“Daddy, I saw Mommy in Cloud City!” Melody had stopped crying. She fumblingly took out the phone in
her pocket and tapped on a few pictures. Duke was caught off guard when his eyes landed on the
woman‘s face. He grabbed the phone at once and zoomed in on the picture. At a closer look, he could
see that the outline of her facial features were quite familiar, and the tenderness in her eyes made his
heart beat wildly in his chest.
He suppressed his joy and slowly asked, “Mel, when was this picture taken?”
“Daddy, didn‘t you see me and Mommy hugging together?” Melody pouted. “I‘m wearing the same
clothes as in that picture. It was taken today.” Only then did Duke realize that Adina was hugging her
daughter in her arms. He cleared his throat and said, “Sorry, Mel. I got too excited. Where did you say
you met Mommy?”
“In Cloud City!” Melody pursed her lips. “Mommy is now called Adeena, and she said she doesn‘t
remember the past. She must have amnesia.” She took out a delicate–looking box from her pocket.
“This is the hair I took from Mommy. Daddy, you can send it to the lab for a paternity test. As long as
she sees the report, she can‘t deny that she‘s our Mommy!
Duke held the long and slender strand of black hair. Suddenly, the previous joy he felt dispersed. He
slowly asked, “When you met Mommy, did she seem different from how she was four years ago?”
“The two months leading up to her disappearance, she was irritable and flew into a rage at random
points... I still remember how Mommy looked when she got angry.” Melody spoke in a cool voice. “But,
today, Mommy was gentle, and she spoke softly. I dirtied Mommy‘s skirt, and she didn‘t get angry, she
even comforted me...” Duke stared at the face on the phone screen. Although her face was somewhat
different from the one four years ago, he was 100% certain that this was his Addy!
‘But why did she have amnesia? Why has she been living under a different identity in Cloud City for
four years? Why had there been no news about her for four years... And the residual effects of the bio–
chip four years ago... is it still in Addy‘s body?‘ If her character had become peaceful, did that mean
that the residual effects had disappeared because of the amnesia?
Duke carefully put the hair sample away and said in a low voice, “Mel, don‘t tell your brothers about this
matter yet.” Melody tilted her head. “Why, Daddy?”
George, Hal, and Al all missed their mommy no less than she did. Especially Hal, who always wept
deeply and blamed himself for what happened that night four years ago...
“Your brothers miss Mommy too much. If we told them about this, I‘m certain that they would recktessly
rush over there,” Duke said softly, “Mel, you don‘t want Mommy to regress into how she was four years
ago too, right?”
Melody‘s eyes widened. “No!”
Duke stroked her supple hair. “I don‘t want that, either. That‘s why this has to be our little secret,
alright?” Melody nodded. Duke stood up and walked toward the master bedroom. Melody thought he
was going to bed, and was just about to head to her room when Duke walked out of the bedroom with a
suitcase. “Daddy, where are you going at this late hour?” “Cloud City.”
Duke‘s footsteps were hurried, and it only took three strides for him to reach the bottom of the stairs.
Melody was speechless.
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