Meanwhile, at a child-friendly hotel in the City, Adie sat cross-legged on a couch in one of the suites, eyes glued to Happy Sheep and the Big Gray Wolf on television.
Alice brought some washed fruits to Adie with a big smile on her face." Adie, have some fruits. You need the vitamins."
Adie smiled in an adorable manner. "Thank you, Aunty Alice. You're a beautiful and kind person. No wonder you're Mommy's good friend."
"You are such a sweet-talker."
'Of course. I get to eat super sweet fruits that you personally washed. My mouth naturally becomes super sweet too!"
Alice couldn't stop smiling throughout her conversation with Adie.
Although she kept reminding herself that Adie was Joanna and Ace's child and that the child would severely delay her marriage into the Moran family, meaning he couldn't be spared, she couldn't resist his angelic smile. He was so sweet with the things he said that she couldn't help but want to be close to him. She yearned to give him good food and nice clothes. It was insane!
Initially, she planned to get William to send Adie to Water Dock, where he would be handed over to a unique individual. However, she couldn't make up her mind and kept delaying.
Due to the urgent and complicated situation, she steeled herself and decided to send Adie away tonight. She couldn't drag this on…
She held the plate of fruits and sat next to Adie. With his cheeks all puffed up, he looked like a hamster that was munching on grapes. Her heart nearly melted.
Adie was completely focused on the cartoon.
Alice couldn't resist laughing. "Adie, do you like Happy Sheet and the Big Gray Wolf? Do you hate the wolf?"
Adie shook his head. "Not at all. I don't hate the wolf. It might seem bad, but it's actually not that bad. Although it wants to eat the sheep in every episode, it keeps failing. I think it's not only because the sheep is smart but because it doesn't actually want to eat it. They're just playing!"
"l-ls that so?"
"Of course!" Adie reached out to Alice. "If you don't believe me, Aunty Alice, you can watch the show with me. After watching it, you'll realize it's quite adorable despite how everyone hates it. Mommy once told me that nobody is entirely good or bad in this world. If a bad person is willing to be good, he can be a good person too. He deserves to be liked by everyone."
'Your mother… She's good at sharing important values with you." Alice had a complicated expression on her face after hearing Adie's philosophical thoughts.
Why did she sense that there was an underlying message?
But he was only four years old. How could he be so smart? She had to be overthinking.
"Adie, what your mother said makes sense, but here's my advice. There are more villains in this world than you imagine. In fact, sometimes, bad guys will always be bad guys. It's hard for people to change. You have to be careful and don't trust strangers too easily. Don't go home with strangers, either. Otherwise, you won't even know if you get sold!"
"In that case, are you a bad person? Will you sell me to human traffickers?" Adie asked.
"O-Of course, I'm not a bad person!" Alice felt a little guilty after being asked that question. She stammered when she answered him.
She had only shared her thoughts so that Adie wouldn't fall into the hands of bad people in the future. In reality, though, she hadn't thought too much about it.
Coincidentally, her mother was the one who taught her this.
Her mother was a homewrecker who humbly served her father. That was how she managed to make his wife leave and create a reasonably comfortable life for Alice.
Alice's mother had been telling her since she was a kid that being born was a woman's first reincarnation, while getting married would be her second.
Good men were scarce, and women needed to have thick skin to win them over and keep them. The more ruthless one was, the more stable one's position in the household would be. Weak women would only be discarded -even their children would end up suffering.
Therefore, Alice had no other talent than competing for men.
She fought hard for Tristan and had him wrapped around her fingers.
Tristan thought she was pregnant with his child but in reality… The child didn't even belong to the Moran family.
In other words, even if her baby was healthy, she wouldn't keep it.
Joanna happened to be the perfect scapegoat.
Ace was the man Alice had set her sights on. She was willing to pay any price to get married to him.
"Adie, you have to believe that I'm a good person. I would never hurt you. You should be grateful that your mother has a good friend like me," Alice said with a smile while she gently ruffled Adie's head.
She made up her mind right there and then.
The kid could only blame himself for being Joanna's child!
Suddenly, Adie stopped watching the cartoon. He turned around and stared at Alice with wide eyes.
"W-What's the matter?" Alice panicked at the sight of his intense stare.
He looked way too much like Ace. Their eyes were practically the same when he didn't smile. His piercing gaze seemed as if it could see through her.
"Nothing. I just think that you're a good person. I like you a lot. I'm glad I got to know you. I'm so happy… Give me a hug, Aunty Alice!" After saying that, he opened his arms passionately and wrapped them around Alice's neck.
"Uhh…" Alice froze. She didn't dare to move.
Adie was soft to the touch. She felt a gentleness in the deepest part of her heart.
However, despite the passionate hug, she couldn't see the look of disappointment on Adie's face.
He already gave this mean aunty a chance, and he didn't want to punish her too severely. However, she still hadn't learned her lesson. She couldn't blame her for what he would do next…
"Adie, it's getting late. Finish your milk and go to bed!" Alice hesitated for a long while. In the end, she still offered him the milk that had a large number of sleeping pills infused.
"Alright. Thank you. Aunty Alice." Adie picked up the glass of milk and emptied it in a few gulps.
Soon, he was sound asleep. Alice couldn't wake him up no matter how hard she tried.
"Don't blame me, kiddo. It's all your mother's fault. You might be very adorable, and I really do like you, but you're Joanna's son, and I can't keep you around!" Alice sat on the edge of the bed and silently looked at Adie. Amid her fierce, steely expression, however, was a tinge of sadness.
And that was when the doorbell rang..