Chapter 316: You Shouldn’t Have Come
Alison forced herself to set aside her resentment.
“Okay. I’ll call them myself.” She picked up the phone and dialed the nanny.
She frowned, surprised by Alexander’s forcefulness.
The dinner was tense.
If not for Sophia and Ethan chatting while they ate, the table would have been eerily silent.
Suddenly, Sophia said to Emily, “Auntie, you look exactly like my mommy! We really like you! Would you like to come play at our house tonight?”
Emily smiled. “Okay, but make sure you eat plenty.”
“Yes!” Sophia exclaimed, excitedly scooping up a spoonful of rice.
Clearly, she adored Emily.
Alison remained silent. All she wanted was to finish dinner and leave. She couldn’t bear to stay another moment in this ancestral home.
Finally, after they finished the meal, just as Alison was about to suggest leaving, Cassandra spoke up,
“Aidan, it’s getting late. The children need to rest early. Why don’t you take them home?”
Alison looked at her gratefully.
Isabella’s expression darkened instantly, but recalling her earlier argument with Alison, she said nothing, merely glancing at Alexander.
She had expected him to stop Alison from taking the children away. Instead, he said,
“Well, Sophia and Ethan should be heading back to bed. But remember to visit me often, okay?”
The children ran to him happily.
“Great-grandpa, I will definitely come see you often.”
After saying this, Sophia kissed Alexander on the cheek, making him beam with delight.
“Good girl. Remember to listen to your mommy.”
“Got it, Grandpa. Goodbye.”
After that, the children skipped away, following Alison.
Stepping out of the door, Alison exhaled.
“Aidan, if Grandpa wants to see the children again, you bring them here. But make sure you bring them back to me safely. I never want to come here again,” she said.
“A lison, Aunt Isabella didn’t mean any harm. It’s just that Aimée…” Aidan began to explain.
“What about her?” Alison asked.
“The Rollands have been harassing her, saying that Aimée’s accident happened because of you. If Grandfather hadn’t intervened, they would’ve sued you by now,” he added.
“Oh.”
Aidan’s words made Alison realize that she might have been too harsh on Alexander.
Just as they were about to drive off, Ethan got into the car and looked around with a reluctant expression.
“Mommy, I left a Transformers toy on that swing set over there.”
“Aidan, hold on a moment. I’ll go look for it,” Alison protested.
“Okay,” Aidan replied.
“Sophia, Ethan, stay in the car and behave,” Alison instructed.
“Mommy, hurry up.”
Alison hurried toward the swing set in the corner of the yard.
She scanned the ground carefully as she walked, looking for the Transformers toy.
But after searching every corner, she still couldn’t find it.
When she looked up, however, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a pink figure darting across the corner of the garden.
It’s Emily.
Shouldn’t she be with Rock?
Why is she here?
Alison wondered silently, following Emily instinctively.
The further they went, the denser the foliage became. It seemed to be one of the secluded corners of the estate that few ever visited.
Yet Emily showed no sign of stopping.
When she stopped, Alison halted too.
Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat — directly above Emily’s position was the Winston family guest room, where she had once stayed.
Recalling the strange sounds that night made her pulse spike.
In the faint moonlight filtering through, she could barely make out Emily crouched down and swiftly pulling something from her bag, then… a relieved smile appeared on her face.
Oh my God… Emily was taking drugs.
How long has she been using?
Did Jack know?
Is Matthew the one behind this?
Emily pulled the needle from her arm and leaned back comfortably against the outdoor wall, seemingly unaware of Alison’s presence.
Alison backed away secretly.
As soon as she got back to the car, she told Aidan, “Let’s go.”
She wanted to leave this place that concealed so many earth-shattering secrets.
Aidan started the car while catching a glimpse of her pale face in the rear-view mirror.
“Mommy, where’s my Transformers toy?” Ethan asked.
“Sorry, dear, I couldn’t find it. How about buying you a new one tomorrow?” Alison replied.
“No,” Ethan pouted.
“Mommy, new ones won’t do. It was Daddy who gave it to me. I only want that one,” he insisted.
“I looked everywhere, but it’s too dark out. How about tomorrow? Ask someone to search the garden thoroughly, okay?” she soothed him, tears coming to her eyes.