Therge study with its refined desk and all the new furniture and appliances felt somewhat alien to Gtea. She found it odd because ric''s decorating style usually featured a minimalist and cool color palette, yet this room felt surprisingly cozy.


    Since she was busy moving today and hadn''t had a chance to respond to a sick friend''s message, Gtea started replying to them one by one. She answered each message with patience and responsibility, suggesting medications, dosages, and precautions until one message caught her attention.


    "Always feelingzy and weak, no appetite, daydreaming - no cure and no doctor to turn to. Is there any hope?"


    Gtea furrowed her brow at this message. Was this another weirdo?


    "How long have you been experiencing these symptoms?" she asked.


    On the other end of the inte connection, ric''s eyes narrowed slightly, and then a sly smile crept over his face as he replied, "Been like this since birth."


    "May I ask how old you are?" Gtea queried.


    "Thirty-eight," ric responded flippantly.


    "Have you been like this for all thirty-eight years?"


    "Yes."


    ric couldn''t help but find amusement in his mischief, and after smiling again, he suddenly felt a shiver of thrill. He was someone who rarely made a joke, always serious and earnest, and it never crossed his mind that he would one day y such a prank online.


    "I suggest you go out and find a job. It might do you good not to be idle all the time," Gtea advised.


    Seeing Gtea''s reply made ric burst into fullughter, uninhibited and genuine.


    "Crazy!" Gtea muttered under her breath and closed the chat window, feeling slightly aggravated. "Lazy iszy, so there is no need to sugarcoat it. Some people have no shame."


    Harry had just finished showering and stepped out of the bathroom when he passed by the slightly ajar door of the study. He caught a glimpse of ricughing through the gap and was taken aback.


    Pretending to be Caspian for so long, he was used to ric''s stern manner and had never before seen himugh so freely. Curious about what was so entertaining, Harry quietly edged the door open and tiptoed in behind ric. Reading thest line of the chat window aloud, he murmured, "I suggest you..."


    "Snap!" Hearing Harry behind him, ric quickly closed hisptop and asked, "When did youe in?"


    "Just when you wereughing your head off," Harry asked curiously, "Dad, what were you watching just now? You seemed really happy."


    "It''s nothing."


    "Are you in love?"


    ric was taken aback.


    "I heard it from Cormac," Harry continued. "He said that people in love can''t help but smile stupidly like you just did."


    "What sort of nonsense is Cormac filling your head with? Go back to your room and sleep!" ric scolded Harry.


    "Oh." Harry slunk out of the study, still muttering under his breath, "He was so happy just a second ago, and now he''s all grouchy. So boring!"


    After Harry left, ric reopened hisptop, saw that Gtea had logged off, and then shut down hisputer, leaving the study.


    Once ric left the study, he went to rest, but Gtea couldn''t sleep. She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the beautiful night view.


    From this viewpoint, the city of Arizon seemed so vast, as vast as the ocean. To find someone in such a sprawling city was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Her poor son, where could he be?


    The next day, ric spent the whole morning in meetings. After hours of discussion, they finally decided that the contract would go to Far East International.


    "Get the contract draft to me first for review," ric instructed Ss Moon. "And arrange a time for the representative from Far East International. We need to discuss the specifics of the cooperation in person."


    "Of course, Mr. ric," Ss Moon replied. "From what I know, Mr. Gavin has been in Arizon since he returned to the country. He''s been waiting a long time for this meeting with you."


    ric found Gavin''s behavior puzzling, but he decided to wait and ask him in person when they met.


    "ric, you jerk." Cormac was cursing as he walked over. "You call me over just to wait on your meeting?"


    Before the meeting, ric had called Cormac toe to the office because he needed to talk to him about something. He hadn''t anticipated the meeting running so long, and he actually felt a bit bad for making Cormac wait. "What do you feel like eating? It''s my treat," ric said as he entered the elevator, with Cormac''s eyes lighting up as he followed.


    It wasn''t often that ric offered to buy him a meal, so Cormac nned to choose the most expensive restaurant with the costliest steak and wine.


    "It''s not every day Mr. Knight needs to see me," Cormac said as he sliced his steak, "What''s the matter?"


    "I''ve got a question for you. If there are two kids the same age who look almost exactly alike but aren''t twins, what are the odds of that happening?"


    Cormac paused in his cutting, thought for less than a second, and immediately responded, "Medically speaking, even identical twins aren''t going to look perfectly alike. As for two unrted individuals being indistinguishable, the probability is almost zero."


    "Almost zero?" ric murmured, repeating the phrase to himself.


    "Why the sudden curiosity?" Cormac asked, puzzled.


    "Just wondering," ric replied, taking a sip of his red wine and swallowing before continuing, "It''s nothing." "Have you be bored to this extent?" Cormac couldn''t help but ask, "Are you still the ric I know?" ric remained silent.


    When Cormac was about halfway through chewing a bite of his steak, he continued, "I''m speaking strictly in terms of medical probability. But the world is full of wonders, and not everything can be so absolute. It''s normal for there to be two highly simr people in the world, but notpletely identical. Any differences, however slight, may simply go unnoticed."


    Consumed by his own thoughts as he listened, ric put his cutlery down after a moment and looked at Cormac seriously. "You didn''t witness Orion''s pregnancy and the birth of her child, did you?"


    "Why are you asking about this now?"


    "Just answer me!"


    "I was abroad the entire time," Cormac replied honestly. "I didn''t even hear a whisper about it. By the time I returned, the child was already born."


    "Could it be possible, then, that the person who had my child was not Orion at all?"


    ric''s question startled Cormac. He asked anxiously, "ric, have you lost your mind? What are you talking about?"