Chapter 22 Getting along Peacefully for the First Time
<Chapter>Chapter 22 Getting along Peacefully for the First Time </Chapter>
"You can try, if you dare!" came a low, authoritative male voice. Madison and Lillian both turned to look.
"Alexander!" Madison's eyes lit up with surprise when she saw Alexander. She ran toward him, looped her arm through his, and said in a coquettish tone, "I've missed you these past few days, I even brought you soup tonight."
She then asked, batting her eyelashes, "It's been a few days, you're not mad at me anymore, are you?"
When Lillian saw Alexander come down, she felt there was no need for her to stay and started to walk away.
"Get out!" Suddenly, Alexander barked furiously, shoving Madison aside without a shred of mercy.
Lillian took a step back, frightened, observing him nervously without moving.
"Give me the keys!" Alexander extended his hand toward Madison, his impatience evident in his voice.
Madison, true to her ability to play the victim, immediately teared up and said, "Aunt Samantha gave me the keys because she wanted us to make up. She didn't want us to be at odds."
Alexander looked at Madison coldly, his voice deep and ominous, "Whatever is going on between you and my mother is none of my business. I’m warning you for the last time - don’t test my patience. Otherwise, your entire family will regret it!"
His words were harsh enough to turn Madison's face deathly pale; her legs went weak, and she nearly dropped to her knees.
"Alexander…"
"Don’t speak my name, you disgust me! Take your things and get out!"
Though she was reluctant, Madison didn't dare further provoke Alexander. She quickly gathered her belongings, glanced at Lillian who was standing to the side with a mocking smile and an inscrutable look in her eyes, then left with her chin held high.
"Are you out of your mind? A stranger walks into the house, and you don't even tell me?" Alexander reprimanded her, pulling over a chair.
Lillian glanced at him and replied in a defiant whisper, "I had no idea she'd just come in uninvited. She walked in and started ordering me around to make soup, acting like she owned the place. I thought you had invited her."
"You were outside fixing up the yard all day, you're telling me you wouldn’t notice someone coming in? That’s just plain stupid." Alexander rolled his eyes at her, clearly irritated.
"Yes, you're right," Lillian bit back her anger, hoping he would leave soon so she could get on with making her meal.
"Why is there spaghetti on the counter?" Alexander asked, noticing the pasta on the cooking station. "You're going to cook?"
"I’m tired after decorating the room and I want spaghetti."
"I'll have some too. With extra beef," Alexander said, taking out his phone and playing with it as if he were at a restaurant.
Lillian watched him, fuming inside 'You yell at me, and I still have to cook for you? That’s just outrageous!'
Lillian boiled water again. She had done all sorts of chores when living at Harry's place, from laundry to cooking, and while her culinary skills weren't exactly top-notch – the meals she made were a bit bland but filling – her spaghetti was a different story. It was delectable, the sauce flavorful and savory, and everyone who tried it sang praises.
"You're lucky to be getting my spaghetti," Lillian mumbled to herself, garnishing the freshly drained pasta with parsley.
"Mr. Sinclair, I'm bringing it to the dining room for you. Please enjoy," she announced.
As she passed by Alexander, he caught the scent and looked up, promptly putting away his phone and heading to the dining room.
"I don't like parsley!" Alexander furrowed his brows as he protested.
Lillian explained, "The spaghetti needs parsley. Without it, it's missing that last touch of perfection!"
Back in the kitchen, Lillian sat down and started devouring her own bowl of spaghetti, grumbling inwardly as she ate. Being here wasn't any better than at Harry's; she still had chores and still got scolded. Alexander seemed to have perfectly stepped into Lisa's shoes.
The thought of Alexander's face morphing into Lisa's made Lillian chuckle. She had always been good at finding humor in the tough times, a skill that made her bad moods vanish.
Once Lillian finished eating, she listened for any sound from the dining room – it seemed he had left already. When she checked, she found a few leaves of parsley and an empty plate on the table.
She smiled to herself, realizing that her spaghetti must have been to his liking after all.
At four in the morning, Lillian finally finished decorating every corner of the house, with even the bathroom adorned with stickers of Santa Claus and reindeer. Exhausted, she collapsed on the couch and immediately fell asleep.
Her sleep was sweet and she thought she smelled a hint of flowers, tickling her nose.
A sneeze jolted her awake.
Kneeling before her was a little boy with big eyes, curly hair, and curled eyelashes – absolutely adorable.
"Wow, you're awake!" the boy exclaimed curiously. "Who are you? You're really pretty."
Waking up to a child's compliment delighted Lillian, who sat up and softly asked, "And who might you be?"
"I'm Lucas. I'm five years old. My preschool is Rihegde Kindergarten. My mom's name is Nicole, my dad's Aaron, and we live at..." Lucas started to rattle off every bit of his personal information.
Just then, Kelly walked in and interrupted, "Lucas, Mia is waiting for you in the Christmas-themed room on the third floor. You should go find her." With that, she guided Lucas away.
"Kelly, who is that kid?" Lillian asked curiously.
"That's Lucas, he's the son of Mr. Sinclair's friend, Mr. Aaron Edwards," Kelly explained.
"Did we have visitors over?" Lillian asked hurriedly, her voice laden with panic, "How long have I slept? Is Mr. Sinclair upset?"
"No, don't worry. Mr. Sinclair knew you were busy until this morning, so he told me not to wake you and to let you get some extra sleep," Kelly reassured, "Right now, it's just Lucas and his friends in the house, no need to be nervous."
Lillian let out a sigh of relief, her tension dissipating, "You scared me. That's good, I think I'll head back to my room and sleep a bit more."
"Alright. You can get up in the afternoon and lend me a hand. We're having some of Mr. Sinclair's friends over for dinner tonight."
"Oh? We have guests coming over tonight..."
Kelly could sense her apprehension and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, Mr. Sinclair's friends are all very kind. I think you'll like them."
At that moment, Lucas came sprinting down from upstairs, grasping Lillian's arm and pleading, "Can you play with me, please?"
