Finally, Alex managed to escape from those three women. He, Isabel, and Mr. Lee entered the private dining room where they had made a reservation. Initially, Alex had offered to make the reservation, but Isabel quickly did it herself, leaving him with no choice.This date was significant to her.As they entered the private dining room, Alex saw Mrs. Lee and Isabel's brother, Adam, and her sister-in-law, Ember. Everyone was delighted to see Alex, and he courteously greeted them all."Hello, Mrs. Lee, Adam, and Ember. Sorry for being late.""It's alright, and please have a seat." Mrs. Lee quickly addressed any concerns about the delay and called the server to take their orders. Meanwhile, Ember asked, "What happened outside?"Alex hesitated to respond, but Mr. Lee spoke before he could say anything, "It's nothing, just those mischievous kids causing trouble.""Those mischievous kids?" Adam repeated, seeming confused. Ember playfully hit her husband's shoulder and said, "Well, Alex's cha
Hearing Mr. Lee's question, Alex was momentarily stunned. It was true that he hadn't ignored the matter; he just hadn't found the right time to address it. Moreover, the real issue was not whether he had paid attention to it but that he needed to find the right time to ask.Furthermore, it was confirmed that if Mr. Lee hadn't noticed this, that would have been a problem. After all, he knew that Isabel had feelings for Alex.Alex replied, choosing honesty over evasion or lies because doing so would be no different from denying his past. Alex didn't feel ashamed or disdainful of any phase of his life. Instead, he saw each experience as a lesson to avoid repeating those unhappy, sad, and negative emotions in the future."Yes, what they said is true. I used to be married and divorced."Mr. Lee furrowed his brow, seemingly unsatisfied with the response, and asked, "And what about you living off your ex-wife's family?"Alex felt the same, as this was a profoundly embarrassing matter for any
Mr. Locke had initially arranged a university for Alex, but after he married Jessica, Mrs. Andrew forced him to drop out of school and prevented him from working. She believed Alex's education and job hindered Jessica's career, so she made him stay home and do housework.Alex endured all of this silently because he was grateful to Mr. Locke, so he didn't resist despite all the criticism, belittlement, and humiliation. He tried to protect and care for Jessica and her family as best as possible. However, all his efforts were met with curses and insults; they saw his obedience and silence as a matter of course, or in other words, they didn't consider him a human being.Therefore, Alex decided to leave. Before that, when the butler came to inform him about inheriting the family estate, he maintained his position of not returning, never having forgiven him. But the tipping point was Jessica kicking him out of the house, and he couldn't bear it any longer.Throughout the years of marriage w
Over the past years, she may not have stopped hoping.As for Alex, he clearly understands Isabel's current emotions, but he cannot reciprocate her feelings. Therefore, even though he doesn't want to hurt her, he cannot be gentle with her. Being tender and considerate might lead her on, making her continue to hope and unable to let go.That's why he has to appear indifferent, not knowing or understanding her feelings. He hopes that she will realize this and free herself quickly."Alright, let's go inside and have a meal, don't keep everyone waiting."o0oThe next day, Alex went to the company as usual, and Jowley had brought him some information about the houses he had earned and the profiles of all the children at the orphanage.In the private meeting room, Alex sat at the top position, with Isabel and Jowley beside him.First, Alex reviewed the houses that Jowley had found for him. His criteria for choosing a home were that the sellers must have a good history and a clean background.
What Jowley said was incredibly reasonable and agreeable, which also helped Isabel understand and be convinced. This was precisely what Alex intended."I asked Police Chief Jayce to create a fake identity for us, and Jowley, please help me use that fake identity to adopt Cherry. As for the house purchase, you can assist me in setting up a meeting with the owner, and I'll deal with them directly. Isabel, have your assistant buy two burner SIM cards and two second-hand phones. We'll use them during the operation. Also, we'll keep using the old car I bought the other day. Isabel, does that sound okay?"Despite being a true heiress, Isabel grew up in abundance and was pampered by her parents. Thus, with this sudden change, Alex feared she might be disadvantaged and struggle to adapt immediately. However, he couldn't find anyone more suitable than her.On the other hand, Isabel had a contrasting thought; she was excited, yes, genuinely excited. She realized that her current thinking was in
Jessica was deeply shocked by what Isabel said, feeling angry and embarrassed. However, she tried to hide the embarrassment deep inside, pretending it didn't exist and that she had nothing to be ashamed of."Why do you know about this? Why..." Jessica blurted out her thoughts; as soon as she realized it, it was too late. She was angry and surprised that Isabel knew this information and used it to mock her. And she couldn't understand why Isabel knew about it in the first place.What kind of situation was this?Her questioning words confirmed the truth and revealed her genuine emotions. So she quickly shut her mouth, gritted her teeth, and decided she would not sign this contract."Why should I know about it? This is something you should have known, right? Why are you asking me? Alright, Jessica, will you sign the contract or not? I'm asking you again," Isabel said.Jessica's heart was pounding, fast and strong. Her hands and feet were cold, trembling. She looked at the person in front
"My children and I have been living here for decades and feel very safe in this area. The neighbors are friendly, and amenities are nearby, close enough. In general, it's well-equipped. Despite the recent influx of young people moving here, I haven't noticed anything like theft, traffic hazards, noise pollution, etc. The young ones living here are also peaceful, with a school nearby. They can play in front of the house without any kidnapping incidents.""Yes, so are there regular police patrols in this area?" Alex asked. In his opinion, Loki is still a particular suspect on the police's radar, so it would be expected for the police to be present in this area if he made any suspicious moves and was put under special surveillance. However, if there were regular police patrols and Loki still acted casually, it could indicate that he had some cover.They didn't rule out the possibility that undercover investigators might be disguised as civilians to avoid suspicion. But Alex still asked t
"Yes, Dad." The little girl was very obedient, only responding with "yes" and didn't express any opinions.Cherry still seemed reserved towards Alex and Isabel, which might be good. It meant she would listen to both of them. On the other hand, it might not be so good if she didn't open her heart to them, as it wouldn't be beneficial for any foster parent and certainly not for the little girl. But no matter what... everything was just pretended.After a five-minute drive, Alex, Isabel, and Cherry arrived at their new home."We're here. This will be our new home from now on." Alex said after parking the car in front of the house. He turned to look at Cherry, who was still hugging her teddy bear tightly. Her eyes were filled with emotions as she looked at the home. Her innocent eyes stared at the house, taking in its image, but there was a tinge of sadness and worry.Looking at Cherry, Alex suddenly remembered himself. He had a home and a father and was not abandoned, not orphaned. Yet,