A Tale Of Redemption And Passion by Isidore Walsh (Chapters 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160) 

Chapter 151

Leland asked, “What’s wrong? They said that you sent Kate back to the Davidson family, and Kate took leave in the afternoon. Did something happen?”

He then pointed at the items that had not been placed properly before adding, “Why are all these things back here? Did Kate go to the Cohen family to retrieve them, or did

Chris return them?”

Celia replied, “Kate went to get them back. Because of Chris, Kate and Mr. Davidson quarreled. Kate then went to the Cohen family to get everything back.”

She sighed again and said, “Leland, our family, and the Davidson family are incompatible. Mr. Davidson is on another level compared to Kate. I was on tenterhooks in front of him the whole time as I was afraid that I would do something wrong or say the wrong thing. If I offended him, he would definitely take his anger out on our daughter.” She paused before adding, “The Davidson family has too many rules and they’re too strict. Their house is like a maze and the waters are very deep. I wonder if Kate can handle it with her personality.”

Leland pursed his lips and said, “At this point, there’s no point in being worried. Kate didn’t even inform us back then when she went to get married to Mr. Davidson. She even continued to hide it from us after getting the marriage certificate.”

He continued, “She chose this path herself. No matter how difficult it is, it’s her business. As her parents, we can’t help her. All we can do is make sure that our family’s door will always be open for her. If she can’t live in the Davidson family, we can support her for the rest of her life after her divorce.”

This was what it was like to marry into a rich family. Even if she was wronged by her in-laws, her maternal family did not have such a strong background or means to seek justice for her.

Whether or not Kate would have a good life depended on how much Alfred cared about her.

Leland asked, “When you came back, did the couple make up?”

Celia replied, “When I came back, Kate hadn’t even entered the house so I don’t know if they have reconciled. I’ll call and ask.”

As she spoke, she took out her phone and called Kate.

She was relieved when she learned that Kate and Alfred had reconciled.

After dinner, Alfred asked Kate to accompany him for rehabilitation.

He was not in the mood for rehabilitation in the afternoon so he had to make up for it now.

Kate was naturally happy to accompany him.

However, her heart ached when she watched him walk with cold sweat dotted on his forehead.

She suggested, “Why don’t you take a break?”

She then walked to him with a tissue. As she helped him to wipe his sweat, she advised, “You’ve already insisted on doing it for half an hour. Take a break before continuing.” However, Alfred insisted on standing. When she finished wiping his sweat, he could no longer hold on and fell to the ground.

“Alfred!”

Kate was shocked and quickly helped him up.

However, he was too tired. Even if she held him, he did not have the strength to stand up.

Seeing that Kate was still struggling to help him up, Alfred suddenly pushed her away. Then, he slapped his legs and kept scolding himself for being useless.

He blamed, “I’ve only taken a few steps and I can’t take it anymore. My legs are too useless!”

Kate quickly called out, “Mr. Davidson.”

She then got up and turned around to jump on him as she quickly grabbed his hand to stop him from hitting his leg. Alfred said, “Kate, go away. I’m not doing this anymore. These two legs are useless. I can’t use any strength even if I persist. Let me sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life!” He pushed her away again and kept slapping his useless legs.

When the bodyguards who were standing far away saw this scene, they immediately ran over and experiencedly stopped Alfred from hitting his legs again. Then, they helped him up and made him sit back in the wheelchair. Alfred demanded as he pushed the bodyguards away,” Leave me alone.”

He struggled to stand up again but fell to the ground in a sorry state.

The bodyguards called, “Mr. Davidson.”

Kate crawled back and hugged Alfred as she gently said, Mr. Davidson, you’re doing great! You’re really doing well! You’re not useless. Your legs are doing better as well. I was counting the steps for you just now and you can already walk six steps on your own. It’s six steps! You’ve improved a lot.”

Despite her saying that Alfred still wanted to push her away. However, she simply held his face and kissed his lips in front of the bodyguards. She used her gentleness to soothe his frustration.

Anyone who needed to sit in a wheelchair for some time would hope that they could stand back up in the shortest time possible.

When he couldn’t do it, it was natural that he would feel frustrated and even give up on himself.

He had insisted on undergoing rehabilitation for a few days but he felt that the effect was not obvious. Just now, he even fell to the ground in such a pathetic state in front of his wife. He immediately felt that his pride had been damaged, so he simply gave up and went crazy.

Kate’s kiss did not calm him down at all. In fact, he even bit her.

“Ouch.”

She cried out in pain and let go of him.

Her red lips were bleeding.

“Kate,” he called out as his heart ached again.

“Pass me some tissues,” he instructed.

Yael quickly took out a packet of tissues and handed it over. Alfred took out a few pieces and carefully and gently wiped the blood off Kate’s lips as he said apologetically, “Kate, I’ m sorry.”

She shook her head and reassured, “I’m not in pain so don’t blame yourself. Please don’t think that falling in front of me is embarrassing. I won’t laugh at you and I think that you’re amazing. You insisted on doing rehabilitation for half an hour and even managed to walk six steps on your own. You’ve improved compared to last time. Please don’t give up on yourself. You’re the best in my heart. You’re not useless.” The sincerity, heartache, and tenderness in her eyes made Alfred’s frustration disappear without a trace.

She probed, “Let’s get up, okay?”

He nodded, so Kate and Yael helped him up and placed him in the wheelchair again.

Kate then squatted down in front of him again and helped him tidy up his clothes. Then, she gently patted his clothes in encouragement.

She said, “Mr. Davidson, that’s all for today’s rehabilitation. I’ Il push you back into the house, okay?”

Alfred then responded, “I’ll rest for a while before starting all over again. From now on, I’ll insist on doing rehabilitation every day. I’ll get up from wherever I fall.”

It was not that he could not walk at all. It was just that when he walked, his legs would still hurt and he could not exert any strength. That was why he had been relying on the wheelchair.

However, the doctor said that if he did not persist in doing rehabilitation, his legs would be crippled if he sat in a wheelchair for too long.

In the past, he didn’t care. He did not mind being in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

But now that he had Kate, he did not want to be in a wheelchair forever. He wanted to stand up and walk beside her. He was originally tall and handsome and although she was not short, she felt small when she stood next to him and he liked that feeling.

If she encountered any trouble in the future, he would be able to rush to her side as soon as possible and help her resolve her troubles if he could walk.

Kate gave him a thumbs up and praised, “That’s my husband. You’re the best! Hubby, you can do it! You can definitely do it!”

Alfred smiled and grabbed her thumb. He raised her hand and kissed the back of her hand before looking at her deeply and saying, “Kate, I will do my best!”

He gently touched her lips again. Her lips were not bleeding anymore but they were still swollen from when he bit her.

He asked, “Does it hurt?”

She reassured me, “It doesn’t hurt.”

He said, “Silly girl, don’t ever do anything so dangerous again. What if I really go crazy and hurt you?”

She rubbed her face against his large palm and replied, “I believe you won’t hurt me.”

Chapter 152

Alfred loved how good it felt to have Kate’s trust.

He was looking better already.

“Kate, can you stay with me a little longer while I finish my rehab?” he asked.

Kate nodded, got up, and gave him a little thumbs-up.

Watching from a distance, the bodyguards let out a quiet sigh of relief. Alfred had finally relaxed with Kate by his side, so they stepped back to give the couple some privacy.

Thanks to Kate’s encouragement, Alfred pushed through his rehab for several more hours.

“It’s getting late. We should head inside,” Kate gently reminded him.

When Alfred was focused, he could be incredibly stubborn. She’d tried a few times to get him to call it a day, but he wouldn’t budge.

He glanced at his watch. It was past nine.

In the old days, that would’ve been early for him– he used to stay up until midnight. But ever since his legs gave out, he rarely went out at night, and his bedtime crept up earlier and earlier.

“Alright,” he finally said.

Kate stepped closer and wiped the sweat from his face with a tissue.

Standing so close, Alfred softened. He tilted his head down, making it easier for her to wipe his face.

