Chapter 688 Alex's Childhood
"You really know how to stick up for him," Katherine said with a sarcastic grin. "To me, hiding the truth and lying are the same thing. I asked him straight up if he was keeping anything from me, and he still didn't say a word."
Teresa sighed. "As a woman, I get how awful it feels to be deceived by someone you like and trust. But Katherine, don't you think Alex might be a bit scared of you? Considering how you react when you're mad, he probably didn't dare to tell you."
Katherine chuckled. "Scared of me? You didn't see him yelling at me."
Teresa shrugged. "Like today, Alex doesn't really care about the Mitchell family. But because you're here, he didn't even dare to come in, afraid of making you angry. Also, the reason Alex married Sophia wasn't because of some deep friendship or 'brotherly bond,' and it definitely wasn't because he had feelings for her. The main reason is that Sophia's dad is Brent, the top director of Summit Innovations Group."
She continued, "Katherine, you must have heard of Summit Innovations Group, right? To put it nicely, it's a world-class business conglomerate, and to put it bluntly, it's a mafia with influence all over the world, pretty powerful. And Alex is in such a tough spot due to the mess left behind by the previous generation of the Melville family. I don't know if you've heard, but Alex's dad was notoriously promiscuous in his youth, and he had many illegitimate children with different women. As time passed, those illegitimate children grew up, and they are all keeping an eye on Alex, looking for his weaknesses to blackmail him. They all want to kill Alex and take over the Melville family inheritance. Alex knew that if he got married, his wife would be targeted and put in danger, and he didn't want to involve an innocent person."
Then she added, "And Sophia is not normal. With Brent's protection, no one would dare to touch her, which could help Alex avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble. At that time, Sophia was Alex's best choice, and she even volunteered, claiming she was willing to help unconditionally as a friend. Alex had no reason to refuse. Later, the reason Alex didn't rush to divorce Sophia might have been a smokescreen. He might fear that without Sophia's cover, you would be targeted by those people in the shadows to blackmail Alex, just like what happened today. Though it still happened, fortunately, you and Alex are both safe."
Katherine's expression became complicated after hearing this.
So, before she escaped from the Melville mansion, Alex had arranged for many bodyguards to watch her and not let her go out, fearing that she might be kidnapped by his half-brothers?
Why didn't he just tell her?
"Did Alex know he had many half-brothers when he was a kid?" Katherine asked, lost in her thoughts.
Teresa nodded. "Yes. Alex always knew. To be honest, Alex had a pretty rough childhood. His dad truly loved every woman but was irresponsible to all of them, and had a bunch of kids. Alex's mom was heartbroken by her husband and left the Melville mansion when Alex was just a kid. She's been missing ever since, and no one knows where she is."
So Alex's experience was kinda like hers, with his mom disappearing when he was young, her fate unknown.
"Where's his dad now?" Katherine asked.
Teresa sighed, "After Alex's mom left, his dad never partied again. Not long after, he went to some unknown church to become a priest.
Jackie sent people to look for him several times, but Alex's dad refused to leave, and Jackie even got sick from the stress.
Later, Jackie noticed that Alex only focused on work and didn't get involved with any women. Gradually, there were rumors that Mr. Melville of the Melville Group actually liked men.
In a panic, Jackie forced Alex to get married, saying any woman would do, which led to everything that happened later."
Katherine felt a bit heartbroken for Alex. "Did Alex's parents not care about him? How old was he then?"
Teresa thought for a moment. "My mom said Alex was about seven or eight years old at that time. At that age, he was already aware and saw everything happening at home. People think Alex is born into a wealthy family, seemingly having everything, but no one knows he has been burdened with responsibilities and pressures since childhood. He didn't have a normal childhood because his dad was irresponsible and abandoned by the family. The elders placed all their hopes on him, a single child. He was groomed as the heir to the group from birth, with various lessons waiting for him every day from morning till night, with no time for himself. He endured until adulthood to gain some freedom."
Listening to Teresa talk about Alex's past, Katherine unconsciously picked at her palm, feeling a mess inside.
She had never asked about Alex's background or investigated his past.
Like most people, she thought he was born into such a wealthy family, loved by everyone, carefree, and having everything.
Alex never complained or talked about his past, and just silently smoked a few cigarettes alone.
Teresa continued, "Katherine, Fiona is actually Alex's half-sister. Because there are very few girls born in the Melville family, Jackie and Sandra took her in. Alex didn't mind and has always been good to Fiona. And although I often say Alex is my uncle, Alex's mom is actually my grandma's youngest sister, so strictly speaking, we're not blood-related, but he treats me very well. Alex has a scary side, but he also has a gentle side. He's not a bad man."
Katherine nodded unconsciously. Alex always gave off a cold and ruthless vibe, keeping strangers at a distance, but he wasn't a bad person.
Teresa tentatively asked, "So Katherine, are you going to give Alex another chance and reconcile with him this time?"
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