Kapitel 27: Chapter 27 Madelyn Got Backed Up

Alicia sauntered up to Louis, grinning from ear to ear. He was a real hunk, standing tall and proud like a skyscraper in the light, and so ridiculously good-looking it was almost painful to stare at him.

Alicia gazed up at him with eyes shining like the stars in the night sky, and playfully rubbed her tiny finger against his, which was as long as a limousine in comparison. Louis felt her touch and couldn't help but grin, taking her hand in his and running his other hand through her luscious locks. "Sorry I'm late, babe. Traffic was a nightmare," he apologized, his voice dripping with honey.

Alicia just waved it off with a carefree smile. "No biggie, I just got here too," she replied, her voice light as a feather.

Aileen was itching to say something snarky, but she didn't want to upset Louis. So she just grabbed her drink and skedaddled off to another corner. Louis took Alicia's hand and led her to the table, where they both took a seat.

He used his fancy silver fork to pick up a piece of bluefin tuna sashimi, offering it to Alicia. "This is the king of sashimi, bluefin tuna, just imported this morning from overseas. It's the best part of the fish belly, so give it a try," he urged.

Bluefin tuna was known as the "Rolls Royce of fish", the cream of the crop when it came to fish delicacies.

Alicia opened her mouth and started to chew slowly. The fresh taste of raw fish and the bouncy texture of the meat gave way to a lingering aroma, and the flavor was out of this world. "Mmm, this is so good," she gushed, beaming at Louis.

She used her chopsticks to offer him a piece, but Louis just pushed it back. "Nah, you enjoy it. Don't worry about me," he said, smiling sweetly at her.

Paige, who was busy doing her own thing, glanced over at Louis and Alicia, her lips curling up slightly as she saw their sweet exchange.

The wealthy woman in the green dress sitting next to them also took notice, commenting, "Your son treats his wife so well."

Paige humbly replied, "Eh, he's not too shabby. But my daughter-in-law is worth it. She's got a heart of gold, and she's one smart cookie."

The wealthy woman quipped back, "That's great and all, but what's the point of choosing someone from a literary family when you're all in business?"

Paige just chuckled, grabbing a slice of cake from the table and offering it to her. "Mrs. Kinton, these desserts we ordered are pretty darn good. Give it a try," she said, her tone pleasant and polite.

"Thanks," Mrs. Kinton replied, taking a small spoonful of cake and munching away, her mouth finally shut for once.

Suddenly, a commotion could be heard outside, and Alicia turned her head to look.

In walked a man in his sixties, dressed in a slick black suit and oozing with power. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with neatly trimmed gray hair and sharp eyebrows that gave him a fierce, commanding look.

It was Louis' father, Henry.

As Alicia was about to stand up and greet Henry, she saw a petite young woman following him, Madelyn. What a coincidence, she was also wearing a navy blue starry gown adorned with countless diamonds, but Alicia's was a long floor-length dress while Madelyn's was a fluffy short one, exposing her straight and white legs.

Alicia had a graceful and gentle aura while Madelyn exuded a cute and charming vibe. Alicia looked at Louis and asked, "Did you invite her?"

Louis shook his head slightly, "Neither my mom nor I invited her. It must be my dad who asked her to come. He and Maddie's dad were childhood friends and later both took over their family business, so they have a good relationship."

Alicia pursed her lips and remained silent. She rarely interacted with Henry and only saw him occasionally during gatherings at the villa.

After entering the room, Madelyn busied herself with greeting the guests familiarly, calling out one by one, "Hi, Mrs. Dylan, Mr. Johnson..."

She smiled sweetly, holding her injured hand behind her back, looking gentle and obedient.

Those people praised her, "You're getting more beautiful than ever."

Madelyn smiled, squinting her eyes and thanked them all.

Louis noticed that Alicia had been staring at Madelyn, so he gently patted her hand and said, "They are all in the same circle, and these people have watched Maddie grow up, so they know her well."

Whether it was her own overthinking or something else, at this moment, Alicia felt like an outsider who accidentally intruded into their circle and couldn't fit in. Soon, Madelyn saw Louis, her eyes lit up, and she ran over in her high heels, happily shouting, "Louis!"

