Chapter 20: Have Some More

Rebecca’s words were practically a declaration of war. Vivienne stared in disbelief, feeling utterly humiliated. “Rebecca, you—”

“Are you going to let him come out or not? If not, I’ll go in and find him myself!” Rebecca pushed past her impatiently. Vivienne tried to block her but failed. What a mess! Alistair was indeed in the store, but who had tipped Rebecca off? During the restaurant’s renovation, Vivienne had brought Rebecca and Anne there, so Rebecca knew the layout well. She headed straight for Vivienne’s office.

Vivienne remained silent, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. She regretted not adding Alistair as a friend last time; otherwise, she could have messaged him to slip away quietly. But then she quickly realized—why should Alistair hide? He didn’t owe Rebecca anything.

Come to think of it, Alistair hadn’t come alone. When she first noticed him, she had only seen Alistair, not whoever was sitting across from him. Alistair didn’t seem to have many friends.

Rebecca’s face was terrifyingly dark. Furious at not finding Alistair, she demanded, “Where have you hidden Alistair?”

Vivienne laughed bitterly, calmly closing her office door. “Alistair is a person, not an object. Why would I hide him? As for you, Rebecca, shouldn’t you be at home with your Rick instead of coming here to make a scene?” She wanted to keep the peace, but that didn’t mean she was a pushover! If Rebecca wanted a confrontation, then so be it!

The pizza arrived, and Alistair placed a slice on Eloise’s plate. Caroline glanced at him without a word.

“Dad, don’t just worry about feeding me,” Eloise said in her sweet, gentle voice. Alistair thought she was about to tell him to eat something himself. He was about to feel touched that she was a billion times more considerate than that little brat, Daniel, when Eloise slowly finished her sentence: “Give Mom some too.” He’d felt touched too soon!

“Dad, you work so hard. I love you, Daddy!” What a little sweet-talker. Just for those words alone, he would do anything for Caroline and Eloise—even if it meant sacrificing a kidney, he’d do it without complaint!

Alistair reached for the mushroom pizza. A happy family starts with parents who love each other. In front of Eloise, he had to put on a show, at least.

Caroline spoke up, “Don’t.”

Alistair quietly breathed a sigh of relief. A hint of playfulness flickered in Caroline’s eyes. “I want Chicago-style pizza,” she said. Alistair stared blankly. He gave her a surprisingly curious look.

“Did you think I wouldn’t like something so heavy?” Caroline asked.

Alistair nodded honestly.

“Actually, I love it,” Caroline admitted. Alistair himself preferred rich, bold flavors. But Rebecca didn’t like heavy foods and constantly worried about breakouts and skin problems. As her dutiful boyfriend, Alistair had been forced into six years of bland eating. The night he regained his freedom, Alistair had ordered a plate of bacon aglio e olio, specifically asking the chef to add extra chili. He’d eaten it dripping with sweat, savoring every magnificent bite. The Chicago-style pizza in front of them now looked mouthwatering.

Alistair helped serve the pizza and chicken wings onto her plate. Just as he set down the spatula, Caroline reached over. The sleeve of her cream-colored sweater rode up slightly, revealing a glimpse of her delicate wrist. Her skin was flawless, like pure silk. Alistair’s gaze lingered on her wrist momentarily before casually looking away. He had assumed she was reaching for food he’d missed serving her, but to his surprise, Caroline placed the food she’d scooped onto his empty plate instead, giving him a gentle smile.

“Honey, have some more,” Caroline said.

Alistair felt a sudden jolt. The word “honey” sounded inexplicably alluring in her calm, clear voice, despite her perfectly casual tone. Noticing his lack of response, Eloise chimed in with childish wisdom. “Daddy, we’re family. You don’t need to be so formal with me and Mommy.”

Alistair smiled at her and ducked his head to focus on the food on his plate. Caroline noticed the tips of his ears turning red as she raised her soda to her lips, hiding the suspicious upward curve of her mouth.

It was still early after dinner, so Caroline suggested they wander around the mall to help digest their meal. Alistair had no objections. As they left the restaurant, Alistair headed next door to buy Eloise a bottle of milk and pick up some juice for Caroline. Suddenly, someone blocked his path. Alistair looked up to find himself face-to-face with Rebecca, her eyes cold as ice.

Alistair rolled his eyes inwardly. Why was Rebecca always turning up like a bad penny? Didn’t she have her first love to accompany her? Or her son? Or her parents?

Rebecca was fuming. Nathaniel had spotted Alistair at Vivienne’s restaurant, and Cordelia wouldn’t stop questioning her about it. Rebecca could only claim ignorance, muttering, “I’ll go check it out,” before storming off to investigate. Rebecca was livid. Alistair was having the time of his life! He and Vivienne were practically joined at the hip! She had no idea where Vivienne had hidden him. After failing to find Alistair, she’d endured a session of Vivienne’s passive-aggressive mockery. Rebecca couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so humiliated—she was nearly beside herself with rage. She decided then and there that her relationship with Vivienne was officially over. Still, she needed to find Alistair, so she positioned herself at a nearby store to wait for him to emerge.

Then it occurred to her—let Alistair deal with Nathaniel and Cordelia’s suspicions. She knew that since their divorce, Alistair had become more challenging to control, constantly causing her grief. She’d just have to offer him some kind of incentive. Wasn’t what he wanted coming back anyway? With the right motivation, he’d jump at the opportunity to make amends.

Their eyes met, and Rebecca’s heart skipped a beat in shock. Was this really Alistair?! His features were the same as she remembered, but after just one day apart, he seemed entirely transformed—like a stranger from his soul to his skin. When he looked at her, his lips still curved into a faint smile, his expression gentle and content. Rebecca stood frozen. Without her, he seemed to be doing just fine…

The moment Alistair recognized her, his smile stiffened. The warmth in his eyes vanished instantly. It was as if she were some bad luck charm. Running into Rebecca on an otherwise pleasant evening was the last thing Alistair wanted.

Alistair frowned, attempting to walk past her. Rebecca instinctively reached out to grab him, but he was prepared and smoothly dodged her grasp. Rebecca’s anger flared immediately. “Alistair, stop this nonsense and come home with me!”

A timid little voice asked, “Daddy, who is this lady?”

Rebecca looked down to see a little girl in a floral dress hugging Alistair’s leg, her big eyes cautiously studying Rebecca. The little girl was beautiful, but she had called her “lady.” When Rebecca went out in public, even three-year-olds called her “Miss”!

Rebecca snapped at Eloise, “You’ve got the wrong person. He’s not your father!”