Chapter 251
Elijah said, “Miss Phillips, you secretly took photos of me the other day…”
“Mr. Purchas, I’m sorry,” Xena said. “It’s my fault for secretly taking photos of you. You deleted all the photos I took and took back the ones that were posted. I apologized too.” She meant that this matter could be considered as if it never happened and that Elijah should get out of her hair. She thought, ‘I didn’t get the words out that he put me under house arrest for a day and a night. Even more so, I didn’t sue him. He had better know his limits. If he really riles me up, I can take him to court.’
“Miss Phillips, I don’t think you have done enough.”
The corners of Xena’s mouth twitched. She found Elijah very shameless.
She thought, ‘No wonder he can become the head of the Purchas family. Well, that’s because he’s shameless.
This was a conflict between Xena and Elijah, so Kate thought it would be inappropriate to butt in. She silently held Xena’s hand, hinting that she did not have to be afraid as Elijah would not dare to do anything to her in public.
“Mr. Purchas, what else do you need me to do?”
Elijah smiled, his attractive eyes fixed on Xena.
Being inexperienced in dealing with people in such circumstances, Xena felt her heart race under his gaze. She thought that if Elijah kept staring at her like that, she might have an irregular heartbeat and drop dead.
“Miss Phillips, you have to treat me to a meal, right?”
Xena’s mouth was wide open.
She thought, ‘Elijah wants me to treat him to a meal? Damn, it would be strange if I could bring myself to eat with him. at the same table as me.’
“What’s wrong, Miss Phillips? Are you unwilling?”
“Um… can we do it another day?”
Xena didn’t dare to refuse.
Elijah smiled. “Why do it another day? There’s no time like the present. Since we’re fated to meet here today, let’s do it today. This hotel is frequented by you, right? This is my first time here, so I’m not familiar with it. If you treat me to a meal, I’ll know if the food here is any good.”
Xena was at a loss for words.
She looked at Kate.
Being very tactful, Kate said, “Xena, it occurs to me that I have something urgent to attend to, so I won’t grab a meal with you.”
She thought, ‘Elijah is so petty. He clearly doesn’t want to let Xena off the hook. If she doesn’t treat him to a meal, he’ Il keep bothering her. He’s a pro at being a pest. I’m currently learning from him.’
With that said, Kate said to Yael, “Yael, let’s go.”
She turned around and walked away, thinking, ‘Elijah won’t do anything to Xena right now. I can be at ease.
“Kate… be careful on the road.” Xena felt sheepish but also relieved.
Elijah was picking on Kate. With Kate gone, Xena wouldn’t have to worry.
The two girls did not expect Elijah to do this. He mainly wanted to have a meal with Kate, yet he ended up making things worse and driving Kate away.
He wanted to call out to Kate, but he held back what he was about to say.
He could only watch helplessly as Kate got into Yael’s security car and left quickly.
On the way back, Kate seemed to be thinking about something. After quite a long while, she asked Yael, “Yael, do you know if anyone is tailing after me?”
“Apart from the private detective that Lena hired to tail after you, there’s no one else,” Yael said.
Kate was stunned for a moment before asking, “Why did Lena hire a private detective to tail after me?”
“Mrs. Davidson, I’m not sure about that.”
He thought, ‘I only know that Lena hired a private detective to tail after Mrs. Davidson, but the matter has been dealt with, and it didn’t bother Mrs. Davidson. Presumably, Mr. Davidson didn’t say anything, right?’
“Mrs. Davidson, do you suspect that Mr. Purchas has arranged for someone to keep an eye on you?”
“Yeah. We’ve run into each other too many times. There’s no way that each of the encounters happens by chance. I think he must have arranged for someone to keep an eye on my movements.”
“But Mr. Purchas didn’t send anyone to monitor your movements.”
Yael and the other bodyguards all had sources of information. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to
help Alfred find out all kinds of information.
As far as he knew, Elijah really did not arrange for anyone to keep watch on Kate.
Kate thought for a moment and said, “Could it be that he has someone keep an eye on Xena’s movements?”
She thought, ‘Xena and I are good friends and meet often, so keeping an eye on Xena can also create chance encounters between me and him.”
“Well, we don’t know about that. Our job is to protect Mr. Davidson, and now we have an additional task of protecting you.”
Ever since they noticed that Alfred cared about Kate, they automatically included matters concerning Kate in their responsibilities.
“Yael, through which channels do you gather information?”
Before traveling back in time, she was trapped in the back wing of the Cohen family’s home and knew nothing about the outside world. This was the reason why she was incompetent after traveling back in time.
However, she knew that Alfred was especially well-informed. There was nothing he couldn’t find out if he wanted to.
“Mrs. Davidson, we have many channels to gather
information. If you want to investigate something or dig into someone’s background, just let us know. We’ll help you out.”
“Does anyone dare to tail after Elijah?”
Yael was silent for a moment before he replied, “Maybe. Other than Mr. Davidson’s people, no one else would dare to tail after Mr. Purchas.”
Thinking of Elijah’s stubbornness made her feel gloomy.
She understood. “Alright. I get it.”
She thought, ‘I need to discuss this with my man since it involves his people. Although I can get Alfred’s bodyguards to do what I want currently, it’s still necessary to inform him.’ “Mrs. Davidson, do you want to go have a meal at Theo’s place now?”
“Nah. We can just find a random restaurant to grab a bite.” She thought, ‘That girl named Lindsay is back. The Mccoy family has a close relationship with the Davidson family, so Olivia will likely invite them to dine with Alfred. Olivia doesn’t like me, so I won’t go and spoil their appetite.’
“There’s a restaurant near my company that serves pretty good food. Yael, let’s go there to eat.”
“Sure.”
Yael had no objections. He just wanted to protect Kate. “Mrs. Davidson, may I ask you for a favor?”
“Fire away.”
“Please ask Miss Phillips not to secretly take photos of me from now on.”
Kate burst out laughing.
“Yael, you’re so handsome. Xena only has that little hobby. Out of respect for me, just let Xena take a few more photos of you.”
Yael was left speechless.
“There’s also Yair and the others. They’re all so handsome. Mr. Davidson has a generous heart and an open mind. The bodyguards around him are all so handsome. Doesn’t he worry about being overshadowed? Xena sees you all as treasures. In any case, she won’t really take advantage of you people. She will just take a few shots, post a few photos, and keep them as collections.”
Yael was at a loss for words.
However, he took comfort in the knowledge that even Yair and other bodyguards could not avoid having their photos taken by Xena.
‘It’s more comforting to be in the same situation as others rather than being singled out, he thought.
“I’ll talk to Xena and ask her not to secretly take photos anymore, but to take them openly. If she does that, you guys will always have a serious look, though. That will make people no longer find you guys attractive, even leading to feelings of boredom. If she takes photos secretly, she’ll be able to capture many expressions that aren’t deliberately posed. From different angles, they show different kinds of beauty.”
Yael’s face twitched. His expression was serious as he said,
“Mrs. Davidson, I’m a man. Please don’t use the word’ beauty’ when it comes to describing a man.”
Kate giggled. “Alright. The word ‘handsome’ works, right?”
Yael was speechless.
Chapter 252
After her friend left, Xena bit the bullet and said to Elijah, Mr. Purchas, I’ll treat you to a meal. Please.”
Elijah changed his earlier attitude. Not even looking at her, he said coldly, “You owe me a meal, but treat me another day.”
Then, he left with his bodyguards.
Xena was taken aback, thinking, ‘He just walked away like that? He shamelessly refused to get out of my hair earlier, insisting that I treat him to a meal. I went along with his wishes, and he actually left. Good thing he left, though. I don’t have to face that strikingly good-looking face or those mesmerizing, captivating eyes.”
Xena was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to resist those captivating eyes, and her heart would end up falling for Elijah, leaving her with no way to extricate herself from the situation.
Having had her good mood ruined by Elijah, Xena did not want to enter the hotel anymore. She drove back, making sure to call her friend to let her know she was safe.
“Elijah left?” Kate said.
“Yeah,” Xena replied. “After you left, I said I would treat him to a meal. He was super cool, though. He said, ‘You owe me a meal, but treat me another day.’ Then, he left. Kate, Elijah was here for you, so be careful. This man is not like your Mr. Davidson, who is a little reasonable.”
Making a speculation, Xena continued, “Mr. Davidson and him are sworn enemies, but he has never been able to get the better of Mr. Davidson. Perhaps he wants to start by making a move on you to have a taste of getting the better of Mr. Davidson.”
