After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 112: Heart-stirring Alice York

"See your friend?"

Seraphina Sheridan’s voice sounded by her ear.

Alice York pulled her gaze back and shook her head.

She hadn’t seen Zoe Jenson, but she did see a silhouette that looked uncannily like Mason Cheney. It flashed past in the crowd and quickly vanished.

’I hope I was just seeing things.’

"It’s time to go on stage." Seraphina gently tapped Alice’s shoulder. "Director Ellison has you sitting next to Cecelia. You’ll get a lot of screen time tonight."

Alice kept pace with Seraphina. "I know."

Seraphina asked tentatively, "You’re not here to film the show because you need the money, are you?"

Alice looked up at her, her tone half-joking. "Do I look that rich?"

"If I said you have an air of nobility about you, you’d definitely think I was just trying to flatter you," Seraphina said.

Alice didn’t respond. She didn’t feel like Seraphina was trying to flatter her. As for this "air of nobility" Seraphina saw, she just took it as a joke. ’Where would she get an air of nobility? An air of a workhorse is more like it.’

She had thought seeing Mason Cheney’s silhouette was just a minor incident, that it couldn’t be that much of a coincidence.

But after getting on stage, Alice truly understood the meaning of her world going dark.

Zoe Jenson was already there, sitting in the audience and waving enthusiastically at her, smiling so wide her eyes crinkled shut. You couldn’t imagine anyone looking happier.

Alice noticed the man sitting next to Zoe. It was Holden Locke. He was here too.

Their eyes met. Holden Locke smiled gently and gave her a nod.

Alice returned a polite smile, but the moment she saw Mason Cheney’s figure, the smile on her lips froze.

Mason Cheney!

’It really is him!’

’But why is he in the audience? Was he ordered to keep an eye on me?’

"Uncle, you came tonight too! Alice must be so surprised." Zoe Jenson leaned over to speak to Holden Locke. "Look at Alice’s face, she’s totally stunned, haha."

Zoe thought Alice’s reaction was because she saw her uncle.

Only Holden Locke could tell that Alice’s surprise wasn’t because of his presence, but because of someone in the audience seats behind them...

Holden Locke glanced back. Mason Cheney was sitting ramrod straight, his expression so serious it was eye-catching. It was hard not to notice him.

"That person looks a little familiar," Holden Locke murmured.

"Who?" Hearing this, Zoe turned around too.

Just then, Mason Cheney’s gaze shifted over and met Zoe’s. He offered a symbolic smile to convey friendliness and politeness, but Zoe gave him a dirty look, lifting her chin and huffing with disdain. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"..."

Unfazed, Mason Cheney retracted his gaze and continued to look at the stage.

"Zoe, if I remember correctly, he’s Wyatt Sterling’s assistant, a Mr. Cheney."

"You’re right, Uncle. It’s him. He was the one who picked us up in Washington last time and took us to the Churchill Family’s home."

She’d had a decent impression of him before, but after he forced his way into their home that night, her opinion of Mason Cheney plummeted. The reason was simple: she had never been detained like a criminal in her entire life. She had felt utterly helpless.

She knew the one she should really hate was Wyatt Sterling.

After all, Mason Cheney was just following Wyatt Sterling’s orders.

But how could she dare? ’Forget it, forget it.’ Glaring at Mason Cheney once in a while was one thing, but she’d never dare to glare at Wyatt Sterling.

"Hey, wait..." Zoe slowly realized something. "If Mason Cheney is here, does that mean..."

Holden Locke guessed what Zoe was about to say. "Alice’s Third Uncle is here tonight too."

"No way." Zoe deliberately changed the subject. "How could that Third Master Sterling come in person? At most, he’d just send someone to keep an eye on Alice."

"Shouldn’t he be stopping her? If the Sterlings want to control her, why would they let her participate in this kind of public dating show?" Every word from Holden Locke was sharp.

Before coming tonight, he had assumed the Sterlings didn’t know.

But now, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Zoe didn’t dare to meet Holden Locke’s eyes, mumbling, "Well, then I’m not sure. Maybe the Sterlings have other plans."

Holden Locke frowned. "If that’s the case, can Alice still live in peace?"

"Uhh..."

’Uncle, you don’t have to worry,’ Zoe wanted to say. ’With Third Master Sterling protecting her, Alice is definitely safe for now.’

But she didn’t dare say it, afraid her uncle would be heartbroken if he knew the truth.

’Sigh, this is all my fault. Why did I have to play matchmaker? Now look, my uncle is about to fall for her for real.’

"And who is that...?"

Holden Locke’s gaze was fixed ahead.

Curious, Zoe followed his line of sight. It was fine until she looked, but one glance made her jump. "Isn’t that Alice’s older brother, Owen Sterling?"

’What is with tonight? The Sterlings are showing up one after another.’

The only person more unsettled than Zoe at that moment was, of course, Alice on stage. She felt like she was about to fall apart. First Holden Locke, then Mason Cheney, and now even her brother was here...

Cecelia, beside her, seemed to notice her nervousness and sneered, "Such a great spot facing the audience, getting stage fright? If you’re scared, then get off the stage. Don’t make a fool of yourself here."

Alice turned her head. "Fine. I’ll get down right now and tell Director Ellison that you told me to."

"..."

Cecelia’s expression faltered, turning vicious for a moment before she quickly composed herself. "Can’t you take a joke?"

Alice said, "Because I’m not worldly enough to take a joke. You’d better watch how you talk to me."

Cecelia’s fists clenched. She lowered her voice, "What are you so smug about?"

Alice calmly shot back, "Whatever you’re afraid of is exactly what I’m smug about."

Cecelia suppressed the rage ignited by Alice’s few words. "Just you wait. We’ll see how I’ll deal with you."

After speaking, Cecelia quickly pulled out her phone, typed out a message, and sent it.

She hadn’t lasted this long on the show just by relying on Edward Ellison. Naturally, she had other lovers, like the lighting technician who could make the lights "malfunction."

’She’d had this idea for a while. Just you wait!’

Alice’s mind was no longer on filming the show. She saw Owen Sterling raise his phone at her; he had probably sent her a message.

She shook her head, indicating that she didn’t have her phone with her.

The rules for being on stage stated no phones were allowed. The only exception was Cecelia. The director was very indulgent with her, and she was currently the most popular female contestant on the show, so she had plenty of special privileges.

Finally, the first male contestant came on stage.

Unsurprisingly, the male contestant’s "crush" was Cecelia. After coming on stage, his eyes never left her, and every topic he brought up revolved around her. All that was left was the final confession.

A few of the other female contestants quite liked this first male contestant.

He wasn’t bad-looking, had a bit of money, owned a small company, and his fashion sense seemed decent.

But the male contestant’s attraction to Cecelia was too obvious—so obvious that his answers to the other women’s questions were perfunctory and absent-minded. So, knowing their place, those contestants all turned off their lights, not wanting to face the embarrassment of being rejected. Even Cecelia turned off her light.

However, one light in the entire venue remained on, left on for the male contestant until the very end.

That light was the one in front of Alice York.