“You’re so tall,” she said with a little laugh.

After wiping his face, Kate patted his chest lightly. “I’m tall for a woman, but next to you, I feel tiny. And your chest muscles are pretty firm.”

She thought he was just about perfect.

Taking a step back, she admired him. “Yep, you still look as dashing as ever.”

Alfred gave her a teasing smile. “Satisfied?”

Kate placed a hand on his shoulder and playfully tapped his chest with the other. “You look good enough to me.”

Her comment was clever– suggesting there was more to it than just looks.

Alfred was momentarily at a loss for words.

Instead of responding, he gave her a light pinch on the cheek and said, “Can you grab my wheelchair?”

Kate quickly brought the wheelchair over, helped him sit down, and began pushing him back toward the house.

*****

Meanwhile, up on the top floor of the main house, Olivia stood by the railing, her reading glasses perched on her nose, staring out into the distance.

Alfred had been working on his rehab for hours, and Olivia had been standing there just as long, quietly watching her grandson in her silent way.

“Grandma,” Cynthia said softly as she walked up, “it’s late. You should come downstairs and rest.”

Olivia didn’t say anything at first, so Cynthia followed her gaze. She could barely make out a few figures moving in the distance. “Grandma, Alfred’s done with his rehab.”

Even though Cynthia couldn’t see Alfred or Kate from where they were, she knew that Olivia had been watching him the whole time. The rehab area was outdoors, and even though it was roped off, Olivia could still catch glimpses of Alfred from the rooftop.

The distance was too far for her to make out any details, even with her glasses, but Olivia didn’t seem to mind. She liked standing up there, quietly keeping watch.

Cynthia had heard from Eloise that Olivia had been there for hours.

At her age, standing that long was a worry. Cynthia was concerned her grandmother’s legs would ache, so she hurried up to encourage her to head back down.

“I’m just enjoying the view,” Olivia said, shaking off Cynthia’s concern. “It’s so peaceful here at night, so still and quiet.”

Cynthia smiled. “Our place is always peaceful, no matter what time it is.”

The estate was so big, with the houses and courtyards spread out, that no noise ever carried from one place to another.

The staff followed strict rules about keeping things quiet, so the Davidson residence always stayed calm and serene. If it weren’t for people moving around, you might think it was an empty mansion.

Olivia reached out for Cynthia’s hand, leaning on her granddaughter as she felt the tiredness creeping into her legs. Good thing Cynthia was there to help her walk.

“You’ve been standing too long, Grandma. Tomorrow, I’ll talk to Roger and have him make you a tall chair for up here, with a little canopy over it. That way, you can sit and enjoy the view without getting tired,” Cynthia suggested.

Roger Swift was the head butler at the Davidson estate, responsible for managing the junior staff and overseeing everything in the courtyard.

Olivia nodded. “Make sure it’s one of those chairs with a little table built in. That way, I can have a drink or a snack while I sit.”

Cynthia chuckled. “I’ll draw up a design later and show it to Roger tomorrow. He’ll follow my plans.”

Though Cynthia’s expertise was in architecture, she had a solid grasp of furniture design too.

“Cynthia,” Olivia said.

“Yes, Grandma?”

“What’s Kate’s deal? How does she get Alfred to calm down when he’s having one of his tantrums?” Olivia asked, her tone edged with curiosity.

Olivia had seen Alfred’s earlier outburst. She couldn’t make out every detail from where she stood, but she had seen him hitting his legs in frustration.

Her heart had almost leaped out of her chest, and she’d nearly run down from the rooftop.

But then Kate stepped in, and miraculously, Alfred calmed down. Olivia had watched from afar, still unsure what Kate had done, but it had worked.

One might think Olivia would be relieved to see someone able to handle Alfred’s temper, but instead, she felt a sense of unease.

It was as if someone had taken something that belonged to her, like a queen whose throne had been claimed by an outsider.

Alfred was her grandson, the one she had raised herself. Out of all her grandchildren, it was Alfred and Cynthia who had grown up under her care. That was why they were her favorites.

Maybe because she’d played the role of both grandmother and mother to Alfred, her bond with him ran deeper than anyone could imagine, along with a fierce sense of possessiveness.

“I don’t know her that well yet,” Cynthia admitted. “I haven’t noticed anything extraordinary about her, but she’s refreshingly honest. I don’t feel like she’s trying to use me or win me over. She just treats me like any other girl.”

Cynthia was the only granddaughter in the Davidson family, and she was cherished like a rare gem.

In Sherpsel, everyone wanted to be in her good graces.

But Cynthia wasn’t a fan of all the attention, which made her appreciate Kate even more.

Kate wasn’t trying to suck up to her, and that alone set her apart.

Olivia gave her a cold look. “Well, I don’t like her.”

“Grandma, are you planning to get rid of her once Alfred recovers? They’re already married. If you try to push her out, Alfred’s going to lose it,” Cynthia said, shuddering at the thought of her brother’s temper flaring up again.

Olivia’s voice turned even icier. “Your brother, as the head of the Davidson family, can’t afford to be so attached to any woman. He needs to be ruthless if he’s going to conquer the business world and lead the Regency Group to the top.”

Chapter 153

“Grandma, Alfred’s human. He’s a normal guy, not some robot. How could he possibly be cold toward his wife? If he were really that heartless, it wouldn’t be good for any of us,” Cynthia said.

She wanted Alfred to be a real person, with feelings, not just the family’s figurehead.

Their grandparents had made sure he was successful, but they never taught him how to love, and that’s why he had grown into this cold, distant man.

Olivia pursed her lips, then asked suddenly, “Your parents are coming back soon, right?”

“My mom wants to, but my dad said since they’re already away, they might as well stay a few more days. The earliest they’ll be back is next weekend,” Cynthia replied.

“Your dad’s got nothing better to do now that he’s retired, just dragging your mom around on trips,” Olivia remarked, shaking her head.

Cynthia laughed. “Aren’t you happy they’re enjoying themselves?”

Olivia sighed. “Of course, I am, silly girl. I want all of you to be happy.”

She wanted Alfred to be happy too, but he couldn’t spoil a woman too much. Love made people vulnerable.

Cynthia giggled.

Meanwhile, Alfred and Kate were completely unaware of this conversation.

When Kate stepped out of the bathroom, Alfred was already lying in bed, waiting for her.

Drying her hair with a towel, Kate walked over and teased,” What, waiting for me to jump on you?”

Alfred gave her a sidelong glance, his voice calm. “You’ve jumped on me plenty, but I haven’t seen anything new from you.”

Apart from kissing him a bit and a few playful touches, nothing ever escalated.

Even though there were rumors that his accident had left him impotent, she never questioned it.

Kate raised an eyebrow. “The way you said that almost sounds like you’re asking me to strip you down and take pictures.”

Alfred’s face darkened. “Kate, you’re a lady! Can’t you talk with a little more decency?”

Kate shrugged. “If I can’t have the real thing, can’t I at least have some fun with my words? It’s so frustrating looking at a face prettier than mine.”

“What exactly are you frustrated about?” Alfred asked.

Kate’s eyes dropped suggestively to a certain area. “You know.”

Alfred resisted the urge to throw a pillow at her.

Kate grabbed the hair dryer, plopped it onto Alfred’s lap,

and flashed him a sweet, mischievous smile. “My hair says it loves you and would like you to blow it dry,” Alfred grumbled. “Why are you washing your hair so late?”

But he still picked up the dryer, motioned for her to plug it in, and gestured for her to pull up a chair next to the bed so he could dry her hair.

About ten minutes later, they were both lying in bed. Kate propped herself up on one elbow, looking at Alfred.

He had a magazine open, pretending to read, his lips pressed into a thin line. “Just say it, he muttered.

“I love you,” Kate said with a grin.

Alfred froze. “Kate, if you keep fooling around, I swear I’ll throw you into the dog pen, and by morning, I’ll be collecting your bones.”

