Chapter 52 Do Not Leave
His voice faded, like a distant echo from another world, but it weighed heavily on the heart.
The mango tree, the kapok tree... they had to be connected to Jack somehow, or Alexander wouldn't have brought them up.
Jack's lips moved slightly, but as he watched Alexander walk away, he stayed silent.
More than three years had passed, yet the memories were as vivid as if they had happened yesterday. He had left YD without a word, determined not to use a cent of YD's money or any of its connections to start his own business. Now, he had proven with his own strength that he never needed YD's wealth.
Because he didn't need it anymore.
He knew that if he had struggled after leaving YD, Alexander's pride would never have allowed him to reach out.
Even if they met, it wouldn't heal the old wounds.
He could tolerate being framed by others, but he could never tolerate the distrust of those closest to him.
Back then, in the ancestral hall, only Aidan believed in him, which was why he had always kept in touch with Aidan.
In the silence, the sound of his heartbeat was unusually clear. Facing the two brothers, Alison just wanted to escape. "Mr. Winston, President, please give me a day to think it over. I have kids; I can't just leave them behind without talking to them first."
"Alison, are you scared to follow this big bad wolf to France?" Aidan teased, his tone light and playful.
"No..." Alison hadn't expected Aidan to joke like this in front of her and Jack, making her feel quite embarrassed.
"You're stuttering, so it must be true. Don't worry, I won't let you go with Jack alone. I'll go too..."
Of course, Aidan had to go. He was planning to pursue Alison; there was no way he would let Jack take her. He still remembered what Jack had said before—there was no way he would let Jack take Alison from him.
Yesterday, when he left Chanel with Alison in his arms, Jack had seen it all and was surely making wild guesses about their relationship.
Let Jack guess all he wants, Aidan thought. He planned to turn those guesses into reality, slowly but surely.
For now, they were just bedmates. Marriage? He wasn't ready for that yet, no matter how much the chairman pushed.
"Second brother, you're not the lucky winner chosen by the chairman. You can't go. If you go, you'll steal the luck from Miss Fairchild and me." Jack insisted on having Alison accompany him to Paris, just to annoy Aidan. Seeing how nervous Aidan was about Alison, he knew Aidan had feelings for her.
Jack was only curious about Alison; he had no other feelings for her.
"I'm going on business, to negotiate a multi-billion dollar investment with a major client. I have to go personally. Of course, I don't mind you two being my assistants."
Jack punched Aidan. "Who's going to be your assistant? You should be my assistant. And I hate being a third wheel."
The two brothers laughed and joked, completely ignoring Alison.
Mentioning "third wheel" made Alison blush again.
"President, Mr. Winston, I'll give you my answer tomorrow. I'm leaving now." With that, Alison quickly walked towards the door, leaving the two handsome, wealthy bachelors behind.
This was the first time both men had been "dumped" by a woman at the same time.
Listening to the click-clack of her high heels and watching Alison's retreating figure, the brothers exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Chase!"
"Whoever catches her gets to take her out tonight," Aidan declared. He had already arranged his other clients. Tonight, he was in a good mood and wanted to have a drink, preferably with Alison.
The hall was empty, thanks to Aidan's arrangement. As soon as the press conference ended, he had the staff clear the crowd, so now they could run freely.
Four long legs raced against each other, neither wanting to lose. Just as Alison was about to exit, the two men grabbed her arms from either side. Jack whispered in her ear, "You're not allowed to leave."
Jack was so close that his breath tickled her neck, making her heart race. She wanted to shake him off but knew it was impossible. Even if there was only one of them, she couldn't escape their pursuit.
"Please let go of me. I said I'd give you my answer tomorrow."
"How about now? Let's go have a drink to celebrate our good fortune today."
Alison was secretly annoyed. Jack should know there was something fishy about this "good fortune." She didn't know Aidan's intentions yet, but she had long suspected that this "good fortune" was orchestrated. Yet Jack used it as an excuse to invite her for a drink, claiming it was to celebrate.
How boring.
"Mr. Winston, I'm sorry, but I really need to go home. Otherwise, Sophia and Ethan will be worried."
"How about calling the kids to let them know? That way, they won't worry."
"No..." Before she could finish, her phone rang. What a coincidence.
The two men exchanged a look, nodded, and released Alison's arms. She quickly took her phone out of her handbag.
It was Sophia and Ethan calling.
She hadn't gone home, and the kids were already worried.
Alison quickly answered the call, and Sophia's voice came through first. "Mommy, when are you coming home?"
"Mommy is working late, so..." Alison trailed off, unable to bring herself to say that the two men were detaining her.
"Mommy, when will you be done?"
"Well..." Alison didn't know how to answer. She had just said one word when Jack snatched the phone from her.
"Hey there, what's your name?" This might have been the first time Jack had willingly spoken to a child. He usually found snotty, teary kids annoying.
"Are you a man?" Sophia asked directly. Why was a man answering instead of Mommy?
Jack stifled a laugh, trying not to let it out. "Yes, I'm a man."
"Where's my mommy?" Sophia asked curiously.
"She's right here next to me," Jack said, glancing at Alison, who was trying to grab the phone back from him.
Jack turned away from Alison, oddly enjoying the little girl's voice on the phone. He didn't find it annoying at all.
"Give it back!" Alison was getting anxious. She couldn't imagine the consequences of Sophia and Jack talking. After all, Jack was Sophia's father. If he or the kids found out...
The thought made her heart race with panic.
Jack blocked Alison with his elbow, refusing to give the phone back. He particularly enjoyed listening to the little girl's voice on the other end.
In the midst of their tussle, Jack accidentally hit the speaker button, and Sophia's innocent voice came through loud and clear. "Uncle, is your last name Winston?"
Jack's interest was piqued. "How did you know my last name is Winston?"
"Wow, you really are a Winston!" Sophia was thrilled, her voice full of excitement.
Alison panicked. The kids were about to spill the beans.
She had considered telling Jack the truth, but she remembered how much Jack despised Emily. She couldn't say it, absolutely couldn't.
"Sophia, where's your brother?" Alison leaned closer to Jack's phone. If he wouldn't give it back, she had to find a way to interrupt the kids' questions and stop them from saying too much.
As soon as Alison asked, the sound of the two kids fighting over the phone came through. Soon, Ethan's voice replaced Sophia's. "Mommy, I'm here. I've been listening. Sophia wouldn't let me talk. Mommy, did you find our daddy?"
Alison felt like her head was going to explode.
"Ethan, Mommy is still looking. When I find him, I'll bring him to meet you."
"Mommy, Sophia is biting my ear, saying Daddy is right next to you."
"Little one, are you talking about me?" Jack laughed, finding the situation amusing. Although he knew he couldn't be the father of those two kids, being mistaken for their dad felt kind of nice.
He was curious about what Ethan and Sophia would say next and started thinking about which woman could have his children. If she was qualified, he wouldn't make her take birth control. But as he thought about it, he shook his head. In the end, Emily's image flashed through his mind.