Chapter 82 Discovering She Has Returned
The door slammed shut with a loud "bang."
Alex stood in the hallway: "Grandma, please don't be angry."
But there was no response from inside the room.
He raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples: "Then you rest first, Grandma. I'll... come visit you another day."
Ever since Emily left, Grandma's attitude toward him had never softened.
He lingered at the door for a moment.
His mind drifted to the childish voice from the phone call earlier.
That soft, sweet tone—it did sound quite adorable.
Alex shook his head, pushing down the inexplicable tenderness in his heart, and turned to go downstairs.
Susan watched his retreating figure and couldn't help but sigh: "Mr. Baker, why don't you... try apologizing to the old lady again?"
"Only that woman can calm Grandma down." Alex took the coat the servant handed him. "I'm going back to the villa. Keep a close eye on Grandma's health, and call me immediately if anything comes up."
With that, he grabbed his car keys and left.
Susan stood there and let out a breath.
Inside the black Maybach.
The silence in the car amplified the man's loneliness infinitely.
He leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes in frustration.
Over the past two years, Emily's image kept flashing through his mind.
Whether she was smiling happily at the Baker family home, or looking bright and charming... was she really that unforgettable?
After a long while, he raised his hand and loosened his tie.
Sizzle—
Light smoke spread through the car. Amid the swirling smoke, the man's profile looked even more stern.
Just then, the car phone rang.
It was Michael.
"Speak."
"Mr. Baker, we just received word that the Johnson family has been gathering liquid assets recently. They seem to be preparing for a new project with promising profit projections."
Alex flicked off the ash from his cigarette: "Got it."
Over these two years, his assistant was most aware of how much he'd been looking after the Johnson family.
After hanging up, the car fell silent again.
Alex glanced up at the building. Only half a lamp was lit in Grandma's room.
His thin lips pressed together slightly. He raised his hand to turn on some music, but accidentally touched the screen, which automatically connected to social media.
The next second, noisy sounds came through the car speakers.
"Hello everyone, I'm Grace, meeting you all again."
"Thank you for all the gifts!"
Suddenly, a familiar face appeared on the center console screen.
It was Grace.
A flash of impatience crossed Alex's face. He was about to swipe away when a comment refreshed.
Seeing those three words, his pupils contracted.
"Thank you all for defending me, but I think Miss Johnson didn't mean it."
"After all, I didn't expect her to come back today after escaping abroad for years."
"Yes, we ran into each other at the mall today... I just didn't expect that she's now..."
"It's—it's okay. Miss Johnson probably just couldn't control her emotions, that's why she hit me."
Even her voice was choking up.
Grace faced the camera with red-rimmed eyes, showing half her face with a clear handprint. The densely scrolling comments mentioned the whole incident, constantly being copied and pasted.
"Miss Johnson? Isn't she the woman who divorced Mr. Baker two years ago?"
"Can't believe she's back in the country, and so aggressive!"
"The streamer is just too nice. Being bullied like this, and I heard she was even threatened..."
Countless comments rolled by.
Alex's eyes narrowed. He barely needed to piece together what happened—someone had already posted surveillance footage from the mall.
In the video, Emily's slap was magnified.
Though the angle was tricky, it clearly captured Emily's face.
"I know you all might think I'm being dramatic, but I really feel wronged..."
"I just said a few honest words, and Miss Johnson treated me like this, boo hoo."
"But after sharing with you all, I feel much better. It's really okay."
Grace took a deep breath behind the camera, forcing a smile.
Her red, slightly swollen eyes looked pitifully beautiful. The big spenders immediately showered her with gifts, and the comments were unanimously condemning.
"Feel bad for sis! This Emily must be bitter about the divorce, right? So arrogant!"
"She had scandals with several heirs before. What kind of decent person could she be? No wonder Mr. Baker divorced her."
"Don't be sad, sis, we all support you!"
Grace watched the rapidly scrolling comments, a flash of smugness quickly passing through her eyes, while her pitiful expression became even more touching.
Putting this out for publicity could earn her extra cash.
Just the current gift count had already reached over a hundred thousand in the backend!
And all she did was say a few words.
On screen, Emily was specially highlighted.
No one else besides her.
Alex stared at the screen: "So, she's back?"
She came back, but no one told him.
His long fingers suddenly tightened, crushing the cigarette butt.
The burning sensation pressed against his palm. Alex's expression didn't change.
"Hello? Mr. Baker." The assistant was puzzled when he answered the call.
Alex said: "Cut off all of Grace's streaming channels."
Michael was startled and quickly responded: "Yes, Mr. Baker, I'll do it right away!"
Smack.
The phone was tossed onto the passenger seat.
Alex's eyes were sharp, fixed on that figure on the screen, as he drove straight away.
...
Meanwhile.
At the Johnson family villa.
A woman's graceful figure stood on the balcony, holding a delicate little cherub in her arms.
When the evening breeze blew, it carried the fragrance of flowers from the courtyard.
Eleanor leaned against her shoulder, curiously looking at the garden full of flowers: "Mommy, smells good!"
Her little hand pointed here and there.
Emily smiled tenderly. Her daughter naturally loved shiny and fragrant things.
So the clothes she designed for her often used pearl beads and flowing soft satin, and natural aromatherapy and crystals were always kept at home.
Matthew stood nearby, looking at the mother and daughter with gentle eyes: "How long are you planning to stay this time? If you don't want to go back to Paris, I'll arrange everything for you here."
Having stayed in Paris these two years, he'd grown accustomed to being by their side.
Emily chuckled softly, lowering her head to play with her daughter: "The Paris headquarters happens to have a domestic cooperation project. I'm back to handle the coordination. I'll probably be here for a while and won't be leaving for now."
Not being with her parents these years, she felt guilty.
All she wanted now was for her parents to be healthy and for Eleanor to grow up safe and happy.
A gleam flashed in Matthew's eyes: "Good. If you need anything work-related, just let me know."
Just as he was speaking, Eleanor suddenly started squirming in Emily's arms.
Her little body twisted around, her soft voice crisp: "Mommy, Eleanor wants down, wants flowers~"