After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 45: Oh No, She Fell for It

Alice York already thought it was incredibly bizarre that Kyle Churchill’s hand had been broken overnight.

That is, until she saw this man...

"I’ve seen you before."

She stared hard at him. "The day I arrived in Washington, you were the bodyguard who helped me with my luggage!"

Her tone was full of conviction.

But the man denied it outright. "You must have the wrong person. I’m not a bodyguard. Please let go."

"You hurt your head?" Alice noticed the gauze wrapped around his head.

The man didn’t answer. Instead, he reminded her again, "Please let go."

Since Alice was so sure he was the bodyguard, his denial didn’t faze her.

She let go. The man turned and entered the hospital room. After a few steps, he stopped and turned around to see that Alice had followed him inside.

"You—"

Just as he was about to say something, he saw Alice shut the door behind her and lock it, all in one swift motion.

His brows furrowed. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Alice was taken aback by his question, realizing her actions might have given him the wrong idea. "I was afraid you’d run off."

His frown deepened.

Alice looked away and scanned the room. It was a private room with good lighting—perfect for a patient with a head injury to rest and recover.

"What exactly do you want?" the man asked her again.

Alice’s gaze returned to him. She cleared her throat and spoke frankly. "The reason I remember your face is because you spoke up that day in Westeria, interrupting my mother’s scolding. I glanced at you when you took my luggage and thought you looked familiar. I’m sure I’d seen you even before Westeria, I just can’t remember when."

’She really couldn’t remember.’

The man remained expressionless. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Alice had patience to spare. "It doesn’t matter if you won’t admit it. I’ll say what I have to say, and you can just listen."

The man said nothing, watching her in silence.

Alice walked up to him. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with taut, corded muscles. His physique was certainly suited for a bodyguard, but Alice felt he had the air of a soldier. ’He’s either an ex-soldier or he trained at a martial arts dojo,’ she thought.

"Kyle Churchill was pushed from the second floor of a bar last night and broke his hand," she said, watching the man’s expression closely. "They say that before it happened, Kyle smashed a bottle over the other guy’s head. The injury was pretty serious."

After she finished, Alice’s eyes drifted to the layers of gauze wrapped around the man’s head.

The man let her size him up.

Alice continued, "You’re a bodyguard for the Sterlings. So, who ordered you to do this?"

The man’s attitude didn’t change. "I don’t know you, I don’t know any Kyle Churchill, and I’m certainly not a bodyguard for the Sterlings. As for the injury on my head, it was from a car accident. If you don’t believe me, you can ask my doctor."

He spoke with such conviction that Alice’s certainty began to waver.

’I’ve laid it all out for him, but he still denies it. Could I really have the wrong person?’

"Who’s your doctor?" Alice asked.

After giving her the doctor’s name, the man turned, lay back down on the hospital bed, and closed his eyes. His desire to be left alone was written all over his face.

Alice glanced at the blue tag on the headboard. It had the patient’s name on it. She read it aloud, "Perry Pierce."

The man’s eyes shot open, then closed again just as quickly.

Alice made a mental note of his name. "You get some rest. I’m just stepping out for a moment."

Leaving the room, Alice went straight to the doctor’s office.

After finding the doctor, she quickly learned about the man’s condition.

—Brought in for emergency treatment last night, at the same time as Kyle Churchill.

—Hit in the head with a glass bottle, resulting in a mild concussion.

—A nearly five-centimeter wound on his head that required stitches.

’It all adds up!’

Alice’s lips curled into a smile, but as she did, her expression suddenly froze. "Damn it, I’ve been had!"

By the time she rushed back to the room, the bed was empty. He was long gone.

’He ran off!’

Alice returned to the Churchill residence with a heavy heart. She was all alone now. The members of the Churchill family paid her no mind, and no one bothered to greet her.

Alice didn’t care. She went straight to her room, shut the door, and called Mindy Vaughn back.

The call was immediately disconnected, and a few seconds later, a video chat invitation popped up.

Alice adjusted her phone for a better angle and lighting before accepting the call.

On the other end of the video, Mindy Vaughn was in the middle of a beauty treatment. Her face was coated in a thick, mud-like mask as she lay on an aesthetician’s bed, holding up her phone.

"That background... you’re not on the plane?"

Mindy Vaughn had a sharp eye; she could see a wall and curtains behind Alice.

Alice didn’t answer right away. ’Will she accept it calmly, or...’ she wondered, thinking of how Mindy would react when she found out she wasn’t coming back.

"Gone mute?"

Mindy switched the phone to her other hand and continued to chide her. "You’ve only been in Washington for a few days. Having too much fun to come home, are we?"

"Mom."

Alice said.

"Hm?" Mindy responded.

Alice’s tone was calm. "I’m not coming back."

Mindy brought the phone closer, her tone a clear warning. "You can have one more day, at most. Don’t stay out too long. I’m worried that if you’re away for too long, you won’t be able to settle down. You’ll just do whatever you want, whenever you want, and end up making your grandfather angry again, just like last time."

Alice also brought her phone closer. "Grandfather won’t be angry this time. In fact, he’ll be thrilled."

The next second, Mindy shot upright.

The once-static mud mask began to drip down her face, but Mindy paid it no mind. She asked urgently, "What’s going on?"

Alice said, "I’ve been left with the Churchill family."

Mindy was furious. "What do you mean, you’ve been left with the Churchill family? Explain yourself, right now!"

The aesthetician hurried over. "Mrs. Sterling, your face mask..."

"Go, go, there’s nothing for you to do here." Mindy waved the aesthetician away, ignoring the mask that was now dripping all over her.

Alice calmly recounted the entire story of how she came to be left with the Churchill family.

After Alice finished, Mindy looked ready to explode. "They just left you with the Churchill family, just like that?"

"By what right!" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"You’re practically a Sterling, for God’s sake! How could they do this to you!"

Mindy’s tone was severe, every word dripping with indignation on her daughter’s behalf. To any observer, she would sound like a furious mother fighting for her child.

For a fleeting moment, even Alice was taken in. She couldn’t help but wonder, ’Maybe Mindy actually does care about me?’

But that thought was immediately shattered by Mindy’s very next words—

"I was counting on you to marry Owen Sterling to secure my glory and wealth for the rest of my life! If you’re with the Churchill family, what’s going to happen to me?"

The more Mindy spoke, the more frantic she became. She wiped at the mask on her face, only to get it all over her hands. Flustered and angry, she had to call the aesthetician back to clean her up.

Alice watched the chaotic scene on the other end of the video, a sense of irritation rising within her.

She didn’t want to say any more. "You should deal with that first. We can talk later."

"Wait!"

Afraid Alice would hang up, Mindy asked quickly, "You really can’t come back? I’ll go talk to the Old Master..."

An image of Wyatt Sterling’s cold face flashed through Alice’s mind. "The Sterlings used me in a deal with the Churchill family. I was given to them."

"Given... to the Churchill family?" Mindy’s heart stuttered.

For her last words, Alice’s voice was barely a whisper. "I’m not coming back."