Chapter 165 Like a Stranger
Mabel needed time to recover. Once they calmed her down, Alistair and Caroline got ready to leave.
Before they stepped out, Mabel reminded them softly, “Tell little Eloise I’ve just been busy lately and won’t be home. If she misses Nugget, take her to visit.”
“Got it,” Alistair replied.
His hand was just on the doorknob when someone pushed the door open from the outside.
A tall man in a dark suit entered. His features were sharp, his expression stern, and he carried a natural aura of command.
In person, Gordon was even more intimidating than the photos online.
Alistair had imagined what their first meeting might be like, but he’d never expected it to happen in a hospital.
Their eyes met. Gordon’s gaze landed squarely on Alistair’s face.
The tension in the air was immediate, but only for Alistair.
What am I supposed to call him?
The question paralyzed him.
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Leo’s offhand comment came back to him like a ghost. “Uncle Gordon’s strict. He’s never going to approve of you.”
Why is that echoing now?
It looped in his head, relentless.
He and Caroline were legally married. Everyone around her had accepted him. Mabel had even offered her support.
Caroline herself had said her choices were hers alone and no one
else got a say.
Still, standing in front of her father, Alistair felt obligated to show some respect. It would’ve been rude not to.
But how exactly should he address him?
Calling him too intimately didn’t feel right.
Who am I kidding? There’s no way he likes me. So… sir?
Before he could decide, Gordon’s brow twitched. Barely noticeable, but it deepened almost instantly, like something had irritated him.
Only then did he shift his focus to Caroline.
Unlike Alistair, she was perfectly composed. There were no
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Chapter 165 Like a Stranger
nerves, no hesitation.
She didn’t even flinch at Gordon’s sudden appearance.
“How is she?” Gordon asked in a low, steady voice.
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Caroline stepped aside without a word, leaving a clear path for him to go in himself. The message was obvious—just go see for yourself.
Gordon’s frown deepened.
He gave Caroline a look and then walked in.
Alistair followed Caroline out, still reeling.
“Relax. It’s not like he’s my dad,” Caroline said quietly, already knowing what he was thinking.
Alistair gave a dry laugh.
But he is, sweetie.
Gordon’s indifference toward Caroline had already ruined him in Alistair’s eyes. There was nothing to respect.
Facing him in person, Caroline’s father, and the kind of man whose presence carried weight, Alistair responded with the kind of courtesy drilled into him growing up. It wasn’t respect. Just a reflex.
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But now Caroline had made it clear. He was not her dad, just a
stranger.
Paige and Leo hadn’t left. They were waiting in the hallway.
Leo looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he stayed quiet.
Alistair knew he hadn’t let go of what Caroline had almost told him–about Miley.
If Mabel hadn’t collapsed mid–conversation, Leo might still be grieving that truth right now.
But sooner or later, he would have to know.
Leo would be grieving eventually.
Caroline said nothing. She kept walking, Alistair beside her.
Just as they passed Paige, she said, “Don’t leave yet. Wait for your father to come out.”
Caroline didn’t even slow down. She kept walking as if Paige wasn’t there.
Paige’s face turned red with anger. “She thinks growing up means growing out of manners.”
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Leo had no intention of speaking, until Paige’s next sentence pushed him over the edge. “She’s talented, sure. But without a mother to raise her… manners were never part of the package.”
The words hit a nerve.
Leo thought of himself. Yes, compared to Caroline, he’d had a much easier life.
Her parents had been distant. Her mother left when she was very young, and her father had always been elsewhere. Mabel had been the one to raise her.
Caroline had grown up neglected.
By contrast, Leo had Paige, a respected scholar, and a father who was warm and open. He used to think he was lucky.
But lately he’d begun to wonder…
Was that really luck? What kind of love keeps you leashed like a dog? What kind of mother breaks up her son’s relationship in the name of protection?
He thought of Miley again, and the anger surged back.
Paige had once promised she wouldn’t interfere with his personal choices—his career, his relationships. She said she’d love whoever he loved.
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Lies.
Still, part of him held onto hope. Maybe there’d been a reason. Maybe she’d done it for his own good.
But those answers would have to wait. First, he had to find Miley.
For now, he’d kept calm. He hadn’t confronted Paige yet. But the shine was gone.
She no longer held the glow of admiration in his eyes. So when she mocked Caroline, he snapped.
“Mom, that’s out of line,” he said coldly. “Whatever happened between Caroline’s parents, it wasn’t her fault. And if you think Caroline lacks manners, what does that say about Grandma, the woman who raised her?”
Paige hadn’t expected him to snap. She’d just been venting. Now she was caught off guard.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” she said quickly and then frowned, sensing something was off. “Leo, what’s wrong with you? You’ve been tense all day. Don’t worry. Grandma’s fine. It was just stress, nothing serious.”
Leo rarely talked to her like this. The shift in tone wasn’t lost on her, but she didn’t dig deeper. She just assumed it was stress.
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He stared at her. “You knew how much Grandma loves Caroline. So why did you bring up those rumors about Alistair in front of her?”
“I told you, it just came up. People talk, one thing leads to another-”
“Don’t act like you’re careless. You’re not.”
That hit her harder than she let on.
Something had shifted in him. And it wasn’t just about Mabel.
“You’re just tired, that’s all. Take a break. Maybe take Giselle abroad for a little getaway. It’ll clear your head.”
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