Chapter 316 That Bad Woman

Chapter 316 That Bad Woman

"Frederick, Alex's birthday is coming up..."

The woman standing in front of the car wore a white Chanel suit, her auburn hair cascading smoothly over her shoulders, carrying a new designer handbag in her hand.

Her manners and appearance showed impeccable taste and poise.

Her gaze was gentle when she looked at Frederick.

Frederick's face was dark, his cold tone straining to contain his fury. "Celine, what does Alex have to do with you? What gives you the right to come back on your own? You have 24 hours to leave Empire City, or else..."

"Frederick!"

Tears welled up in Celine Lawson's eyes. "I know what happened at the time was all my fault. But I sent you emails clarifying matters afterwards. How can you not believe me?"

She shifted her gaze to Rebecca, who was watching her from the passenger seat but hadn't stepped out of the car.

Celine murmured, "Is she the reason?"

Simply lookingg at her one more time irritated him, Frederick circled from the back of the car to the passenger side and flung open the door. "Becca, let's go home!"

"Fine."

Moments ago, Rebecca had thought this was some lover's spat Frederick had caused.

But with that the mere mention of Alex, Rebecca understood.

She was Alex's mother.

Glancing back at Celine with her gentle, seemingly pure look and refined and gentle air, Rebecca felt nothing but disdain for her at all.

Just because of the way she treated to Alex.

And her decision to give birth but failing to raise him, which was the nothing short of abandonment.

Rebecca's initial impression of Celine was already soured.

Wishing for no involvement with her whatsoever, Rebecca linked arms with Frederick, and the two of them brushed past Celine into their home.

From behind the expansive windows, they could see Celine get in her car, but it lingered in front of the villa indefinitely without leaving.

"Why are you watching her?"

Frederick's words were laced with irritation. Rebecca turned away and let out a sigh. "The day after tomorrow is Alex's birthday, so she actually returned for Alex, right?"

Frederick's countenance was icy. "As long as I don't agree, even if she stands at the estate gates for two days, I will bar her from Alex."

"But... she won't resort to extremes, will she?"

Rebecca queried with concern.

Frederick hesitated.

Despite the agreement had previously agreed that upon the child’s birth, it would have no ties to her, and she could accept the settlement from the Windsors and go wherever she wanted - even if she stayed in Empire City, the Windsor family would leave her be.

But after giving birth, whether it was the sight of the infant in swaddle that stirred maternal instincts, or she was scheming else, Celine had signed her legal name on Alex's birth certificate.

If Celine wanted to sue, just that birth certificate she held could be used to cause a major scandal.

Frederick had influence and could easily quash the matter immediately.

But if even the smallest leak out, there was no foretelling the of impact it would have.

A woman who could stoop to abusing to mistreat her own - if Celine lost her mind, what other lengths might she do?

He instructed Mike for people to surveil on Celine, preventing her to get anywhere near the old mansion.

He also notified Elizabeth to warn her.

Throughout, Frederick had no intention of letting Alex see Celine.

Once they had showered and retired to bed.

Seeing that Rebecca, who typically curled up up on the periphery of the bed when awake, was surprisingly yieldingt today and was even clinging to him.

Frederick's irritation slowly faded. "Becca, you're not pitying me, are you?"

In truth Frederick was Alex.

It was more that he was he was also protecting that inner child buried deep.

After all, Alex wasn't the only one who had never known a father’s or mother's love - Frederick hadn't either.

Her exposed, Rebecca demurred.

"Hardly!"

Completely oblivious to her voice sharpened when she defensive, Rebecca squeezed him and said, "I just want to hold you. I'm holding my husband - is there a problem with that?"

"None at all."

amusement colored in Frederick's voice.

He reached out to gather Rebecca into his arms and sighed contentedly. "In those first first days after Alex came home, he was like a burr, clinging to me for two days without ever letting go. I had to hold him while eating, had to hold him when even to the bathroom..."

Prior to his rescue, Alex had been confined to a cage for for an unknown number of days.

Alex was gaunt just emaciated, which made his hollow eyes.

When Frederick extracted him of the cage, like a fledgling, he clung only to him.

Elizabeth was gentle.

The servants at home were gentle.

But he seemed to trust no one, thrashing his head against the wall whenever he lost sight of Frederick.

As she listened talk, tears came to Rebecca's eyes. "Then what happened?"

"Work was slow much going on at the office at the time, so I worked from the old mansion..."

Frederick said in a hushed tone, "When I had meetings, he'd play with blocks next to the table - silently. If I offered him water, he'd take a sip. If I didn't pour any, he could remain thirsty. Same with eating."

As if remembering those days, Frederick leaned down and kissed Rebecca's forehead. "Grandmother always said that children are the most innocent, yet also the most perceptive - they can tell who truly cares for them and who's just pretending. Becca, in these past few years, you're the only one who's gotten into his heart."

Frederick knew he didn't have much patience with children.

So all those Windsor children family, big and small, no matter how wild and rowdy they were outside, when they saw him, they'd say hello and then scatter.

With Alex, he'd done his best.

But Alex's affection for him were just trust and dependence, nothing else.

Like that time when Alex took it upon himself to plan a surprise for Rebecca - in the previous three years, Frederick had never received such treatment.

Although it failed, Frederick and everyone in the Windsor family knew that Rebecca was different from Alex.

Not just Grandmother, but even he hoped that Alex would speak soon and be like a normal child.

If there were only one person in this world who could make that happen, it would be Rebecca.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but worried that Rebecca would feel too much pressure, Frederick still didn't say them out loud.

"Frederick, are you busy tomorrow?"

They'd clearly been talking about Alex, but the topic suddenly shifted to his work.

Not knowing what Rebecca was up to, Frederick shook his head. "Not busy. Why?"

"Then let's take Alex on a trip and give him a unforgettable birthday!"

Rebecca's eyes were sparkled. "That way, the bodyguards won't have to be constantly on guard, and Grandmother and the butler won't have to watch Alex so anxiously."

"As for that bad woman..."

Disliking someone at first sight for the first time, Rebecca wrinkled her nose. "Whether she came with some conspiracy or with a simple, open heart, let's make her plans fail!"

The anxious, bad mood that had started the moment he saw Celine instantly vanished because of Rebecca's sparkling eyes and sudden plan.

Frederick nodded. "Okay!"

They decided to act immediately, turned off the lights, and went to sleep.

When a hint of dawn appeared on the horizon, the Maybach drove out of Pinewood Mansion, out of the alley in front of the old mansion, out of Empire City, heading toward the brightening distance.

In the rearview mirror, Frederick watched as Alex, with his messy bed hair and sleepy eyes, became more and more alert, his expression more and more excited, then jumped up with wide eyes only to bump his forehead and fall back into his seat.

His gaze swept over Rebecca, whose eyes were curved with laughter, and the gloom in Frederick's eyes gradually cleared.