Trust In Love - Chapter 253

Days passed and Alex settled into her new routine.

She spent her time at home catching up on the curriculum. Because she transferred, she registered her number under a desktop app. It allowed her to stay in touch. Notifications would pop up as she studied. Sometimes she’d leave the chat room open as she did her homework.

In school, she followed her code to stay in the side lines. She didn’t initiate conversation other than to Xiera and Kate. Emily and her friends joined them daily for lunch. It never had a dull moment. The food also tasted just as delicious as her first day.

Soon, Friday arrived.

A breakfast spread waited for her in the dining room. When Alex rounded the corner, she knitted her brows. Both of her parents sat at the table. They talked in hisses and under their breaths. Neither of them wore amused expressions. It seemed quite serious.

“Everything okay?” Alex asked, staying on her guard.

It was her mother who noticed her first. The scowl disappeared from her face. She replaced it with a smile. It almost seemed like the discussion never happened.

It merely raised more suspicion instead.

“It’s nothing, dear,” Angie reassured her, “How is school?”

Alex sat on her father’s left, across from her mother. It was the first time she had seen them since she moved back. They had travelled overseas again for an emergency meeting. She didn’t mind it. They constantly stayed in touch.

They also would bring back some sweets. She always considered that as a positive thing.

For instance, she was sure the chocolate truffles at the table weren’t from the kitchen. They were calling her name. She made a mental note to bring some for lunch later.

“It’s okay,” Alex chose to answer. She sliced a piece of bacon and ate it, “I’ve made a few acquaintances so there is no need to worry about me being alone. I can keep up with my classes.”

“Have you decided on which club to join?”

“Not yet.”

“Really?” Ethan joined in. He set down his coffee mug, “I would have thought that you would have chosen volleyball.”

Alex paused mid-chew, blinking up at her father. She swallowed the fried egg and said, “I haven’t really played with strangers before. I wasn’t sure about it.”

Truth be told, club wasn’t in her mind before now. She focused more on academics. The school gave out much more homework and tests than in Woodlands. It was almost brutal. She started to understand why Xiera didn’t want to study last Monday.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Angie began to say, “There’s an upcoming charity event at the children’s hospital. Would you come with me?”

“You know I always do,” Alex replied. She patted the table napkin to her lips. “We go every year.”

The upcoming holidays meant a lot of activities from charity organizations. Some were her mother’s initiatives. Others were by the ones their family sponsored. The children’s hospital fell into the latter category—with Angeline Greenwood as part of the head committee. Because of that, Alex usually attended as a volunteer.

It was almost like an unspoken rule.

“This time we have a lot more partnerships. It’s going to be the biggest event we’ll hold at the hospital,” her mother continued to explain. She placed her knife and fork back on the table. Her gaze fidgeted as she spoke.

“That’s wonderful.” Alex nodded, waiting for the catch.

“That means more volunteers.”

“I figured.”

“Neal is one of them.”

There it was. She took a sip of orange juice and let her mother wait for a response. It wasn’t her fault that Angie decided to beat around the bush. It seemed that the Conary Family would become active this year. The new Mistress of the House must have taken the reins.

Now that she thought about it, she never met the infamous Serah Winters.

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Thank you for the heads up?”

She put her glass in its spot on the table. On the other hand, Angie became slightly restless. Words vomited out of her mouth as she avoided her daughter’s eyes. She’d normally act headstrong but since this was for charity, she needed to be more lenient. They couldn’t exactly turn down sponsorships.

They were also always in need of volunteers.

“I know everything looks bad right now. There was the trial. The Conary Family had made you transfer,” Angie said, using one breath.

Alex exchanged looks with her father. She wondered if the discussion had been about this. If it was, she could now imagine the statements each of her parents made. Ethan would have been explaining that his wife was over analyzing.

“We’re suspicious that it’s about the engagement. I know you’re dating Logan right now so it looks extra bad. You must have some vent up anger—”

“Mom,” Alex interjected, “I think if I would make a scene, I would have done it by now since I see him at school.”