“You’re so mean.” Kate flopped onto her back, but then quickly rolled over again, throwing an arm over Alfred. After fidgeting for a second, she snuggled up to him, wriggling into his arms until she found a comfortable spot. Once settled, she finally stopped moving, content at last.

“Do you think someone can go back in time after they die?” Kate asked.

“Back in time?” Alfred repeated.

“Yeah, like time travel,” Kate clarified.

Alfred chuckled and playfully tapped her with a book. “You’ve been reading too many fantasy novels.”

Kate sighed.

She knew he wouldn’t believe her. If she hadn’t experienced it herself, she wouldn’t have believed it either.

Despite her love for time-travel novels, she understood they were pure fiction. Death was like a switch being flipped– once it was off, there was no going back. But she had lived it.

“After I cut my wrists and refused to marry you, I was out cold for a while. During that time, I had this incredibly strange and vivid dream. In it, I was still the Sutton family’s biological daughter,” Kate explained.

Since Alfred wasn’t buying into the time travel idea, Kate framed it as a dream for his sake.

“When I was brought back to my biological parents, I became the Sutton family’s second daughter. But the connection wasn’t strong. I’d grown up with the Garcia family, and until I was twenty-five, I believed I was their biological daughter, and they believed the same.

“Even after finding out I was a Sutton, my biological parents treated me well because they felt they owed me. They gave me whatever I wanted. Honestly, I didn’t ask for much. The only thing I insisted on was marrying Chris. I fell head over heels for him and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Talking about her past felt like recounting a story that wasn’t hers anymore.

Alfred listened quietly. He’d already dug into her return to the Sutton family and knew the details.

“In the dream, I even came to you, tried to cut my wrists to refuse the marriage, and went on a hunger strike to force my parents to agree to my marriage to Chris. Soon after, I was with Chris at social events as his fiancée and ended up getting drunk.

“When I woke up, I was in our hotel room with Chris. The bed was a mess, and there was blood. Chris had just come out of the bathroom, and he held me gently, saying that since we were engaged, we’d be married sooner or later. That night was just an early wedding night.”

As she described that night, Kate struggled to recall the details of what happened while she was drunk or how Elijah had taken her innocence.

She wondered, ‘Was it possible Chris had handed me over to Elijah? If that were the case, Chris would have known who the baby’s real father was. But when Kyla revealed the truth, she said they didn’t know who the father was and called my baby a bastard!’

Alfred gripped the magazine tightly, his jealousy simmering just beneath the surface.

Even though Kate insisted it was just a dream, his feelings were still raw.

“Later, I got pregnant, and Chris and I had a grand wedding. But after the wedding, Chris never touched me. He said we should sleep in separate rooms for the baby’s sake. I appreciated his consideration, but how naive I was,” Kate said, her voice tinged with bitterness.

“After the wedding, he wanted me to stay home and focus on the pregnancy, which was just a way to confine me. He was always out early and home late, sometimes not coming back for days, constantly on business trips. I thought he was just busy with work, but I never realized–” Kate suddenly fell silent, pulling away from Alfred. She grabbed a thin blanket and wrapped herself tightly as if trying to shield herself from the pain of reliving her past.

Revisiting her mistakes, her naivety, and all she had endured felt like a knife twisting in her heart, leaving her bleeding and in agony once more.

Each painful memory deepened her regret and bitterness.

Chapter 154

Alfred turned sideways and looked at Kate for a moment. Then, he held her hand and said warmly, “Don’t, if you don’t want to continue. I know the reason.”

Kate looked him in the eye. His gaze was still unfathomable. She could not figure out his thoughts through his eyes.

She said, “Mr. Davidson-“

But he pressed his fingers against her lips to stop her. His voice was still as warm and intoxicating as ever. She liked it and made her feel warm. “Kate, don’t,” Alfred repeated. Kate did not finish her sentence, but he could guess what had happened between her and Chris.

‘Chris and Kyla must have betrayed her. That was why Kate changed her mind after waking up. She’s no longer infatuated with Chris and hates Kyla. Kate was calling the name Rowena in her dreams. She must have dreamed of giving birth and named the baby Rowena. Perhaps the dream felt so real that she mistook it for a prophecy, Alfred thought.

“After I know the reason, I won’t misunderstand or doubt you anymore,” he said.

Alfred placed his other hand on her face and gently brushed away the hair on her face. “It’s late. Go to sleep.” “Mr. Davidson, do you believe me?” Kate asked.

He gave a mesmerizing smile. Every time Kate saw him smile, she wanted to pounce on him, strip him naked, and sleep with him.

Surprisingly, Kate would feel horny.

“Letters, dreams. Sometimes they’re annoying, but sometimes they’re heralding something,” Alfred remarked. He had the same dream many times. Even now, he was still plagued by that dream.

“Kate, I’m very glad that you had that strange dream. It gave me the chance to marry you,” he said.

Kate grabbed his hand that was touching her face. Although he was born with a silver spoon in your mouth, he had many thick calluses on his hands. She looked at his hand closely and thought, ‘Slender but rough fingers.’

“Yeah, Mr. Davidson. I don’t regret marrying you. In the dream, you helped me twice when I needed help the most. I’m grateful to you,” she said.

Alfred replied, “No wonder you said you married me to repay my kindness.”

At the end of the day, Kate didn’t marry him just for love. But then Alfred thought, ‘We had never crossed paths before we got married. If Olivia had not sent someone to the Sutton family to make the offer on his behalf, Kate and I would have remained strangers. In that case, how could we fall in love? Marry me just for love? No, she’s not that into me.’

Knowing this, he was relieved and didn’t care what had happened before or why Kate married him. Alfred was content as long as she did not regret it and was willing to stand by him through thick and thin for the rest of her life.

Alfred slept especially soundly that night, and the dream that had haunted him for a long time left him alone.

He felt good to sleep until dawn. He woke up with a clear mind and was in a good mood.

When Kate opened her eyes and saw him, Alfred said happily, “Kate, good morning.”

Kate blinked and thought that she was having a dream. She mumbled, “I actually heard Mr. Davidson say good morning to me. This must be a dream. Or perhaps I woke up in the wrong way.” She closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

Alfred did not know whether to laugh or cry when he heard that. Amused, he gently pinched Kate’s face. She opened her eyes abruptly and heard him tease, “How many ways do you wake up? Everyone opens their eyes and wakes up, no?”

Kate blushed with embarrassment while Alfred laughed out loud. This was the first time Kate had seen him laugh so heartily.

She was a little angry from his teasing. Seeing that Alfred was still laughing, she threw back the blanket and turned over to press against him. Kate grabbed his hands and pressed them on both sides of his head. Her posture was overbearing yet titillating.

Without giving Alfred a chance to speak, she pressed her lips against his as if to punish him. Then she nibbled his lips, pulled his pajamas, and drooled on his neck, like a puppy.

Alfred’s eyes widened in shock. ‘She’s so cheeky! It’s a bit too early for this punishment. I’ll have to take a shower later, he thought.

After punishing Alfred, Kate rolled off his body. As she got out of bed, she warned, “Kiddo, I was punishing you. Don’t you tease me again!”

Alfred was still lying motionless. “You call me kiddo? You’re a few years younger than me. You’ve teased me and seduced me before. Why can’t I do the same to you? You gave me something to make fun of you, remember? Everyone opens their eyes and wakes up. You said you woke up the wrong way. That doesn’t make sense.”

Kate turned to look at him. Her longing was running wild at the sight of him lying there, but finally, she decided to leave him alone.

“I’m going to take a shower.” With that, Kate turned around gloomily and walked towards the bathroom.

Alfred was lost for words. He took a minute to realize that he had ruined the mood.

When Kate came out of the bathroom, Alfred was no longer in the room. She didn’t care and felt relaxed without him.

Alfred was a real dreamboat, charming a woman so easily. Kate admitted that she fell for him. Sooner or later, she would be madly in love with him.

After staying in the room for a while, Kate went out to the hall and couldn’t find Alfred. Kate guessed that he was having breakfast. She walked out of the low-key but luxurious hall with the gift for him.

