The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover-Chapter 367: Critical Condition

Another day passed, and December arrived quietly over the Valley.

Evelyn’s recovery had progressed better than expected.

She could now move faster with much less pain than before; her shoulder no longer screamed with pain with every movement.

Walking has become much easier.

Her hand and knee were healing slowly, though walking at a fast pace and carrying heavy things was still forbidden by her ever-watchful husband.

Of course, she did not complain. She was too overjoyed because, for the first time in weeks, she could breathe without feeling fragile.

That morning, the house was livelier than usual.

Her best friend Oscar finally came out of his computer room after being holed up there and wanted to visit her house.

And the moment he stepped inside the living room, a small whirlwind rushed toward him.

"Uncle Oscar!" Oliver greeted him happily, grabbing his hand and dragging him toward the sofa with surprising strength for a four-year-old.

The moment they settled onto the sofa, Oliver proudly shoved his iPad forward.

"Uncle, see, see... I already finished the code game you gave me!" he said enthusiastically.

"What? Already?" Oscar’s eyes widened as he took the device and swiped through the screens, his excitement rising. "Little buddy, this is awesome. Wow, you didn’t just finish it, you optimized it. You are so brilliant."

"Of course," Oliver puffed out his chest.

"Oh," Oscar glanced at him, his eyes narrowing, looking suspicious about something. "Did your dad teach you?"

"No, no, Uncle. Daddy is not even interested in this game. But I’m fast because I’m Daddy’s son. My brain works fast."

Oscar can’t help but burst into laughter at how adorable Oliver’s expression is now.

"Oh, so that’s the source code? Knight genetics version two-point-oh?" Oscar asked playfully.

Oliver nodded seriously. "Yes. Mommy says Daddy is scary smart. So I inherited it."

"You truly are a genius, little buddy..." Oscar said, then turned his attention back to the iPad and began explaining the new level in the game.

Evelyn, sitting across from them, shook her head with a helpless smile. Oscar had been in the house for less than five minutes and had already forgotten her existence.

Jimmy and Laura entered quietly, serving coffee, tea, and a tray of light cakes and pastries. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The sweet aroma filled the room, but Oliver did not even glance at the donuts; he usually attacked them like a tiny storm.

Laura leaned closer to Evelyn and whispered, her voice amused, "Madam, this is a rare sight. The young master ignored his favorite donuts and cake."

Evelyn covered her smile with her hand. "Very rare. He only has eyes for his Uncle Oscar today."

"True, true..."

On the sofa, Oscar and Oliver were already deep in discussion.

"If you add a conditional loop here," Oscar said, pointing at the screen, "the character won’t fall into the trap."

Oliver frowned, tapping his chin.

"But Uncle, then the monster becomes too easy. That’s boring." He said.

"You’re four," Oscar chuckled, "and you’re already worried about game balance?"

Oliver sighed like a tired professor. "Of course. Players must suffer a little to grow stronger."

Oscar leaned back, laughing. "Kid, one day you’re either going to rule a tech empire or accidentally start a digital apocalypse."

"Digital apocalypse? What is that, uncle?" Oliver asked curiously.

"No. No, forget it. Don’t ask anything about it..." Oscar hurriedly makes a correction, worried that this little genius will really find a way to trigger that."

Evelyn, who heard them, hid her laughter behind her cup.

Laura, still beside her, asked softly, "Do you need anything else, Madam?"

"No need," Evelyn replied warmly. "Just help the others prepare lunch. Oscar will eat with us."

"Yes, Madam." Laura bowed slightly and left for the back area.

Once Laura disappeared, Oscar and Oliver remained absorbed in their world of codes and digital monsters.

Evelyn watched them for a moment before pulling out her new phone.

She was finally using the same number again. Oscar had personally transferred everything, complaining that he did not trust anyone else with her digital life. The thought still made her smile.

She unlocked the screen and froze.

A missed call.

Alicia.

’Why can’t I hear her call?’ She muttered under her breath, realizing Alicia had called her a few minutes ago before Oscar’s arrival.

Then her eyes fell to the text message notification. Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened the message.

"Eve, your grandpa is in critical condition. We are all now in the hospital." From: Alicia

For a second, the words blurred. The living room noises faded, replaced by the sudden pounding of her heart.

Critical condition.

Hospital.

Grandpa.

Her heart felt tight.

Across the room, Oscar was laughing as Oliver declared himself "Chief Game Designer of the Knight Household," but Evelyn no longer heard them.

Evelyn’s grip tightened around her phone, her knuckles turning pale as she typed a message with trembling fingers.

"Alice, how is Grandpa’s condition now?"

She barely had time to blink before her phone rang. Alicia’s name flashed on the screen.

Evelyn stood up immediately, moving toward the corner window as if the distance from the others could steady her heart. She answered the call with a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

"Alice..." Her voice shook. "How is he? Please... tell me he’s alright."

There was a pause. A painful, fragile pause.

"Eve..." Alicia’s voice came through, hoarse and exhausted. "He is stable now. But the doctor said... It’s only temporary." Her words cracked. "They told us to prepare. To say our goodbyes."

The sentence hit Evelyn like a hurricane.

She closed her eyes, pressing her forehead lightly against the cool glass window. The bright sun outside suddenly felt distant and unreal.

From the other end of the call, she could hear Alicia’s quiet sobs, soft but broken enough to make Evelyn’s chest ache. Her hand trembled around the phone.

She already knew her grandfather was in critical condition. But hearing that the family was being told to say goodbye... it was different. Final. Cruel.