Chapter 126 A Bucket of Cold Water Over the Head
In the darkness, Alex's breath washed over her like a wave.
Emily was trapped between him and the entryway, with nowhere to escape.
"I missed you so much." Suddenly, he buried his face in her neck. His voice low and rough, he said, "You've been gone two years and eight months."
Emily froze completely.
He remembered it that clearly?
Their breaths mingled, almost brushing against each other.
Alex knew her sensitive spots too well. His hand, rough with calluses, pressed her lower back, rubbing through her clothes.
Then it slipped right inside!
"Mm..." Emily's fingers clenched tight, but she couldn't hold back that soft moan.
A flicker of amusement crossed Alex's eyes. "You're already this wet?"
"Does your body still remember my size? Let's see, hm?"
As soon as he said it, Alex kissed her, his tongue sweeping through her mouth, stealing her saliva.
Wet sounds started under Emily's skirt too!
Right at the edge of climax, Emily's mind went blank!
His cool scent intertwined with hers.
Her rational mind screamed—push him away, don't repeat the same mistake.
But... her body was frozen in place.
His heavy breathing filled her ears, and all the memories she had forcibly buried surged back in an instant.
She could even clearly remember what had happened before, in bed...
Before she could dwell on it, a metal buckle clicked open—his belt was undone.
Cold metal pressed against her stomach, followed by his hot, hard cock!
"You ready?"
"Spread your pussy. Let me fuck you good."
"Mm, Alex..."
Click.
Lost in the heat, her head hit the light switch. The entryway light blazed on.
Suddenly, everything was clear.
Emily snapped back. In the corner of her eye, a flash of pink.
On the bottom shelf of the shoe cabinet... a pair of women's slippers.
Very fancy—top luxury brand, worth at least six figures.
But the size was slightly larger than hers. It was... Grace's.
The style was the soft, gentle kind Grace loved.
It was like a bucket of ice water dumped over her from head to toe, leaving her freezing.
Alex didn't notice, his deep eyes still burning with desire. "No spacing out. Let's keep going, hm?"
Emily's chin was tilted up by him.
She stared at his face up close, a chill running through her. All the earlier flutters and softness shattered.
"Alex!" She shoved him hard, forcing him to stumble back a step.
Emily's face flushed with embarrassment and sarcasm as she snapped, "Had enough yet?"
Alex blinked and stammered, "I..."
"If you want to hug, kiss, or fuck someone to vent, go find Grace!" Emily's words cut sharply. "Don't pretend to be all lovey-dovey in front of me. It makes me sick."
Her eyes flicked back to those slippers, ice cold. "Her stuff's already here in the house. Mr. Baker moves fast. The engagement party just ended, and you already brought her back to the old house? If that's how it is, keep your distance from other women. Otherwise, you’ll end up married and divorced anyway."
Every word dripped with sarcasm.
Alex's brows furrowed as he said, "It's not like that. The last time she came over, I didn't know. This stuff was only left here temporarily. After Grandma got sick, I haven't been back to the old house. I didn't—"
"Enough! I don't want to hear it," Emily cut him off, her voice weary. "Who you date or bring home is your business, your freedom. But don't drag me into it. Alex, we've been divorced three years. Can't we just part on good terms? There's no need for this."
Alex's lips pressed into a thin line as he said, "Before, I didn't know how to cherish you. Will you give me another chance? I'll make it up to you and take good care of Eleanor too..."
"A chance? Make it up?" Emily let out a humorless laugh.
She slowly looked up and met his eyes. "For three years after marrying into the Baker family, you ignored me, doubted me, and ditched me countless times for Grace. Now you talk about making it up? Alex, it's too late."
When she was pregnant with Eleanor abroad and nearly had an accident, where had he been?
When she rushed to the hospital alone at midnight with their feverish child, where had he been?
The air went still.
They stared at each other, both falling silent.
Emily's eyes reddened, but no tears fell. "I don't want to go back. My life now is fine. Besides, Mr. Baker isn't Eleanor's real dad—how could you treat her like your own flesh and blood?"
Alex stood frozen, his throat bobbing as he struggled for words.
Each of her questions stabbed into his heart like a knife, twisting in the wound.
He had no defense to offer.
Because every word she said was true.
He had been the one to push her away.
Emily didn't look at him anymore. She turned and headed upstairs. "I'll go pack Grandma's things. We'll leave right after—no holding each other up."
In an instant, he was left alone downstairs.
Alex stood there, his chest tight with pain.
After a long moment, he finally followed.
A few minutes later, Emily pushed open Margaret's bedroom door.
She knew the routine: she opened the closet to gather personal clothes and daily skincare items.
Most importantly, the electronics.
"Tablet, Bluetooth headphones, portable player..."
She packed them one by one into the bag.
Alex came upstairs and saw this, his brows knitting. "Grandma... can't move much now. She won't use these gadgets."
Emily didn't turn, her tone flat. "Does Mr. Baker think someone in a vegetative state can't listen to audiobooks or watch videos? Grandma needs entertainment even while lying in bed. A good mood helps recovery. Besides, you know she loves making videos and is always chasing trends."
Alex was momentarily speechless.
Yeah, she knew Grandma's likes better than he did.
Emily smoothed the silk bedding. "Even if Grandma can't move, she can still hear, see, and feel. Vegetative state or not, she's still a person who needs proper care, not just to be left in a hospital with tubes."
Alex's heart gave a sharp jolt.
It turned out that even the best medical care only kept the body going, not the mind.
He had overlooked what Grandma truly needed.
No wonder she loved Emily so much.
A wave of bitter guilt washed over him.
"I'll help." He stepped forward.
Emily didn't stop him and simply said, "Mm. Then grab a few pairs of socks for Grandma—the ones with the acupoint chart. She saw them in a video and ordered them from overseas on purpose."
Who knew if they even worked?
That kind of thing isn't really used here.
Still, Grandma liked them.
For the next few minutes, Alex did whatever she asked.
Emily raised a brow—something rare for him.
Then she pulled out the bedsheets and shook them flat.
They were large, and she struggled to handle them alone.
She glanced over—Alex was just standing there, waiting for instructions.
Emily let out an annoyed laugh. "Mr. Baker himself, waiting for instructions like a child? Just standing there as if in time-out?"
Alex blinked. "No."
"Come help me fold the sheets. They're too big."
Alex fell silent for a moment.
Just as Emily thought he wouldn't respond, he muttered, "How do you fold it?"