Later, Alice asked with a hint of suspicion, "Third Uncle, are you sure this is okay?"
He retorted, "What do you an?"
Alice said, "Being this... energetic isn’t necessarily a good thing."
He propped himself up, his gaze lowered to her.
After a mont, a low chuckle rumbled from his throat. He slowly raised a hand to her slender neck, his thumb and forefinger bracketing her throat. "Well then, Dr. York, any professional advice?"
Alice replied, half-joking, half-serious, "You might need to make an appointnt. My departnt doesn’t handle cases like this."
He played along, asking seriously, "Then which departnt should I go to?"
Alice: "Urology."
"So I’m so good at this I’m being told to see a urologist?"
"..."
Alice was rendered speechless.
But this man’s stamina was almost unnervingly good. She couldn’t help but mutter, "I just think... at your age, this shouldn’t be possible."
"What did you say?"
His expression made it clear he was not to be trifled with.
Alice didn’t dare to look at him. Her survival instinct kicking into overdrive, she quickly tried to curry favor, her expression turning sycophantic. "Third Uncle, I ant you’re full of youthful vigor! You’re in great shape."
"Did I misunderstand you?"
"No..."
The mont he grew stern, Alice looked like she was on the verge of tears again. Just then, his palm caressed her ankle. "I was just thinking, you should have a small bell tied to your ankle."
Alice bit her lip and shot back, "I’m not your pet."
But he just said, "I like the sound of bells."
"Does Third Uncle really like the sound? Then I’ll tie one on you," Alice said, trying to pull her foot back, but she wasn’t strong enough.
He held her tight, not loosening his grip in the slightest.
The man let out a low laugh. "And where would you tie it?"
"..."
The teasing in his voice was unmistakable. Brimming with sha and anger, Alice found a sudden burst of strength, yanking her leg free and kicking him in the chest.
"Tsk. Who was it just saying they had no strength left? That was quite a kick." He only took half a step back before his palm was clamped around her ankle again, pinning her in place. "Looks like we need to burn off so more of that energy."
Alice kicked and struggled, but this ti she couldn’t break free from the iron grip of his hand.
...
Alice’s day had been utterly absurd.
Counting from the mont Wyatt Sterling had carried her back to the bedroom last night, she hadn’t set foot outside this room for a full eighteen hours.
If Mindy Vaughn hadn’t called to summon her back to the family estate, she thought she would have been stuck there until nightfall.
After leaving Shorecrest, Alice took a taxi back to the estate.
When she got out of the car, her steps were noticeably unsteady. Mindy Vaughn looked her up and down. If not for the healthy flush on Alice’s face, her mother would have assud she was ill.
"Where did you just rush back from?" Mindy Vaughn asked sharply.
Alice’s expression didn’t falter. "A friend’s place."
She guessed Mindy Vaughn had probably already been to her apartnt at West River. If she claid to have been there, she’d be caught in a lie instantly.
"Which friend?" Mindy Vaughn’s gaze sharpened. "It isn’t that man again, is it?"
"..."
Hearing that tone, for a split second Alice thought her mother already knew she was involved with Wyatt Sterling.
"You two still haven’t broken up, have you?" When Alice remained silent, Mindy Vaughn assud she’d hit the nail on the head. "Are you still seeing him?"
With no one else around, Mindy Vaughn didn’t bother to moderate her tone.
Alice gave a perfunctory reply: "We’re in the process."
With that, she headed straight for the house, wanting to see if Nathan Sterling was there. But Mindy Vaughn suddenly grabbed her hand and yanked her back. "What do you an, ’in the process’? You weren’t at your West River apartnt all day. Were you off shacking up with that man?"
"..."
’Yes!’
’But that man was soone Mindy Vaughn would never, ever suspect.’
"Alice, oh, Alice, can’t you just give your mother a break? Break up with that man for good, right now! You’re forbidden from seeing him again!" Mindy Vaughn grew more incensed as she spoke.
Alice didn’t answer.
’She’d love to cut ties with Wyatt Sterling completely, but could she?’
’In this ga, Wyatt Sterling had always been the one in charge. As long as he didn’t call it off, she couldn’t end it.’
"And another thing—that lody Lancaster. If she sets you up for a matchmaking show, you go!" At this, Mindy Vaughn grew even angrier, poking Alice’s forehead. "She doesn’t know your situation, but don’t you? That lody Lancaster has your Third Uncle protecting her. All he has to do is say a few words to your grandfather, and she’s in the clear. But you? Who do you have to back you up?"
Mindy Vaughn had only found out about this that morning.
She had been trying to get news from the Old Master’s side of the family and hadn’t dared to call Alice back. In the afternoon, she even made a secret trip to West River to confront her, only to find Alice wasn’t there.
"I might not have anyone to back up, but I ca out of this unscathed, didn’t I?" Alice took half a step to the side. "After all this talk, I think you should worry about yourself first."
With that, Alice stepped into the house to look for Nathan Sterling.
Stung by the retort, Mindy Vaughn chased after her, eyes wide. "What is that attitude? That tone? Everything I do is for your own good! And this lody Lancaster, how did you even get involved with her? I’m telling you, stay far away from her. She might seem nice, but this could all be a plot by your Third Uncle to eliminate us one by one."
Alice scanned the room but saw no sign of Nathan Sterling.
She turned back to her mother. "Are you finished?"
Mindy Vaughn: "I..."
Alice asked, "Do you know what happened to Victor Vance?"
Mindy Vaughn fell silent instantly.
"The only reason you got out of this ss unscathed is because Uncle Sterling protected you. He cares for you deeply. If it weren’t for him, the two of us would have been thrown out of the Sterling family by now."
Alice’s words stung Mindy Vaughn, whose eyes began to redden. "You say that as if he cares so deeply for . But has he ever cared about us, about mother and daughter, all these years? He doesn’t even look after Nathan."
"You know about Uncle Sterling’s illness. A few years ago, his condition was so severe he couldn’t even recognize the people closest to him. How was he supposed to look after Nathan?"
But her words only earned a sneer from Mindy Vaughn. "He almost killed you back then. I thought you’d hate him for the rest of your life. What, has the wound healed and now you’ve forgotten the pain? Have you forgotten all the harm he did?"
Alice fell silent.
’She had defended Silas Sterling not for his sake, but to make Mindy Vaughn see the reality of her situation and stop doing stupid things like having an affair.’
But Mindy Vaughn seed intent on provoking her. "The only reason you’re alive today is sheer luck. When he lost his mind back then, he was trying to kill you."
Alice’s face turned cold. "And what about you? What were you doing at the ti?"
The question left Mindy Vaughn flustered. "I... I didn’t know at the ti..."
Seeing that the conversation was about to get out of hand, Mindy Vaughn quickly changed the subject. "Okay, okay, just forget what I said."
’She hadn’t really ant to bring it up. After all, what kind of mother gets lectured by her own daughter?’
’It was so humiliating.’
Mindy Vaughn waved her hand dismissively. "Just go see the Old Master. I know what I’m doing with my own life. Don’t lecture about it in the future."
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