Chapter 11 Becoming Flirtatious
Alicia tilted her head up to look at Louis, her expression calm and still, "Yes, Cousin Louis."
Her eyes held a clear stubbornness. She was used to being gentle, even when rebelling. Louis had intended to scold her, but suddenly he couldn't bring himself to do it. He raised the corner of his lips and said, "OK, whatever."
Louis raised his hand and pulled her into his arms. Alicia wasn't prepared for it and fell into his embrace. She smelled the good masculine scent mixed with the smell of cigarettes and alcohol, as well as the unfamiliar sweet fragrance of Madelyn.
Alicia felt repulsed, shook her shoulders, and tried to break free from Louis's arms. But Louis tightened his arm around her, showing a domineering sense of ownership. Then he spoke politely and distantly to Leo, "Thank you for sending her back."
Leo said, "No problem," but his eyes were puzzled as he watched Louis's arm wrapped around Alicia's shoulders. "They look too intimate to be just cousins," Leo reasoned.
Louis gave Leo a cold look and pulled Alicia towards the elevator. As they waited for the elevator, he stared at the changing numbers on the panel and casually asked, "Is he pursuing you?"
Alicia said, "Not really. He just appreciates me."
"When a man says he appreciates a woman, his intentions are usually impure," Louis turned the conversation around. "You and he have been in contact for three years?"
Alicia's face changed slightly, and she pulled away from his embrace, "Are you investigating me?"
Louis raised his hand to rub her head, his tone gentle, "Don't make it sound so harsh. I'm just concerned."
Alicia dodged away from him and said, "His grandfather knows my grandfather. Three years ago, he offered a high salary to hire me."
"Oh, so my Alicia is an outstanding career woman," Louis spoke with an intimate tone mixed with teasing, and his lips carried a faint smile.
Alicia's ears felt numb. They had been married for three years, and they had always respected each other. It was the first time she had heard Louis address her so affectionately with "my Alicia." She felt a bit uncomfortable and a bit sad.
The elevator was swiftly ascending when Louis suddenly asked, "Do you regret marrying me three years ago?"
Alicia was slightly taken aback and looked up at him with a slightly dazed expression, her mind going somewhere else.
Alicia's response was soft but strong, "No regrets on my end."
"Back then, I was nothing but a lost cause with a temper like a ticking time bomb. Even the staff wanted nothing to do with me. And yet you, with a bright future ahead, didn't think twice about marrying me," Louis remarked, standing tall and proud like a regal oak tree. Underneath the cold, sterile lights, he exuded an air of nobility and charm.
Alicia looked at him with sincerity and replied, "You helped my grandmother find a kidney donor, saved her life, bought us a home, and provided a generous dowry to pull us out of financial crisis. I'm grateful beyond words. My grandfather always taught me to repay kindness with gratitude."
Louis listened intently, his expression neutral. When Alicia finished speaking, he raised his gaze and inquired coolly, "Is gratitude all you feel for me?"
Alicia fell silent, her heart aching. She would have once said love was also present, but now that Louis had requested a divorce and grown close to Madelyn, she couldn't bring herself to offer her heart so freely.
She remained silent as the elevator doors opened, leading them into the hallway. After Alicia unlocked the door and changed her shoes, Louis watched her silently. When she stood up, he approached her and pinned her against the wall with one arm, his gaze fixed on her. "Is it just gratitude, nothing more?"
Alicia met his gaze, her heart skipping a beat. Louis had a calm expression like still waters, and his dark eyes seemed to contain a universe of emotion.
"In his heart, I'm a mere replacement for Madelyn." Alicia's heart twinged, and she lowered her gaze. "Yes, only gratitude," she answered stubbornly.
Louis let out a wry smile. "That's right. She gave all her love to Chuck, and what's left for me is nothing but gratitude. A marriage based on debt is meaningless."
He withdrew his arm and absentmindedly surveyed the living room. "Is your mother home?"
"My grandmother's nurse went on a leave of absence, so my mother's filling in for her for a few days. Have a seat, and I'll make you some tea after washing my hands," Alicia offered.
As Alicia turned to leave, Louis' phone buzzed. He fished it out of his pocket and saw that Madelyn was calling. They were so close that Alicia caught a glimpse of the screen with the word "Maddie" displayed. Her heart dropped like a lead balloon, and she rushed off to the bathroom.
Louis watched her go, feeling a bit uneasy. He answered the phone and walked over to the window. "Hey, everything OK?"
Madelyn's voice was laced with a hint of sadness. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just left and wanted to check in on Alicia. Is she mad at me?"
"Nah, she's pretty chill. Nothing to worry about," Louis replied, trying to reassure her.
Madelyn's tone softened. "She didn't say anything bad about me, did she?"
She was sweating bullets about the fat check.
Louis maintained a calm expression. "Nah, she didn't say much."
Madelyn breathed a sigh of relief and tried to sound surprised. "Wow, that's so not like her. When we met for coffee earlier, she had a lot to say, and she wasn't holding back."
Louis was getting fed up. "Look, Maddie, Alicia's never said a bad word about you to me, OK? I don't want to hear any more of that kind of talk from you in the future."
Madelyn was caught off guard and quickly shifted gears. "I'm sorry, Louis. I just don't want you to be deceived by her."
Louis raised an eyebrow. "Deceived? What are you talking about?"
Madelyn hesitated, then decided to come clean. "It's nothing. I was just worried about you. You know I care about you."
Louis wasn't buying it. "Right. Anyway, I gotta go. Talk to you later."
As he was about to hang up, there was a loud noise from the bathroom. Louis sprinted over and asked, "Alicia, you OK?"