Chapter 54

Alice eyeballed the half-eaten steak in front of her, lips tight, totally stumped by David's question.

Man, this question was a real brain-buster. No matter what she said, it felt like a trap.

Before she could even think of a decent answer, the call just cut off.

She stared at her phone, totally blank. When it finally hit her, she thought, 'Is David pissed? But why? Is he mad 'cause I didn't come home for dinner, or 'cause I left him eating solo?'

Felix had been watching Alice's face do a whole dance. Seeing her put down the phone, he asked, "What did David want?"

Alice shook her head, looking all confused, and said, "He seemed mad 'cause I left him eating alone at home." She didn't sound too sure about that last part.

David didn't seem like the type to get all worked up over something like that. After all, when she first moved in, she ate alone every day. She'd order takeout or eat out, and when she got home, she was still solo. David never showed up, or if he did, she had no clue.

Thinking about it, Alice felt a mix of sad and ticked off.

'If I can eat alone, why can't a grown man almost thirty do the same?' she thought.

Alice angrily hacked at her steak, clearly not planning on heading back.

Felix watched her scarf down her food and slid a glass of juice her way. "Chill out. Once you're done, I'll take you home."

"No, let's hit the shops!" Alice chugged her juice and slammed the table. "Felix, you don't seem like the shopping type. To avoid future drama with your girl, I'll give you a crash course on a woman's shopping route. Deal?"

Meanwhile, back at the house, David sat at the dining table looking like a storm cloud. The utensils were just sitting there, and the food was still hot, but the only sound was the clock ticking.

David crossed his arms and leaned back, staring at the food like it had personally offended him. Thinking about Alice having dinner with Felix killed his appetite. He got up and headed straight upstairs.

He thought Alice would come back after dinner, but an hour had passed since he called, and the house was still dead quiet. The big place felt empty with just him in it.

David's mood got darker and darker, and by the end, he looked like he just walked out of a freezer, radiating cold vibes.

At the mall, Felix was lugging two bags, one hand in his jacket pocket, trailing behind Alice.

Since they hit the mall, Alice had dragged Felix to a watch store, an accessory store, a brand store, skincare and makeup counters, then a cake shop, a coffee shop, and she kept browsing floor by floor.

Alice was munching on ice cream, looking blank, then she spotted a cool set of sportswear in a window. She yanked Felix inside to check it out.

"Felix, having fun shopping yet?" Alice asked, standing in front of the mirror, pulling her hair out from under the sportswear she tried on.

Felix didn't know how to answer this question. He walked up to help Alice with her hair and clothes. He put his hands on her shoulders, looked at her in the mirror, and nodded, "This outfit's fire. You should totally get it."

Alice thought the outfit was dope too, but when she asked the salesperson for the price, her smile froze.

"Over $500 for a set of sportswear? Is it gold-plated?" Alice was floored.

"What's up?" Felix asked.

Alice quickly took off the sportswear and tried to drag Felix out of the store, but he stopped her after just one step.

"Too pricey?" Felix asked with a grin. To him, that price was like pocket change, but he couldn't figure out why Alice always lived so tight. Felix thought, 'Is David giving her peanuts for allowance? But even if it's small, I can't believe David would give Alice just a few thousand bucks. The David I know ain't like that.'

"Yeah," Alice nodded.

"Where is your money?" Felix smiled at the salesperson and pulled Alice to sit on the sofa. "Alice, didn't Gavin give you money every year? And Seraphina too. Where's all your cash going?"

Alice bit the inside of her cheek, not wanting to spill the beans.

"Alice, I promise, I won't blab to anyone."

After a moment of hesitation, Alice sighed, her tense body relaxing, and said, "I'm saving money for Grandpa Lucas."

Felix was taken aback.

Lucas didn't seem like someone who was strapped for cash. Even though the nursing home fees were steep, Marcus always paid for the whole year upfront. There was no shortage of money. Why was Alice saving money for Lucas?

Alice scratched her cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed to explain.

"Grandpa didn't want to go to the nursing home at first 'cause he knew I'd be left alone. So before he left, he told me to move in with David. So I wouldn't get bullied in the Bailey Family," Alice said.

Felix listened quietly.

"But I was also scared. I often saw people off the older generation for inheritance on TV. If there's no will, the estate goes to the first heir. Marcus originally intended the marriage agreement with David for Celeste, but Grandpa insisted on giving it to me. Marcus was already ticked off about that. I'm afraid one day Marcus will cut off his nursing home fees. Grandpa is old, and his wife died early, so he probably didn't save much. I thought I should save some money for him, just in case," Alice explained.

Even if Marcus wouldn't do that, she couldn't be sure Juniper wouldn't meddle.

For Celeste, Juniper would do anything. What if she targeted Lucas? Alice had to be on guard all the time. In this world, Lucas was her closest person, and she would do anything for him.

Felix smiled and ruffled Alice's hair. "You don't need to worry about your Grandpa or save money for him. My grandpa often brings good stuff to the nursing home to see your grandpa. Even if Marcus stops paying the fees, my grandpa will help him. They are war buddies; they retired together. He wouldn't just stand by and watch something like that happen."

With that, Felix raised his hand to call the salesperson and asked her to wrap up the sportswear.

Felix said, "Alice, you need to treat yourself better. If Grandpa Lucas sees you living poorly, he'll feel bad, and his recovery will be slower. If you don't want that to happen, make sure he knows you're doing well. Once he's better, he can leave the nursing home sooner, and you won't have to worry about Marcus cutting off the fees."