Chapter 6: Playing Matchmaker

Irene hadn't even been gone for ten minutes, and Lucas was already bouncing off the walls. So much for all her "stay put" lectures - her middle kid was physically incapable of sitting still. He kept yanking on Alex's sleeve like an overexcited puppy.

"C'mon, Alex, let's get outta here!" Lucas was practically vibrating with energy. "Mom's gonna be gone forever, and this place is totally loaded with cool stuff. They've got everything - we've gotta check it out!"

That got Lily's attention real quick. She zoomed over and latched onto Alex's arm, pulling out all the stops with her patented baby-sister charm offensive. "Pretty please, big brother? I'm literally starving... I did some research before we came, and they do food all day long. Everyone says their afternoon tea is to die for. Take me?"

Alex barely glanced up from his laptop - he'd seen this coming from a mile away. His siblings had the attention span of goldfish. "Not happening, guys. Pick one or the other."

Lucas and Lily traded looks. Cue Lucas's world-class sulking face.

"For real?" he whined. "When's Mom gonna ditch this 'ladies first' garbage? I never get to pick anything!"

Lily flashed him that butter-wouldn't-melt smile. "Tough luck, bro. That's what being a gentleman's all about!"

Alex reached over and messed up his brother's hair. "Chill out, you'll get your shot when Mom's back. Right now..." He smirked at his screen. "Let's hook Lily up with some snacks. Plus, I've got a special job for her after."

"A job?" Lily's ears practically perked up as she sidled closer. "What kind of job?"

Alex pointed to a blinking dot on his screen. "Check this out. Slipped a tracker into Mom's suitcase before our little switcheroo. Just ran a trace, and guess what? The suitcase is right here in this hotel. Which means..." he paused for effect, "Mr. Big Shot CEO of Haven Enterprise is probably crashing here too."

Lily's face scrunched up in confusion - clearly out of the loop about their airport shenanigans.

Lucas jumped in, words spilling out like he'd had way too much sugar as he broke down their master plan.

By the time he finished, Lily was lit up like a Christmas tree. "Hold up - are you saying the guy who might be our dad is, like, right here in this hotel?"

Alex nodded, wheels already turning. "Here's what's gonna go down: after we grab food, you need to work your magic and get close to him somehow. Play the lost kid card. When Mom shows up later, I'll bring her to 'find' you. Boom - they've gotta meet!"

Lily was bouncing like she'd mainlined pixie sticks, food completely forgotten. "I've got this, big bro! Mission accepted!"

Alex gave her cheek a gentle pat, his usual serious face softening. "That's my girl."

"Listen up though," he added, going all serious mode. "We gotta play this smart. Mom's been flying solo for five years, busting her butt taking care of us. Don't you think it's about time she caught a break?"

The other two got real quiet, nodding like tiny adults. For a bunch of five-year-olds, they were scary perceptive. They'd watched their mom grinding away, building their life from scratch. They'd caught those moments when she'd zone out, lost in whatever memories she was keeping locked up tight.

"Alright then," Alex wrapped it up, snapping his tablet shut with a click. "Operation Mom's Happiness is officially on."

---

Twenty minutes later, Irene found herself at Sterling Manor's gates. Her heart hammered in her chest as memories of that humiliating day five years ago washed over her. But she was ready for this. She was ready for all of it.

The sound of some fancy car crunching up the gravel snapped her out of it. Out steps Richard Vein, looking like he'd just walked off a GQ cover in his custom suit. His eyes swept over Irene appreciatively, clearly enjoying what he saw - the elegant designer dress, the perfectly styled hair, the confident pose. Five years had transformed the awkward suburban girl into a sophisticated woman, and true to his shallow nature, Richard didn't recognize her at all. He only saw what was on the surface: a stunning stranger worth pursuing.

"Hey there!" He flashed that rehearsed smile she used to fall for, turning on the charm like flipping a switch. "Looking for the Sterlings?"

Irene felt her stomach do a flip, and not the good kind. Five years ago, fresh off the bus from suburbia and totally starstruck by all this wealth and privilege, she'd thought Richard was basically God's gift to womankind. Talk about rose-colored glasses - she'd bought his whole act, hook, line, and sinker. Now here he was, hitting on her simply because she looked the part of high society, not having a clue she was the same woman he'd once deemed too unsophisticated to marry.

His words from that day hit her like a bucket of ice water: "You really think I'd marry someone like you? Get real - look in the mirror. You're a walking embarrassment. I only played nice because of our families. Now you're damaged goods, and you still expect me to want you? Get lost! And if we ever see each other again, pretend you don't know me."

Now here he was, trying to work his charm on some woman he didn't even recognize - turns out karma's got a sense of humor. Irene didn't even bother giving him the time of day.

"Miss Irene!" A voice she actually wanted to hear called out. James, their butler since forever, came hustling down the path, genuine joy all over his face. "Thank heavens you're here. The old master's been climbing the walls waiting for you."

Richard's smooth operator face cracked like cheap paint. "Hold the phone - did you say...?"

"This is Miss Irene Sterling," James announced, managing to sound proper while basically dropping the mic, "the true Sterling heiress herself!"

The look on Richard's face was priceless - like someone had just pantsed him in public. All that smooth charm went up in smoke as he finally clocked who he'd been trying to hit on. He actually stumbled backward, mouth flapping like a fish out of water.

Irene gave him one ice-cold glance, just to drive home how completely irrelevant he was to her now. Five years ago, getting dumped by him felt like her world was ending. Now? He barely registered on her radar.

"James," she said warmly to the guy who'd had her back even when everything went sideways, "it's so good to see you."

Walking up to the mansion with James, Irene kept her head high. She wasn't that starry-eyed girl anymore, desperate for the cool crowd to like her. She was Dr. Irene Sterling - kickass surgeon, amazing mom to three genius kids. Let them all get an eyeful - she was back on her own terms, stronger than ever.

Behind her, Richard was still doing his statue impression, watching his carefully built world of social superiority crash and burn as he realized just how badly he'd screwed up five years ago. But Irene didn't waste time looking back. She had bigger fish to fry than old drama and ancient history.

And while Irene dealt with ghosts of her past at Sterling Manor, back at the Grand Hotel, three clever children were quietly setting their own plans in motion.