In the meantime, Alfred was with Olivia in the pavilion.

Kate took a step forward and retreated. She was not afraid of Olivia, but Olivia was difficult to deal with. Olivia always acted high and mighty and looked down on her.

Despite the incident back then, Olivia despised her for growing up in the countryside.

‘Since she despises me for that, why did she send someone to ask me to marry Alfred without his approval? I bet if Alfred hadn’t been in serious trouble, Olivia wouldn’t have given a damn about me,’ Kate thought.

Turning around, Kate wanted to go back into the house. “Mrs. Davidson.” A familiar shout stopped Kate.

Kate turned to look and saw Harper. Kate knew that Olivia wanted to see her again. She would send Harper every time she wanted to see Kate.

“Mrs. Kate Davidson, Mrs. Olivia Davidson asked you to serve Mr. Davidson for breakfast,” Harper said. She used the word “served” instead of “dine with”.

Kate did not say anything. Harper was just a messenger. It was useless for her to argue with Harper.

“Mrs. Davidson, hurry up. Or Olivia will be mad,” Harper urged while seeing Kate standing still.

Then she kindly reminded Kate, “Mrs. Davidson, do as she says later.” Harper did not want her to upset Olivia.

Chapter 155

Kate followed Harper to the pavilion. Yael and other bodyguards stood outside the pavilion as usual. When Kate was about to pass by, they greeted her respectfully, “Good day, Mrs. Davidson.” Kate smiled back.

“Xena was still thinking about Yael. He was handsome, cold, and calm, just like Alfred.”

Kate felt that it was a waste for Yael to be a bodyguard. If he chose to work at Regency Group, he would become Alfred’s right-hand man.

Olivia and Alfred were sitting at the stone table in the pavilion. Olivia had a kind face, in presbyopic glasses. When Kate came in, she kept speaking to Alfred with a loving gaze, ignoring Kate completely.

Alfred was mostly quiet, his thin lips pursed together and his face cold. He would reply with a cold and monotonous grunt for every ten or so sentences Olivia said.

Kate glanced at the sumptuous breakfast on the table and her eyes lit up. ‘It’s a full Fraulish breakfast, my favorite food,” she thought happily.

The small serving was unsatisfying, but not the rich variety of food. Moreover, all the dishes tasted good. Every time she had a full Fraulish breakfast, Kate wished she had a bigger stomach.

“Grandma,” Kate politely called out to Olivia.

Alfred had already confessed their relationship to Olivia, so Kate also called her grandma.

Olivia still appeared kind but did not look at Kate at all. Just call me Olivia like before. I’m used to it,” she replied with feigned friendliness.

She was refusing to acknowledge Kate as her granddaughter-in-law.

Kate was about to call her Olivia, but Alfred said coldly,” Grandma, that’s why Kate should call you Grandma a few more times. This way, you’ll get used to it early. Kate, come on. Let’s help her get used to it.”

The corners of Olivia’s mouth twitched slightly, but she regained her composure the next second. Seeing her maintaining the same gentle smile, Kate thought, ‘Olivia is really calm. No wonder, Alfred is so outstanding. He must have got that from her. I underestimated her.’

“Grandma, Grandma, Grandma…” Kate repeated at Alfred’s bidding. She was being cooperative, but Olivia nearly lost it at this farce.

“Alright, wash your hands and serve Alfred for breakfast. Alfred will be going to work in half an hour,” Olivia ordered. After that, she called out, “Harper.”

Harper quickly brought over a basin of water. It had a fresh smell with a few grapefruit leaves floating on it.

When Kate saw that, she quietly stared at it for a minute before saying, “Grandma, I’ve already washed my hands when I came.”

There was a superstition about grapefruit leaves in the village where the Garcia family was: anyone deemed a jinx would have to wash their hands with such water. So Olivia was suggesting that Kate was a jinx.

‘What did I do to make her think I’m a jinx?’ Kate wondered.

She was furious but put up with Olivia, considering Olivia was Alfred’s grandmother. However, Kate refused to wash her hands with the water.

“You have to wash your hands again. You’ve been walking all the way here, and your hands must have been covered with bacteria. You have to wash them clean before you can serve Alfred,” Olivia insisted.

Before Kate could respond, Alfred asked Olivia, “Grandma, did you wash your hands? You came from the main house and walked even further than Kate. I think your hands have more bacteria than hers.”

Olivia was speechless. Then Alfred called out in a deep voice, “Yael.”

Yael immediately walked into the pavilion.

“Pour out the water,” Alfred demanded.

Yael snatched the basin from Harper. When he was about to walk out of the pavilion, Alfred stopped him and said in a low and cold voice, “Splash it here.”

Yael noticed the change in the wording and the meaning. was different. He immediately splashed the water on the ground.

Half the floor became wet, scattered with the few insignificant grapefruit leaves.

“Grandma, I don’t want to see this water again,” Alfred said. He looked straight into Olivia’s eyes and added, with disapproving emphasis, “Unless you want me to cut down all your grapefruit trees.”

Olivia was silent for a full two minutes before saying kindly, “It’s my fault. I forgot that you hate the smell of grapefruit the most.”

She picked up her fork and placed a crispy baked potato wedge on his plate as if nothing had happened. She smiled. and said, “I remember you don’t like a full Fraulish breakfast. Why did you order this today?”

“Kate likes it,” Alfred answered.

Olivia choked at his words while Kate felt moved.

As soon as Kate sat down next to Alfred, Olivia suddenly picked up the exquisite wallet from the chair beside her. Olivia took out a piece of paper from the wallet.

“Kate, this is for you,” she said.

She handed the paper to Kate and looked at Kate with a gentle gaze. Olivia had been appearing kind all this time. Kate, copy the contents of this paper a hundred times and you’ll remember it by heart. You won’t make mistakes like this morning in the future.”

Olivia then added, “Don’t forget to hand over your copies before lunch.”

Kate was confused, wondering what was on that piece of paper. She took it and opened it. Before she could read all of it, Alfred snatched it and tore it into two. It happened too fast. Kate heard the crisp ripping sound before she could react.

Alfred held her hand and pried her fingers apart and the torn pieces of paper fell into his hand.

He shredded them in front of Kate and Olivia, put them on his plate, and picked up some crispy baked potato wedges to mix with the paper. Then he put the mixture into his mouth.

“Mr. Davidson.” Kate reached out to stop Alfred, but he grabbed her hand with one hand.

“Alfred!” Olivia’s face contorted with anger. “Why are you eating the paper?” she hissed, distressed.

After swallowing the mixture, he let go of Kate’s hand and looked at Olivia. He said in a deep voice, “I’ve said the only requirement of Kate here is to love me as a husband.” “Grandma, if you insist Kate copy the rules a hundred times, I’ll eat as many pieces of paper as she uses for that.”

“Alfred, every woman has to abide by the family’s rules after they marry into the Davidson family. This has become

a tradition since we had the rules. Kate is no exception.

She doesn’t have to do the copying, but she has to remember the rules.

“The family’s rules are important and have been followed for decades. You can’t break it for Kate,” Olivia said seriously.

She then said to Kate, “Kate, from today onwards, you won’t go to work again. Women in this family don’t have to go to work. Your job is to give the family…”

Chapter 156

Olivia suddenly paused. When she remembered that Alfred could no longer let Kate bear the Davidson family’s children, she felt very suffocated.

Kate snatched Alfred’s bowl and picked out all the uneaten papers in his bowl as she was still complaining about Alfred. “Mr. Davidson, if you really want to eat, I should be the one eating. I need to memorize the Davidson family’s rules. You can already recite them backward, yet you still want to snatch them from me.”

Olivia felt even more stifled. She knew that Kate probably did not take her words to heart.

