Chapter 64
Lucas turned to David, gave Alice's hand a reassuring pat, and said, "Alright, I'm all ears."
Alice suddenly pointed at David, her face full of hurt and accusation. "He won't let the housemaids cook for me, so I have to fend for myself every day while he enjoys fancy meals. Look, I've lost weight!"
David was speechless, unable to defend himself. He knew it was his fault and had no excuse.
Lucas squinted, taking a good look at Alice's face. She did look thinner than before. His expression darkened as he glanced at David.
David pressed his lips together, staying silent.
"David," Lucas called out.
David responded quietly, "Yes."
Lucas said, "You need to take good care of Alice."
"I know," David replied with a bitter smile, "It's my fault. But Lucas, Alice has been going to bars and getting drunk. As her elder, I have to look out for her safety."
Alice's heart sank. She knew this wasn't going to end well. Lucas's eyes widened as he turned to Alice. "Getting drunk?"
Alice couldn't deny it. She had gone to the bar, and the person who encouraged her was right there, but she couldn't say that.
"Alice, what's going on?" Lucas's first thought was that Alice was being bullied by Juniper and Celeste. He knew Marcus wouldn't stand up for her. Alice didn't want to cause trouble, so she kept quiet. It made sense she went drinking if she was upset. Lucas figured he needed to go home and check things out, make sure no one was mistreating Alice while he was away.
Alice shook her head and forced a laugh. "I was just upset about my exam results."
Lucas could tell she wasn't telling the whole story but decided not to push it. He made a mental note to visit home soon.
The three of them went inside, and the caregiver, Robert Davis, had already set out coffee and snacks. He then stepped outside and sent a message to Gavin, letting him know David and Alice had arrived.
Robert always reported to Gavin about Lucas's visitors, so Gavin was always in the loop.
Gavin read the message, put his phone away, and continued fishing on a small wooden stool. Looking at the horizon, he thought the weather wasn't great for fishing today.
It wasn't until nightfall, after dinner with Lucas, that Alice reluctantly left with David.
Lucas watched their car disappear into the night, then told Robert to push him to the front desk to register his plan to go home the next day.
The front desk nurse asked, "Sir, do you need us to notify your family to pick you up?"
Lucas replied without expression, "No need, someone will come for me. Don't notify them. I'll only be home for a day and be back the day after tomorrow."
The nurse nodded. "Okay."
Meanwhile, Gavin got a call from Lucas.
Lucas said, "Gavin, arrange for someone to pick me up and take me home tomorrow."
Gavin had just finished dinner and was relaxing in the living room. He was surprised by the request. "Is something wrong at home? Do you need a regular person or the police?"
Lucas asked, "What do you think?"
Gavin couldn't help but chuckle, "Alright, I'll set it up. Call me after your check-up, and I'll send someone to get you. You can crash at my place for the night, and let's have Alice and David over too. A big family dinner sounds nice, right?"
Before he could finish, Lucas had already hung up. Hearing the dial tone, Gavin clicked his tongue in annoyance but decided not to bother Lucas by calling back. He sighed and went upstairs with his phone to make the arrangements.
The next morning, Lucas returned to the Bailey Villa. Marcus was at work, leaving only Juniper and Celeste at home.
Celeste had been moping around, not wanting to think about David. Every time she did, she remembered him defending Alice in that private room, and it tore her apart.
Juniper couldn't stand seeing Celeste so hung up on David, so she dragged her to the living room.
"Seriously, can't you live without a man?" Juniper said irritably, placing a fruit platter on the table and sitting next to Celeste. "If David's not working out, there's still Felix, right? I think Felix is way better. He's a good guy, gentle, and the president of Apex Technologies Group! Marry him, and you'll be the president's wife! Your status will be way higher than with David. Why are you so stuck on him?"
"Mom!" Celeste groaned, "What can I do if I like him? Didn't you marry Dad because you liked him? Or was it for his money and family background?"
Juniper snapped, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Celeste shot back, "And it's Lucas's fault. Why didn't we know about their engagement? Why did Lucas say the engagement should go to Alice, and it did? Am I not his granddaughter too? Don't I have the right to be David's fiancée? Compared to Alice, am I not a better match for David?"
"You are not a good fit." The voice drifted in from the doorway.
Juniper and Celeste turned their heads almost simultaneously. When they saw Lucas being slowly pushed in by Robert, their faces went pale, and they quickly stood up, full of disbelief.
"Lucas, why are you out of the hospital?" Juniper quickly stepped forward, blocking Celeste, and asked with concern.
Celeste's face was as white as a sheet. Meeting Lucas's gaze, her lips trembled slightly, and she softly called, "Lucas."
"Lucas!" Juniper quickly explained, "Celeste didn't mean anything by what she said just now. Don't misunderstand. She was just in a bad mood and wanted to vent. But Lucas, did the doctor really say you could be discharged?"
Lucas's gaze passed over Juniper and landed directly on Celeste.
"I said you are not a good fit, and that's that. no explanation needed. You can marry anyone you want, even if they have no power or status. As long as you like him, I will agree. But David is an off-limits! You better give up the idea of taking the engagement from Alice."
"Why!" Celeste stepped out from behind Juniper, her eyes red. "Lucas, how can you do this! I am also your granddaughter. Why do you favor Alice so much more than me! You even kept the engagement a secret from me and Mom. In your eyes, is Alice your only family, and Mom and I are not?"
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