Melora and Alfred stared at each other silently.
She didnât expect to run into him at the hospital.
The scene reminded her of the night when they had their first sex because it had also taken place in the hospital.
He had been drunk and had pinned her down on the couch while having his way with her.
It was obvious that Alfred was thinking the same thing.
Caution was his middle name, and he often thought about the outcome before acting.
However, he didnât have time to consider the consequences when it came to his relationship with Melora. Just like that, he was seduced by a woman sixteen years younger than him and did probably the craziest. thing in his life.
Of course, it wasnât just because she was young and attractive.
After all, he had met plenty of beauties before, and they werenât any less alluring than her. In fact, they were quite thoughtful.
They wouldnât cling to him like Melora, calling him Mr. Alfred like a kitty.
He had to admit he was addicted to Melora calling him that.
After a while, Alfred said, âYouâre here to visit Skyler?â
Melora was stunned for a while before she returned to her senses and nodded. âYes. Sheâs doing much. better now, and sheâll probably be discharged tomorrow.â
Just as Alfred was about to say something, Leslie stepped out of the elevator. He was shocked to see Melora, but as an experienced man, he swiftly calmed down and greeted with a smile, âMiss Miller!â
Melora nodded and said to Alfred, âIf thereâs nothing else, Iâll be leaving now.â
Alfred held her hand. âWait!â
Leslie gasped and turned around.
Melora attempted to shove Alfredâs hand away, but he was strong, so she couldnât shake him off at all.
âLetâs talk,â said Alfred in a deep voice.
Eventually, they entered a serene cafe. Leslie asked for a private room for the two and guarded the entrance.
Inside the room, Alfred dismissed the server and personally made coffee.
Typically, coffee would be served to him by others. However, he secretly loved coffee and could brew it well.
Once he was done, he placed a cup of coffee in front of Melora. âGive it a try.â
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1/5 Melora pursed her lips. âI donât like coffee!â
A smile surfaced on Alfredâs countenance as he spoke warmly. âI forgot that you prefer milkshakes and fried chicken...â
Melora stared at him wordlessly.
The man before her was still as elegant as she recalled, Once, she was enamored with him. However, that was no longer what she wanted.
âDid you bring me here just to talk about that, Mr. Lodge?â she asked coldly.
Alfred went to the mini-fridge, opened it, and grabbed a drink for her.
She didnât accept it.
As he inserted a drinking straw into the bottle for her, he said, âIâve been wanting to know how youâve been doing for the past two years.â
Meloraâs heart ached for a moment.
Then, she raised her head and said nonchalantly, âPretty good. I was enjoying life.â
Despite her casual tone, Alfred knew her life wasnât as simple as that.
After all, she was pampered since young and didnât know how to do many things.
While he wanted to ask more questions, Melora grinned and tossed him a question of her own. âWhat do you want to know, Mr.
Lodge? Do you want to know how embarrassed I felt and why I didnât tell you I was pregnant? Or perhaps you want to know why I didnât abort the child.â
Alfred paled but still maintained a smile. âDonât be so childish.â
Melora lowered her gaze. âChildish! You still treat me as a child, I see. If you do, why did you have sex with me, Mr. Lodge? Is it because youâre sick of older women and want a taste of fresh meat?â She did her best to keep her emotions in check. âLook at how different we are! You enjoy drinking coffee and playing chess while I like drinking milkshakes and eating fried chicken, not to mention I like frequenting nightclubs. Weâre people from two different worlds. You said we werenât compatible, so I didnât pester you and forgot everything that had happened in the past just like you wanted. So, tell me, what are you doing right now?â
Alfredâs heart was heavy with sorrow.
There was a world of difference between them, and he could tell from her words that she hated him, not that he didnât deserve it.
Back then, they had had a good and crazy time together.
Women, no matter how simple or how old-fashioned they were, would always assume their man would marry them.
Alfred had thought about marrying Melora, too, but he failed her.
He really wanted to hold her hand, but she wouldnât allow him to.
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2/5 She recomposed herself and said, âSorry for losing my temper. If you wish to meet Berthold, ask your secretary to contact me. Iâll arrange for it.â
âCan I visit the Miller residence too?â Alfred asked softly.
Melora was stunned.
She wanted to say no, but because the Miller family and the Lodge family were in-laws, she couldnât.
Alfred didnât force her.
He had no other intentions when he accidentally bumped into her that day. The only thing he wanted was to chat with her. It had been a long time since he had a casual conversation with anyone without having to worry about anything.
A moment later, Melora left in a hurry.
When she arrived downstairs, opened the car door, and was about to get into the vehicle, she saw someone.