The speech came to a full stop. If her mother had more to add, it died in her throat. The tension eased off Angie’s shoulders. She breathed out in relief. “You do have a point.”

Her daughter shrugged. She didn’t see Neal often except for joint classes. Hopefully, it would be the same for the charity event. “You have nothing to worry about. I would behave… as long as he does nothing to provoke me.”

“I know you won’t. I still worry though.”

“Will there be other families?” Alex asked, deciding to change the topic.

“Several,” her mother replied, “We’d meet different ones in every event. I imagine some of them would be your schoolmates. I know you prefer to be in the shadows but I was thinking… since you are now introduced to your peers—”

“—that I become more active,” Alex finished for her.

She did stay with the back crew most of the time. She had been mistaken for a staff member a couple of times. She joined the distribution teams for food donations and gifts. It was done by a mass of people so it was easy to avoid most cameras.

For the children’s hospital, she focused on a few patients. They would hang out by themselves while the others did the rest. She’d only bring them back to the center of the event when it was time to eat.

“I’ve thought this over from the time the verdict came out,” Alex confessed, “I won’t be more extroverted but I will be more seen. This will be part of my job someday. I should adjust to it as early as now.”

Since she was back in high society, she figured that she should participate fully in social events. During parties, she would have to mingle more. She would need those connections someday. It was better to start them now—when she didn’t have ulterior motives for ȧduŀts to be suspicious of.

They were typically softer with children.

��Then, I have nothing more to say.” Angie sighed. She finished off her plate and moved to the banana muffin. She pinched out a piece. “Have you told Logan that he needed your father’s permission?”

Alex frowned, biting the last piece of bacon. “I have. I told him last Monday. He hasn’t called?”

“Well,” her mother thought out loud, “Maybe it was because we were overseas.”

Ethan wiped his mouth. His voice came out crisp and low. “If that boy really wanted something, he would do everything to make it happen. So if he did want to ask for permission, he would find a way around that excuse. The internet exists. He could contact me through your socials, dear.”

Placing her knife and fork down, Alex grabbed her orange juice again. “I still get to visit Woodlands, right? I mean, even if it’s just at Aunt Lilly’s house.”

“Of course.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Aw, come on, father,” she whɨnėd. “We already talked about this. We had an agreement that I would be back the next weekend, remember?. This weekend is that weekend.”

Ethan snorted. He gave her a look. “Yes, I do remember. I won’t go back on my word… but that doesn’t mean that boy has to know about it.”

Alex furrowed her eyebrows. “What are you saying…?”

“Oh, dear. How evil,” Angie commented. She caught on her husband’s intention right away. It sparked a bit of scheming in her as well. If Logan hadn’t asked then, they could play off that Alex was still at home and not at Lilly’s place.

“What?” Ethan feigned innocence. He raised his coffee mug. “When that boy asked my permission to date Alex, I explicitly told him there would be rules to follow. I didn’t force him into anything. It was him who said he’d do everything.”

Then, he took a sip.

“Yeah, that sounds Logan,” Alex muttered. He probably agreed to the terms the moment he didn’t hear a rejection. Who was she kidding? He would have complied even if he didn’t hear what the terms were.

Her father slammed his mug on the table. He narrowed his eyes at her. His head shook a bit. “What do you even see in him?”

“Dear!”

“I’m simply curious,” Ethan defended, shifting his attention to his wife. “I don’t even know what you saw in me back then.”

Alex had used the moment to seize a truffle. The chocolate counting melted on her tongue. The inside was chewy and dense. The flavor exploded in her mouth. After a taste, she regretted her decision.

She should have taken the whole box.

Angie rolled her eyes. A small smirk tugged on her lips. “It’s a woman’s secret. If we go around telling, imagine how many guys would change to match the description. It’s best to keep quiet so we’d know who is more authentic.”

Ethan grunted under his breath. He took another sip of coffee. He slipped back into his own mind, ȧssessing the reports he previously read. He mentally prepared himself for a business meeting.

Meanwhile, Angie turned to her daughter.

She mouthed five words as Alex swallowed the truffle.

‘I-Have-No-Idea-Either.’