Chapter 174 Alexander Is Right
Alexander knew Lillian was right. Admitting his mistake was the right move. He gently said, "I'll handle this. As your husband, how could I just stand by when you and our child are hurt? What kind of husband or father would I be?"
"Alright, I believe you," Lillian said, still fuming about Shae. She couldn't help but vent, "Do you even like Shae? If not, just tell her so she stops obsessing."
"I don't like her!" Alexander said earnestly.
Lillian found it amusing. Here was a CEO, and she had him all nervous. Softening, she said, "Okay, I believe you."
She added, "You left the table so suddenly. They must be wondering what's going on. Go back. I'm fine here." She had guessed it when she saw him carrying her up the side stairs.
Alexander said, "I worry about leaving you alone. Once Angela and Wendy finish eating, I'll ask them to keep you company, then I'll go back down."
"That sounds good," Lillian agreed.
As they chatted, Lillian's phone rang. It was Wendy in the group chat asking if they could come up. Lillian quickly replied: [Come up now.]
Angela and Wendy got the message and came up quickly. Wendy entered the room first and handed over to Alexander.
As Alexander left the room, he saw Angela standing at the door and asked, "Why are you standing here?"
Angela stared at him, her face a mask of seriousness as she spoke, "I have something serious to say to you."
She didn't wait for Alexander to respond, continuing on her own, "Lillian is now pregnant with your child, and that's how you take care of her? I just saw Lillian go to the kitchen, and then Shae followed. Not long after, Lillian fell. I don't believe this was a coincidence. I asked the chef, and there was no water on the floor."
She paused, then added, "I feel sorry for Lillian's injury, but what I'm more concerned about is her future. What if something like this happens to her again in secret?"
Alexander was taken aback by her direct questioning, surprised by the depth of their friendship that would drive Angela to confront him directly.
He responded solemnly, "Angela, I won't make absolute guarantees, but I will say that I will do everything within my power to protect Lillian. I will do my best to prevent such incidents from happening again."
"So, you're not even willing to give Lillian a hundred percent security?"
"Nothing in life is guaranteed. Lillian is a human being capable of walking and moving. There will always be moments I can't account for. Even with bodyguards, they can't watch her all the time. What I'm saying is, we do our best to prevent accidents from happening."
"The issue isn't with Lillian; it's with you!" Angela said angrily. "Shae has clearly decided to destroy your marriage. If you don't deal with her, you'll have more problems later."
Alexander, who was usually arrogant and didn't need anyone's advice on how to do things, was speaking to Angela more out of respect for Lillian than for any other reason.
However, her attitude and words were starting to irk him. After all, Shae was Amy's sister and had been a friend of his for years. Even if she made a mistake, he would cut her some slack, all in deference to Amy.
"Ms. Turner, I don't need you to tell me how to do things. Shae has made mistakes and I will certainly discipline her. But the word 'solve' is a bit harsh." Alexander said sternly, "As you know, I have my reasons for not seeing Shae since I'm married now. But I won't be too harsh or cutting."
"That's exactly what she's relying on! Because of her deceased sister, she has no scruples!" Angela retorted with a sneer, "You don't have to be so soft-hearted towards Shae."
"Watch your tone!" Alexander snapped, his eyes flashing with anger. "Lily is my wife. It's my responsibility to protect her. You don't need to worry about that or meddle in it!"
Just then, the door swung open, and Wendy poked her head in, asking Angela, "What are you two talking about? Come inside already."
Alexander exhaled sharply and said to both women, "Please, stay with Lily." He then turned and headed for the stairs.
As Angela entered the room, she snapped at Lillian, "What's the matter? Afraid I'm going to have a fight with your husband?"
Before Lillian could respond, Wendy, who had taken a seat nearby, spoke up first, "I think Mr. Sinclair has a point. You're being too aggressive."
Angela shot her a glare. "What do you know?"
She then turned back to Lillian and asked, "You heard what he said. What do you think?"
Lillian shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't have strong feelings about it. Alexander's right. If Shae wants to undermine me secretly, she'll have plenty of chances. How can you prevent that? You're wrong if you think the problem lies with Alexander. The real issue is with Shae."
Angela sneered, "So, I'm unfairly blaming the good guy?"
"That's not what I meant." Lillian pouted playfully and said with a smile, "You're just looking out for me as a friend, and I appreciate that. Even if Alexander's not at fault, it's good to give him a piece of your mind. But I don't want to make things too difficult for him. Like he said, Shae is Amy's sister. If he goes too far, I'd have a hard time accepting it. It would make him seem heartless."
"So, are you planning to just let Shae do whatever she wants?" Angela asked.
Lillian shook her head. "No, Alexander said he'll handle it. I trust him."
"Well, keep an eye out," Angela warned, furrowing her brow. "Shae is devious. Even if she doesn't openly cause trouble in the future, she might still incite others to act on her behalf. Stay vigilant."
Wendy shivered a bit and said, "Angela, you're making this sound really frightening."
"I hope I'm just overthinking things," Angela sighed, "Maybe she's just putting on a brave face."
Back at the dining table, Alexander noticed Shae was missing. After chatting and drinking for a while longer, the dinner was winding down. By now, only Evelyn was still at the table with him, while Jackson and Nico had already gone upstairs.
"Where's Luke?" Alexander asked.
Evelyn replied, "He was having a great time with Jackson earlier and went upstairs with his parents."
Alexander then asked, "And Shae? I haven't seen her for a while."
"I don't know," Evelyn said, picking up her phone. "I'll message her on Facebook and find out."
Meanwhile, down in the bar, Shae, slightly tipsy, responded to Evelyn's Facebook message, saying: [I'm just having a drink!]