Kate asked, “Olivia, what did you just say? The women from the Davidson family can’t go to work? What’s wrong with going to work? I’m not going out to commit adultery. I’m doing legitimate work, and the remuneration I get is legal. “I’m willing to be self-reliant and rely on my own hard work to reap the rewards. I don’t want to be Mr. Davidson’s little pet. You should be proud of a self-disciplined granddaughter-in-law like me who’s willing to rely on herself.” Olivia was at a loss for words.

She thought, ‘How shameless!’

Kate continued, “I’m going out to work anyway. I can’t lose myself after marrying Mr. Davidson, right? I’m marrying Mr. Davidson, not selling myself to him. I still have freedom.” Kate felt that women should have a job before and after marriage. They should be able to be financially independent. That way, they could be confident.

Olivia’s face darkened for a long time before she said, “Do you think the Davidson family is unable to provide for you? Or do you need to go out to work because Alfred refuses to give you money? No woman in the Davidson family has ever been acting like you have.”

“Ever since I married Mr. Davidson, I’ve been wearing

clothes that I brought over from my parents’ house. I didn’t miss out on anything. However, Mr. Davidson initially said that he wanted me to be self-reliant. I was the one who was shameless enough to freeload off Mr. Davidson. You are right. Mr. Davidson didn’t give me any money.”

Olivia and Alfred were both stunned.

“Speaking of showing my face, I’m on the same level as you, Olivia. Although I’m young, I’ve heard many times that you were once a heroic figure in the business world when you were young. I admire you from the bottom of my heart. You were all-powerful in the business world and were not inferior to any man. Olivia, I treat you as my idol.” Kate even gave Olivia a thumbs-up.

Olivia’s expression looked terrible. However, she did not know how to refute Kate.

Kate chuckled and said, “A woman who marries into the Davidson family is mainly to bear children for the Davidson family. I’ve heard Mr. Davidson mention this rule before. He also said that in the Davidson family, you can get twenty million dollars in reward for giving birth to a son, and one hundred million dollars in reward for giving birth to a daughter.

“I don’t know whether I should say that the Davidson family’ s rule is for women who marry into the family to earn money, or that the Davidson family doesn’t treat women as humans but as livestock. Olivia, don’t forget, you’re also a woman who once married into the Davidson family.” Picking up her fork, Kate picked up an appetizer and placed it on the plate in front of Olivia. She was all smiles, but what she said made Olivia feel even more suffocated. She said, “Olivia, we’re all women. Why should women make things difficult for women?”

After taking a few deep breaths, Olivia said coldly, “Harper, let’s go.”

Harper quickly went forward to help Olivia up. She helped Olivia out of the pavilion and walked towards the central house without looking back.

Kate stood up and sent them to the entrance of the pavilion. Then, she raised her voice and said politely, “See you next time!”

Olivia almost bit off the golden tooth in her mouth.

She thought, ‘This Kate is really bold and shameless. She made me speechless again. In the Davidson family, no one has ever been able to choke me into silence. If not for Alfred’s presence, I would have ordered someone to seal Kate’s mouth with glue and kick her out of the Davidson residence.’

Olivia felt that she had made a mistake targeting Kate in front of Alfred. She thought that Alfred would give her some face since she was his grandfather.

However, she didn’t expect that Alfred would still defend Kate in front of her. Additionally, she believed that Kate was really shameless for being so bold in front of her. Olivia thought that Kate was nevertheless an unpresentable country bumpkin.

Olivia started to worry that Kate’s bold attitude would end up causing her to offend some big shots out there and make Alfred suffer with her. Olivia’s dissatisfaction with Kate deepened.

“Oh dear, I’m going to be late.” Kate looked at the time and cried out in a low voice. She turned to Alfred and said, “Mr. Davidson, take your time. I have to go.”

She placed the gift she had prepared beforehand in front of him. “This is today’s gift. It’s the same as always. Open it after you get in the car. Keep it mysterious can surprise you.” With that, she picked up her bag and hurriedly ran out of the pavilion to look for James to help her arrange for a driver to send her to work. It was too late for Alfred to stop her.

“She runs faster than a rabbit.” Alfred picked up the gift and instructed Yael, “Pack these up as soon as possible and send them for her to eat on her way to work.”

Yael and the other bodyguards rushed in and packed breakfast as quickly as possible. Then, they got someone to block Kate’s way and deliver the breakfast to Kate. Only then could the driver who was in charge of sending Kate to the company could drive off.

Alfred did not end up eating much.

Yael asked, “Mr. Davidson, do you want the kitchen to send over some more of your favorite food?”

Alfred stood up on his own. Yael wanted to help him up, but he refused. He slowly walked out of the pavilion. “That won’t be necessary.”

It was very difficult for Alfred to walk those steps alone. He had to rely on the help of his bodyguards.

The wheelchair was pushed over. As soon as he walked down the steps, he could immediately sit in the wheelchair.

A few minutes later. The fleet of Alfred’s cars quietly drove out of the Davidson residence.

“Let’s go to Belinda first,” Alfred instructed in a low voice. Kate said that the clothes she was wearing now were brought over from her parents’ house. She meant that as her husband, Alfred had never brought her clothes.

Belinda designed dresses. She usually customized her products based on the customers.

No matter what kind of thoughts Belinda had towards Alfred, Alfred still trusted her design ability.

When Alfred arrived at Belinda’s store, Belinda had yet to come to work. The store had just opened for the day. When the store manager saw Alfred being pushed in by a group of bodyguards, she, who was drinking water, almost dropped her cup.

“Mr. Davidson.” The store manager put down the glass of water and quickly went forward with a smile. He was just short of nodding and bowing.

“Belinda?”

The store manager smiled and said, “Ms. Sowle hasn’t come to work yet. Mr. Davidson, wait a moment. I’ll inform Ms. Sowle immediately. I guarantee that Ms. Sowle will show up in fifteen minutes.”

Alfred raised his left hand and looked at his watch. 8:10

AM was indeed very early for Belinda. If he had arrived ten minutes earlier, the shop would not have opened yet.

“There’s no need. Tell Belinda to make a trip to Sutton Group today. We’ll measure Ms. Kate and have Belinda design dozens of daily clothes for her. Let’s make it 40 sets for the time being. Ten sets each for every season.”

Chapter 157

The store manager was stunned for a moment, but he still smiled and replied, “Alright, I’ll definitely pass on your instructions to Ms. Sowle. Mr. Davidson, do you want to go upstairs and have some coffee?”

Alfred had already asked Yael to push him out.

If he didn’t have something to trouble Belinda with, he wouldn’t have gone there.

The store manager brought the other shop assistants to send Alfred and the others out of the store. “Mr. Davidson, take care.”

The store manager sent Alfred off respectfully as if he were sending off the president of a country.

After leaving Belinda’s main store, Alfred took his phone and opened WhatsApp, but he fell silent.

A moment later, he transferred some money to Kate. He transferred 2 thousand dollars each time, making a total of five transfers.

Soon, Kate sent a voice message to him.

Alfred clicked on it. Then, Kate’s puzzled voice sounded in the car. “Mr. Davidson, why did you transfer money to me? Do you need me to buy something for you?”

Alfred did not reply to the voice message. Instead, he typed: [It’s your allowance for this morning.]

Kate was stunned when she received his reply.

Soon, she understood. When Olivia was giving her a rough time, she commented that Alfred had never given her money. Alfred took that to heart and decided to give her 10 thousand dollars for the morning, which would be 20 thousand dollars in total for a day.

She thought, ‘How generous.’

Kate did not stand at a ceremony with Alfred and accepted

the money he had transferred to her.

When Alfred saw that she had accepted it, a smile appeared on his handsome face. Of course, Kate could not see his smile.

He typed another line and sent it over.

It read: [If you need to buy something, tell me. I’ll give you money to buy it. It’s not included in your allowance.]

[Alright. Thank you, Mr. Davidson.] Kate thanked him and even sent him a kiss picture.

“Shameless,” Alfred muttered softly, but his tone was filled with unprecedented doting.

*****

At the Purchas Group.

As soon as Elijah was pushed out of the elevator by the bodyguards, his male secretary welcomed him and followed him to the president’s office. As he walked, he reported to Elijah. Elijah listened and occasionally replied.

