Chapter 80
Elodie finished her rant and stormed out of the banquet in her high heels, looking like she was ready to explode. Thalia wasn't any happier, throwing a frosty glare at Alice and the gang before she too made her exit.
The whole shindig turned into a mess before it even got started. David dragged Alice over to apologize to the host. The host, not wanting to make waves with David, accepted the apology. Besides, they all knew Alice wasn't really to blame.
After the awkward apology, David pulled Alice into the lounge. Felix, lounging on the sofa, looked up as David walked in, clearly pissed off. David pushed Alice into a chair and they sat in silence for a moment."You stay here and think about what you did," David said to Alice before turning to Felix.
Felix sighed, got up, straightened his collar, and followed David out into the hallway where they started arguing.
Felix was baffled. "Why didn't you stand up for Alice? You know her better than anyone. Do you really think she started this?"
David leaned against the wall, his face dark. He frowned at Felix and said, "Felix, do you know why I didn't stand up for her? I need her to realize I won't always be there to bail her out. If I'm not around one day, what's she gonna do? She's an adult; she needs to own up to her actions."
"I'll help her with what she can't handle, but that doesn't mean I have to clean up all her messes," David said seriously. "She's still got some growing up to do. If Marcus won't teach her, I will."
Felix frowned. "I get what you're saying."
David cut him off, "Felix, I know you've never been in a relationship, but always siding with her and letting her vent isn't doing her any favors."
Felix's mouth twitched. "So you think your relationship experience makes you an expert here?"
Felix didn't want to point out that even if David didn't love Alice, as his fiancée, he should protect her from being humiliated in front of others.
Clearly, Felix and David saw things differently. David was all about tough love. He'd back Alice up and fight for her, but he also wanted her to learn from her mistakes.
Felix patted David on the shoulder. "I'll smooth things over with the folks at the banquet. You take Alice home."
David walked back into the lounge. Alice was sitting on the sofa, looking like she couldn't care less. When she heard the door open, she glanced up at David and said, "I didn't do anything wrong."
David shut the door and walked closer. "Nothing wrong?"
Alice smirked and said coldly, "I didn't start it. They came at me with nasty comments. Pouring a glass of juice on her was me going easy."
David unbuttoned his suit and plopped down next to Alice. His deep eyes locked onto her stubborn face. He pursed his lips. "Did you ever think about how I felt?"
Alice was taken aback and turned to look at him. David just stared at her, his gaze making her feel like he was the one who got hurt.
"At that moment, no matter what I did, it would've been seen as biased," David said. "You were all about venting your emotions. Did you think about my position at all?" He sighed. "If I helped you, they'd say you only acted that way because of me, and without me, you're nothing. If I didn't help you..."
David paused and gently ruffled Alice's hair. "Seeing you get hurt, it tore me up inside."
Alice was stunned, her heart pounding, and she found it hard to breathe. Did David just say it tore him up? He felt that way for her?
"But," Alice stammered, "I can't control myself. My temper and personality are awful. Everyone attacks me because of my background. I can't deny it because it's true. I can't hate my mom. I want to hate Marcus but realize it's wrong because my mom was a mistress. I want to hate Juniper, but her hatred for me is justified."
Alice felt lost. "In the end, it seems like only Lucas is left. So, no one can speak ill of Lucas or curse him!" This was her bottom line, untouchable, absolutely untouchable!
David stayed silent. He wanted to tell Alice that she still had him, but he swallowed the words. He was afraid that if he said it, he wouldn't be able to back out of the relationship. In this unspoken bond, he wanted to keep the option of escaping unscathed.
But no one, not even himself, knew whether his heart would be filled with unresolved feelings, nostalgic tenderness, and an unbreakable bond when he tried to walk away. Under all these emotions, he might suddenly lose his mind and fall head over heels, cutting off his own escape route.
On the way home, Alice silently watched the scenery fly by outside the car window. To lighten the heavy mood, David played some soothing music. The gentle, repetitive melody filled the car. Alice leaned her forehead against the cold window and slowly closed her eyes.
When they arrived at the villa, David turned off the engine, unbuckled his seatbelt, and turned to see Alice leaning against the window, breathing evenly, already asleep.
The soft interior light of the car cast a delicate glow around her tender face. Her nose was straight, and her long eyelashes slightly curled. She didn't look anything like Marcus; she inherited all her mother's beauty.
David playfully pinched her nose. She frowned, swatted his hand away, and slowly opened her eyes. She looked around, realizing they were home, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Are we home?"
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