Across the seat, the rear window of Alfredâs car was lowered, and Melora spotted a gorgeous and mature woman inside.
Melora knew who that woman was.
The woman was Caylie Cook, Alfredâs subordinate and confidante.
Caylie nodded at Melora.
Melora snorted. What a scâmbag he is. He brought his female subordinate out on a business trip while reminiscing about the past with me.
Just then, Alfred arrived.
He frowned and walked up to Melora. âI brought her along with me for business matters!â
âYou donât need to explain anything to me, Mr. Lodge,â Melora said calmly. âBesides, are you really going to tell me nothing happened between you and her?â
Alfred went silent.
Although he did have a one-night stand with Caylie before, it was a long time ago.
Right then, they were merely ordinary colleagues.
Without saying another word, Melora entered the driverâs seat, fastened her seatbelt, and stepped on the gas pedal.
The red automobile before Alfred zoomed past him.
At that moment, he noticed tears in the corner of her eyes. Meloraâs crying?
He pursed his lips and watched her leave.
Caylie approached him and asked tenderly, âIs there a misunderstanding between Miss Miller and you, Mr. Lodge? Should I talk to her?â
3/5 Alfredâs heart sank.
He turned around, looked at his beautiful subordinate, and smiled nonchalantly. âWhat misunderstanding? Sheâs just defending her brother.â
There was no way he would talk about his relationship with Melora.
Caylie smiled plainly.
Leslie arrived in a hurry and had also spotted the scene from earlier. He wiped his sweat away and questioned the driver. âWhy did you park here?â
Looking troubled, the driver answered, âMiss Cook requested it.â
Leslie looked at Alfred and said, âMr. Lodge, what are we âYou lot should return to the hotel first. Iâm going to visit Skyler,â Alfred said placidly.
Knowing Alfredâs intention. Leslie smiled at Caylie. âIt seems that Mr. Lodge will be spending the night at Miss Lodgeâs place.
Thisâll be our chance to relax. Iâll take you out for a few drinks tonight, Caylie. The hustle and bustle of Barnwood is incomparable to Coldbridgeâs!â
After Leslie took Caylie away, Alfred smoked a few cigarettes at the parking lot.
When he spotted Meloraâs tears, he knew she still loved him.
A tidal wave of emotions washed over him.
He wished he could be free of his bondage and promptly provide her with a family so she wouldnât need to cry in secret again.
However, he couldnât, not at that moment.
As he held the cigarette between his slender fingers, he crossed the road.
He was so handsome that many female pedestrians couldnât help but take an extra glance at him when he passed them by. They couldnât tell he was past his prime.
Upon arriving at the ward, he knocked on the door.
Henry opened the door and was surprised to see Alfred.
He seemed to have forgotten about the scuffle in Coldbridge. He spoke affably and even poured Alfred a glass of water. He told Alfred about Skylerâs condition before adding, âIf youâd arrived half an hour ago, you couldâve met Melora.â
Holding the glass of water, Alfred said, âI met her. We talked over coffeeâ
Henry, who was seated on the couch, smiled. âCoffee? Are you trying to let her experience the life of an elder in advance, Uncle Alfred? I still canât fathom how you two managed to hook up in the past. You two donât suit each other.â
Annoyed by Henryâs words, Alfred put down the glass and smirked. âWe have a son, and we were together for some time, so we still have feelings for each other. But Iâm quite envious of you, Henry. If you reconcile with Crystal, youâll be getting married a second time: I canât be compared to you at all O 4/5 Henry flipped through the documents, then glanced at Alfred, who was drinking water calmly.
âYou donât need to be envious of me, Uncle Alfred. Our family is open-minded. We wonât use Berthold to bind you, so you can still live the life of a playboy if you wish. As for Melora, my mother has already. arranged a blind date for her, and she has agreed to it.â
Blind date... Alfred clenched the glass in his hand.
Noticing that, Henry smirked. âHave some water, Uncle Alfred.â
Alfred forced a smile.
At that moment, Skyler woke up. She sat up and greeted Alfred.
Alfred truly adored her.
As awful as he felt, he still picked Skyler up and kissed her cheek. Then, he grabbed a talisman from his pocket and put it on her It was something he had specifically requested at a special place.
Henry had sharp eyes, so of course he could tell Alfredâs intention. He softened his tone as he said, âThanks for that.â
Hugging Skyler. Alfred asked about Audreyâs court sessions, and Henry answered in full detail.
Alfred whispered, âIâll drop by and pay them a visit, just in case.â
Then he kissed Skylerâs cheek. I wonât let Crystal or Skyler be harmed by that crazy woman again.