Chapter 166 I’m Dispensable
Alexander was trying to imply that the arranged marriage was a decision made by the elders without first going through him. With just a couple of words, he pushed all the blame away from him.
Deliberately trying to make a fuss, Courtney pouted.
“Pfft. With your temperament, don’t tell me that you were just over ten years old; even if you still didn’t know how to talk, as long as you didn’t agree with it, no one could force it on you. The truth is that you fancied your childhood sweetheart.”
“Do you want to hear the truth?”
Alexander’s eyes darkened. The way he looked at Courtney sent her heart stuttering.
Is he really in love with Mikayla?
“It’s not what you think it is.” He flicked her head with a helpless look. She stifled a grunt in response and covered her head discontentedly. “If you want to say something, say it properly. Why are you hitting me?”
Affection surged through Alexander’s cold face. In the few seconds of silence, he seemed to be contemplating the right things to say.
“My dad always wanted a daughter when he was alive, but his wish was never granted. So, for a long time, he treated Mikayla as his own daughter.”
Courtney was slightly startled. This was not the first time Alexander took the initiative and told her about his parents. However, this was the first time he seemed calm talking about them.
“My mom was a painter. Her heart could only hold her dreams. She always went out with her drawing board for months. The fact that she gave birth to me did not impact her usual life. Except for the time she came back and visited me after finishing her drawing, we rarely had the opportunity to meet each other. It had always been like that for many years.”
His charming low voice flowed in the dimly lit room. He sounded so calm that Courtney could not sense any emotion from his voice. It was as if he was telling her something that had nothing to do with himself.
From his words, she finally found out the relationship between Mikayla and the Duncan Family.
Alexander’s parents had always been separated from each other in their early years. His mom was always away, and his dad was always busy with work. So, they could only leave him with his grandfather and the butler. Scott was very bad-tempered; he had always been strict when it came to educating children. Even though Alexander was only a child, Scott did not change any of his principles. Over time, Alexander became unsociable, and he had an eccentric temperament compared to his peers.
When he grew older, his dad knew they couldn’t go on like that. So, he brought Alexander back to his side. Whenever he had a break, he would take Alexander to gatherings if there was someone of his age, hoping that he could blend in and make some friends.
The Lewis Family had many children. Their two sons were almost the same age as Alexander, and they had a daughter who had just learned how to walk. His dad sent him over to stay with them during the summer break. By the time his dad went back to pick him up, he didn’t get close with the two sons, but instead, he earned himself two followers.
One was Gale, the naughty boy who had tricked Alexander into eating the spicy biscuit and ended up getting Alexander admitted into the hospital for a week. The other was Mikayla, who could not even speak properly yet.
He became friends with Gale after a fight. As for Mikayla, it was because that particular summer break was extremely boring for Alexander. Yet, the two sons of the Lewis Family were very reluctant to play with him since he was a stranger. He didn’t take it to heart and was actually enjoying the silence. Every time he sat in the corner by himself, Mikayla would stumble toward him. She would clutch onto the hem of his clothes and stuff a storybook into his hands, forcing him to read her the story. If he refused, she would cry.
“I read her a summer break’s worth of stories and Mikayla’s mother told my dad about it. Since then, my dad would always bring her over to our house during the summer break every year. He treated her as his own daughter, and I guess he was probably hinting to my mom that he wanted another child.”
Therefore, the relationship between this pair of childhood sweethearts was very different from what outsiders had imagined. Their relationship continued for so long because of Alexander’s father’s own intent. The original goal was not to find Alexander a wife, but that he wanted a daughter. He was indeed very desperate to hint at it in such a tactful manner.
Upon hearing that, Courtney was speechless. “Your dad was too cryptic. If he really wanted another kid, why didn’t he just tell your mom directly? Or…”
Before she could finish what she was saying, she shut up, swallowing the rest of the sentence. After all, Mr. Duncan was an elder. It would be unsuitable for her to bad mouth him.
Alexander’s voice then rose in her ears. His tone was incomprehensible.
“Ever since I could remember, my dad and my mom always slept in separate rooms.”
The moment Courtney heard him, her heart pinched slightly. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about.” He lifted the blanket to cover her shoulders. Hardening his expression, he changed the topic back to what they were initially talking about.
“I’ve told you everything you need to know. Mikayla is like a younger sister to me, and there is nothing else between us.”
“I got it. You don’t have to stress that to me all the time.”
Courtney felt a little hot on her face.
Since they began to talk about the past, Alexander had been emphasizing that Mikayla was just a younger sister. It was as if he was afraid that she would be making a fuss again if he were to say something more.
“You don’t have anything else to interrogate about?”
She heard his tease.
Immediately, she pouted and said, “Interrogate? When did I interrogate you? You told me all this yourself!”
Alexander raised his brows. Leaning closer to her ears, he said, “Compared to when you’re serious, you’re actually much cuter when you’re jealous.”
Courtney felt like her earlobes were going to burst into flames. Her body was also burning in an instant.
The night went by with pleasure and sweet dreams.
The next day, Courtney was ready to return to Melrose City. Alexander postponed his meeting purposely so that he could send her to the airport.
“Mikayla has been pampered by her family since young, so it’s not surprising that she would go overboard.”
“I understand. She’s your younger sister, so I’ll tolerate her.”
“No, you don’t have to.” He raised his hand to straighten her stray hairs beside her ears. “What I mean is, if she goes overboard, you don’t have to tolerate her. There’s no need to upset yourself.”
When Courtney heard him, she was puzzled. A look of surprise appeared on her face.
“Didn’t you say that she’s your younger sister?”
“She has two brothers, and I’m dispensable.” His hand slid from her ear, and he held her into his arms. He whispered, “So, you don’t have to worry about me.”
At this moment, the last bit of distrust vanished into thin air with the roar of airplanes in the airport.
Taking advantage of the situation, Courtney wrapped her arms around his waist. Like a kid, she swayed from side to side and let out a sigh. “How can my boyfriend be such a good man?”
And she heard his serious voice. “I’m your fiancé.”
On the plane back to Melrose City, Courtney finally figured out the whole situation.
It was obvious as to the reason behind Mikayla’s return, and she believed Alexander knew it too. However, looking at the situation now, it seemed like he did not respond to Mikayla, or perhaps it would be better to say that when she ran away from the bathroom the other day, she missed out on the part where he rejected Mikayla.
Thus, she was afraid that the president of SG Eastern Branch would no longer treat her with a good attitude.
After all, she knew Mikayla was not a rabbit from their first meeting. It was impossible for her to serve as the president of SG Eastern Branch at this age relying on the delicate personality she displayed in front of Alexander.
I have to look for measures appropriate to the situation from now on!