Finally, the secretary said warmly, “Mr. Purchas, Miss Weaver is waiting for you in the VIP room.” Elijah frowned. “Miss Weaver?”

He thought, ‘Could it be Grace?’

The secretary explained, “It’s Miss Grace from Weaver Group. She came over early in the morning with two thermal lunch boxes. It looks like she’s here to deliver breakfast to you.”

He thought, ‘Mr. Purchas is young, handsome, and rich. Although he is always placed second by Alfred, to others, he is still someone that they have to admire. There are countless women who pursue Mr. Purchas openly and secretly, but no one can get Mr. Purchas’s attention. Mr. Purchas acted as if he was biased against women. Even his secretaries are all male secretaries. Female secretaries are not allowed to work beside him.’

“Okay.” Elijah hummed faintly. “Go invite Miss Weaver to my office.”

The secretary replied respectfully and walked towards the VIP room. Elijah was pushed into the CEO’s office by the bodyguards.

As soon as he sat on the chair behind the desk, Grace was led in by the secretary.

“Mr. Purchas.” Grace had dressed up meticulously today. Compared to the night of the birthday party, she looked even more beautiful and moving.

She held a limited edition Helmegen bag in one hand and two three-layer thermal lunch boxes in the other.

After Grace entered, the secretary and bodyguard silently retreated before closing the office door.

“Miss Weaver, why are you here?” Elijah replied to Grace indifferently. Looking at Grace who had dressed up meticulously, he somehow thought of Kate who had dressed up that night.

She was actually not inferior to Grace at all. Grace was just relying on her better family background to be arrogant in front of her. She even wanted to embarrass her several times.

Elijah thought, ‘Grace even dared to embarrass the mother of my child!’

Anger flashed across Elijah’s eyes, but it was quickly blinked away by him. Grace did not catch it.

She walked over and placed the thermal lunch box on Elijah’s desk. She sat down opposite Elijah and put on a generous and appropriate smile on her pretty face. Without beating around the bush, she said, “I’m here to deliver breakfast to you, Mr. Purchas. I asked my chef to prepare these carefully for you. They’re your favorites.”

As she spoke, she opened the lid of the thermal lunch box and placed it on the desk layer by layer. Soon, the desk became a dining table with six carefully prepared loving delicacies.

Elijah glanced at the delicacies. They were indeed his favorites. It seemed that Grace had found out his preferences very clearly.

“Miss Weaver,” Elijah said in a low voice, “We’re just acquaintances. You brought me my favorite breakfast early in the morning, this makes me confused. Miss Weaver, can you explain? Do you need my help with something? I don’t deserve this, otherwise.”

Grace looked straight at him.

In the past, she only had Alfred in her eyes. She felt that Alfred was the best man in the world. No matter how outstanding other men were, she would not fancy them.

At this moment, she realized that Elijah was not inferior to Alfred at all. The two of them had been competing with each other for many years, and Elijah had lost to Alfred only due to bad luck, in Grace’s opinion.

The Purchas Group’s power was not as much as the Regency Group. Otherwise, Elijah would not have always lost to Alfred.

If she married Elijah and became Elijah’s virtuous wife, Grace felt that she would definitely be able to defeat Alfred. When she became the most prestigious wife in the city and stood by Elijah’s side to accept everyone’s envy, jealousy, and hatred, she wondered if Alfred would regret that he had rejected her love and pursuit for so many years.

She said, “Mr. Purchas, I don’t like to beat around the bush. Besides, we’re both adults. We know what we’re doing. There’s no need to be shy. I like you and want to pursue you. I would like to marry you.”

Elijah’s eyes flickered.

Although Grace was willful, she was also straightforward. She did not hesitate and directly said that she wanted to pursue him. This made Elijah think highly of her.

However, other than Rowena, no other woman could make him catch feelings.

He thanked her politely. “Thank you, Miss Weaver, for your love. It’s my honor to be liked by you. However, I have no interest in you. In order not to affect your pursuit of the next man, I hope you can give up on me and find someone else.”

Grace’s true love was his nemesis, Alfred. Everyone in Sherpsel knew that Grace had pursued Alfred for years.

After Alfred’s accident, his legs were crippled. It was said that he also became infertile.

Then, Grace turned to him. Elijah felt that she was such a scheming woman.

It could also be seen that Grace was a very realistic woman. She would definitely not let herself suffer.

With her status, Elijah was indeed the only one who was worthy of her among the Sherpsel young talents, other than Alfred.

Chapter 158

Kyla was an exception because the Sutton family didn’t have any male descendants.

Sometimes, Grace envied Kyla for being able to compete with a bunch of men in the business world.

Grace thought, ‘No, Alfred won’t like a strong woman. He is cold-blooded. No woman can win his heart, and now that he is disabled, no women will be willing to marry him.’

Grace went to Belinda’s flagship store, intending to have Belinda design a few new dresses for her, but to her surprise, Belinda was not there.

“Where is Belinda?” Grace asked the manager unhappily.” Shouldn’t she be at the flagship store today?”

The manager respectfully replied, “Miss Weaver, I’m sorry. Ms. Sowle left before you arrived. She went to the Sutton Group to take measurements for Ms. Sutton and to discuss her preferences, so she could design forty sets of everyday clothes for her.”

Hearing this, Grace frowned, displeased. “Belinda is designing forty sets of everyday clothes for Kate? What does Kate have to do with it? She’s just a free nanny for Mr. Davidson.’

Grace thought, ‘Trying to compete with Kyla for control of the Sutton Group is like throwing an egg against a rock, utterly self-destructive. Kate doesn’t even know what she’s getting herself into.’

The manager explained, “Miss Weaver, it was Mr. Davidson who sought out Ms. Sowle, asking her to go to the Sutton Group today to take measurements for Ms. Sutton and design everyday clothes for her, with a preliminary number of forty sets, ten for spring, summer, autumn, and winter.” Grace’s expression changed, and her face contorted slightly.

She thought angrily, ‘What right does Kate have to receive such special treatment from Alfred? Isn’t Alfred treating her like a free nanny?’

Seeing Grace’s expression twisted with jealousy while she still managed to maintain a smile, the manager thought to herself, ‘Miss Weaver, just go find trouble with Ms. Sutton now. Even if Mr. Davidson is disabled, he is still not someone that a rustic person like Ms. Sutton is worthy of.’

As Alfred had once put it, once he announced his marriage to Kate, it would not only bring her endless glory but also an endless stream of schemes and plots.

Too many women admired him.

As long as Alfred stayed single, those women could accept not having him. But the moment someone got his special attention, their jealousy would flare up, and they would go out of their way to make Kate’s life difficult.

Jealousy could drive people mad.

“Miss Weaver?” the manager called out to Grace.

Grace turned to leave.

The manager hurriedly followed her. “Miss Weaver, won’t you wait for Ms. Sowle to come back?”

“I’ll find her myself,” Grace said bitterly.

She was the heiress of the Weaver family. It would take a few days of coaxing before Belinda would agree to design a few everyday outfits for her.

Yet Kate could easily get forty sets of everyday clothes designed by Belinda.

Grace even called Kyla, and when Kyla answered, she asked directly, “Kyla, what’s that shameless woman doing in the Davidson family? Is she just a nanny or Mr. Davidson’s bedmate?”

Kyla was taking Kate and Vita to an electronics company under the Regency Group when she received Grace’s call.

She didn’t answer Grace directly but handed the phone to Kate, saying, “Kate, it’s Grace. She wants to ask you something.”

Grace’s angry question was overheard by Kate as she sat next to Kyla.

She took the phone and said flatly, “Miss Weaver, if you have any questions, you can ask me directly. There’s no need to trouble Kyla.”

Grace said, “Kate, tell me how you managed to charm Mr. Davidson. Why would he personally ask Belinda to design clothes for you, and forty sets at that?”

Kate was taken aback and thought, ‘Mr. Davidson asked Belinda to design everyday clothes for me?’