“I know, but this guy is very well-informed. He can always create chance encounters, making it hard for me to guard against him. Xena, you need to watch out if anyone is tailing after you, or check if a tracker has been installed on your phone.”
Xena was not stupid. She also thought that the timing Elijah showed up today was quite unexpectedly coincidental.
Hearing Kate’s words, it then occurred to her that Elijah had taken her phone before, and she suspected that Elijah had installed a tracker on her phone.
“I’ll get someone to check my phone in a bit.”
“Okay.”
“Kate, get back to what you’re doing. I’m going back now. See you tomorrow.”
She thought, ‘Tomorrow’s the weekend, and I can go to the Davidson family’s horse ranch to see beauty, mainly to see a line-up of handsome guys. Ah! I’m so happy.’
Xena was filled with happiness.
She thought, ‘The men in the Davidson family are all handsome. From what Kate said, Mr. Davidson’s younger brothers will be there too. I won’t dare to sneak a shot of Mr. Davidson, but I can sneak a few pictures of the other guys. “See you tomorrow.”
*****
After leaving the hospital, Kyla’s mind was in chaos.
In her handbag was her test report.
She thought, ‘I really am pregnant! How come I got pregnant at this point? Should I keep the baby or not? If I do, my adoptive parents will definitely be mad since I was knocked up before getting married, and it will affect my job. But if I don’t, it’s still my own flesh and blood. I do have feelings for Chris. This is our child. Chris mentioned that if I really am pregnant, I should go ahead and have the baby.’
Back in the car, Kyla called Chris. When he answered, she said, “Chris, you’re going to be a dad.”
“You’ve really gotten pregnant?” Chris asked, also greatly surprised.
“Chris, what do you think we should do? Should we keep the baby or not?”
Chris thought for a moment and said, “Kyla, I hope you can give birth to this child. Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility for you two sooner or later. Marrying Melanie is a temporary solution. The one I’ve always loved is you.”
“But… I’ll lose a lot. What about my job during the pregnancy? By the time I return to the company after being away for some time, Sutton Group will have completely changed.”
She thought, ‘I’ve done so much to seize Sutton Group, yet now I’m pregnant out of wedlock.’
“You want to have an abortion?”
“I can’t bear to do that either. After all, this is our child.”
Kyla leaned back against the car seat. Then, she continued with distress, “This child came at the wrong time. If my adoptive parents find out, they’ll screw me up big time.” She thought, ‘Celia has always taught me to value myself as well as avoid inappropriate behavior and being too casual. Women often face greater disadvantages in relationships compared to men. I pride myself on being a refined lady, yet I’ve gotten pregnant out of wedlock. If this gets out, my reputation will suffer, and that’s not what I want. As for Dominick, even though I didn’t fall in love with him, I enjoy being treasured by him. If he finds out that I have a child with Chris, he won’t love me anymore, and Grace will be angry with me too. The connections I’ve worked so hard to build in high society will collapse as well. “Chris, I can go on a business trip when my belly gets bigger. I can stay out of town for a few months and come back after I give birth. During this period, what I need to guard against is Kate gaining power and influence. How can I stop her from achieving that? Only if something happens to her will she not take advantage of my absence to win people over.”
Chris sighed inwardly and thought, ‘A woman can be extremely ruthless when she harbors ill intentions.
However, he reminded Kyla, “Kate is now Mr. Davidson’s wife.”
Kyla said coldly, “So what? She’s in my way. Even if she’s connected to the emperor, I have to get rid of her. Chris, if you want our child to be born safely, you have to help me with this.”
“We’re in the same boat. As long as you can come up with a foolproof plan, I’ll definitely do my best to help you.”
“I’ll carefully figure out a foolproof plan.”
After ending the call, Kyla coldly muttered to herself, “Kate, don’t blame me for being ruthless. You came back to work in the company. Isn’t it good to stay by my adoptive mother’s side like I do?”
*****
At Regency Group, ringing sounds could be heard in the CEO’s office.
Alfred noticed that it was a call from his beloved wife, so he picked up his phone.
“Mr. Davidson,” Kate said, her voice sweet and delicate.
Alfred said calmly, “If you have something to ask of me, just say it. There’s no need to deliberately act cutesy.”
Kate giggled. “My husband is so smart. You know me well. My respect for you is like the surging of the Mississippi River. My love for you is as deep as the sea. It’s immeasurable-“
“Stop!” Alfred interrupted his beloved wife’s flattering words, which had always been the same, with a sense of helplessness.
“Mr. Davidson, can you get someone to help me find out where Kyla went, what she did, and whom she met after she got off work at noon?”
She thought, ‘At this point, Kyla should be pregnant. I just wanted to verify it.’
“Okay.”
“Thank you, Mr. Davidson. You’re so wonderful. I love you so much.”
“You really love me. You jumped that far away when you knew I could do it.”
Kate said, “Well, that was… too much of a surprise, and it turned into a scare.”
Alfred chuckled.
“Mr. Davidson, carry on with your work. I won’t bother you while you are making money to support me.”
“Audacious.”
Alfred’s words were full of affection.
After asking Alfred for help, Kate was still not in the mood to work. She bit the tip of her pen, thinking about something.
She thought, ‘Oh right.’
“Claire, what’s the date today?”
“July 10th. Why?”
“It’s nothing. I’m just asking. Students should have started
their summer break, right?”
“Yeah.”
Claire did not say much.
Something occurred to Kate. That incident had been a significant event before she traveled back in time. It shook the upper-class circles of several cities, so much so that she, who was trapped in the back wing by Chris, had heard about it.
Chapter 253
Sherpsel’s neighboring city was Baylarey, and Baylarey’s economy was as prosperous as Sherpsel’s.
The Riley family was the wealthiest family in Baylarey. The family’s wealth rivaled that of the Davidson family, but it had fewer members and was not as large as the Davidson family.
In the Davidson family, daughters were cherished the most. In the Riley family, it was the other way around.
Riley Group was involved in a wide range of businesses. On top of that, the Riley family had the most powerful information network. Their information network covered more than ten large cities. Many people wanted to befriend them.
For the past few generations, the Riley family had only had two branches, and each branch in every generation had had only one son, regardless of how many children they had. The rest had been daughters.
In the generation of the current head of the family, he and his cousin had long been arranged by their families to form marriage alliances with wealthy families in Baylarey. Although it was a marriage alliance, Wesley Riley, who was the head of the family, treated his wife very well. The couple got married first and then fell in love. Their feelings deepened over time. Fiona Riley, who was his wife, was pregnant a year after the marriage.
Perhaps it was fate’s way of being jealous of those who were happy. When Fiona was about to give birth, there was once when she went for a prenatal checkup and got into a car accident on the way. Driven by a mother’s instinct, she tightly protected her belly.
After the accident, Fiona was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. At the same time, the medical staff quickly performed a cesarean section to deliver the baby. It was a son. As Fiona protected the fetus during the instant the accident occurred, the baby was born healthy.
However, Fiona became a vegetable and has not regained consciousness to this day.
Wesley had a strong bond with his wife. Even though Fiona had become a vegetable, he remained devoted and carefully raised their son.
However, something unexpected happened. Wesley’s enemies bribed a maid of the Riley family called Esther Harvey, asking her to sneakily take Wesley’s only son and leave. Due to strong emotions, Esther acted against her better judgment. She waited for the right moment to carry the three-year-old boy away from the Riley family’s home.
The Riley family quickly found out. Wesley was furious and immediately launched a citywide manhunt for Esther, but with the help of his enemies, Esther had already boarded a private plane and left Baylarey.
With the Riley family’s influence and powerful information network, that maid was bound to not be able to escape. In the end, for some reason, Esther appeared in Sherpsel with the child. Realizing that escape was impossible, Esther took ruthless action by throwing the three-year-old Ronnie Riley into a river in Sherpsel. He drowned.
Esther also jumped into the river to take her own life.
Wesley only had one son, and his wife was in a vegetative state. After suffering such a blow, one could imagine how sad and angry he was.
His frantic revenge destroyed all his enemies’ families. In the end, his enemies would rather go to prison to avoid trouble.
This incident shocked the upper-class circles of Sherpsel and several nearby cities.
Kate also heard Chris mention a few times that Wesley took it out on the people of Sherpsel by causing a disruptive impact on the business scene here because his son died in the river at Sherpsel.
