Chapter 199 You Don’t Seem Surprised at All
Not every decent lady was raised to be delicate. These days, many wealthy families would advocate for both civil and military skills, especially those with daughters at home. After all, which parent wouldn’t want their daughters to protect themselves?
Courtney drew a deep breath, secretly wondering if Alexander’s ex was just as menacing as she sounded.
Not only was Mikayla’s financial background more impressive than Courtney’s, but she was also highly capable in a fight. She was a sweet girl, but she could also defend herself—she was very versatile. Courtney paled in comparison, so how was she supposed to go into battle with her?
“Afraid?” Alexander glanced at her; his expression was casual. “If you’re afraid, don’t go. I’ll handle this. I can guarantee you that she won’t provoke you anymore.”
“No,” Courtney said resolutely. “I will handle this myself.”
If it were matters of the heart, she would be more than willing to let Alexander handle it. But now, they were talking about Mikayla’s connection to the fire and whether or not she had an accomplice. The mastermind behind this clearly wanted the two children dead, so she wouldn’t be at ease until the matter was resolved.
Seeing that she was so insistent, Alexander didn’t say much more.
“I keep getting the feeling that this has something to do with the person that’s trying to harm Jordan.”
Upon hearing this, Alexander’s head swiveled toward her in the dark. “The person that’s trying to harm Jordan?”
“Yes.” Courtney gave one solemn nod. “Don’t tell me that you didn’t know or that you didn’t notice that someone has been actively trying to harm Jordan.”
They had been spending time together for only half a year, but the things that Jordan had encountered were enough to make Courtney’s blood run cold. After so many years, it was impossible for Alexander to not have suspected anything.
Sure enough, he nodded. “I know.”
The car was dimly lit; moonlight spilled in through the sunroof and shone on the narrow space in the back seat, illuminating the grave look on Alexander’s face. “However, it may not be the same person.”
Courtney could tell from this sentence alone that something was wrong—something that sent chills down her spine.
Countless people were out to get Jordan; it wasn’t just one or two people.
“I know that many things have happened to Jordan; I’m not that stupid. But, we were never able to catch the culprit. To tell you the truth, I’ve investigated it a number of times and have implicated people of all sorts.”
The culprit could be the gardener that came over to prune the garden once a week, or it could be the servant that had been taking care of Jordan for two to three years now. It could even be a distant relative.
No exceptions were made—all of these people entered Alexander’s blacklist, regardless of whether they were a close family member or a distant relative. However, this didn’t diminish the fact that someone was targeting his son.
“Why?” Courtney frowned. “What did these people have to benefit from Jordan? Are they crazy? Why would they do such things to a child who can’t even speak?”
“Because Jordan is my only child and will be the only heir of Sunhill Enterprise.” Alexander looked a little powerless when he answered her questions. He seemed to have sighed, then lowered his head and spoke softly, but it wasn’t obvious. “It could also be because I’ve neglected Jordan too much last time, and it made people think that as long as Jordan’s not around, Grandpa will lose all hope. Then, Sunhill Enterprise will lose its power and they will be able to get a share of the profits.”
There have always been many rumors about Alexander’s sexuality. This was mainly because he did not have another kid besides Jordan, and he never showed any interest in marriage, so people started to have ill intentions.
“Are you implying that it’s someone related to your family in some way?”
“Yes.”
Now, this is troubling.
Courtney’s brows knitted together.
On the day that they went to the Duncans’ ancestral home for dinner, Old Master Duncan had invited a number of close relatives. There were so many of them that they had taken up nearly two large round tables. Plus, this wasn’t including those who were currently settled elsewhere and the Duncans’ distant relatives.
“Grandpa said that if I don’t keep the family line alive, he would hand Sunhill Enterprise over to another outstanding Duncan that had no relation to me.” Alexander sounded somewhat helpless. After hesitating for a couple of seconds, he said in a heavy voice, “So, Jordan was born through surrogacy.”
Oh.” Courtney nodded, absentmindedly thinking about something else.
“You don’t seem surprised at all.” Alexander cast her a suspicious glance.
At that, Courtney looked startled. “What? Surrogacy? Was it through in vitro fertilization?”
Her reaction was quick.
The skepticism in Alexander’s eyes disappeared as he shook his head. “Not exactly, but it’s… almost the same.”
Courtney remained calm, but she was rolling her eyes on the inside.
What does he mean by ‘almost the same’? There’s a huge difference! For IVF, the fertilization is done externally. There’s no physical contact with the woman whatsoever. What you did six years ago was r*pe! D*mn it, you’re really an animal.
“Why tell me this all of a sudden?” Courtney continued questioning him, restraining the complex feelings in her heart.
After all, she had passed that year’s hurdle with great difficulty. If she started asking about it now, it would leave her feeling bad. It was like she was looking down at Alexander from God’s perspective.
“I don’t want there to be any more misunderstandings between us. I hope that we can be honest with each other.” Alexander fixed her with a serious look. “Jordan doesn’t have a mother, but he acknowledged you as one. So, from now on, you’re the only mother he will ever have. I know that you regard him with as much importance as you do Tina, and I will too.”
This sentence caused the resentment that had been in her heart to gradually disappear. Instead, it was replaced with warmth—warmth that spread throughout her body and warmed her heart.
Courtney was moved. To say the least, she had gotten this cold-hearted man to confess so many things in one day. It was completely different from his usual demeanor; it was as much of a miracle as pigs learning to fly.
“You’re also the only father that Tina will ever have.”
When he heard those words, a mixture of emotions flashed across Alexander’s eyes as well as a hint of disappointment that was indiscernible, but alas, it was just a brief flash.
In terms of her honesty, he wasn’t sure if he didn’t work hard enough to earn it, or perhaps his hard work simply wouldn’t change anything.
“Rest early. We’ll figure out a way to leave tomorrow morning.” His deep voice echoed in the car. Courtney mumbled a response, then sat on the cushion staring at his back for a long time before asking, “You’re not sleeping?”
With his back still facing her, he answered, “I’m not sleepy, and there may be wild animals in the mountains. It’s better for me to stay awake.”
It was a good enough reason.
“Okay.” Courtney didn’t think much about it. Yawning, she lay down on the cushion and murmured, “If you’re sleepy, wake me up. I’ll switch with you.”
“Okay.”
After Courtney fell asleep, Alexander got down from the car and walked to the roadside where it was overgrown with weeds. Looking out at the distant sea, he lit a cigarette.
He rarely smoked, but once he did, there was no end to it. In just the blink of an eye, around four to five cigarette butts were scattered on the ground.
The misty air put him in an intoxicating trance. He fished out his phone, then flipped to a photo in his gallery.
The woman in the photo was holding a child still in its infancy. The space behind her was completely occupied by a man, and she was nestled sweetly in his arms. They looked natural—as if they had been lovers for years.
He had been frank, and he had even told her the secret about Jordan’s birth that he had kept for more than six years, but he had failed to garner her honesty in return. She even said that he was the only father Tina would ever have.
How could she utter such a flawed lie?
Standing in the cold breeze, the corners of Alexander’s lips curled up in self-deprecation.
