Chapter 184 Alexander Attends the Birthday Banquet
When bedtime hit, Luke was on his best behavior. He knocked out quickly as Lillian carried him to the room next door. She didn't let him go upstairs solo. The room had a boyish vibe.
"Luke, you're flying solo tonight. Hope you can sleep through," Lillian told him.
Lying in bed, Luke said bravely, "Lillian, I'm not scared. But can I keep the nightlight on?"
"Of course." Lillian kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, sweet dreams."
"Goodnight, Lillian," Luke replied, shutting his eyes.
Lillian gently closed the door and stood outside for a sec, making sure there was no noise before heading back to her room.
"Is Luke asleep?" Alexander asked.
"Yeah, he was a champ." Lillian climbed into bed and got under the covers.
The bed felt empty without Luke, but it brought them closer.
"The bed's huge. Scoot over to the middle," Alexander suggested.
Lillian moved a bit towards the middle and sighed, "Without Luke here, it's kinda hard to fall asleep."
Alexander moved closer, slipping his arm under her neck and pulling her in.
"What are you doing?" Lillian was startled by his sudden move.
Alexander frowned slightly. "Why freak out? I'm not gonna hurt you! Just holding you to help you sleep."
"No need." Lillian laughed, pushing against his chest. "You just wanna hold me, and you're trying to make it sound like you're doing me a favor."
"I'm serious, okay," Alexander said.
"Alright. But it's uncomfortable like this, let's switch it up," Lillian suggested.
They adjusted, with Alexander pulling his arm out, and they lay snuggled together comfortably.
"Guess who I saw in the neighborhood today?" Lillian asked.
"Who?" Alexander replied.
"Michael. He just moved in today, so he's our new neighbor," Lillian said.
Thinking about what had happened in the countryside before, Alexander said a bit unhappily, "Don't greet him or hang out with him much."
"Didn't he just close a deal with the Whale Group? Isn't it kinda rude?" Lillian asked.
"There's nothing wrong with it. Just trust me," Alexander insisted.
Lillian turned to look at him in the dark and suddenly asked, "Are you jealous? Don't want me getting too close to him?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Alexander looked down at her and, after a moment, leaned in to kiss her.
The kiss came outta nowhere, catching Lillian off guard. The fresh scent of his body made her melt into the kiss.
After it ended, Lillian quickly turned away, embarrassed, and said, "I'm sleepy. Goodnight."
Alexander leaned against her from behind, holding her. "Let's sleep together."
It was Friday, Paula's birthday bash. The night before, Alexander had mentioned it to Lillian, saying that since Paula had called personally, it wouldn't be right to skip it.
"When Amy passed away, I felt responsible. I don't wanna refuse anything I can do for her parents. Can you get that?" Alexander asked.
Lillian gently said, "Alexander, don't stress about it. I think you're right. Amy's gone, and we who are still here should do what we can for her folks. It's the right thing to do."
Alexander hugged her and kissed her ear. "The party kicks off at six. If I'm back late, just crash. Don't wait up."
"Okay, and don't go overboard with the drinks," Lillian said, straightening his tie.
He looked down and joked, "You used to practice tying ties on me, and now you're a pro."
"Well, I learnt from the best," Lillian said, raising an eyebrow proudly.
The Anderson family threw the shindig at the swankiest hotel in Rihegde, inviting a bunch of big shots. The banquet hall was in the biggest restaurant, and by the time Alexander rolled in, the place was already buzzing.
"Alexander, you made it." Brent was at the door, greeting guests and gave him a warm welcome.
"Brent, it's been ages." Alexander looked at his old buddy and said, "How's life treating you?"
"Same old, same old." Brent patted his shoulder. "This time, I'm back for good. Gonna need your help a lot!"
"What’s the plan?" Alexander asked with a grin.
"I'm starting a business here. The company opens in a few days, and I hope you can hook me up with some business pals," Brent explained.
"What about your folks? They here too?" Alexander asked.
Brent shook his head. "They didn't wanna come back. They still think about Amy a lot. Spending their final years at Elmrest is perfect for them; they're doing great."
"That's good to hear," Alexander said.
"Go on in. My mom's been asking if you arrived. She misses you," Brent said.
Alexander walked into the restaurant, and right away, a few people came up to say hi. He greeted them quickly and made his way to a table at the front.
Paula was chatting with some relatives when she saw Alexander coming over, looking sharp and dignified. She couldn't help but think, 'What a great guy! If only Amy had been lucky enough to marry Alexander.'
"Paula, happy birthday," Alexander greeted.
Paula beamed, "Thank you."
Several relatives who knew Alexander wanted to chat but were too intimidated by his presence to say anything.
Alexander handed over his birthday gift and chatted for a bit before moving on.
A few relatives asked, "Is Mr. Sinclair still single? Does he have a girlfriend?"
Paula shook her head silently, then looked at Shae's mom and said, "Shae is really into Mr. Sinclair. Why not have her make a move?"
Shae's mom, Karen Knight, was thrilled but played it cool. "She used to hang out with Amy and Alexander all the time. It's no shock she likes him. But who knows if Mr. Sinclair would be into her."
"Now that you mention it, doesn't Shae look more and more like Amy? Have you noticed?" Paula said.
Helen Watson, Esme's mom, chimed in, "I haven't noticed. I think Shae looks more and more like Esme."
Paula said, "They're cousins, so it's not surprising they look somewhat alike."
Talking about Shae, Karen looked around but didn't see her.
Just then, Esme came over, and Karen asked, "Esme, have you seen Shae?"
"She's in the lounge, getting dolled up. She wants to wow Alexander tonight!" Esme replied.