To maintain stability in the business community of
Sherpsel, it was said that Alfred and Elijah, who were sworn enemies, put aside their prejudices against each other and joined forces to resist the Riley family. They even went to talk to Wesley. No one knew what they talked about. The only thing people knew was that the Riley family’s influence in Sherpsel ultimately diminished.
Since Kate was a pregnant mother at that time, she couldn’t bear to hear about tragedies related to children, so she remembered this incident particularly well.
She remembered that Ronnie, the young scion of the Riley family, would be thrown into the river and drowned this afternoon.
The river where Ronnie drowned was in the suburbs, where Kate had gone fishing with Willie the other day.
Kate looked at the clock and immediately made a decision. She wanted to save Ronnie before Esther threw him into the river.
‘If Ronnie doesn’t die, it’ll prevent the disruptive scene in the business community before I traveled back in time from happening,’ she thought. ‘I can also form a connection with the Riley family because of this. In the future, I’ll be able to benefit from the help of the Riley family’s powerful information network. I can’t possibly rely on Mr. Davidson for everything, right? I want to build my own connections too.’
Kate immediately pretended to answer a call and deliberately said into the phone. “Going fishing?” she said. ” I’m at work. Alright, I’ll go. I’ll be right there. Is that good enough? Don’t be mad.”
Then, she put down her phone and said to Claire, “Claire, let my dad know that I want to take leave.”
Claire sighed and said, “Kate, oh Kate. Why are you taking leave again?”
She thought, ‘And you are going fishing, no less!’
Claire was a workaholic. If there was one flaw of Kate that she could not stand, it was that Kate often took leave.
She felt that even if Kate was Leland’s biological daughter, she shouldn’t treat work like a game and take leave so frequently.
Kate had already picked up her phone and walked out of the office.
After rushing downstairs, it then occurred to her that she had not informed Liam.
Since Yael was with her at noon, she told Liam to go back and rest first, and that he could come pick her up after she got off work in the afternoon.
She was worried that her trip to the suburbs would be delayed if she were to notify Liam to come over now.
The drive from the city to the suburbs took dozens of minutes.
Kate had no choice but to flag down a taxi at the company entrance and take it to the suburbs.
Esther chose a relatively secluded spot to throw Ronnie into the river. There was only one embankment there. Occasionally, people went for a walk on the embankment. Usually, there was rarely anyone there.
Because the location was remote, Ronnie wasn’t rescued after being thrown into the river.
Fortunately, Kate had traveled back in time. She had paid attention to this incident prior to her time travel, so she remembered the location where it happened.
After spending dozens of minutes, she arrived at the outskirts.
To avoid raising suspicion that she had deliberately come to rescue Ronnie, Kate paid to rent a bicycle and fishing gear from a local farmer. She then rode the bike straight to the scene of the incident with the fishing tools.
*****
On the embankment, a middle-aged woman who looked flustered and haggard was carrying a three-year-old child. She was walking back and forth under the protection of two men in black.
“Esther, I want to go home,” the child said. “I miss Dad.”
The three-year-old child was Ronnie, the young scion of the Riley family, whom Kate had hurried to save.
Ronnie was handsome and cute, with delicate and tender skin. His big blue eyes gleamed like stars in the night. He was very smart, yet he was still a three-year-old child.
Esther often took care of him, so he had no idea that he was about to be thrown into the river.
Esther said, “Ronnie…”
She looked at the little darling in her arms. Having taken care of him for over a year, it would be a lie to say she had no emotional bond toward him.
She was especially regretful now. She regretted listening to her daughter’s words which created discord and not being able to resist the temptation of money. Now that she had taken Ronnie away, there was nowhere she could escape to. With the Riley family’s powerful information network, her whereabouts must have been tracked by now.
She was at her wits’ end.
“Ring, ring, ring…”
A man’s phone rang, and he quickly answered the call. Esther nervously watched him answer the phone, holding Ronnie tightly in her arms.
After finishing the call, the man quietly said something to his companion. He took two steps forward and reached out to take the child from Esther’s arms.
“What do you want?” Esther asked, holding Ronnie tightly and refusing to let go. She kept retreating, trying to create some distance between herself from the man.
“We can’t get away, but we can’t let this kid live either,” the man said. “Throw him into the river. Are you going to throw him yourself, or should we do it?”
骨
Chapter 254
Esther’s expression changed drastically as she scolded angrily, “How can you go back on your word? We agreed to only bring him out for a while to scare Wesley, but in the end, you sent us to a helicopter and even brought us to this godforsaken place!”
This river was very clear, but it was also deep.
Even an adult would drown if thrown into the river, let alone Ronnie, who was a three-year-old child.
The two men’s faces darkened. One of them said, “Give me the child, or throw him into the river yourself. Get a move on!” “No! Help. Help. Someone’s trying to snatch a child!”
Esther turned and ran while holding onto Ronnie.
As she ran, she shouted for help.
The two men chased after her at a leisurely pace. One of them persuaded her, saying, “Don’t waste your effort. No one comes here at all. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to save him. Hurry up and throw him into the river. Otherwise, your children and family can forget about living.”
Hearing this, Esther stopped in her tracks. It was because of this pause that the two men caught up to her.
*****
Kate was pedaling her bicycle with all her might.
She kept praying inwardly, ‘Oh God, you have to take care of me again. Let me be lucky and save Ronnie. Even if I can’t connect with the Riley family after saving him, being able to save a child’s life is also a good thing.’
Prior to her time travel, she couldn’t save Rowena.
She hoped that she could save Ronnie’s life now that she had traveled back in time, thereby requesting God that Rowena be blessed in the afterlife.
Fortunately, she remembered the location of the incident and rushed over. Soon, she spotted the embankment.
From afar, she saw three people on the embankment.
‘How come there are three people?’ she thought. ‘Never mind, I’ll go check if one of them is the maid from the Riley family.’
Relying on the fact that she had learned combat skills, Kate was fearless. She rode her bicycle and rushed up the embankment.
Noticing that someone was approaching, the two men hurriedly warned Esther, “Act natural. Think about your family.”
Esther hugged Ronnie tightly, feeling extremely conflicted. She thought, ‘If I throw Ronnie into the river and let him drown, my family will live on. But this child is innocent, and I’ve cared for him for over a year. Looking into his clear eyes, I really can’t bring myself to do it.’
As Kate approached, the three adults spontaneously moved to the side of the road, waiting for Kate to ride past. Kate slowed down her bike. She had paid attention to this matter before she traveled back in time, but she had not seen a photo of Ronnie. She was not sure if the child in Esther’s arms was Ronnie.
She could not rashly go and grab the child.
However, when she rode her bike up to them, she stopped.
The two men exchanged glances, intending to silence Kate if she did anything.
Kate parked her bike. As she took her fishing tools, she asked them, “Are you guys here to fish, or are you all here to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the countryside?”
One of the men lied with a calm expression, saying, “We initially came to fish. When we got here, we realized we’d forgotten to bring our bait.”
“Oh, I brought a lot. Do you want me to give you some? There are a lot of fish here. Many people come to this river to fish every day, especially on weekends.”
Kate pretended not to know anything and spoke to them enthusiastically.
“Thanks, but it’s okay. The child is crying and wants to go back. We’ll come again next time.”
The man who responded to Kate reached out to take Ronnie from Esther’s hands. Unexpectedly, Ronnie pushed away his outstretched hands and struggled to get down. With an outsider present, Esther lets go to avoid raising Kate’s suspicions, allowing Ronnie to get down.
“Pretty lady,” Ronnie said as he cleverly dodged the man’s outstretched arms again. He dashed to Kate’s feet, hugged Kate’s leg, raised his young and handsome face, and said to Kate, “Pretty lady, hold me.”
Kate quickly picked up Ronnie.
“Son, let’s go,” the man said as he stepped forward, wanting to carry Ronnie away. “We’re going back.”
Ronnie turned and hugged Kate’s neck, shouting, “Miss, he’s not my dad. I don’t know him. They’re bad guys, and they want to throw me into the river. Help me call the police.”
Ronnie did not know what Esther and the two men were going to do earlier, but when Esther was arguing with the two men, they did not keep the conversation out of his hearing. So, he understood their intention.
He knew that they wanted to throw him into the river and let him drown.
Although he was only three years old, he had attended kindergarten. His teacher had taught him to look for the police when he was in danger.