She didn’t know about that.

At that moment, her phone rang. It was Claire calling. She said to Grace, “Miss Weaver, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please hold on. I need to take this call.”

Then she handed the phone back to Kyla and answered Claire’s call.

Claire said, “Kate, Ms. Sowle has arrived. She says she’s here to take your measurements and ask what styles you like, so she can create a design plan for you.”

Kate was speechless and thought, ‘Alfred is incredibly quick in taking action.’

She had only argued a bit with Olivia, and not only did he give her 10 thousand dollars a day as an allowance, but he also went to find Belinda to have her design everyday clothes for Kate. Kate thought, ‘Is he trying to provide for me in every way possible?’

Thinking back to when she mentioned wanting to raise cats and dogs, he had said that taking care of her was enough.

And now he was actually starting to take care of her.

“Please tell Ms. Sowle that I’m currently out and don’t have time for now. I’ll visit her shop when I’m free, so there’s no need for her to run around,” Kate said.

If Aldred wanted to buy her new clothes, Kate wouldn’t refuse.

Belinda’s designs were renowned in Sherpsel, and even top-tier socialites like Cynthia and Grace admired them.

Kate naturally liked them too.

Besides, this was Alfred’s intention. If she refused, Alfred might get extremely upset.

When he got angry, the employees would be the ones to suffer.

Kate didn’t want to drag others down with her.

“Okay.” After Claire hung up, Kate finally understood the reason for Grace’s furious call.

Kate thought, ‘It must be that Grace also went to Belinda’s shop and found out that Belinda had gone to the Sutton Group, leading her to angrily call and scold me.’

After Kate finished her conversation with Claire, Kyla handed her phone back to Kate.

“Kate, Grace wants you to explain,” Kyla said.

A fierce glint flashed in Kate’s eyes.

Kate thought, ‘Explain? Why should I explain anything to Grace?’

She took the phone, and Grace was angrily commanding on the other end, “Kate, I’m giving you a chance to clarify what’s going on. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude to you.”

“On what grounds do you demand that I explain myself? Did Ms. Sowle designing clothes for me threaten your interest?” Kate asked.

Grace was at a loss for words and quickly shouted, “Kate, if you dare to lay a finger on Mr. Davidson, I won’t let you go! Who do you think you are? You think just because Mr. Davidson is with you, you’re worthy of him? Let me tell you, you rustic woman, you’re not even worthy to be his servant.”

Kate said coldly, “Are you worthy of Mr. Davidson? Why haven’t you become his wife?”

But Kate was Alfred’s wife.

Grace was shocked by Kate’s words.

Kate continued, “After Mr. Davidson had his accident, you couldn’t wait to avoid him, yet you have the nerve to question me now. What qualifications do you have to interrogate me?”

Grace felt frustrated, wanting to refute Kate several times but finding no words to say.

Grace thought, ‘Damn it! When did she become so bold as to not put me in her eyes anymore? Is it because she received Mr. Davidson’s special treatment?

Chapter 159

Elijah thought, ‘But accepting a woman even Alfred looked down on would mean admitting that my taste is inferior to Alfred’s.

Elijah didn’t want to lose to Alfred, not even in matters of love.

Grace asked, “Do you have someone you like?”

Grace wasn’t angry after being rejected by Elijah.

Maybe after chasing Alfred for years without reciprocation, Grace became thick-skinned, and she didn’t even feel embarrassed being rejected by a man she was interested in.

Grace handed the fork she brought to Elijah.

“Mr. Purchas, you can start with breakfast. Let’s chat while we eat,” Grace said.

“Thank you, Miss Weaver, but I have a fixed schedule for breakfast. I only eat between 7 and 8. Once that time passes, I no longer have breakfast.” Elijah was simply being truthful.

His life followed a strict routine, one that no one had ever managed to disrupt.

“I don’t have anyone I like.” As he said this, Elijah thought of Kate.

He recalled the recurring dream he had about her, in which he had slept with Kate. The fact that he kept having the same dream over and over again implied he had slept with Kate countless times in his mind…

Elijah thought, ‘Did that mean I like Kate?’

Elijah wasn’t sure about his feelings.

He also couldn’t bring up Kate in front of Grace. While Grace wouldn’t cause trouble in front of him, she had a spoiled and willful side in front of others. Kate wouldn’t stand a chance against her. Actually, Grace wouldn’t be able to beat Kate.

Kate was strong enough to take down Elijah’s bodyguards. She was impressive.

Elijah smiled to himself at the thought of this.

Grace asked, “What are you thinking about? You’re smiling so secretly?”

Grace was momentarily mesmerized by Elijah’s smile. She knew she should use “beautiful” to describe a man, but she did feel that Elijah was beautiful when he smiled.

Elijah was undeniably handsome, with a pair of alluring eyes. If it weren’t for his cold demeanor, people might mistake him for an ethereal beauty rather than a man, unlike Alfred, who exuded masculine strength.

“It has nothing to do with you,” Elijah said.

Grace didn’t press further. Now that her affections had shifted, she naturally had Dominick investigate Elijah thoroughly.

Grace thought, ‘I have to know more about him before I can win his heart.’

She couldn’t win over Alfred because he was cold and indifferent, and she was convinced no woman could ever win Alfred.

But Grace was determined to win Elijah over.

“Mr. Purchas, you don’t have anyone you like, and the man I once liked won’t marry me. Why don’t we try dating each other? We might find we’re a good match,” Grace said.

Elijah glanced at his watch and said, “Miss Weaver, I need to get ready for work.”

It was a clear dismissal.

Grace pursed her lips and said, “If you try a bite of every dish I brought, I’ll leave right away.”

What a shameless tactic.

As expected of the heiress of the Weaver family, she was confident and unafraid of Elijah.

Elijah stared at Grace for a moment before pressing the intercom and instructing his secretary, “Send up a few female security guards to escort Miss Weaver out.”

Given Grace’s family background, Elijah wasn’t afraid of the Weaver family, but he didn’t want to offend them too harshly. That was why he arranged for female security guards to escort her out.

When she heard his order, Grace’s expression darkened. ” Mr. Purchas!”

After hanging up the phone, Elijah said coldly, “Miss Weaver, if you don’t want to be escorted out by the security, I suggest you gather your things and leave now, while you can still maintain your dignity.”

Grace bit her lip and thought, ‘No wonder he’s Alfred’s archrival. He’s just as tough to deal with as Alfred.’

“How’s your foot?” Grace asked about the foot Kate had stomped on as she started packing up her things, trying to avoid awkwardness.

“The swelling has gone down, thank you for your concern,” Elijah said.

Grace asked, “Ms. Sutton didn’t make it up to you? She’s the one who stepped on you.”

As they exchanged questions and answers, Grace had already packed the six dishes back into the containers.

“She apologized,” Elijah said indifferently. “It was unintentional. She apologized, and that’s enough.”

Grace smiled. “You seem quite tolerant of Ms. Sutton.”

“Do you expect me to use my foot injury as an excuse to pester Ms. Sutton?” Elijah said.

Grace was at a loss for words.

Of course, she didn’t want Elijah to have any further contact with Kate.

Even though she thought she was a hundred times better than Kate, there was no guarantee Elijah wouldn’t fall for Kate. After all, a well-dressed Kate could even surpass Kyla in beauty.

Grace thought, ‘But so what if Kate is pretty? She is still being retaliated against by Mr. Davidson, forced to work as an unpaid servant at the Davidson residence. With Alfred’s current temper, Kate is likely living a miserable life.’

Thinking this, Grace felt much better.

Standing up, she picked up her two thermal lunchboxes,

and after meeting Elijah’s gaze, she said, “Elijah, I won’t give up on you. Sorry for the intrusion.”

“Goodbye, Miss Weaver. I won’t see you out,” Elijah said. Grace took a deep breath before turning to leave.

As she stepped out of the CEO’s office, she saw several female security guards arriving.