Compared to her enthusiasm, Louis's attitude was much more indifferent, with only a slight curl of his lips and a nod in response.

Madelyn didn't feel discouraged at all, and ran over to stand beside him, glancing at Alicia and exclaiming, "Oh, Alicia looks so beautiful today!"

She pressed down her overly exaggerated skirt, blushing and saying, "We wore the same outfit today, what a coincidence!"

Alicia followed Louis's lead and simply nodded at her, picking up a tiramisu and eating it while ignoring Madelyn. She couldn't be bothered to even give a perfunctory response to her.

Madelyn pouted and complained to Louis, "I think Alicia doesn't really like me."

Louis tilted his chin slightly and gestured to the opposite side, "Go over there and eat."

Madelyn hesitated for a moment before reluctantly saying, "Okay."

As she walked over to the other side, her eyes couldn't help but linger on Louis. After Henry and the other guests finished socializing, they walked over to Louis and Alicia's table.

When they got close, Alicia stood up and greeted him with a smile, "Dad."

Henry gave her a cold glance and responded softly before turning to Louis, "Let's go to the study upstairs."

Louis nodded faintly and said warmly to Alicia, "Take your time eating, eat as much as you want. This is your own home, so just make yourself comfortable. If you need anything, give me a call."

Alicia smiled and said, "Okay, you go ahead."

As soon as Louis left, Madelyn sauntered over with a smug look on her face and a glass of wine in her hand. "Oh honey, don't think just because everyone in the Martinez family likes you, you're a shoo-in for their daughter-in-law. Uncle Henry likes me the most, and I'm the real MVP here."

Alicia felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She knew Madelyn was up to her usual shenanigans, and she was NOT in the mood for it. Alicia wasn't one to suffer fools, and she wasn't about to let Madelyn get the best of her. She clutched her wine glass tightly and shot Madelyn a cold look.

Alicia then said coldly, "Are you done yet? If so, kindly remove yourself from my sight. Go on, scram. It's my mother-in-law's birthday, and the last thing I want is for you to ruin it for everyone."

Madelyn glared at Alicia, her mind racing with fury. She couldn't believe Alicia was standing up to her like this! She remembered the last time she had lost her temper with her mom, hurling a thermos at her face. Madelyn instinctively touched her nose, wincing at the memory.

Later on, Paige asked Alicia where Louis was, and she headed upstairs to find him. As she approached the study door, she heard voices inside. It was Henry and Louis, talking in hushed tones. Alicia's heart raced as she tried to listen in on their conversation.

Henry was saying that Madelyn was a better match for Louis, and that they could help each other out with their family businesses. Louis remained silent for a moment before speaking up.

"During my toughest times, Alicia was always there for me. She's been my rock, my support, my everything."

Henry sneered at Louis, insisting that money could solve everything. He reminded Louis of all the things he had done for Alicia over the years, buying her family a house, helping Véronique find a kidney donor, and paying for all of their medical expenses.

But Louis wouldn't budge. "The biggest difference between humans and animals is that humans have emotions. Alicia means more to me than anything money could buy."

Henry laughed, telling Louis that love and affection were pointless in the business world. "Two ships sailing together are safer than one alone," he said, "and if anything happens to our company, the Monroe family can lend a hand. What can Alicia do for us?"

Alicia stood frozen outside the door, her heart breaking. She felt helpless and small, like she was nothing more than a tiny speck in the grand scheme of things. What could she possibly do to help the Martinez Group? She was just a restorer of ancient paintings, a jack of all trades and a master of none.

Tears streamed down her face as she realized that she had been living in a bubble all this time. She had thought she had everything she needed - a loving husband, a supportive family, and a fulfilling career. But now, she saw that none of it mattered in the cutthroat world of business and benifits.

Alicia turned around and left, but as she lifted her foot, she realized her legs were weak. She had to lean against the wall to make it downstairs. As she made her way down, Louis said in the study, "I'm sorry, I can't do it."

Unfortunately, Alicia couldn't hear him anymore.

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