When he saw Kate, he inexplicably felt that this pretty lady was a good person. Therefore, he struggled to get down, ran up to Kate, and asked Kate to hold him. Only then did he tell the truth.
Kate immediately held Ronnie and moved away to prevent the man from carrying Ronnie.
“You people are not the child’s family members?” she asked.
“Son, don’t be naughty,” the man said, “Miss, my son is really mischievous. He’s deliberately lying to tease you.” “Miss, I’m not lying,” Ronnie said. “They’re bad guys. Help me call the police.”
As Kate carried Ronnie, she continuously dodged the man’s attempts to reach out to carry Ronnie. She freed one hand, wanting to reach for her phone. The two men immediately changed their expression and became rude.
They forcefully tried to snatch Ronnie away.
Kate kicked one of them in the abdomen. None of them expected Kate to fight back.
The person who was kicked was in pain, taking a few steps back while holding his abdomen and displaying a look of agony.
The other man turned to glance at his companion. When he turned back angrily to make a move, a punch landed on his nose, causing blood to immediately gush out.
He should be glad that Kate was holding Ronnie with one arm, so her strength with the other hand wasn’t strong enough.
Kate caught them off guard by making two strikes that hit. However, she did not continue fighting. After all, she was still holding Ronnie.
She ran away with Ronnie in her arms.
After the two men recovered from their pain, they chased after her.
By running like this, not only would Kate be unable to shake them off, but she would also be exhausted. So, she put Ronnie down and said to him, “Little one, run quickly toward that area with many trees and weeds. Find a spot to hide first. I’ll deal with those two bad guys before coming to look for you.”
“Okay,” Ronnie replied.
He was smart and decisive.
As soon as Kate finished speaking, he turned around and ran.
Without Ronnie as a burden, Kate immediately turned around to fight.
The moment they exchanged blows, Kate realized that these two men were also trained in combat skills. They received a blow from her earlier because they did not expect a girl like her to dare to attack.
Esther stood on the embankment in a daze, neither helping nor chasing after Ronnie. She seemed to have lost her mind. After a while, she slowly walked to the edge of the river.
Kate noticed this and instinctively shouted, “Hey, don’t jump!” Esther turned a deaf ear.
It was already very strenuous for Kate to fight against two people alone. She could not spare her energy to stop
Esther jumped into the river.
She couldn’t go to stop Esther either. Otherwise, these two men would look for Ronnie and kill him.
曲
Chapter 255
Seeing Esther jump into the river hopelessly, Kate was anxious. Whenever she was anxious, she would be frantic. Under her desperate punches and kicks, she quickly turned the situation around. She ended up turning the tables and beating the two men up to the point that they suffered a terrible defeat.
After confirming that the two men were too weak to get up, Kate took a few deep breaths and ran to the spot where Esther had fallen into the water. However, there was no sign of Esther, so she reckoned that Esther must have been washed away by the current of the river.
Kate could swim, but she had just been through a tough fight and did not have the stamina to jump into the river to search for Esther.
She quickly took out her phone and called the police.
Right after reporting to the police, her phone rang again. It was a call from Alfred.
As soon as Kate answered the call, Alfred’s gloomy voice came through. “Kate, where did you go?” he asked.
Looking around, Kate said, “I don’t know where I am.”
“You’re panting while talking. What did you just do?” “Mr. Davidson…”
Kate was not sure how to broach the subject. “Shoot!”
“I-I came to the river to fish.”
Alfred said coldly, “Do you need to pant while fishing? Does the fish you catch weigh one thousand pounds?”
“I ran into kidnappers… and had a fight with them.”
“Send me your location right now,” Alfred ordered.
Kate knew that he was angry, so she did not dare to say anything else. As soon as she hung up the phone, she immediately sent him her location.
The local police arrived quickly.
Kate said that the two men were kidnappers and mentioned that a female kidnapper jumped into the river when escape seemed hopeless. She clarified that since she was fighting against the two men, she could not save the woman right away. When she knocked down the two men and ran over, the woman who jumped into the river had already been swept away by the current.
Noticing that the two men had been beaten up a little badly by a beautiful girl like Kate, the police called the ambulance.
Regardless of whether or not they were human traffickers, law enforcement officers could not leave them in the lurch.
As for the woman who had jumped into the river, they contacted the rescue team to recover her body.
“You said they’re human traffickers?” a police officer said.” Where’s the kid who got abducted?”
“I told him to hide,” Kate said. “I’ll go find him.”
Kate hurriedly went to look for Ronnie.
Since the police had been notified, this matter would be handed over to them to handle.
Ronnie’s identity was special, and the Riley family’s information network was powerful. At this moment, Wesley must be personally bringing people here.
Once Wesley arrived, the two men’s guilt would be confirmed.
Of course, Kate, the brave heroine, would also have to go back with the police to make a statement.
Ronnie was hiding in a patch of overgrown grass that was half the height of an adult. When he heard Kate calling him, he crawled out of the grass and said, “Pretty lady, I’m here.”
“Little one,” Kate said as she quickly ran over and picked up Ronnie.
She could not help but kiss Ronnie’s little face a few times.
At this moment, she felt pure joy. Ronnie was finally saved and would not end up like he did before she traveled back in time, where he had already become a lifeless corpse by the time his father arrived.
“Pretty lady, have you chased the bad guys away by beating them?” Ronnie asked.
“The police are here,” Kate said. “They’ll take them away.”
Kate carried him and walked back.
When the police saw that there was indeed a little child, they largely believed Kate’s account.
On the embankment, there were also the bicycle and fishing gear that Kate had rented.
Once the ambulance arrived and the two men were loaded onto it, a police officer asked Kate, “Miss, you’re injured too. Do you want to go to the hospital as well?”
Kate wiped the sweat off her face and said, “I’m fine. The blood on me is all theirs. Oh, I’m Miss Sutton.”
“Miss Sutton, are you really fine?”
“I’m on the winning side.”
The policeman was left speechless, thinking, ‘No one said that people on the winning side won’t get injured.’
But he looked at Kate and noticed that other than her messy hair and some blood on her face and clothes, she really did not appear to be injured.
He marveled at Kate, thinking that she was really amazing as even two strong men were no match for her.
“Miss Sutton, you have learned combat skills before, huh?” he asked.
“Yes. I’ve learned boxing and kickboxing,” Kate said. “No wonder.”
Several police officers gave her a thumbs up, thinking, ‘She is young, beautiful, and skilled in combat skills. Why didn’t she enroll in the police academy and become a police officer? What a pity.’
“Thud. Thud…”
A few helicopters approached from afar.
Soon, they reached above the riverbank.
Ronnie, who was still in Kate’s arms, said to Kate as soon as he saw the helicopters, “Pretty lady, it must be my dad coming. He has many such helicopters. He likes to take this kind of helicopter whenever he goes out.”
Several police officers were dumbfounded, thinking, ‘He likes to take this kind of helicopter when he goes out, and there are many such helicopters at home. Those traffickers really have an eye for targets. Kidnapping a child from such a family is worth a lot. Of course, that will land them in hot water too.’
Half an hour later, the police station was packed with people, all brought in by Wesley.
The stools in the police station were not enough for these people to sit on.
Kate had to make a statement.
At this moment, Ronnie was in his father’s arms. Like a chatterbox, he kept telling his father about the situation when he was at the embankment, praising Kate excessively and also praising himself.
“Dad, I was very brave and also very calm,” he said.
After the little chatterbox finished speaking, he looked up at his handsome father, his big blue eyes gleaming as if he were seeking praise from him.
Wesley was in his mid-thirties. Looking at Ronnie’s handsome and cute appearance, one could tell that his parents had good genes. Wesley was indeed handsome. His cold aura was comparable to Alfred’s.
Despite knowing that Kate had saved his precious son by chance, Wesley did not give Kate a gentle expression. However, he thanked Kate several times sincerely.
“Ronnie is amazing!” Wesley said before leaning down to kiss his son’s little face.
He thought, ‘Fortunately, Ronnie was lucky enough to encounter Miss Sutton, who happened to be going fishing there. Also, she happened to know combat skills, so Ronnie was saved. Otherwise, Ronnie would have drowned by the time I arrived with my men.’
Thinking of that outcome, Wesley rested his son’s little head against his chest again.
His wife was still unconscious. If he lost his son, she would definitely blame him when she regained consciousness. “Miss Sutton, thank you,” Wesley said, thanking Kate once again.
