Chapter 267
Chapter 267
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Ellie sat in the salon chair, draped in a cape, and discreetly averted her gaze. In the mirror, she spotted Alex walking by. She quickly lowered her eyes. “Shorter, please, Ellie said in a calm tone before gently closing her eyes.
The only sound around her was the snip of the scissors held by the stylist. As Ellie sat there, she felt an undeniable sense of peace. After five years, they had crossed paths once more, yet he did not recognize her. She felt neither joy nor sorrow.
It seemed they should never have ended up like this, yet here they were. Everything was painfully clear; they were destined to miss each other.
He had believed in fate, while she had doubted life itself. The past was too dark to revisit, and life was rarely perfect.
Every adult carries certain burdens of unspoken wounds. Each person has their flaws, troubles, and unique ways of living. All she could do was raise her two children and enjoy life among her family.
In the men’s VIP section, Alex admired his newly styled hair in the mirror. The textured perm, neatly side–parted, accentuated his rugged charm.
Suddenly, with a soft thud, Alex glanced down to find a small, red drum lying at his feet.
Betty was about to pick it up when the stylist stopped her. “Little one, this is a VIP area; you can’t come here. Please to your Mom.”
Betty huffed in defiance as she pushed the stylist’s arm. “I want to pick it up; move out of the way.”
go back
“Kid, if you don’t obey, I’ll have to ask you to leave. Go to your Mom,” another staff member interjected, pointing toward Ellie, who was not far away.
“I’m not afraid of you. If you don’t let me pass, I’ll have my uncle take you all away.”
Barry, waiting at the entrance of the VIP area, frowned. ‘Who is this little girl? She seems more brazen than Alex.’
With a rhythmic drumbeat, Alex strolled leisurely out of the VIP section, two staff members quickly apologizing and stepping aside. He crouched down to look at Betty.
“I’m Betty. That little drum belongs to me; could you return it?” Betty’s chubby hand reached for the drum, almost snatching it away.
It was the first time Alex had encountered a child with such a sweet voice, yet her eyes sparkled with untamed spirit. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, shaking the drum. “Such an old–fashioned toy. Are your parents already in their seventies?”
Instantly, Betty’s demeanor shifted as she pointed at Ellie from a distance, glaring at Alex indignantly. “My mom is stunning; you ought to see for yourself.”
Following her gaze toward Ellie, Alex’s attention momentarily faltered. Barry’s realization was nearly startling. He hadn’t noticed Ellie’s presence when he entered, and now this child claimed Ellie as her Mom.
Thus, the uncle she had mentioned must be Aaron. And her dad would be Alex. Barry struggled to cope with the shock, turning away to catch his breath.
“I’ll let you in on a secret. I stole this drum from my mom’s room. My brother said it might be a keepsake from our deadbeat
dad.”
Upon hearing Betty’s words, Alex’s interest piqued. “You don’t have a dad?”
Betty glanced timidly toward Ellie, her voice trembling. “Mom says Daddy did too many bad things and was struck by lightning. He turned into ashes and got buried in Aaron’s garden.
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Chapter 267
“If my brother and I miss him, we will take care of the flowers in the garden”
Alex suppressed a smile, returning the drum to Betty before leaving. As he walked past Ellie, bis footsteps briefly featured. Gazing at Ellie’s serene and beautiful face in the mirror, he couldn’t help but murmur, “So, you’re a little wider
Upon hearing Alex’s voice, Ellie opened her eyes, Barry felt anxiety, rendered speechless, Ellie turned her head to the entrance; Alex was already stepping out through the salon’s glass door.
Her gaze rested on Barry, momentarily tightening her heart. Nevertheless, she quickly regained her composure. Now thes she had come back with her two children, she had no intention of hiding them away,
Meeting the Warrens was inevitable. She intended to live openly with her children and had mentally prepared for
After leaving the salon, Ellie took Betty to find Diana and her son. At a luxury mall in the city center, Diana was enthusiastically at Ellie near the elevator.
“I’m buying a gift for Steven’s birthday; let’s head to the tenth floor, Diana said, each guiding a child upward. Reaching a high–end men’s accessories boutique, Diana said with authority, “Bring me all the new arrivals for this seaso
“This one looks splendid,” Ellie remarked, holding her daughter firmly to keep her from wandering while pointing to a leather–accented men’s bracelet.
“Diana, that one is the best,” Betty chimed, indicating a trendy black necklace.
Ellie glanced at the necklace her daughter admired and exchanged a knowing look with Diana. This was one of Alex’s favorite accessories, especially in black.
“How frightening,” Diana muttered under her breath. Ellie recognized that Diana had meant hereditary,
Just then, Alex approached, surrounded by a throng of staff. Following Ellie’s gaze, Diana quickly embraced Oscar, concealing his face from view.
“Don’t hide,” Alex remarked nonchalantly. He approached, surveying Ellie and Betty, then glancing at Diana and the boy in
her arms.
He addressed Diana, “My engagement with you has been dissolved; even if you have a whole brood, it has nothing to do with me.”
Fuming, Diana shot up from the sofa. “I thought you’d have calmed down after a few years in prison. Clearly, I expected too much; you deserve to be a lifelong bachelor.”
“I’d rather spend fifty years in prison than be with someone as loud as you. You’re not even as good as a little widow? Alex shot a glance at Ellie before striding away.
Diana, sputtering in anger, turned to Ellie. “Ellie, did you hear him? He dares to say I’m less than a widow?”
“People rarely change their nature; try not to take it to heart,” Ellie replied, observing Alex’s swaggering figure, her expression unperturbed.
Ellie thought, ‘Maybe he took a liking to some widow while waiting at the salon. After five long years behind bars, he has emerged past thirty; I can understand that.’
17:25 Mon, 24 Feb
Chapter 268
