Chapter 90 A Big One and a Small One Face Each Other
Alex swallowed the pills dry: "Ha."
A sleepless night.
Emily lay on the soft bed, tossing and turning.
Finally waiting for dawn, she slowly closed her laptop.
The work wasn't that heavy, it was just that she couldn't sleep well here.
Seeing the sky gradually brighten outside, she just wanted to take Eleanor and leave the old mansion as soon as possible.
Every extra second she stayed, she felt suffocated.
But Alex had also stayed here last night...
She got up quietly, packed her things, planning to leave as soon as the old lady woke up.
Try to avoid running into Alex.
But things didn't go as planned.
A gentle knocking sound.
Before Emily could react, a soft, childish voice came through the door: "Mommy~ Mommy open the door, Eleanor's awake!"
It was Eleanor.
Emily's heart tightened: "Baby, you..."
She was just about to open the door when she heard another door opening outside.
Eleanor belatedly looked toward the doorway, her big bright eyes full of curiosity.
Alex had somehow come out of his room.
He wore black loungewear that made his features look even more stern, his tall figure noble yet distant.
One big, one small, suddenly their eyes met.
The air instantly went quiet...
Emily's heart sank—oh no!
Her hand froze on the doorknob, not knowing how to react.
Outside, Eleanor wasn't shy at all.
She tilted her little head slightly, her bright eyes staring at Alex: "Handsome uncle!"
That crisp "handsome uncle" made Alex raise an eyebrow, his deep gaze falling on the little one. This child...
Delicate as carved jade, fair-skinned, like an exquisite porcelain doll.
She looked strangely familiar.
Especially her features, which inexplicably made his heart skip a beat.
She looked sixty to seventy percent like Emily.
Emily's expression changed drastically, and she almost instantly opened the door.
She scooped Eleanor into her arms, blocking Alex's view: "Eleanor, don't call people randomly. This is... Mommy's sworn brother, you should call him uncle."
She deliberately avoided all intimate terms of address, her heart pounding wildly.
Eleanor nestled in her mommy's arms, showing her baby teeth with a smile: "Uncle!"
Alex's gaze fell on her, his eyes deep, thinking about something.
He felt this child was... somewhat familiar?
That soft tone was just like the voice he'd heard on the phone before.
Emily tightened her arms, holding her daughter and wanting to head downstairs: "We'll say goodbye to Grandmother, it's time to go home."
"Emmie dear, leaving so early?" Margaret's voice came from the stairway.
She wore loose cartoon pajamas, full of energy. Seeing the three people in the hallway, a hint of cunning flashed in her eyes.
Then she quickly walked forward, subtly blocking Emily's path, smiling: "Well, you're quite the rare guest."
"Come, meet Eleanor, this is Emmie's daughter." She deliberately emphasized the last few words.
Alex's tone was flat: "Already met."
Not asking a single question?
Margaret was frustrated with him.
Stupid boy, no wonder he has no wife or daughter!
But Emily breathed a sigh of relief.
Holding Eleanor, she forced a smile at the old lady: "Grandma, I still have things at the company. I'll take Eleanor home first and come visit you another day."
Margaret held her hand, looking at her with concern: "You're too busy. Breakfast is ready, eat before you go, it won't take long. Make sure to take care of yourself, okay? Look how thin you've gotten."
Emily was helpless: "Grandma, I really have things at the company."
Margaret hugged Eleanor again, kissing her little face: "Alright, then Grandma won't keep you. Eleanor, listen to Mommy, and Grandmother will come see you another day."
"Bye Grandmother~" Eleanor waved her little hand, looking so well-behaved that the old lady couldn't bear to let her go.
Emily held her daughter and left.
With Alex here, she didn't want to stay a moment longer.
Passing by Alex, she brushed right past him.
They had long been strangers to each other.
Alex watched her hurriedly departing figure, his eyes growing deeper.
Suddenly, he slowly withdrew his gaze, sat down at the dining table, but fell into thought.
Did Emily return to the country really just for work?
Susan stood nearby, watching her master's expression, sighing inwardly.
The old lady had worked so hard to keep the secret, but the master was so slow to catch on.
When would this family finally be reunited?
Margaret walked over, glaring at him irritably: "What are you still looking at? She's already gone."
Alex looked up, his tone flat: "Grandma seems to really like that child."
"Of course." Margaret nodded with a smile, her eyes full of tenderness. "Emmie's daughter is as adorable as she was as a child. I love seeing her."
Alex's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't ask more.
The old lady looked at his cold demeanor and nearly fainted from anger, suddenly putting down her knife and fork!
"Just looking at you fills me up! I'm not eating, I'm going upstairs to get some sun!"
With that, the old lady walked away with her cane.
Her granddaughter-in-law and great-granddaughter had left anyway, what was there to eat?
In the living room, the oppressive atmosphere made the surrounding servants afraid to even breathe.
Alex's eyes were cold, his fingers holding a cigarette, letting the smoke swirl around, concealing the emotions in his eyes.
"Susan." He suddenly spoke.
Susan quickly stepped forward: "Sir?"
"Miss Johnson's daughter, how old is she?" Alex asked lightly, his tone revealing no emotion.
Susan's heart tightened, her palms sweating as she forced herself to stay calm: "The little miss... seems to be about a year and a half?"
A year and a half.
Alex's eyes darkened slightly.
Emily had been abroad for over two years, a year and a half...
He stubbed out the cigarette and stood up. "Get the car ready, back to the office."
"Yes."
The black Maybach drove away from the old mansion, heading toward Baker Corporation.
Only after confirming he'd left did Susan breathe a heavy sigh of relief: "That was close, so close, almost gave it away. Good thing the old lady warned me in advance..."
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Emily held Eleanor, and only after the car drove away from the Baker family's old mansion did she let out a long breath.
In hindsight, her back was already covered in a thin layer of sweat.
Just now in the hallway, Alex's gaze had been too oppressive.
She was afraid that one small slip would let him see through everything.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Eleanor lay in her arms, her little face full of confusion. "Who was that uncle just now? Eleanor hasn't seen him before. Is he the same as Uncle Matthew?"
Emily's heart tightened.
She hadn't expected her daughter to suddenly ask about Alex...
After a moment of silence, she looked down at her daughter's clear eyes and said softly: "Does Eleanor like him?"