Chapter 98 His Flesh and Blood
As the end of the workday approached, Alison glanced at her watch. She couldn't stay late today; she had to go to Rebel. She turned to Jack and said, "I have plans tonight, so I can't work overtime. I need to take these documents back to the purchasing department." Although she had just learned how to make estimates and was eager to continue, she had to head home.
"Hey, wait a sec," Jack called out as she turned to leave.
"What's up?" she asked, puzzled, turning back to face him.
"You haven't given us an answer about the camping trip," he said with a charming smile, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
That smile almost made Alison agree on the spot. But she quickly realized that his invitation wasn't for his own enjoyment but to have her accompany Aidan. So, she shook her head. "Sorry, I'm not interested."
"Come on, Alison, I spent the whole afternoon teaching you. Even if it wasn't perfect, it was still a lot of effort," he said, feigning a hurt expression. "How about this: either you teach me Japanese as compensation, or you join us for the camping trip."
Alison quickly weighed her options: teaching him Japanese would take a lot of time, while camping was a one-time deal. After considering the pros and cons, she sighed in resignation. "Alright, just this once. No more after this."
"Great!" Jack beamed, his face lighting up with satisfaction. "Alison, you can go now."
Alison, carrying the documents, walked briskly back to the purchasing department, thinking about whether she could finish the budget tomorrow. With the techniques Jack had taught her, she felt confident she could manage it.
Just as she opened the office door and was about to sit down, her phone rang. It was Aidan.
"Mr. President, thank you. I think I can finish the estimate report by tomorrow," Alison assumed Aidan was calling to check on her progress.
But Aidan had other things on his mind. He had spent the entire afternoon in a daze, unable to believe that the woman from that night wasn't Alison. Everything was so confusing. "That's good to hear, Alison. Jack mentioned you agreed to go camping, right?"
Alison silently cursed Jack for his big mouth. She had just agreed, and he had already told Aidan. "Yes," she replied reluctantly.
"We're going next week. There will be a cookout and barbecue. Let me know what you like to eat," Aidan said, though he really wanted to ask if her blood type was AB. It was a difficult topic to broach.
"I'm fine with anything. You guys can decide," Alison said, thinking she was just going to get it over with. She was already regretting agreeing to Jack's request.
Aidan suddenly thought of a way to confirm if the woman from that night was Alison, but he had to be subtle. "Alright, I'll have Jack handle the preparations. Hold on, I need to take another call."
He moved slightly away from the phone and pretended to talk to someone else. "What? You need O-type blood? The blood bank should have it."
...
"What? You're worried about viruses? That's impossible."
...
"Okay, I'll ask around." Aidan was plotting his next move.
"Alison, sorry about that. I got a call and lost track of our conversation. Can you believe some people don't trust the blood bank's supply? A friend of a friend was in a car accident and needs O-type blood, but I'm A-type, so I can't help. By the way, what's your blood type?" Aidan asked casually.
"AB-type, Aidan. I can't help you this time," Alison said apologetically.
Aidan's hand trembled. Alison's response confirmed that the hospital's blood report was accurate and hadn't been tampered with. It seemed the woman from that night really wasn't Alison. He suddenly wanted to ask her who her first time was with, but he realized he had genuine feelings for her, not just a desire to make her his lover.
But if it wasn't her, then who was that woman? Aidan replayed the phone call and every memory he could recall from that night. He had to find out who she was.
"Aidan, why aren't you saying anything? If there's nothing else, I'd like to leave now. I need to get home early to be with my kids tonight," Alison said, noticing his silence.
"Oh, sorry. I got distracted thinking about my mom. You can go ahead. I have an appointment with a mental health specialist tonight," Aidan quickly made up an excuse.
"Goodbye, Mr. President." Alison hung up, feeling a bit confused. She seemed to be entangled with the Winston brothers.
Camping it is, she thought, trying to see it as a chance to relax. But then she remembered her trip to Paris, which had started with the same intention and ended in a series of frightening events.
Thinking about those experiences, she felt like the person who had taken her photo three years ago was still around, always a potential threat. She needed to be cautious.
Alison slung her backpack over her shoulder and walked out of the building, hitting the rush hour crowd. She felt a bit lighter, knowing she would soon see Sophia and Ethan.
As she neared the bus stop, she heard a car horn behind her. She ignored it, assuming it was just a taxi. But the honking continued, seemingly right behind her. She turned to see Jack leaning out of a slowly moving car, calling out, "Alison, need a ride?"
Alison was about to refuse, but seeing the line of cars behind him, she agreed. She didn't want to be the cause of a traffic jam.
"Still the same neighborhood, right?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Alison replied softly, thinking how impressive Jack's memory was. He had only been there once with Aidan.
"I figured you were heading home. I'm on my way to see Aimée, so I can give you a lift," Jack said casually, as if it was no big deal.
Alison smiled slightly. "Thanks."
The rest of the ride was quiet, with Jack not saying much, making it seem like he was just giving her a lift. But only he knew how much he enjoyed being around her, feeling a sense of warmth and ease that he hadn't felt in a long time.
When they reached her neighborhood, Alison opened the car door, and Jack said in a serious tone, "Next week's camping trip, don't forget."
"I won't," Alison replied with a smile. This calm interaction was nice, but it also felt like a struggle inside.
She closed the car door and walked into the neighborhood. After a few steps, she saw the nanny with Sophia and Ethan coming towards her.
Her heart raced. She wanted to run and stop the kids from being seen by Jack, but she also didn't want to draw his attention. She told herself to stay calm, hoping Jack would drive away soon. She wished the kids would walk slower, but they had already spotted her and were running towards her excitedly.
"Mommy!" Sophia and Ethan shouted, their little legs pumping as they ran to her.
Alison knelt down to hug them, her heart pounding. She glanced back to see if Jack was still there. To her relief, his car was already pulling away.
"Hey, you two! How was your day?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"It was great! We made a new friend at the park," Ethan said, his eyes shining with excitement.
"That's wonderful," Alison replied, standing up and taking their hands. "Let's get home and you can tell me all about it."
As they walked, Alison couldn't shake the feeling that her life was becoming increasingly complicated. She needed to protect her children and keep her past from catching up with her. But for now, she focused on the simple joy of being with Sophia and Ethan, hoping that the upcoming camping trip would be just a harmless adventure.