“Don’t mention it,” Kate said. “It’s the little one who is observant and able to respond quickly to situations. Wesley lowered his head and looked at his precious son, affectionately ruffling his hair and saying nothing more.
It was obvious that this man was a man of few words.
After giving her a statement and coming out of the police station, Kate suddenly stopped because Alfred had arrived with Yael and the others.
The cold aura radiating from Alfred could rival Wesley’s in a contest of icy intensity.
This was especially the case when he noticed there was blood on Kate’s clothes and face. He looked intensely displeased.
“Mr. Davidson, y-you’re here,” Kate said, her speech a bit stuttered.
She had a reasonable excuse for being here and left no room for suspicion. However, in front of Alfred, her explanations were not convincing.
‘Ah, I’m going to write another ten-thousand-word self-reflection essay when I get home, she thought.
♡
Chapter 256
Wesley recognized Alfred. He turned to look at Kate, thinking, ‘So Miss Sutton knows Mr. Davidson. That’s right. the last name of Mr. Davidson’s wife is Sutton. I think her name is Kate.
When Alfred made the official announcement, it caused a sensation. As the most well-informed head of the Riley Family, Wesley certainly knew.
Kate only said that her last name was Sutton and did not mention her name. That was why Wesley did not connect her to being the daughter-in-law of the Davidson family.
“Come here,” Alfred said.
The sight of Kate standing alongside Wesley and his son looked like a family of three, which made Alfred feel extremely uncomfortable.
“Mr. Davidson,” Kate said as she jogged over and with a sweet smile, which was her usual tactic.
Every time she angered Alfred, she would act endearingly and sweetly. He could not resist.
It was said that softness could conquer hardness, and that definitely applied to this couple.
“Don’t smile!” Alfred scolded coldly, knowing that her smile would make him turn soft-hearted.
He thought, ‘This girl is simply audacious.’
Kate immediately stopped smiling and looked at him carefully.
At that moment, Wesley walked over.
“Mr. Davidson,” Wesley greeted politely, holding his reunited son in one arm while extending his other hand to Alfred.
Right now, Alfred really wanted to severely punish his wife, but since the person greeting him was the head of the Riley family in Baylarey, he had to show him respect
“Wesley, nice to meet you,” he said.
“Nice to meet you.”
After shaking hands, Wesley said in a serious voice, “Mr. Davidson, I’m sure you had learned the background of the situation when you came over. This time, I really have to thank your wife for stepping in to help. Otherwise, my son would have definitely faced misfortune.”
Alfred looked at Kate. Also in a serious voice, he said, “She just likes to fight injustice.”
“Mr. Davidson, I won’t disturb you today. I will definitely come by with my son to express my gratitude another day.”
Wesley then glanced at Kate and said to Alfred, “Mrs. Davidson wasn’t injured. The blood on her clothes belongs to those two people.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
The two men surprisingly had nothing to talk about.
After a moment of silence, Wesley took out his business card and handed it to Kate, saying, “Mrs. Davidson, no amount of thanks can express our gratitude for your help today. This is my business card. If you need my help in the future, just let me know.”
The reason Kate spent the entire afternoon going through the hassle of saving Ronnie was to establish a connection with the Riley family.
She immediately took Wesley’s business card with both hands.
“Pretty lady,” Ronnie said
Ronnie was particularly fond of Kate, not just because she saved him, but also because when she held him, he felt very much at ease, like being in a mother’s arms.
He had a mother, but whether it was day or night, she was always unconscious. Ever since he learned to talk, he would often call out to her, but she never responded, not even opening her eyes.
So, even at three years old, he had never been held by his mother.
He had asked his kindergarten classmates what their mother’s embrace was like.
His classmate said that it was warm and that being in their mother’s embrace made them feel at ease.
‘This is what it feels like to be held by this pretty lady; he thought.
“Little one, I’m Miss Sutton,” Kate said. “You can call me Kate.”
Ronnie imitated her. “Kate, I’m Mr. Riley, and my name is Ronnie. I’m three years and four months old now.”
He preferred to call Kate “Kate” and not “Miss Sutton.”
This was because he felt that calling Kate “Miss Sutton” sounded formal.
Kate smiled. “Then I’ll call you Ronnie from now on.”
Ronnie nodded vigorously and even extended his hands, wanting Kate to hold him.
Kate reached out to hold him without hesitation.
Wesley was stunned for a moment, but he still let go and let Kate carry his son over.
“Kate, I’m going back, but I can’t bear to leave you,” Ronnie said. “Kate, when I have a break, I’ll ask Dad to fly me over to see you. Is that okay?”
The little one blinked his big blue eyes and looked at her. Kate’s heart melted. There was no way she would refuse. “Of course you can.”
Ronnie beamed with joy.
He wrapped his arms around Kate’s neck and placed his head on Kate’s shoulder.
“Kate, I like you so much. You’re so amazing. Kate, your embrace feels like it’s coming from a mother.”
The little one’s last sentence made the two men’s faces darken.
Alfred shot a cold glance at Wesley, who understood the message. He immediately stepped forward and carried his son back while saying, “Ronnie, Kate is going home. Let’s go home too. Your grandparents are waiting for you at home.”
After Wesley took his son away, Alfred stretched out his hand and pulled his woman back to his side, no longer letting go.
“Kate, I’ll come and see you next weekend,” Ronnie said.
Although it was the weekend tomorrow, Ronnie would need to stay home to comfort his grandparents after going through this ordeal, so he definitely wouldn’t be coming over this weekend.
Kate said with a smile, “Okay. When you come, I’ll make you some snacks. Go back with your dad. Don’t let your family worry.”
“Goodbye, Kate.”
Ronnie was carried away by his father. He even turned his head and waved goodbye to Kate from time to time.
Kate watched with a smile as the little cutie was taken away by his father until they were out of sight.
She thought, ‘He’s really adorable. If my baby Rowena hadn’ t died, she would definitely be as smart and cute as Ronnie.’
“Why? Did you really take him as your son just because he said your embrace feels like a mother’s?”
A sharp voice carrying envy could be heard.
Kate was left speechless, thinking, ‘Mr. Davidson is feeling jealous again.’
“I really want to have such a cute and smart son. Unfortunately, I don’t have one.”
Alfred looked at her with a face full of displeasure.
Kate stuck out her tongue sheepishly and explained softly,” It’s not like I want to…”
Alfred reached out and asked for Wesley’s business card, saying, “Give it to me.
Kate knew exactly what was going on in his petty mind.
She quickly took out her phone and took a photo of the business card. After saving it, she handed the business card to Alfred.
It did not matter even if Alfred tore the business card. She already had Wesley’s contact number.
Kate silently recited the string of Arabic numerals several times lest Alfred delete the photo.
She had a good memory when it came to numbers and words. However, when it came to history, she could not remember it at all. During her school days, history was her worst subject, and she often failed, making retakes a regular occurrence.
Kate’s series of actions made Alfred’s expression even darker, but he said nothing.
He said coldly, “Yael, let’s go back.”
Yael immediately wheeled him and turned to head back, with Kate quickly following.
On the way back, Alfred remained silent. Kate spoke to him a few times, but he ignored her.
She thought, ‘It seems that he’s really mad.’
Leaning on his shoulder, Kate softly said, “Mr. Davidson, I don’t want to be a stepmother. I feel a connection with Ronnie. I really like that little one, but I have no other intentions.”
Chapter 257
Kate thought, ‘At most, I’m just using the opportunity of saving Ronnie to make the Riley family owe me a huge favor, which will make it easier for me to ask them for help later. The Riley family also has information sites in Sherpsel. As long as I ask, their information network can help me look into what I want to know.’
“Mr. Davidson, are we going back to the office or home?” Yael asked.
“Home,” Alfred said.
“Okay.”
Kate thought that since she had taken a day off, it did not matter if she went home, so she stayed silent.
She said, “Mr. Davidson. Honey, don’t be mad, okay?”
She then linked her arm with her husband’s and apologized softly. “I was wrong. Honey, don’t be mad. Getting angry makes you age faster. I’m still quite young. You can’t age first.”
Alfred was a few years older than her.
He snorted. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. What you did was absolutely right. You’re brave and invincible. You fought two people alone and even beat them up so badly that they ended up in the hospital. Kate, you were acting heroically. How could you say you were wrong?”
Kate was at a loss for words.
She thought, ‘When my man mocks people, he can be one hell of a sarcastic.”
“I… I just happened to be there. Anyone else would’ve saved the kid in that situation.”
