Chapter 69
Chapter 69: Alice Is Alive
Alice Is Alive,
“You cannot use Alice like this,” Serena said angrily.
Her emotions were all over the place. She was confused, unsure whether to believe him or not.
Nathaniel had invited her to his assigned business lounge at the hotel. Apparently, he had been in the same area as Serena, yet their paths did not cross earlier that day.
He said it was a private matter.
No one else should know about Alice.
Silas had momentarily taken Alisa back to their suite. Only Nathaniel and Serena were inside the lounge, with Gavin standing outside the glass door.
“I am not using Alice,” Nathaniel said, meeting her gaze. “I promised you I would never give up looking for her, and I didn’t. I found Alice, but it wasn’t an easy road for her p>
Serena blinked rapidly. Tears welled in her eyes as she asked, “You-you’re serious? Alice is alive? Why? Why haven’t I known about this p>
Nathaniel nodded. He rested his hands on her shoulders and said, “I have no reason to lie to you p>
Then he turned toward the door. “You can ask Gavin. Our investigation had suggested that someone tried to have Alice killed. I coordinated with the authorities to put her and her family under witness protection p>
“When Gavin and I found Alice Nathaniel’s face hardened, the memory clearly painful. His voice faltered. “I thought you were gone. By the time I learned you never boarded that flight, you had already disappeared completely. I had no way of reaching you p>
“Alice isn’t well, Serena,” he added. “She lost her memories. She needs you p>
“I don’t have photos of her. We destroyed every piece of evidence sugges she survived. But if you come with me tomorrow, I’ll take you to Alice,” Nathaniel said. “Serena, your presence could be a significant factor in her recovery p>
Finally, it sank in.
It didn’t look like Nathaniel was lying.
Serena thought about her grief, the nights she spent crying over Alice.
She felt a sense of relief, but it wasn’t enough. Serena wanted to see Alice as soon as possible.
The next day came quickly.
Serena and Silas couldn’t leave the children alone, even with the bodyguards and the nanny. Ali, in particular, was very clingy and disliked being separated from Serena or any of the Vanders for long.
In the end, Silas stayed behind at the hotel with the children, while Serena went with Nathaniel and Gavin.
As part of her security detail, Milo accompanied Serena. He was Silas’s most senior and trusted bodyguard, which was why Silas felt confident entrusting Serena’s safety to him.
By the time they reached the airport, everything had been arranged. Nathaniel had chartered the flight himself.
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Once airborne, with Milo maintaining a respectful distance, Nathaniel finally spoke. “So… how old is Ali?” Nathaniel asked reluctantly. “She looks almost three p>
Serena was seated opposite Nathaniel. The aircraft had its seats arranged in small clusters rather than rows, with wide leather chairs facing one another across a narrow table.
At first, Serena feared Nathaniel was testing the possibility that Alisa was his child. The thought frightened her. But before she could reply, he added, “You must have married fairly quickly for you to have Ali. How… how exactly did you meet Silas Vander p>
Serena: p>
‘Does he think Silas and I are- she stopped herself, eyes widening slightly. ‘Never mind, she thought. Maybe it’s for the best p>
“I’d rather not talk about my personal life, Mr. Thorne,” Serena said, turning her gaze toward the window.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Nathaniel nod. He signaled to Gavin, who handed her a set of documents.
“It’s to formally record your visit,” Nathaniel explained. “Witness Protection needs it on file. Everything you see or hear remains confidential p>
Serena accepted the documents and signed them. Her bodyguard, Milo, signed the same papers.
After returning them to Nathaniel, she asked quietly, “Did you-did you ever find out who tried to hurt Alice p>
Nathaniel looked distant at first. Then he said, “Mrs. Hartley suggested it could have been Victor. Because you He paused. “Because you were trying to disprove your paternal relationship p>
“But Mrs. Hartley also told me the results came back positive,” Nathaniel continued. “When we investigated, we found no communication leaks from prison. All of Victor’s correspondence with his lawyers was subpoenaed. Authorities found nothing suggesting he ordered to harm Alice.” 1
Dead air settled between them.
Serena didn’t know how to react to Nathaniel knowing about the attempted paternity test at Grand Mercy. She considered telling him the truth right then, but decided it
was pointless. He would only feel guilty, and it would open up old wounds.
“And over time, the Hartleys came to appreciate their new life in Westfield,” Nathaniel continued. “It’s peaceful there. Simple. They’ve grown content p>
He paused, then said, “Listen. About the paternity test with Victor. I understand why you questioned whether he was your father. I discovered a few things myself that made me question it too p>
“I’m sorry, I never figured it out. You never told me how he hurt you back then.” Nathaniel stepped closer, his hand reaching for hers. But at that moment, Serena noticed the nylon bracelet around his wrist. She frowned, not only because it was adjusted to its maximum size, but because it felt strangely familiar.
It reminded her of her childhood. Her nanny had once suggested making bracelets as therapy.
“Where did you get that?” Serena softly asked.
She meant to pull away, but when their eyes met, the sharp planes of Nathaniel’s face and the intensity of his gaze made the space between them feel impossibly small.
“Serena,” Nathaniel said quietly. “You gave this to me when we were kids p>
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Chapter 20 phawol Was Mater