CHAPTER 288

"Of course," Madeline said with a smile.

Rachael was Alex's stepmother, regardless of the circumstances. Madeline might not let Rachael take Alex away, but she didn't have a problem with them only having a conversation.

She then turned to wave at Emory.

Emory, who had been watching her, trod over and bowed. "Mrs. Hart!"

"Get me Alex, please. Thank you," said Madeline.

Hearing that, Emory nodded and gave a brief reply. "Understood, Mrs. Hart."

He proceeded to make his way toward Alex before he passed the message.

Rachael couldn't make out the expression on Alex's face then when the boy turned to throw a glance at Madeline.

She couldn't help feeling nervous as she wondered if he would really go home with her when this was such a pleasant place to stay.

Despite the confidence she had in coaxing Alex to make him go home with her before she came here, Rachael had now lost every last drop of it.

Soon, Alex, followed by Quincy and Joel, walked in front of Madeline.

After Joel ran to Madeline's side and leaned against her, he looked at Rachael and Laine curiously with his small head tilted.

Alex then greeted Madeline politely and asked if there was anything she needed him for.

"Your stepmother is asking for you," Madeline replied. "She said that she wants to speak to you."

As soon as Alex looked at Rachael, Rachael quickly flashed him a gentle and warm smile. "Alex, Mom is here to take you home!" she exclaimed.

"You are not my mother." Alex looked at her coldly and deadpanned, "I only have one mother, and her name is Yuri Vickers. You are only my stepmother."

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Rachael tried to explain, "Alex, I know that I haven't been the best mother to you, but that was only because I didn't have the experience then. I have always only taken care of two children, but my routine has been disrupted ever since you came and I had to raise three kids. I am sorry that I unintentionally neglected you. I have self-reflected this whole time, and I know that I have done you wrong. I came here to bring you home. I promise I will take good care of you from now on, okay?"

"It is not okay." There wasn't a hint of hesitation in Alex's reply. "Grandma has already handed me over to Aunt Madeline, and Aunt Madeline is the one who is raising me now. I will make sure I take care of Aunt Madeline when she grows old. I am now Aunt Madeline's child. I have nothing to do with you or your family. I will not go with you."

Alex wants to be Madeline's son? How can I let something like that happen?! Rachael felt so angry and miserable that her chest was about to burst open at the thought of it. Alex as Madeline's son would also

mean that he would become the young master of a wealthy household. He would ride in luxury cars, and live in a mansion with servants and bodyguards at his feet. Even Rachael herself had never lived an easy life like that!

She desperately forced herself to maintain the gracious and friendly smile on her face, and in the tone of an elder, she lectured, "Alex, no matter how good this place is, this is not your home. Our home is your home. It is where you have your father and your younger siblings, of whom you share the same blood with. They are the closest people to you in the world! How can you live in someone else's house when your father is still alive and well? It is not nice that you are here causing trouble for your Aunt Madeline. Come back with me, will you? I promise that if you come back, I will treat you like I treat your younger siblings. I will love you like your birth mother!" Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.

"No way. I am never hungry here, and I know that I will never be full if I were to go with you. I won't go, so you can stop wasting my time. I am about to practice my martial arts now. Please leave."

"You kiddo!" Rachael's lungs were about to explode from her boiling anger. She didn't dare to let it show on her face, and she couldn't muster a smile even if she wanted to. With a twisted expression, she murmured, "Alex, do you not want to come home with me because you think Aunt Madeline's place is better than ours? But Alex, even dogs don’t find poverty disdainful. Human beings like us shouldn't look down upon the poor and favor the rich! Although your Aunt Madeline's family has a good standing, you are a Carter, not a Taylor. Your aunt's house is not your home no matter how nice it is. It is only right for you to live in your own house. You are acting like a squatter by staying here! Not only will you feel awkward staying here, you will also cause trouble for your aunt. Don't you feel bad about it?"

After hearing that, Madeline retorted, "It is not like that. I received the money from Alex's grandmother. I promised her that I will take good care of Alex. Alex is living here lawfully. He is not a squatter. You have overstated your words, Mrs. Carter."

"But no matter what..." Rachael said with a smile. "There is no reason for him to stay at someone else's house when his father is still alive. I came here to earnestly bring Alex home. After all, there is no place like home. In my opinion, Alex can grow up healthy and strong only if he is beside his biological father. What do you think, Miss Taylor?"

Due to the shock the grandiose of Sun Garden had given her, and the respectful manner the bodyguards of the Hart Family had toward Madeline, Rachael had unconsciously started speaking politely to Madeline.

The corners of Madeline's mouth curled upward then. "Alex's grandmother wouldn't have bothered entrusting Alex with me if he could grow up in a healthy environment beside his father. I still have the checklist of Alex's malnutrition. Would you like to take another look at it, Mrs. Carter?"

Rachael could no longer keep her smile on as the muscles on her face started twitching. "That is in the past. I have said it just now that I have realized my mistake. I will change in the future. You can keep an eye on me if you don't believe me, Miss Taylor. How about you let me take him home for now? And if you are not satisfied with how he is cared for in our house, you can then take him back here."

"No," Madeline vetoed. "I may be a woman, but I also understand the importance of keeping a promise. Since I have promised Alex's grandmother that I will take care of Alex until he has come to age, I will keep my word. I won't let you take Alex away no matter what. Please leave if there is nothing else. The children are going to have their lessons."

As unreasonable as Rachael was, Madeline still ended her words politely by promptly sending Rachael off.

"How can you do this?" Rachael couldn't hold back anymore and reprimanded Madeline as she lost her poise. "Alex is my husband's biological son. How can you rob someone else's son just because you don't have a son of your own? If you want a son, go give birth to one. Don't stake your claim over someone else's child. What are you getting in return for raising someone else's kid?"

"Why do you say my mother doesn't have a son, Ma'am?" Joel, who was in Madeline's arms, blinked curiously at Rachael. "My mother has two sons!"

He proceeded to point at Quincy and then to himself. "Aldo and I are both Mommy's sons!"

"You… You guys…" Madeline was stunned to hear that.

Madeline looked like a woman who, at most, was a little older than 20 years old. She didn't at all look like someone who had given birth.

Rachael had thought that the boys who were with Alex were children of Madeline's relatives. But it turned out that they were Madeline's sons!