Chapter 80 Alexander, Don't You Want Me?
Suddenly possessed by some mischievous impulse, Liam reached out toward the chicken wings in the oven.
Max immediately slapped his hand away. "Dummy! Hot!"
Only then did Liam snap back to reality and pull his hand back. He understood what "hot" meant, but the delicious aroma had completely captivated him.
Grace wanted to laugh but couldn't quite manage it, only forcing a slight curve at the corner of her lips. "Liam, don't be impatient. I'll give you the first wing, okay?"
A child's desire for delicious food was simply irresistible.
Max, sensitive as always, detected Grace's poor mood. "Mommy, are you feeling down?"
Grace froze, immediately forcing a smile, trying to dispel the melancholy in her eyes with her expression. "No, of course not. Mommy's not feeling down at all."
Max noticed the stiff muscles in her face but said nothing more.
Half an hour later.
The chicken wings were ready.
This was the final dish.
Liam sat at the dining table, eyes fixed eagerly on the front door, seemingly waiting for Alexander.
The housekeeper approached and said, "Ms. Foster, Mr. Hayes called to say he won't be home for dinner tonight. He said not to wait for him."
"Oh." Grace seemed to have expected this and wasn't surprised. She simply said to Liam and Max, "Liam, Max, let's eat first."
Liam looked down with visible disappointment.
In front of him sat a plate of fragrant roasted chicken wings. Such delicious wings—he'd wanted Alexander to try them too.
But unexpectedly, Alexander wasn't coming home.
Max also looked disappointed. "Is he really that busy?"
Grace placed a chicken wing in Liam's bowl, smiling. "Let's eat first. Don't worry about him."
The moment Liam saw the aromatic chicken wing in his bowl, his eyes went wide with excitement. He eagerly picked up his fork, completely forgetting about whether Alexander would return for dinner or not.
He speared the wing with his fork and pursed his little lips, blowing on it for a long time. Only when it felt less hot did he take his first bite.
The chicken wing had absorbed all the flavors perfectly—crispy skin and tender meat. The moment Liam bit into it, the succulent chicken seemed to melt in his mouth. The delicious juices had permeated the meat completely, the timing was absolutely perfect, and the aroma was intoxicating.
After just one bite, Liam began swaying his head blissfully from side to side!
Max asked, "Is it good?"
Liam nodded enthusiastically!
Max said, "If it's good, eat more!"
Grace laughed. "Max, with all this delicious food you make every day, are you trying to turn Liam into a little butterball?" She'd noticed that Liam seemed to have gained a bit of weight these past few days—or perhaps it was just that his face had filled out more, making his cheeks look even more adorably chubby!
Max looked at Liam with an almost imperceptible tenderness and affection, no longer carrying the hostility from their first meeting.
Grace was thoroughly amused by Liam's eating style.
Liam's little mouth was shiny with grease, and his eyes sparkled brightly from enjoying such delicious food.
Grace tried some herself. "Your cooking skills have improved even more."
Max said, "Mommy hasn't had my roasted chicken wings in a long time. I modified the recipe a little this time—now the wings have crispy skin but the meat stays tender."
These wings were absolutely divine!
Max's heart filled with a sense of accomplishment!
Perhaps this was the joy of cooking—watching beloved family members eat food you'd prepared with your own hands, seeing their happy smiles because of the delicious meal. It made his heart feel warm too.
Without realizing it, he'd already come to think of Liam as one of his most important family members.
...
Parque Arauco.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled up downstairs.
The driver opened the rear door.
Emily stepped out of the car, then turned back toward the open door with obvious reluctance. "Alexander... aren't you going to walk me upstairs?"
Alexander frowned slightly, then suddenly got out of the car. The evening breeze tousled his hair across his forehead, obscuring his eyes, but it did nothing to diminish his striking looks—if anything, it made him even more devastatingly handsome.
"I'll walk you up."
He escorted Emily to her door. Emily opened it and stepped into the foyer, then turned to Alexander. "It's still early. Would you like to come in for a bit?"
Today, Alexander had actually joined her for dinner—a rare occurrence.
Since he was willing to walk her upstairs, Emily naturally wanted to seize this opportunity to spend time alone with him.
"It's already late," Alexander said. "I should head back early to spend time with Liam."
Emily said, "Apart from work, you spend practically all your energy on Liam. Sometimes I'd like you to spend more time with me too."
Alexander hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside.
He walked into the living room while Emily followed close behind, drawing the curtains closed.
In the living room, a single floor lamp cast a dim glow.
In the subdued lighting, she suddenly reached out to help him remove his suit jacket.
Alexander reflexively grasped her hand, looking at her with confusion.
Emily's hands were trembling.
She could sense the man's deliberate attempt to distance himself, and she knew this wasn't something she should be initiating.
He was a man—a perfectly normal man, a red-blooded man. No matter how gentlemanly or restrained he might be, he should still have basic masculine instincts.
Could he really have gone all these years without any physical needs?
If using her body could capture his heart, she didn't care what he might think of her.
If a man wasn't taking the initiative, perhaps as a woman, she should set aside some of her modesty.
Emily said, "Alexander, I've kept myself pure for you all these years, but I've been ready to give you everything for a long time now."
She looked up at Alexander's incomparably handsome face, weighing her words carefully before finally gathering her courage. "You seem to have been growing more distant with me lately."
"Have I?"
Alexander's evasiveness and coldness only amplified her embarrassment and sense of unrequited feelings.
But she had no way back.
Emily pressed forward. "Alexander, why do you never touch me?"
Alexander turned slightly, shifting his gaze away from her face.
The awkwardness on Emily's face intensified. "Do I not attract you? Or am I not being forward enough?"
If he was being passive, she was willing to be more assertive.
Emily suddenly began removing her clothes.
His pupils contracted sharply, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "What are you doing?"
Her face flushed with shyness as her fingers worked at the buttons of her dress, slowly moving closer to him. "Alexander, take me, please."
She slipped off her light cardigan, letting the straps slide down her shoulders. Her pale, smooth skin was half-revealed beneath her clothing.
She walked up to him, cupping his handsome face in her hands, slowly rising on her tiptoes as her soft red lips moved toward his.
"Tonight, I want to become your woman completely."
She used the softest tone possible, trying to melt his ice-cold heart.
She refused to believe that even going this far, he could remain completely unmoved.
Unless he wasn't a normal man at all!