them away. Even Sebastian reviewed the footage and confirmed they were just pretending." Randall showed Patrick the video.


    In the video, Dn and Joe initially reacted with some fear when they saw the small snake. But almost immediately, they continued to il their sleeves and hide, clearly trying to avoid the snake from getting too close. Randall yed another video. "This is how real patients react to snakes."


    In the video, real patients chased the snake and eveny on the ground to catch it, showing no fear.


    They seemed unaware it was a snake.


    One dodged intentionally, while the other, unaware of fear, tried to catch it.


    The contrast was clear.


    Randall had tried all day to get Dn and Joe to talk, so he came back to ask Patrick for help.


    "Patrick, they''re afraid of you. Can you scare them?"


    Patrick put down the file, puzzled about what Dn and Joe had encountered that made them pretend to be crazy.


    Patrick said, "Randall, fill Vera and Molly in on this."


    "Why?" Randall was shocked.


    He thought, ''Wasn''t Patrick usually wary of me being around Vera and Molly?''


    Patrick had to admit that Randall, Vera, and Molly made a great team.


    They mighte up with solutions he hadn''t considered.


    Patrick added, "But don''t let them know it was my idea."


    Randall guessed, "Are you worried Vera will get a big head if she knows?"


    If Vera knew she could help Patrick with tough problems, she''d be unstoppable at home.


    Patrick nodded.


    Last time, Molly''s snake idea had already scared Dn and Joe. Who knew what else Vera and Molly mighte up with? Randall took Patrick''s secret instructions and went downstairs.


    Vera and Molly signaled him toe over.


    Randall pretended not to notice.


    He''d known Vera and Molly for over ten years and knew how smart they were. To deceive them, he had to act convincingly. The more he acted this way, the more curious Vera and Molly became.


    Taking advantage of Cindy''s brief absence, Randall was "escorted" to the backyardwn.


    "What did you and Patrick talk about?" Vera asked.


    Randall put on a troubled expression. "Patrick told me not to tell you."


    "Stop pretending. Haven''t you told us enough?" Vera continued, "Is it about the Turner family or the Wace family?"


    Molly pressed her arm on Randall''s shoulder. "Randall, we still haven''t settled the matter of you setting me up with Sebastian. If I tell Shawn that you paired me with Sebastian, won''t he beat you to death?" Randall remained silent.


    Feeling he had stretched the act long enough, Randall thought it was time toe clean.


    Then, just as Vera and Molly thought they had gotten the information, Randall took out his phone and repeated what he had told Patrick on the backyardwn.


    Molly realized her trick didn''t work and reflected on herself. "I guess I''ve been too gentle."


    Randall sat on the chair, with Vera''s arm pressing on his left shoulder and Molly''s on his right.


    Vera and Molly watched the video and learned the truth, then started brainstorming.


    Up in the study on the third floor, Patrick watched their backs with a faint smirk.


    Molly suggested, "How about we have a woman do a striptease in front of them and see if they react?"


    Vera asked, "Do you want to get caught by Sebastian?"


    Molly scratched her ear. "How about we try a Rottweiler on Dn and Joe?"


    Vera joked, "You''re still trying to get Sebastian toe after you."


    Molly looked puzzled. "I get your point about the previous method, but why are you saying I''m trying to get caught now?"


    Vera rified, "Rottweilers are too aggressive. If one gets out of control and bites someone, do you think Sebastian won''te after you?"


    Molly''s arm remained on Randall''s shoulder as she casually patted his corbone. "Randall, why aren''t you saying anything? It seems like you came here just to get ideas from Vera and me." Almost caught off guard, Randall responded, "Weren''t you the ones curious? How did it suddenly turn into me asking for ideas?"


    Vera was contemting a way to make Dn and Joe stop their act without putting them at risk.


    "Do you think Dn and Joe might be scared of dead things if they''re not afraid of living ones?" Vera suddenly asked.


    Both Molly and Randall turned to look at her.