After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 23: Alone with Him

When they got home, Alice York started packing for the upcoming trip.

Zoe Jenson stood to the side, looking like she wanted to say something but was holding back. "Alice..."

"You’ve been holding it in this whole time. Just say what’s on your mind." Alice York didn’t need to see Zoe Jenson’s expression to know she was bursting with things to say.

On the drive home, she had told Zoe Jenson about Old Master Sterling’s terms, and Zoe had slammed on the brakes right in the middle of the road.

The screech of tires and blare of horns quickly drew the attention of a traffic cop. The two of them got a stern lecture before they were allowed to leave. It was pretty embarrassing.

"Alice, are you really going to Washington?" Zoe Jenson was a thousand times more anxious than Alice herself.

Because the terms Old Master Sterling had laid out today required Alice York to accompany Silas Sterling on a trip to Washington.

It was utterly terrifying.

Because Silas Sterling was a mentally ill monster.

Alice York pulled two outfits from the closet and tossed them onto the bed. "With the Sterlings, I never have a choice. I have to go."

Zoe Jenson rushed to Alice’s side. "But your stepfather has episodes! If you go to Washington with him, what if he has one and hurts you? Have you forgotten all the dangerous situations he’s put you through...?"

"Stop."

Alice York cut Zoe Jenson off, her lips tightening into a thin line.

But this time, Zoe insisted on speaking. "The night before your college entrance exams, your mom took you boating on the lake, saying it was to help you relax. But she completely ignored you, and your stepfather pushed you overboard. You had a high fever for a day and a night and almost missed the exams."

The memory had been a lingering shadow in Alice’s mind ever since.

"And that other time, your stepfather decided on a whim to get a spotted hyena. You were just trying to be helpful when you reminded him they’re ferocious and difficult to tame, but he set it on you. That was so dangerous, you nearly died..."

Alice’s knuckles turned white as her fingers clenched the clothes she was holding.

Zoe’s eyes were red. "If your Third Uncle’s Rottweiler hadn’t rushed in and locked its jaws on the hyena’s neck, by the time anyone found you, you’d have been torn to pieces, your guts spilled all over the floor."

This was exactly why Zoe was even more frantic than Alice herself about her going to Washington with her stepfather.

"I’m just so scared something else will happen to you, Alice..." Zoe was on the verge of tears.

Alice reached out and hugged her, murmuring reassurances. "I’ll be careful."

"But his episodes are so unpredictable. How can you expect me not to worry?"

Silas Sterling’s condition had been unstable for years; he was more often in the throes of an episode than not. As indulgent as Old Master Sterling was, he rarely let him travel far, afraid Silas would get into some fatal accident.

Alice still didn’t know why Silas Sterling was being allowed to go to Washington. Old Master Sterling hadn’t told her, only demanded that she accompany him.

It wasn’t so much a condition as a command—one that could not be refused.

"Honestly, it’s better than constantly living in fear, wondering if he’s having an episode. If I’m by his side, at least I can monitor his condition," Alice said, turning back to fold her clothes.

’If I can’t escape my fate, I might as well face it head-on and try to turn this adversity to my advantage.’

With that thought, Alice’s outlook brightened considerably. "I’ve dealt with plenty of people with histories of mental illness over the years. I know how to handle them."

Hearing this only made Zoe’s heart ache more. She stepped forward and stopped Alice from folding her clothes. "What if I find a way to get you out of the country?"

Alice just calmly asked, "And hide for how long? Am I supposed to never come back?"

"Until the Sterlings run out of patience. And if you can’t come back, settling down in some beautiful little country wouldn’t be so bad." Zoe wasn’t thinking about the long term; she just wanted Alice to escape the cage of the Sterling family immediately.

Alice gently pried Zoe’s hands away. "Zoe, you’re not in my shoes. You can’t understand my worries. I can’t just run away."

’Besides, if I left, Old Master Sterling would probably take his anger out on Mindy Vaughn. She’s still my biological mother. I can’t just abandon her to that.’

"Fine."

Knowing it was pointless to argue, Zoe leaned back against the wall. "If you won’t let me help, then I can only wish you a safe trip to Washington. Just make sure you come back in one piece."

Alice’s eyes curved into a lovely smile. "I will."

Zoe then added, "When you get back from Washington, I’ll arrange for you to see my uncle again."

Alice thought of Wyatt Sterling’s previous warning. Worried that continuing to see Holden Locke would drag him into her troubles, she could only tell Zoe, "Maybe we should forget it. I don’t think your uncle and I are a good match."

Zoe made a noise of surprise. "Why? You said you thought he was great last time."

Alice demurred, using an excuse that wasn’t entirely a lie. "With my background, being with me would be difficult."

But Zoe didn’t agree. "Alice, you can’t give up on a potential chance at true love for a reason like that."

’True love?’

’As if I deserve true love,’ Alice thought.

’Still, Zoe means well, and she’s so invested in this. I can’t bear to keep refusing her. I’ll think about it after I get back from Washington in one piece.’

「Two days later, in the early morning.」

A luxury van was parked outside Westeria Gardens. As Alice York approached, wheeling her suitcase, a bodyguard stepped forward. "Miss Alice, allow me."

Alice let go of the handle.

The automatic door slid open. Mindy Vaughn stepped out, but it was Silas Sterling, still inside the van, who greeted Alice first. He waved. "Alice, I bought you some pan-fried buns! Get in and have some."

Mindy Vaughn looked back into the van. "Silas, keep them covered so they don’t get cold. I need to have a word with Alice."

Silas Sterling smiled and nodded. "Okay, I’ll keep them warm. You two go ahead and talk."

The van door slid shut, and Mindy Vaughn’s face immediately fell. She pulled Alice to the side. "I can’t go with you this time. You need to take care of yourself. If anything happens, call the bodyguards."

Alice pressed her lips together. "Why is Grandfather letting Uncle Sterling go to Washington this time?"

Mindy Vaughn raised a hand, gently massaging her temples with her fingertips. "Your Uncle Sterling’s mother was from Washington. There’s a death in her family over there, and a sizable inheritance. It would be awkward for your Grandfather to go, so he’s sending your Uncle Sterling instead."

Alice summed it up in a few words: "Filial piety as a front to get the inheritance?"

Mindy Vaughn’s fingers stopped massaging her temples. She looked up at Alice. "Do you have a death wish?"

Alice shut her mouth.

’She was telling the truth, but Mindy Vaughn was angry because she wasn’t supposed to be the one to say it.’

"Your Uncle Sterling’s condition has been much more stable for the past six months. Don’t be afraid; he won’t hurt you." Mindy Vaughn’s expression softened slightly. "Mom will be waiting for you to come home."

Even though she had long since given up on Mindy Vaughn, Alice had to admit that for a moment, she was touched.

But that feeling only lasted for two seconds.

Then she heard Mindy Vaughn add, "Oh, right, there’s one more piece of good news. Old Master Sterling has also arranged for Owen to go, though he won’t be leaving until tomorrow. Once he gets to Washington, you had better grab this chance to spend some time alone with him. You hear me?"