Chapter Five

Chapter Five: Meeting Alex Reed

At the Reed residence, Nathan stood at the foot of his son's bed and stared down at him with a deep frown.

Alex lay on the bed looking pale and weak, and he glanced at his father before turning away in silence.

Nathan couldn't believe it. This little brat had really gone on a hunger strike for a whole day and night just to see that woman. Not a single bite of food, not a drop of water.

"Why aren't you eating?"

Alex didn't answer.

Nathan's expression turned cold. "You really want to see her that badly?"

Alex looked up at him slowly, his eyes weak but completely certain. "She's my mom."

"Your mom is Emma. Not her." Nathan said through gritted teeth.

"No she's not my mom." Alex closed his eyes, his small face full of stubbornness. "Emma wants me dead."

Nathan shut his eyes and took a slow breath to calm his anger. He had thought about it from every angle and still couldn't figure out what to do with this little rascal. But he had to admit one thing, the kid had guts. When Alex said he wouldn't eat, he truly meant it and stuck to it.

He reached out, grabbed him by the collar and said in a cold voice, "Get ready. I'm taking you there."

Alex's face immediately lit up with excitement. "Really?! You're taking me to Mummy?!" he asked, grabbing Nathan's sleeve with both hands.

Nathan didn't bother replying. "Pack your bag. Ten minutes."

He simply couldn't let the child starve himself into another health problem. That was all there was to it.

Alex packed his backpack and was downstairs within five minutes. Nathan didn't waste any time either. He put his son in the car and drove straight to Sarah's house, which he had already quietly looked up.

When he got there, he dropped Alex off at the doorstep and drove away without a word.

Alex didn't mind being left behind at all. He ran straight to the door and knocked.

Inside, Sarah had just returned from the downtown mall and was still fuming over running into Emma. She heard the knock but didn't move. Instead she nudged her son with her foot. "Go get the door."

Adin saw his mother's lazy demeanor and rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. "You're so lazy."

"Your mom is lazy. Now go get the door." Sarah replied in the most unbothered tone, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

A couple of days ago she had accompanied Madam Cassy to the hospital, and the doctor had assured them that as long as she took her medication she would recover well. Since Sarah was going to be in the country for a few months, she had brought Madam Cassy to stay with them.

 The woman was an exceptional cook and the children absolutely adored her, which left Sarah with so much free time that she was becoming lazier by the day.

Adin hopped off the couch and ran to open the door. The moment he swung it open, his eyes went wide and his mouth fell open.

Standing there was a little boy who looked exactly like him. Not just in height and face but even his eyes. 

Adin scrutinized him carefully, then suddenly turned back into the living room. "Mum! Did you secretly have another child without telling me and Aria?!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Sarah's voice came out strong and full of energy as she shuffled over in her slippers. 

"Giving birth to you two nearly took my life and now you're talking about secret children! Adin are you looking for trouble again?"

But when she reached the doorway and saw who was standing there, she froze completely.

Wasn't this Emma's son? The very boy Nathan had warned her to stay away from?

"Alex, what are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.

Alex looked up at her with his big watery eyes. "Mummy, I came to find you. Daddy doesn't want me anymore."

Sarah looked at his tearful face and said gently, "Did you sneak out? Does your family know you're here? Let me take you back, they will be worried about you."

Alex immediately threw himself at her leg, clinging tightly to her pants. "I don't want to go back! I want to stay with Mummy!" he cried out loudly. He sobbed so hard that he started hiccupping, his whole small body shaking with each one. He looked so utterly pitiful that even a stranger would have softened.

Sarah stood there not knowing what to do. Then she crouched down to his level. "I'm not your mom. At most I'm your aunt."

"No, you're my mummy." Alex insisted, holding on even tighter, as if he was afraid she would slip away the moment he loosened his grip.

A helpless look crossed Sarah's face. She was about to say something else when his stomach let out a loud growl.

Alex pouted and rubbed his belly. "Mummy, I'm hungry. I haven't eaten in two days."

Sarah pressed her lips together. The Reed family were wealthy enough to buy a small country. How had they managed not to feed this child for two whole days?

Adin and Aria had been standing to the side watching everything quietly, and Adin was just about to say something when Madam Cassy's warm voice came floating in from the kitchen.

"Sarah! I made a chicken stew. You've been looking tired lately so you need to eat well. Everything else is ready too, come and eat!"

She walked out carrying a pot of fresh soup and stopped the moment she entered the room. Her eyes landed on Alex standing next to Adin, and the resemblance hit her like a wall. She set the pot down on the table and slowly walked over, looking from one boy's face to the other. "Sarah," she asked calmly, "when did you have two sons?"

Sarah glanced between Alex and Adin. They really did look like twin brothers. Not knowing how to explain it, she smiled awkwardly and said, "He's a friend's son."

Madam Cassy didn't dwell on it. She laughed warmly and said, "These two look at least eighty percent alike, so adorable. Come now, everyone sit down and eat."

Alex's face immediately lit up. He wiped his tears away with the back of his hand and scrambled happily toward the table.

Aria had been watching Alex quietly since he arrived. After a while she spoke up. "Mummy, this little boy really does look a lot like Adin."

Sarah thought briefly of Emma. They shared the same father but different mothers. Perhaps that explained it somehow. She sighed softly and said, "There are plenty of people in the world who look alike. Don't go jumping to conclusions."

But even as she said it, something unsettling quietly settled in the back of her mind.

"Mum, this soup is so delicious! Can I have more?" Alex looked up from his bowl with round, glowing cheeks, completely transformed from the crying child at the door.

Adin's spoon stopped moving. He turned his head slowly and stared at Alex with the full, burning indignation of a child who had just heard something completely unacceptable.

"She's my mom, not yours," he said flatly, pointing his spoon directly at Alex. "You can't just call her that.”