Chapter 206: Don't Miss Me Too Much
As soon as the door opened, Frederick stood there with an imported fruit basket in one hand and new toys in the other. Alex was hiding behind him.
His gaze swept past Rebecca, who was glaring at him. Pretending not to notice her fury, Frederick turned to Alexa with a gentle demeanor. "Mrs. Getty, sorry for the trouble."
"No trouble at all, come on in..."
Alexa welcomed them warmly as she set out fruit plates, drinks, and chocolates on the table. She turned to Layla, "I remember we have some toys for kids in the storage room. Quick, go grab them for the little one to play with."
Layla smiled and headed to the storage room.
When Rebecca returned to the living room, Frederick was already drinking the coffee Alexa had made for him. Beside him, Alex held a piece of chocolate in one hand and a piece of candy in the other, glancing between them as if he couldn't decide which to eat first.
Rebecca took a deep breath and looked at Frederick with a sweet smile. "How thoughtful of you. Not out socializing on a weekend, and you even brought the kid along."
"I don't like socializing. This is a rare opportunity, bringing the kid along is good practice for me."
"Frederick, you're so thoughtful!"
Alexa's eyes lit up with approval. "That's exactly the right attitude. Young people nowadays—the men expect their wives to take care of the kids, and women expect their parents or in-laws to do it. They don't realize they need to raise their own children!"
Shaking her head, Alexa let out a regretful sigh. "If Dennis had your awareness, I could finally rest easy. Honestly, I should have had another daughter back then."
Rebecca froze.
Alexa had already started chatting with Frederick. "Frederick, Jennifer mentioned last time that you're still not married and you're always busy with work. So—any new developments lately?"
"Mrs. Getty, I'm already married!"
Glancing at Rebecca, who had gone completely still, Frederick said gently, "She went back to her parents' house. With no one to help with the kid, I thought of you. I hope you don't mind?"
"Not at all, not at all."
In the huge villa, it was usually just her and Layla. When Becca wasn't home, the place felt empty. But now, with two more people around, the house finally felt lively again. She didn't mind it one bit.
Alexa smiled and peeled an orange, then slipped it into Alex's hand. He had barely finished the chocolate and freed up one hand when Alexa promptly slipped an orange into it. Alex looked at Rebecca with pleading eyes, as if saying, 'I already ate so much at lunch—you saw it! I really can't eat anymore!'
Rebecca sighed. "Mom, I'll take him to the room to play for a bit. You and Frederick can chat."
Frederick looked up. Rebecca avoided eye contact, leading Alex – who's face lit up with a grin – upstairs to the bedroom. As soon as the door closed, Rebecca poked Alex's cheek. "Traitor!"
Alex pouted. "It's really not my fault!"
She hadn't expected to keep it from him for long anyway, since Alex was his nephew, after all.
But Rebecca hadn't expected that—from buying the kids' watch to now, she and Alex hadn't even lasted a whole day. What a failure!
"Come on, let me show you my Baymax. If you like it, I'll get you one too."
Temporarily setting aside the little schemes that calculating man Frederick had pulled, Rebecca took Alex to see her beloved pet, then pulled out a stack of comics. The two settled by the bookshelf in the corner, reading with quiet absorption.
Her phone buzzed lightly. Rebecca glanced down and saw a message from Frederick: [Becca, are you coming home tonight?]
Knowing he meant Pinewood Mansion, Rebecca's reply was straightforward: [No.]
In the living room downstairs, Frederick put away his phone and looked at Alexa calmly. "She says she's not coming home tonight."
"Then don't hesitate—make yourself at home."
Alexa pointed upstairs. "We've got guest rooms. You'd only be eating and sleeping if you went back anyway. It's livelier here. Besides…” Pointing proudly at Rebecca's room, Alexa beamed. "Becca's been great with kids since she was little. If you stay, you'll have someone to help you with the child."
Frederick nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Getty. You're too kind."
After Alexa's compliment, Frederick smiled and sent Rebecca a Facebook message: [Honey, it would be rude to turn down such hospitality. I'm staying at the Getty's tonight instead of going home. Don't miss me too much.]
Rebecca read the message and went still.