Chapter 8 Who is the leader?

The Conversation Between Sloan, Seth, and Elaine

As soon as they were far enough from the others, Seth took his mother’s hand and looked at her in disbelief.

“Mum, why did you do that? You shouldn’t bring her into the family. You should keep her separate instead of letting her eat dinner with us.”

"What do you mean, son? Should we treat her like a pet? We are the Sullivans. What would people think if we mistreated our new family members?”

Sloane interrupted, trying to avoid an argument. “Mum, Gideon had a reason for this marriage. Isn’t this all for Gemma's sake? We shouldn’t even know this girl. We just came to have a look at her, and let me tell you, that isn't what Gideon wanted.”

"Gideon is not the head of this family. He’s about to protect a vulgar whore who only wants his money. It’s so humiliating. People must see him with a normal girl.”

“Mum, we all agree with you, but I think we should respect Gideon’s decision, especially if you support this madness,” Sloane said.

“Seth, Sloane, you don’t need to worry about that. Mummy handles everything. And now, we can’t keep them waiting any longer.”

Elaine didn’t want to hear them complain about the situation. Initially, she had rejected Spencer and Gideon's idea, but after meeting Alice and reconsidering, she changed her mind and felt optimistic about the potential outcome. Elaine was determined to make Alice as desirable as possible for a man and had a good reason for doing so. She had a plan and was the kind of woman who always got what she wanted.

Alice

As they continued chatting during dinner, I sat quietly and ate. They mostly spoke about the little girl, who was the most cherished member of the family. When she tried to approach me, her dad redirected her attention elsewhere, realising she wanted to come closer. Ava kept trying to interact with me, but when Seth was busy listening to her, Leah made sure there was distance between us.

It hurt, of course, because I would have loved to talk to her. But she was just a child who didn’t understand adult matters. How could she know that talking to me wasn’t allowed? Although it didn’t

completely upset me, it made me feel the same way I did when I first arrived here. I thought there was a reason she couldn’t come near me, and that realisation made my entire body shiver again.

Mrs Sullivan took me back to my room after dinner. She didn’t want me to move freely around the house. I was tired enough not to care too much about that. I usually went to bed early, but their lives were different. They probably never needed to wake up early for work or anything else.

“Alice, that was a great night. Get used to these kinds of occasions; we enjoy being together. Now, have a good sleep. Tomorrow, we have a few more things to do. Rest well.”

I nodded. “Good night, Mrs Sullivan.”

“Good night, Alice.”

After I got ready for bed, I lay down and was surprised by how comfy it was. I had never been in a bed so soft. Even though I felt more comfortable than ever, I couldn’t sleep. The events of the day brought back memories of my family. The Sullivans were so different.

The couple appeared to be deeply in love with each other and their children, creating the kind of family I had always wanted. It reminded me of the difficult times caused by Charles—all the suffering and hardship my mother and I endured.

When I watched how Seth cared for his daughter, I had to remember how much I envied the girls who had their fathers waiting for them at the ice rink when I was little. Their dads were their biggest fans, taking them to competitions, ensuring they were safe, and always cheering for them from the sidelines.

Sometimes, I imagined what my life would be like if I had a caring father who hadn’t left my mother when he found out she was pregnant with me. I wondered if he ever wanted me.

At times, I entertained the thought of him returning, trying to make amends and seeking my forgiveness for leaving us. I was angry with him, and I knew I should hate him, but I also knew I could

forgive him if he genuinely wanted to make up for his mistakes. I believed he could win me over slowly, and I would be happy to have a father who cared about me.

I had to stop myself from thinking about it, as it only made my heart ache more. I assumed the Sullivans were a family I would never be a part of, and that my biological father likely didn’t care about my existence at all*.*

In the bedroom of the Sullivan couple

Elaine sat at her dressing table, applying night cream to her face and gently massaging it into her skin. Once she finished, she looked in the mirror and felt more than satisfied with her appearance. She believed that all the money she had spent on plastic surgery was worth it.

To surprise her husband, she put on only a tiny lace thong and covered herself with a light robe. As she walked to their bedroom, she found her husband already in bed. He looked at her with hungry eyes and broke into a grin.

Elaine mounted Spencer on the bed, positioning herself onto his lap, with her legs on either side of his waist and feeling his arousal.

He slipped his hands up to open his wife’s robe, and he held her breasts in his palms and massaged them, stroking her nipples with his thumbs.

Even if he felt sexual arousal, he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to ask his wife about today.

“Elaine, what did the kids want to talk to you about before dinner?” he asked, not releasing his hold on her for a moment. Elaine laughed.

“They scolded me for how I treated Alice. In their opinion, we should lock her up.”

“I think they’re right, my dear. I’m sure Gideon will be angry with you.”

“I don’t mind if it means he’ll be happy in the end. Alice is beautiful and special. Gideon will abandon Gemma; you’ll see.”

“Gemma is about our money and reputation, but this isn’t a nice move on your part. If Gideon likes her, there’s not much we can do.”

“Spencer, if Gemma disappears from Gideon’s life, I wouldn’t mind if he was upset with me for a while. I’m doing this for him, and he will be grateful.”

“You know Gideon made a mistake, and Ricardo won’t forgive him. Alice will be in trouble. She might die soon.”

“Someone wants to frame us. I’m sure Gideon is telling the truth and wasn’t involved in that accident. Therefore, they shouldn’t touch her.”

“I just hope Gideon is being truthful, but in that case, we need to find out who is trying to incite conflict between the two families.”

“That is your job, Spencer.”

He smiled at his wife, gently caressing her breasts and softly pulling at her hard nipples between his fingers.

"Yes, dear, but I still can’t guarantee that Alice could stay with us, even though I know how much you want that."

"Spencer, she would be perfect for Gideon. She is beautiful and special. I want her in our family."

"Okay, darling, I’ll try. I promise." Spencer laughed at his wife’s stubbornness.

Elaine grinned and removed her robe. She slowly leaned forward, letting her nipple caress her husband's lips. However, in two seconds, her lips curled into a smile before she closed her eyes as her husband hastily sucked her nipple between his teeth, circling his tongue around it.

Spencer and Elaine had been together for 37 years, yet they remained passionately in love. Spencer honoured and respected his wife for enduring the pain of plastic surgery and beauty treatments to feel attractive for him, even though he never asked her to do so. Elaine loved her husband and cherished the life he provided for her.