Alfred tilted his head and looked at her coldly. Others might believe it was a coincidence, but he did not.
Being stared at like that, Kate felt extremely guilty.
She wanted to use her usual tactic, kissing him to calm him down, but just as she leaned in, he pushed her away with one hand.
“I’ll deal with you when we get back.”
Kate thought, ‘I’m so scared.’
*****
On the private helicopter, Wesley asked his son, “Ronnie, do you like Kate?”
“Dad, Kate is a good person,” Ronnie said. “She’s also beautiful. I like her a lot. She has this kind of… what’s the word for it? Anyway, I really like her.”
Wesley reached out to stroke his son’s head and said, “She’ s your savior. You can like her, but you can’t say that she makes you feel like she’s a mom to you.”
“Why?” Ronnie blinked, his little face full of confusion. “Kate really does make me feel like she’s a mom to me.”
Wesley was silent for a moment before explaining patiently, “Kate is already married. She has a husband, and her husband doesn’t like to hear you say that she is like a mom to you. If you still want to see Kate, don’t say that anymore.” Ronnie still didn’t understand. “She’s married, and that means I can’t say she makes me feel like she’s a mom to me, huh?”
“Yes, it will cause her husband to misunderstand.”
Ronnie understood what misunderstanding meant. He did not want Kate to be misunderstood.
“I won’t say that anymore then. Dad, when will Mom wake up? Why does she have to sleep so long? I’ve never been held by her. My classmates said that a mom’s embrace makes people feel safe. That’s what a mom makes people feel. Kate’s embrace feels very safe.”
Wesley immediately felt a pang of heartache, thinking, ‘No wonder Ronnie said Kate’s embrace makes him feel like she’s a mom to him.’
His wife had been in a vegetative state for many years and had yet to regain consciousness.
His parents asked him to seek a new romantic relationship, and they mentioned that it would be acceptable even if he and his new partner did not get married. However, he rejected their suggestion.
He wanted to wait for his beloved wife to regain consciousness.
Even if it meant waiting a lifetime, he was willing to do so.
Even if his beloved wife passed away eventually, he would never remarry. His heart was not big, and it could only accommodate his beloved wife.
There was no space left for anyone else.
“Ronnie, your mom will definitely wake up. Whenever you’re free after school, go and talk to her. She can hear you.”
Fiona had already been discharged from the hospital and was staying in the Riley family’s mansion. Wesley had hired a caregiver who was knowledgeable in medicine to take good care of her.
He made time every day to talk to his wife, hoping for a miracle.
“But I go to talk to Mom every day. Mom doesn’t wake up. She doesn’t respond to me either.”
Ronnie loved his mother too, but his mother was different from other people’s mothers.
He could not understand why his mother could sleep so much.
Wesley felt as if his heart was being torn apart, yet he could only say, “Your mom will wake up. One day, she will wake up. When she wakes up, she can hug you and let you feel the warmth that a mother provides.”
Ronnie had an expectant look. “Dad, I’ll talk to Mom every day and ask her to wake up. I want Mom to hug me.” Wesley ruffled his son’s hair. “Ronnie, you’re such a good. boy.”
He hoped that the universe would stop tormenting his family of three and let his beloved wife wake up soon.
*****
There was a large water lily pond in Davidson’s residence.
In the season of July, water lilies were still in full bloom.
The late afternoon sunlight was mellow, no longer as harsh as it was at noon.
The wooden bridge built over the water lily pond spanned the entire area of the water lily pond. At this moment, Lindsay and Cynthia each held a pet dog and strolled on the wooden bridge with several pet dogs.
After being overseas for so many years, what I miss the most are the water lilies at your place,” Lindsay said. “They bloom abundantly and are especially beautiful.”
Lindsay looked around at the blooming water lilies and continued with a smile, “When we were kids, I brought you here to pick water lily pods, and we both ended up falling into the water, covered in mud.”
Cynthia smiled too as she said, “My brother looked like he wanted to hit me back then. I was terrified. My legs still tremble at the thought of it.”
“Yeah. Mr. Davidson is quite frightening.”
Back then, Theo gave Cynthia a piece of his mind.
She had always been the one to have Theo under her thumb, That particular incident was the only occasion where she knew she was in the wrong, so she let him scold her.
As a result, he became more and more audacious, getting increasingly excited as he scolded. She found him too noisy and hit him, after which he went to complain to Alfred as he cried.
Thinking about having lunch at Cheval Blanc but not seeing her unforgettable arch-enemy made Lindsay feel quite disappointed.
But then it occurred to her that she and her grandmother were going to stay in Sherpsel for a while, and they would stay in Davidson’s residence during this period. So, she was skeptical that Theo could keep staying away from home.
The two chatted as they admired the water lilies. Soon, they reached the end of the wooden bridge.
Then, they simply took their pets and headed outside.
The large lawn in front of Davidson’s residence was perfect for pets to run around freely.
Just as they reached the entrance of the residence, they saw Alfred’s dedicated convoy.
Cynthia stopped in her tracks, thinking, ‘Alfred got off work early?’
Kate saw her sister-in-law. Just as she was about to wound down the car window to greet her, the icy figure beside her said coldly, “Don’t drag others into it.”
Kate was left speechless.
She watched helplessly as her sister-in-law got further and further away from her.
Ten minutes later, Alfred went into the bathroom personally and filled the bathtub with water. Then, he slowly walked out and dragged Kate into the bathroom.
Knowing that he would not be able to walk for long, Kate did not dare to struggle. She submissively let him take her into the bathroom.
When they reached the tub, he pushed her into it.
Thump!
“Honey, I haven’t even taken off my clothes,” Kate said as she got up, completely drenched.
Alfred ignored her and sat down in front of the bathtub. He then picked up a towel, pressed her down, and roughly washed her face, wiping the blood off her face.
After cleaning her face, he confirmed that there were indeed no injuries.
Then, he took off her clothes, wanting to strip her naked.
Chapter 258
“Honey,” Kate said as she grabbed hold of Alfred’s hand, her eyes showing a sense of fluster. However, she wore a fawning smile. “Honey, I, I’ll do it myself. Let me do it
myself. You have difficulty moving, so I don’t dare to trouble you.”
“I have a leg disability, but my hands are still fine,” Alfred said.
He shook off her hand and continued to remove her clothes, thinking, ‘If I don’t strip her naked, how would I know if she’s injured?’
“Honey.” Kate’s face flushed, and she was somewhat at a loss.
Alfred paused and asked her coldly, “Why? Are you scared?” “Of course not. We’re husband and wife. so even if… well, that’s normal.”
Alfred cupped her neck, leaned down, and pressed his lips against hers.
After a rough moment of torment, he finally felt a bit of his anger dissipate.
“Be still. I’m just checking if you’re injured.”
Alfred moved his lips away and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry. I mentioned that our first time will be saved until we have the wedding. Until then, I won’t push you.”
Kate knew that he was a man of his word.
But this was the first time she was stripped by a man while fully awake. Even though he was her husband, she seemed helpless and shy.
“What happened to the version of Kate who previously took advantage of me whenever she got the chance?”
Kate was momentarily left speechless before saying, “I, I didn’t take advantage of you whenever I got the chance. It was only because you were angry that I had to use my charms.”
“I’m very angry right now too, so feel free to use your charms on me.”
Kate was left speechless.
Knowing that she couldn’t stop him from personally checking if she was injured, she no longer resisted. With resignation, she let him examine her.
When they came out of the bathroom, their faces were flushed.
Kate’s legs felt a little weak.
Alfred, on the other hand, looked calm as if nothing had happened.
He took the lead and sat down on the sofa, then patted the spot beside him, his blue eyes fixed on her intently as he said in a low voice, “Come here.”
Kate stood several steps away from him, warily asking, What do you want?”
She thought, ‘He said he wouldn’t push me. He’s kept that promise, but he definitely knows how to make me have a taste of ecstasy. If I hadn’t traveled back in time, knowing that he has been unmarried and there has been no rumor of his involvement with women, I would have suspected that he was experienced in romantic relationships. His skills are impressive.’
“Don’t you think you owe me an explanation for what happened today?” Alfred said coldly. “Why did you go fishing for no apparent reason? You can hide it from others, but you still want to hide it from me, huh?”
Kate was at a loss for words, thinking, ‘I knew it. I couldn’t hide it from him.’
She walked over carefully and sat next to him. When she met his deep eyes, she smiled awkwardly and let out two giggles as she said, “Mr. Davidson.”
