Bastard
Knock. Knock.
Alice stirred in his sleep at the sound of knocking on the door. He was usually a light sleeper, or perhaps it was due to his insomnia; he rarely slept longer than four hours.
His eyes fell on Alisha, practically clinging to him like a koala bear, her face nestled against his chest, her lips grazing his nipples through his shirt.
Alice observed her, noticing how his shirt dwarfed her, revealing her cleavage and thighs, while barely concealing the rest. Half of her backside peeked out from her panties.
‘This girl,’ Alice sighed. He had aptly given her the name Angel; even in her sleep, she exuded seductiveness without effort.
Exposed like this and sleeping so innocently, it was almost comical how her lips grazed his nipple, reminiscent of a baby seeking milk.
"Sir."
Alice snapped out of his trance at the repeated knock. "What?"
"Sir, a few people came to meet you," the servant replied from outside, his voice trembling at the sound of Alice's tone.
Alice's eyes narrowed, unable to comprehend who would visit him. He didn't have any scheduled meetings, and even if he did, he never entertained visitors at his home. So who dared to come?
"Who came?" Alice inquired, seeking clarification, as he gently placed Alisha's head on the pillow and removed her hands and feet from him.
Despite his reluctance, he wanted to sleep more. With her, he felt like he could spend the whole day in bed, and it left him feeling refreshed. It was a rare occurrence; otherwise, his temper would worsen in the morning due to lack of sleep. But now, he feels great.
"Sir, we also don't know," the servant replied nervously.
"Then why the hell did you come here if you don't know who they are? Just throw them out," Alice growled in frustration.
He didn't want to disturb Alisha's sleep, but now he was being bothered by this nonsense early in the morning. He couldn't do anything but raise his voice.
"Madam called for you because they refuse to leave. She thought it best if you met them," the servant explained, her voice trembling.
Alice cursed under his breath. Sometimes, his mother took advantage of situations, knowing he wouldn't refuse her orders or could do anything about it.
He massaged his forehead in frustration. "I'm coming. Get lost."
As soon as Alice gave the command, the servant hastily retreated, fearing for her life.
He only had female servants in his house, despite his dislike of gender as a whole. But for his mother's comfort, he couldn't do anything but accommodate them.
Moreover, he was relieved now that Alisha was there. He didn't want her exposed to unnecessary interactions.
Apart from a few people like his driver, assistant, and his best friend, he didn't want anyone else on his radar. Even though he had brought Alisha into his male-dominated company, he made sure no one got too close to her or caused any trouble. So, he didn't mind it that much.
He glanced once again at Alisha, observing how she continued to sleep soundly, unfazed by his outburst at the servant. It was clear she was a deep sleeper.
Alice rose from the bed, running his fingers through his hair before softly unlocking the door and stepping out of the room.
Descending the stairs, he spotted his mother standing with a tense expression.
"What happened, Mom? Who came? And why did you let someone unknown into the house?" Alice spoke, ready to confront whoever dared to trespass onto his property.
Daisy turned to face her son. "Alisha's mother is here," she replied solemnly.
"Her mother?" Alice's confusion deepened. He knew Alisha was an orphan, but then he recalled how she referred to a woman named Mary as her mother.
Approaching his mother, he stood beside her, his gaze falling on the woman who exuded a different aura from Alisha's.
"Where is my daughter?" Mary's voice pierced the air as soon as her eyes landed on Alice.
She was seething with rage, her stress palpable. Ever since she had learned of Alisha's kidnapping in the middle of the park and the children's tearful accounts of the frightening men who had taken Alisha, Mary's mind had been consumed with worry.
She couldn't shake the memory of Alisha mentioning Alice's name before, relating it to their dog's death. Mary had scoured the internet for information, eventually confirming his identity with the children's help and obtaining an address.
Now she stood here, facing a man who appeared far more dangerous than the descriptions Alisha and the children had provided.
Was she scared?
Yes.
But would she leave without Alisha?
Absolutely not.
"What can I do for you?" Alice asked nonchalantly, recognizing Mary as someone close to Alisha.
Had it been anyone else, they would have found themselves in deep trouble. But this was an older lady, and moreover, someone close to his Angel. So, he couldn't afford to lose his temper.
"My daughter, give me my daughter, you bastard," Mary's voice trembled with fury.
"Please try to control your anger, Miss. Let's try to talk calmly," Daisy interjected, not because Mary had shouted or called Alice a bastard, but because she knew her son. The way Mary was addressing Alice was unlikely to lead to anything good.
She needed to defuse the situation before Alice did something that would only escalate matters further.
‘Bastard?’
Alice's mind raced, but he maintained a composed smile. "I wouldn't speak like that if I were you, especially in my house.”
"I don't care. I'm not here by choice. I'm here because my daughter is here, you filth," Mary retorted, her voice laced with disdain.
‘Wow,’ Alice thought to himself.
It was the first time in his life he had been called such names, and they certainly didn't sound amusing. He wasn't someone who took insults lightly.
“Tone it down. My Angel is sleeping,” Alice said, his forced smile replaced with a smirk this time.
‘Angel?’ Mary mumbled, recalling the day Alisha had mentioned how he called her that.
She recalled every word Alisha had uttered before, and now she understood why Alisha had been so frightened that day. It wasn't just because Lucky had died; it was because this man exuded danger from every angle, no matter how she tried to view him.
“I think we can discuss this calmly,” Daisy intervened once again, attempting to defuse the tension.