Seeing her leaving voluntarily, the secretary stood to see her out and dismissed the security guards.

Before entering the elevator, Grace handed the lunchboxes to the secretary with a warm smile. “Bailey, Mr. Purchas has already eaten breakfast and couldn’t finish it. You can have it.”

Bailey remained calm. “Thank you, Miss Weaver, but I’ve already had breakfast.”

Whether or not Grace succeeded in winning Elijah’s heart, Bailey wouldn’t and couldn’t accept her kindness.

Grace wasn’t upset. She smiled and said, “You’re quite good, Bailey. I’ll remember you.”

“It’s an honor to be remembered by you, Miss Weaver. The elevator is here. Please.” Bailey gestured for Grace to enter the elevator.

Grace gave him a sweet smile before stepping inside.

Once the elevator doors closed, Grace’s smile vanished. She almost threw the two lunchboxes away but stopped herself.

Before leaving Purchas Group, Grace left the two lunchboxes at the front desk, saying they were a gift for the receptionist. Without caring for the receptionist’s reaction, she walked off.

Soon, her red Ferrari sped away from Purchas Group.

The Purchas Group wasn’t far from the Regency Group, and

Grace instinctively drove to Regency Group, but she didn’t go inside. Instead, she parked in front of the 68-story office building and stared at it in a daze.

After a while, she finally drove away.

No matter how much she loved Alfred or how unwilling she was, she had to give up.

Alfred had never given her any hope. Even the birthday gift he gave her was both cheap and sarcastic. He sent her candies.

It meant that she was just eye candy.

Grace thought, ‘Does Alfred prefer strong, independent women?’

Grace could never become a strong, independent woman. With so many brothers doting on her, none of them would allow her to work.

Without a chance to work, she couldn’t become a strong woman.

Luckily, few women in her social circle were independent. Like her, they led dull lives, spending money to pass the time.

Chapter 160

“Kate, do you know who you’re talking to?” Grace said through her gritted teeth.

Anyone could tell she was very angry.

“Aren’t you Ms. Weaver? I’m talking to you,” Kate said.

Grace said resentfully, “Very well, you know who I am. Kate, just wait, I will make you regret it.”

After saying that, Grace hung up the phone.

Kate moved the phone away from her ear and handed it back to Kyla.

Kyla stared at Kate for a moment before taking the phone and, in a reprimanding tone, said, “Kate, surviving in this society isn’t about quick comebacks. Speaking like that can easily offend people. You need to remember that you are now representing the Sutton Group. You might not consider your personal matters, but you can’t ignore the Sutton Group.”

Kate replied lightly, “I don’t think I said anything wrong. Miss Weaver gave up on Mr. Davidson herself. What right does she have to question and blame me? Should I let her insult me just because her family is richer than ours?” Before Kate time-traveled, Grace often sided with Kyla and humiliated her. As a result, Kate was too intimidated to even speak up in Grace’s presence, feeling utterly pathetic. It was too humiliating.

This time, even if Kate couldn’t rely on Alfred, she wouldn’t be that pathetic person again.

The head of the Weaver family wasn’t unreasonable.

If Kate offended Grace, the worst that could happen was being excluded or dealt with a bit. It wouldn’t easily escalate to a conflict between companies unless she did something that harmed Grace.

Kyla said, “Kate, ever since you lived in the Davidson family, you’ve changed a lot. You’ve become bold and dare to confront anyone. Did Mr. Davidson say something to you?

Is he protecting you?”

Before Kate could answer, Kyla added in a tone as if she was looking out for Kate, “If that’s the case, I advise you to stay far away from Mr. Davidson. Even if he is now disabled, he is still not a man that someone of your status can approach.

“There are so many women who admire Mr. Davidson. There isn’t a simple one among them. With your intellect, you can’t compete with those women. The women at the Davidson residence aren’t easy to deal with either. Just think about Olivia. You won’t be able to handle her.

“If you want to live well and want what’s good for our family, keep your distance from Mr. Davidson. Just be his free maid, and once he doesn’t hold a grudge against you, stay as far away from him as you can.”

Kate turned her head to look at Kyla and smiled, “Thanks for the reminder.”

Kate was already prepared to face the attacks from her rivals.

Kyla felt a bit suffocated by Kate’s words. She felt that Kate had grown deeper and more guarded. No matter how Kyla tried to pry, she couldn’t get anything out of her.

“Chris might get married soon.” Kyla suddenly shifted the topic to Chris while keeping her gaze on Kate.

Kate countered, “Kyla, the bride, isn’t you. Are you fine with that?”

“Kate, what are you saying? You’ve always liked Chris, and you’re the one who wants to marry him. That statement should be coming from me,” Kyla said.

Kate leaned in closer, narrowing the distance between them, and said with a faint smile, “Kyla, do you really think I’m stupid? Are you still playing dumb? You and Chris have feelings for each other, yet you act like you don’t love each other. That must be exhausting.

“In the past, you must feel jealous watching Chris and me together. Kyla, I actually admire you. You’re able to give up the man you love.”

Kyla remained calm, not getting flustered or upset. She looked directly into Kate’s eyes, thinking that the person Kate described wasn’t her.

Kate couldn’t help but admire her skills.

Kate thought, ‘No wonder I would be killed by Kyla and Chris in the past.”

Kyla said, “No one can take away what belongs to me, whether a man or item, unless I willingly let it go. How could I possibly just give him up if I like him? Kate, who told you that Chris and I have feelings for each other? Did you distance yourself from Chris because you heard those rumors?

“You misunderstood my relationship with Chris. If you still love Chris, stop him from marrying Melanie. She doesn’t deserve him.”

Kyla tried to incite Kate to stop Chris from marrying Melanie, as that would disappoint Kate’s parents, offend the Weaver family, and further antagonize Alfred against her.

“He assaulted Miss Moore in that kind of situation. He should be responsible for that and marry her. How could I stop him?” Kate said.

Kyla said, “He is being forced into it. As long as you stop him, he will definitely give up.”

Kate chuckled, “You know I went to the Cohen family and retrieved all the gifts I gave him before, right? It’s all over and done with. No matter who he marries now, even if he were to die tomorrow, it has nothing to do with me.

“Kyla, if you’re unwilling to see him marry another woman, you should do something about it. You can’t always be his secret lover. That would be unfair to you.”

Kate leaned close to Kyla’s ear, one hand resting on her lower abdomen, startling Kyla into wide-eyed disbelief.

Kate quietly said, “If you’re pregnant, the child would be a bastard. How unfair that is for the child.”

Kyla’s composure was shattered.

Kate chuckled softly, sitting up straight and looking ahead.

Vita drove attentively as if she couldn’t hear Kate and Kyla’s conversation.

Vita was Kyla’s confidante; even if she heard, she would keep Kyla’s secret.

Kyla said softly, “Kate, what nonsense are you talking about?”

Kate just smiled and didn’t respond.

Kyla’s expression darkened.

After Kyla and Chris’s first intimate encounter, there was a second. The first time Kyla was manipulated, but the subsequent ones were mutually desired.

Once Kyla and Chris had experienced that, they became addicted to it.

They hadn’t taken precautions each time.

Kyla thought, ‘If I really were to get pregnant…

Kyla regretted not having Chris take precautions and not taking medication herself.

She hoped she didn’t get pregnant.

Kyla decided that if they didn’t take precautions, Chris shouldn’t think about touching her again.

Kyla wondered how Kate knew about this.

Kyla glared at Kate with a chilling gaze, trying hard to recall, suddenly remembering that the day after the incident, Kate had asked her about work, being so close that Kate might have seen some marks under her collar.

Kyla cursed Kate thousands of times inwardly.

She thought, ‘She’s becoming harder to control.’

As Kyla thought about going to Walotronics to meet Willie, a ruthless glint flashed in Kyla’s eyes.

Kyla thought, ‘Kate, you shouldn’t blame me for being

ruthless. If you want to seize my family fortune, you have to have the ability to do so. Willie adores young and beautiful girls like you.’

र金

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