Alfred imitated her and let out two giggles, making Kate burst into genuine laughter.
Looking displeased, he said, “Laugh again, and we’ll go through what just happened all over again.”
Kate immediately covered her mouth.
Her pretty face flushed intensely, yet she loved teasing him. After shifting her position, she let go of her grasp.
“Mr. Davidson, are you very experienced?” she asked, feeling that he really did seem like a seasoned player in romance.
Alfred looked at her, thinking, ‘In real life, I have no experience, but in my dreams, I’m a veteran of the love battlefield. I almost spend every night making out with that woman, whose features I can’t quite see, until dawn.’
“Mr. Davidson, do you still remember the dream I told you about? You didn’t let me finish talking the other day. Actually, my dream had a lot of details and covered a lot of aspects. If I said that I dreamed of the location where Ronnie nearly drowned, would you believe me?”
“Kate, confess honestly for leniency, resist for strictness.”
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me, but I really went to save Ronnie because I dreamed that something happened to him.”
Kate pouted slightly, looking as if she was complaining. Alfred’s gaze deepened when he saw that.
“No other intentions, huh?”
“Mr. Davidson, do you believe me now?”
Alfred tugged at her hair. Kate winced in pain and quickly freed her hair from his grip.
“I believe some dreams can become reality.”
He thought, ‘Some dreams are quite strange, like the one I often have where I keep making out with a woman, leaving me utterly exhausted.’
Alfred did not even dare to tell Kate about this dream, fearing that she would get jealous and argue with him.
She frowned in deep thought, wondering, ‘Why do I keep having the same dream? And Elijah has similar experiences too. Even Kate is having strange dreams now, and her dreams have even come true. Could it be that there’s an intricate connection between us?’
He recalled the first time he hugged Kate, feeling a sense of familiarity that he had overlooked back then.
James had asked him if the woman in his dream could be Kate.
“Thank you for your trust, Mr. Davidson.”
Kate let out a long sigh, feeling it was nice that she didn’t have to explain herself repeatedly.
“Didn’t you save the scion of the Riley family so that you could establish a connection with the Riley family?”
Kate honestly admitted. “That’s one of the reasons. Mr. Davidson, we’re married, so I won’t hide it from you. I want to build my own connections. The Riley family has a powerful information network. By saving Ronnie, the Riley family will owe me a huge favor. When I need their help in the future, they won’t refuse.”
Alfred’s face darkened, and his gaze turned icy as he looked at her coldly.
“Kate, am I not able to give you a sense of security? Or do you think I’m useless?”
“That’s not what I meant. Mr. Davidson, can you stop
thinking so badly of me? Ever since I died once, I truly don’t have any disdain for you.”
Alfred snorted.
“I just said that I want to build my own connections. Mr. Davidson, there’s no way you could help me all the time. I have to be independent. In the past, didn’t you let me do whatever I wanted? You said that even if I got hurt in the world, I’d still gain life experience. You also mentioned that If I got tired and no longer wanted to deal with the challenges of doing things on my own, I could come home, and you’d protect me, becoming my backup and my support.”
Alfred pursed his lips as he thought, ‘I did have that in mind, and I told her so too. As our bond deepens, I find it hard to really let go and allow her to handle things on her own as she pleases. Perhaps this is what it feels like to fall in love with someone.’
Kate had become Alfred’s weak spot that could be exploited
“Sit a little closer.”
Kate obeyed.
Alfred pulled her into his arms, let out a deep sigh, and said, “Kate, I’ve turned increasingly soft-hearted toward you.”
Kate looked up and giggled. “That means that I’m an outstanding person. Even the famous Mr. Davidson has been charmed by me. I feel a strong sense of achievement.” He lowered his head and looked at this smug woman. In the end, he used a kiss to stop her from giggling so freely.
‘Spoiling her has become an addiction for me, he thought. ‘I’ Il just keep spoiling her for the rest of my life then.’
After the kiss, Alfred still could not bear to let go of her. He held her tightly in his arms.
Suddenly, he said, “Kyla is pregnant.”
骨
Chapter 259
“You’ve found out, huh?” Kate asked.
“Yeah,” Alfred replied.
Kate sneered. “True enough, I guessed it right. She’s pregnant. The father of the baby must be Chris. This pair of jerks clearly love each other, yet Kyla still coaxed me to be with Chris. I was really dumb in the past. I was fooled by them and even ended up losing my life. Oh, I mean in my dream. I was killed by them.”
She thought, ‘It’s written in the stars that Kyla is the other woman. She was the other woman before I traveled back in time, and the child she raised was a love child. After 1 traveled back in time, she’s still the other woman. Chris is holding a wedding with Melanie next Saturday. Even if Kyla’ s child is born, the child will still be stuck with the fate of a love child. Bitch! Serves her right!’
She was still looking forward to playing the video of Chris having an affair with Kyla at his wedding, feeling certain that she would make the wedding unforgettable for Chris.” She was sure that Kyla wanted to hide her unexpected pregnancy.
Her eyes darted around, so Alfred knew what she wanted to do.
He stroked her messy hair and said dotingly, “I won’t ask about your grudge with them. Do whatever you want. If you need my help, just let me know.”
“Thank you, honey.”
When he shot her a glare, she immediately stuck out her tongue sheepishly, and she thanked him out of habit.
“Don’t try to appear strong in the future. You won today by luck because they didn’t expect you to have combat skills.” The conversation shifted back to what happened today.
Kate’s expression changed subtly, but she still nodded obediently.
“Go comb your hair. There are a few sets of jewelry left at your vanity. Pick one and put it on. I’ll take you to the main house later. We have guests at home.”
“Ok,” Kate replied.
As she got up, she asked, “Is it Lindsay?”
“Yeah. Renee is here too.”
“Honey, is Lindsay really not my love rival?”
Alfred gave her a sidelong look and said, “What do you think your husband is? A well-loved greenback?”
“My husband is so handsome, and everybody loves him. Anyway, I love him. Grace and Ms. Sowle are also
interested in you. There are probably many things I don’t know, right? Fortunately, they all think that you’re impotent. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to make a treasure like you mine.”
Kate was rather glad.
She was glad that she traveled back in time at the right moment.
She was also glad that she was unabashed and bold enough to cling to a bigwig like Alfred the moment she woke up, refusing to let go.
Her words made Alfred smile.
“I assure you that Lindsay is not your love rival. She has always seen me as her elder brother. Theo is her prey.” “Prey?”
Kate sat at the dressing table. As she looked in the mirror to do her makeup, she smiled and said, “If Theo were to hear you describe him like this, he would probably be so angry that he would stomp his foot.”
Alfred got up, walked over slowly, and stood behind Kate. Looking at the woman with long hair in the mirror, she was so charming that he wanted to kiss her a few more times.
Noticing that her lips were slightly swollen, Alfred dismissed the thought of kissing her again.
She was not a gentlewoman, but her lips were especially soft and tender. He had only kissed her a few times, yet her lips had become a little swollen.
“Lindsay is somewhat feisty. Theo was always at odds with her when they were kids. It could be said that they fought every other day. I don’t know if Theo went easy on her or if he just couldn’t match her fighting skills. In any case, he lost most of the time. Although they are like sworn enemies, never getting along, Lindsay keeps thinking about him.” Alfred paused for a moment before saying, “It’s time for her to reel in the net.”
Kate’s face was filled with anticipation, and she reckoned that Theo would ask Alfred when he had become a fish.
Alfred would then say he had always been a fish in Lindsay’s eyes and that if she wanted it steamed, then steamed it was. If she wanted it braised, then braised it should be.
Kate’s curiosity was instantly piqued.
She wanted to be friends with Lindsay. This way, she could openly watch the drama of Lindsay pursuing Theo.
At Alfred’s request, Kate put on a set of jewelry. Instantly, she became elegant and glamorous.
“Mr. Davidson, do I look good like this?”
“You always look good, no matter when.”
Kate sulked endearingly. “Mr. Davidson, you sure know how to sweet-talk.”
She thought, ‘He actually knows how to sweet-talk. But I really like it.’
A few minutes later, Kate wheeled Alfred out of the room.
James and the other servants heaved a sigh of relief when they saw the couple finally come out after staying in the room for the better half of the day.
They noticed that Kate was fine, but then they saw that her mouth had some slight issues. People who had experienced a similar situation understood what had happened, so they automatically chose not to pay attention to it.
