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Chapter 12

"You know I'm an illegitimate daughter, right? In the Bailey family, except for grandpa, no one gives a damn about me. They call me Miss Bailey, but behind my back, I'm just a joke. When Lucas is around, it's all good, but when he's not, they find ways to mess with me. They'd kick me off the swing, and I'd end up scraping my knee on the grass. At meals, they'd sneak all kinds of gross stuff into my food when I wasn't looking. One time, I even ate a mouthful of pepper. The worst was when they locked me in the storage room overnight. The cook found me the next day when she went to grab something."

This scar was from when Celeste pinned her down, pressing her shoulders into a piece of glass hidden in the grass.

She kept crying out in pain, but Celeste acted like she didn't hear, putting all her weight on Alice's shoulders. The glass dug deeper. Though the wound healed, the scar remained.

Hearing Alice talk about her past so casually, David glanced at her and suddenly felt a pang of sympathy.

"Do you know Elodie?" Alice waved her fork at David. "Remember when you went to that business meeting and saw Celeste with a woman outside the private room? That woman was Elodie."

David nodded to show he got it.

Alice bit her plastic fork angrily. "It was her and Celeste who locked me in the storage room."

David frowned and reached out to ruffle her hair.

Alice giggled, "But later, I felt so relieved. When grandpa found out, he didn't care about Elodie's age and slapped her! You have no idea how happy I was, even though I had a high fever!"

As for Celeste, with Marcus protecting her, nothing happened to her. Besides, it was Elodie who suggested locking Alice up, so Celeste was just an accomplice.

Alice smiled when mentioning Lucas.

David thought, in the Bailey family, she really had a tough time. That's why Lucas called him over before going to the nursing home and asked him to be her temporary guardian. With the Tudor family and him as her shield, the Bailey family would think twice before bullying Alice.

"It's about time. Let's go," David said.

Alice was stunned. "Aren't we going to have dinner?"

David shrugged, "It's the same."

When Seraphina heard that David was bringing Alice for lunch, she immediately had the kitchen prepare and sent someone to notify Gavin, who was fishing by the lake.

The people living in this villa area were all retired leaders. The environment was pleasant, and the scenery was beautiful. Only those with access cards could enter, not even reporters. Anyone who tried to force their way in or enter illegally would be taken to the police station.

David brought Alice back. Seraphina, who was sweating while busily preparing, managed to make the lunch not seem too shabby or perfunctory.

There were only four people for lunch. Felix was at work, Caleb had plans with friends, and James was off somewhere. So it was just Gavin, Seraphina, David, and Alice.

"Alice, eat up. I made all this knowing you were coming," Seraphina said, shooting a glare at David. If he was bringing someone for lunch, why didn't he give her a heads-up?

Seraphina kept piling meat into Alice's bowl. "It's not greasy, so you won't gain weight."

Not to be outdone, Gavin added some fish to Alice's bowl.

"Alice, how's school going? You getting used to college life? Anyone confessed their love yet?" Gavin asked, grinning at David. "Even though you and David are engaged, you're still young. It's fine to date around a bit. Don't worry about David."

Seraphina was not having it. "Dad, what are you saying? They're engaged. How can you encourage Alice to date? If people found out, they'd call her a cheater. Besides, not to brag, but my sons are top-notch. College boys are immature and irresponsible, not like David."

Gavin had to admit, David was a good catch. He liked Alice, who was lively and cute, a total contrast to the reserved David. While similar personalities might mean fewer conflicts, they also meant less fun.

Gavin couldn't imagine the quiet David with a similarly quiet wife. How boring would their life be?

Alice nodded, patted David's arm, and said to Gavin and Seraphina, "Uncle David is very good to me."

Seraphina and Gavin were both stunned and then said in unison, "Uncle David?"

Seraphina frowned. "David, did you tell Alice to call you Uncle David?"

David replied, "I am seven years older than her. She can call me Uncle David."

Gavin said, "If Alice calls you Uncle David, what will she call Felix? And James?"

David stayed silent.

Gavin patted Alice's hand. "Alice, don't call him Uncle David. Just call him David."

Seraphina chimed in, "Yeah, call him David! Seven years isn't that big of a difference. Uncle David sounds too old."

Alice looked at David, and David looked at Alice.

After a few seconds, Alice said, "David."

David responded, but his expression was a bit awkward.

After lunch, Gavin took Alice for a walk outside.

Gavin walked with his hands behind his back, looking very much like a leader on patrol.

"Alice, how long has it been since you visited Lucas?"

Alice said, "Since I moved out of the Bailey family, Dad told me to visit Lucas less."

Gavin snorted. "Marcus is such a bastard!" He knew a bit about the Bailey family. Marcus's wife, Juniper, was a strong-willed woman. Their marriage was arranged, and she helped Marcus a lot in his career. But she was so domineering that Marcus couldn't stand it and had an affair. When Juniper found out, they almost got divorced.

After a few seconds, Gavin said, "Alright, after our walk, let's pick some fruits and go visit Lucas at the nursing home."

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