Pay

"I don't need to discuss anything, just get me my daughter," Mary retorted, refusing to back down.

He literally kidnapped Alisha. Who does he think he is? It's despicable. What is there to talk about?

She doesn't understand, and she doesn't want to understand. All she wants is Alisha; everything else is secondary.

"I said, tone down your voice, old lady. I'm not doing anything to you because my Angel is close to you. But if you direct this attitude towards my mom, I swear..." Alice let his words hang, leaving the threat implied.

He believed she would understand the rest on her own. He knew he wouldn't come across as innocent or kind.

Mary was startled by his tone and warning. She clenched her fists in anxiety and anger. "I want Alisha," she said, her voice lower this time.

"Good. But you're not getting her," Alice declared, raising his eyebrows.

He was relieved that Mary had lowered her tone. He usually hated disrespect, but yelling or a disrespectful tone of voice pressed his buttons the most. He couldn't tolerate anyone speaking to him like that.

"I'm going to complain to the police. All I want is my daughter back. Whatever she did, I'm ready to beg for forgiveness," Mary insisted.

"She took my heart and trapped me in her innocent eyes. How do you plan to ask for forgiveness for that?" Alice countered.

Mary faltered, taken aback by Alice's response. His words hit her harder than she expected, stirring a mixture of emotions within her.

"I... I just want to see her safe," Mary stammered, her resolve wavering slightly.

Alice's expression softened, sensing the genuine concern in Mary's voice. Despite his initial hostility, he couldn't deny the desperation in the mother's plea.

"I understand your concern, but Alisha is safe here," Alice reassured her, his tone gentler now.

Daisy was taken aback by her son's softened tone, but she was relieved that he was attempting to communicate.

When Mary arrived at the door, ignoring the guard's instructions and refusing to back down, the servants alerted Daisy.

Upon arriving and learning Mary's identity, Daisy understood the situation .

After all, her son had essentially compelled Alisha to stay there, so it was understandable for Mary to react strongly.

As a mother herself, Daisy empathised with Mary's distress. Without hesitation, she ushered Mary inside and contacted Alice, fully aware that he might react poorly.

And she was relieved that she did what she believed was right.

"I want to meet her. She's just a child. Let me see my daughter, please," Mary pleaded, her tone softened as she realised that reacting angrily or saying anything harsh would only worsen the situation.

She understood that Alice wouldn't respond well to hostility, so she chose to speak politely. The most important thing to her was to see Alisha, and she was willing to be on her knees if necessary.

Mary was prepared to do anything to see Alisha. Even though Alisha wasn't her biological child, she had been the first and longest resident of the orphanage. Mary couldn't bear to imagine what her innocent child had endured under the hands of this monster.

"I don't think it's necessary to meet her. As I said, she's sleeping, and I have no intention of waking her up," Alice refused, adamant about not letting Mary meet Alisha.

Alisha's constant talk about returning to the orphanage was already weighing heavily on his mind. He feared that meeting Mary would only embolden her further, potentially reigniting the desire to leave him – a desire he had worked hard to suppress by instilling fear in her.

He was gradually getting closer to Alisha, and he couldn't see why she needed an older woman in her life. If Mary had been Alisha's biological mother, he might have considered allowing them to meet, as he cherished his own mother deeply. But with Mary being just a caretaker, he didn't see the point in it at all.

Furthermore, he couldn't shake off the sense of possessiveness he felt towards Alisha. In his mind, she was his, and he didn't want anyone else interfering in their relationship, especially someone like Mary.

"Besides, Alisha doesn't need anyone else in her life right now," Alice added firmly, reinforcing his decision.

Mary's expression fell, disappointment evident in her eyes.

"Alice, that's not right. Let her meet Alisha. Alisha will be happy after meeting Mary, won't she?" Daisy attempted to manipulate her son.

Alice glanced at his mom, knowing she was right. Alisha would indeed be happy to see Mary.

Yet, he couldn't allow it to happen just for Alisha's momentary happiness.

After all, Alisha found joy in simple things like cake or ice cream, and he could easily provide her with something to lift her spirits. It wasn't that difficult.

‘But that can't replace a mother's love,’ his conscience chimed in.

‘My love can replace anything, and if it can't, then it doesn't matter,’ he countered internally.

"I can wait until she wakes up," Mary tried to reason, her tone hopeful.

"I said no, and it's not going to change. So, you can leave, old lady. And whatever you did for my Angel, I'm going to make sure your orphanage gets paid more generously than what you did for my girl," Alice stated firmly, his tone unwavering.

Mary's eyes widened as she tried to comprehend his words.

‘Is he trying to buy my love and the care I provided for Alisha?’ she wondered incredulously.

Mary had never thought anyone could stoop this low. She was well aware that the world wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, unlike Alisha's innocent beliefs.

She also knew the extent of cruelty that some wealthy individuals were capable of. Yet, this was even worse than she had imagined.

How can someone even say this?

How could money even be a factor in the bond she shares with Alisha?

Daisy was equally startled. She knew her son lacked conscience, but this was particularly egregious. Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder where she went wrong in Alice's upbringing to make him behave like that.

Despite her shock, Daisy couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She had always tried to instill good values in Alice, but it seemed that somewhere along the way, he had veered off course.

As she watched the exchange between Alice and Mary, Daisy realized that she needed to intervene. She couldn't let her son's callous behavior go unchecked any longer.

"Alice, that's enough," Daisy interjected, her voice firm.

“Mother.”