“Mr. Davidson,” James greeted as he came over with two gifts.
He handed the two gifts to Kate and said, “Mrs. Davidson, these are the gifts Mr. Davidson asked me to prepare for you. The small box is for Renee, and the big box is for Miss Mccoy.”
As Kate took the two gifts, she said, “I was thinking that I should prepare some gifts for the guests I’m meeting for the first time. Mr. Davidson, you are thoughtful.”
“I’ll help you carry them,” Alfred said, turning around to take the two gifts from her hands, allowing her to continue wheeling him.
The color of the setting sun was like blood, and it was already dusk.
The young couple walked into the main house, which was understatedly luxurious yet symbolized the power of the Davidson family.
Along the way, they encountered workers who worked here, and the workers greeted them, “Mr. Davidson, Mrs. Davidson.”
Eloise soon came out of the house.
“Mr. Davidson and Mrs. Davidson, you’ve arrived. Olivia and the others are about to eat. What a coincidence.”
Eloise welcomed the couple with a smile. She even took a few more glances at Kate, thinking that Kate was especially beautiful today. Her big blue and bright eyes were lively, captivating, and charming.
Kate wheeled her man into the house.
Everyone in the house was chatting and laughing. The moment they saw Kate, the laughter suddenly stopped. But soon, Renee smiled and said to Olivia, “I was just talking about Alfred and Kate, and here they are. Speak of the devil.”
Lena pouted, while Austin quietly squeezed her hand.
Lena glanced at him and said nothing.
She did not like Kate, but she would not make Kate lose face in front of outsiders. After all, Kate was now her nominal daughter-in-law.
It would not do her any good if Kate were to lose face.
“They probably caught a whiff of the delicious food, so they came over to mooch food,” Olivia joked.
In the Davidson family, each household ate separately. Only during festive seasons would Olivia gather her children and grandchildren in the main house for a reunion meal. Seeing that their children and grandchildren were all outstanding, she felt especially proud.
“Renee, this is my wife, Kate,” Alfred said, formally introducing Kate to Renee.
Kate greeted Renee with a smile, thinking, ‘This is a distinguished guest. I need to work hard to carry myself well. I can’t make Alfred lose face.”
Renee looked much more approachable than Olivia.
“Kate, come over and let me take a good look at you,” Renee said as she waved at Kate, signaling her to come closer.
Kate then walked over gracefully.
Renee held Kate’s hand and carefully sized her up. Then, she smiled and said to Olivia, “Olivia, your granddaughter-in-law is a blessed person.”
曲
Chapter 260
Renee smiled lovingly. “That’s right. She’s blessed.”
She thought, ‘To be able to marry my precious eldest grandson, isn’t she blessed?’
“Lindsay, where’s the gift I prepared for Kate? Go and get it for me.” Renee pulled Kate to sit down and said to Alfred,” Alfred, do you mind if Kate sits beside me?”
She had watched Alfred grow up and knew very well how domineering he was.
Alfred gave a rare gentle smile and said, “You think highly of Kate. That’s Kate’s blessing. As long as you don’t mind, it’ s Kate’s honor to sit beside you.”
Renee was a truly blessed person. Not only did she have many children and grandchildren like Olivia, but her husband was also alive. The relationship between them had been like first love for decades. It was really enviable for the young people.
Alfred handed the gift prepared by James to Kate. Kate took it and handed the gift to Renee. “Mrs. Mccoy, this is a gift I prepared for you. I hope you will like it.”
Renee took the gift with a smile and said, “You can give me whatever you want.”
Lindsay quickly took out the gift that Renee had already prepared. “Grandma, here.” She handed the item to Renee. Then, she smiled and greeted Kate. “Hello, Kate. My name is Lindsay.”
Kate stood up and wanted to shake hands with Lindsay, but Lindsay gave her a friendly hug.
‘Lindsay is really passionate. But I like it, Kate thought to herself. She liked people like Lindsay who said whatever they wanted. People like Lindsay were not afraid of anyone. It was fine to be straightforward.
“Kate, this is the welcome gift I prepared for you. I hope you’ Il like it.” Renee gave Kate a set of jewelry.
Kate took the gift and quickly thanked Renee. She also gave another gift to Lindsay.
After a series of exchanges, the atmosphere in the room became much better.
It happened to be mealtime. Alfred and Kate stayed in the main room to eat.
This was the first time Alfred had dined with his family since his car accident.
While eating, Lena kept serving Alfred food.
Even Renee had served Alfred food a few times.
It was as if Alfred did not have any dishes to eat. They wished they could serve all the dishes to him.
Kate felt a little uncomfortable eating because she realized that everyone present was eating in a refined manner and looked very good.
Her table manners could not be said to be ugly, but she was not used to eating so slowly.
Usually, when she and Alfred ate together, Alfred did not mind her being fast.
Alfred did not neglect Kate. He served Kate her favorite dishes.
Everyone looked at Alfred.
Kate felt that this was very natural, but in the eyes of these people, it was extraordinary.
Lena seemed to want to say something, but Austin
stopped her without a trace, not letting her say anything.
Olivia had always been good at pretending. She still chatted with Renee as usual.
The atmosphere here was still good, but Lily was looking at her car gloomily in the Regency Group.
As soon as she left the company, her car broke down.
A Porsche drove out from inside. When the man saw Lily park in front of the company, he honked a few times.
Lily turned around and saw that it was Oswald’s car. She didn’t block his way.
Oswald honked as he drove the car out and stopped beside Lily. “Why did you park here?”
Lily said, “Oswald, my car broke down.”
Oswald frowned and asked her, “How long has it been since your car was maintained?”
Lily said a little embarrassedly, “Because I was too busy with work, I don’t remember how long it has been since it was maintained.”
Oswald wanted to reprimand her, but when he saw her anxious expression, he did not reprimand her. Instead, he asked, “Have you called the auto repair company? Tell them to send someone over to repair it or drag it back.”
Lily replied, “Yes, they should be here soon.”
Oswald stopped talking. He pressed the window shut and started the car.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Lily opened her mouth but could not say anything.
She felt terrible. Her car broke down, but he did not get out of the car to help her take a look, nor did he suggest sending her home. ‘Does he not like me at all?’
Oswald parked the car at the side of the road. Then, he got out of the car and walked over.
Lily’s mood instantly brightened when she saw that he had returned after parking the car by the roadside.
“Let me take a look first,” Oswald said indifferently.
Lily replied, “Thank you.”
Oswald looked at her deeply and still said indifferently, “You don’t have to be so polite.”
He got into Lily’s car and tried to start the engine, but he couldn’t. After trying a few times, he gave up trying.
Oswald actually did not know much about auto repair. He did this out of instinct.
Only God knew that he was struggling in his heart.
On the one hand, he thought he couldn’t help, so he shouldn’t meddle in other people’s business. He should hurry back.
On the other hand, even if he couldn’t help, he could find an excuse to accompany her and make her feel at ease.
Lifting the hood of the car, Oswald touched it and checked it. He didn’t know what went wrong.
Lily followed him and said from time to time, “I don’t know what went wrong.”
Oswald did not reply.
Fortunately, the people from the auto repair company came so that he would not be embarrassed in front of Lily.
The people from the auto repair company towed Lily’s car. Lily thanked Oswald again.
Oswald asked, “Are you going to take a taxi or a bus back now?”
Lily looked straight at him and asked tentatively, “Can you give me a ride?”
She lived very close to Oswald. It could be said that they had a common community activity area.
The difference was that Oswald lived in the villa area, while Lily lived in the high-rise area next to the villa area. Those who lived in the villa area could live in the high-rise area’s garden, but those who lived in the high-rise area could not go to the villa area.
Oswald was silent.
Lily added, “I can pay the fare.”
Oswald sneered and said, “It’s very expensive. Don’t say that you are blackmailed.”
Glancing at his Porsche, Lily smiled. “Name a price and I’ll see if I can afford it.”
In the past, when she was still learning from him, he would bring her back to the company almost every day and never charged her.
Lily sighed in her heart, ‘After I confessed my feelings, our distance is even greater. Oswald does not love me and does not accept my feelings, but he does not stay away from me either. Oh, I should say I didn’t leave the Regency Group. I can’t bear to.’
Although she was getting more and more disappointed and had the intention to retreat, Lily wanted to make one last effort. ‘In another three months, if Oswald still does not want to accept my feelings, I will resign and leave the
Regency Group. I’ll completely let go of Oswald and start my new life.’
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