Chapter 93 Blazing Gaze (Part 1)
Alison figured Aidan was just putting on a show for his mom. Given the woman's illness, she didn't put up a fight.
As they were leaving, the woman handed Alison a gift, as beautiful as a piece of art. Alison tried to refuse, but Aidan had already accepted it for her. Holding her hand as they walked away, the night was as calm as a still pond.
The woman didn't come out, but as the car drove through the gates, Alison glanced back and saw her standing by the window, her eyes filled with sadness and longing.
Alison couldn't imagine what was going through her mind...
"Alison, thanks," Aidan said softly after they left the villa.
"Aidan, is there no cure for your mom's illness?" Alison sighed, thinking about how beautiful the woman was.
"We've seen a lot of doctors, but none could help. Remember the night before the press conference? That night, my mom's condition got worse, so I rushed back to see her. It's been like this for the past few days, on and off."
No wonder he disappeared for a week. It wasn't like the rumors suggested, that he was out partying; he was with his mom.
"Aidan, you're so devoted. But I think your mom's illness might be more of a mental issue."
"Alison, you're right. It is a mental issue. How did you figure that out?"
"Just by looking into her eyes. She has something heavy on her mind. Those eyes are so deep, they make you feel heartbroken just looking at them."
"My dad was the last person she saw before he disappeared. After we couldn't find him, her mental state gradually deteriorated. She often regrets not keeping him that night, saying if she had, he might not have disappeared."
So that's what happened. "Aidan, maybe if you find your dad, your mom's illness will improve."
"We've been searching since the day he disappeared. The Winston family has never given up. But it's like he vanished into thin air, no clues at all, neither alive nor dead. My mom's condition has worsened because of it."
Alison looked out the window. Another woman trapped by love, it was truly heartbreaking.
"Alison, we're almost there. Let me walk you upstairs," Aidan said as he pulled up to the entrance of her apartment complex.
"It's late, no need, Aidan. I can walk the rest of the way."
The car came to a slow stop at the entrance, but Aidan didn't open the door. The car was silent. After a moment, he said, "Alison, we've just started dating, you might not know me well yet. I hope we can give each other a chance."
She wanted to, she didn't want to disappoint him, but she just couldn't. Love is love, and if it's not there, it can't be forced. Even though Aidan and Jack looked alike, neither could replace the other. And Jack had already quietly imprinted himself on her heart, impossible to erase.
"Aidan, I'm sorry." She couldn't open the car door, so she just looked at the handle, hoping Aidan would let her out.
"Alison, that night, does it really mean nothing to you?" Aidan asked again, his voice filled with pain. Being rejected by a woman for the first time stung. He didn't care about his pride anymore; he cared about the ache of wanting something he couldn't have.
"Aidan, it's all in the past, isn't it? If you're talking about that night and the woman being a virgin, it definitely wasn't me," she said firmly, her eyes looking out at the gentle night, thinking of Sophia and Ethan.
The kids were her future. She wouldn't rely on any man, and no man could enter her heart again.
Once you've seen the vast ocean, no other water will do.
Once you've seen the clouds of Mount Wu, no other clouds will do.
There was no turning back, so she could only hold her children's hands and keep moving forward.
Aidan finally pressed the button to open the car door, watching Alison push it open and get out, watching her figure quickly disappear at the entrance. He quietly watched the direction she left for a long, long time...
Alison ran as fast as she could, glancing back occasionally. Seeing that Aidan wasn't following, she felt a bit relieved.
She had chosen her new home near this complex mainly to avoid Aidan, so he wouldn't find her two precious kids through her old phone number.
The next day, Alison went to work as usual. As soon as she walked into the purchasing department hall, she felt the atmosphere was off. The usual whispers were gone. She knew it was because Aidan had fired those two female employees yesterday. Now, no one dared to gossip in the company.
Alison smiled. Aidan's move to make an example out of them really worked, at least her ears were now free from the noise.
"Alison, double-check this project budget, and based on it, calculate how much it will cost us to procure materials to make a profit." As soon as the words were spoken, a thick budget file was slammed onto Alison's desk.
"Manager, when do you need this by?" Alison asked as she opened the file.
"Within three days, I need it urgently."
"Okay, got it." She agreed, but as soon as she saw the dense numbers in the file, her head started to ache.
She'd rather do translations than deal with these numbers. She was really clueless about them.
But since Manager McLean had given it to her, and she had agreed, she had no choice but to tackle it head-on.
She habitually skimmed through the file from start to finish to get a rough idea of what needed to be done, so she wouldn't be completely lost when she started working.
When she got to the last page, her eyes were drawn to the signature "Jack."
So Jack was in charge of this project. It was just a villa, but Jack had to personally design it. It must be a task given by the chairman.
She wondered who the future owner of this villa would be.
Alison started working overtime. When she informed the kids, they didn't object at all. They even laughed on the phone, saying, "Mom, you can work overtime as much as you want, come back whenever."
It was as if they were saying it didn't matter if she didn't come back.