CHAPTER 262

The next day, Sebastian and Madeline took Aldo, Buddy, and Alex with them. Meanwhile, Leigh and a number of assistants and bodyguards followed suit as they hurried toward Alex's hometown, Sanguine Mountain.

Of course, there was also the uninvited Luke.

Sebastian, Madeline, Quincy, and Joel sat together, whereas Luke was seated with Sebastian's assistants and bodyguards.

He was quite familiar with Sebastian's bodyguards at this point.

In actuality, he was quite a charismatic man when he didn't go crazy. Sebastian's assistants and bodyguards were also outstanding and wonderful people. As long as he did not cause trouble, he'd get along with them.

The crowd boarded Sebastian's private plane and arrived at the city where Sanguine Mountain was located. Then, they boarded an SUV.

After twenty-four hours in the vehicle, the group finally arrived at Sanguine Mountain.

The village where Alex's grandmother lived was inaccessible by SUV, so they could only go on foot. It took them more than an hour to arrive at Alex's home.

Even Madeline, who had been to a variety of places, had never seen such a poor and broken mountain village before, much less Quincy and Joel.

The two children were completely shocked. In particular, Joel's eyes were bulging. He looked both curious and terrified.

He took Sebastian's hand and said in a small voice, "Dad, they're so poor here! Our teacher said that if we got kidnapped, we would be sold and taken to a very poor mountain village where we won't be able to go to school or have nice meals. Are the mountain villages something like this?"

"More or less." Sebastian caressed his hair. "Don't worry, I will protect you so that no one can kidnap Buddy!"

"Okay!" Joel smiled sweetly, tightening his grip around Sebastian's hand.

Sebastian looked down at him, his heart full.

It felt especially good to be completely depended upon and needed. In fact, it was even more fulfilling than getting a huge business deal.

"Grandma!" Save for a few simple exchanges with Quincy and Joel along the way, Alex hadn't spoken much. He pushed the tattered door open and shouted with all his might as he ran into the poorly fenced yard.

Sebastian and Madeline waited outside with their children, assistants, and bodyguards, deciding not to enter.

A few minutes later, a thin and silver-haired old woman walked over to them while holding Alex's hand. After greeting Sebastian and Madeline, she invited them in.

In front of the guests, the old woman brushed the clean-looking tea cups once again, then placed them in boiling water before making tea for the guests.

Then, Alex served the cups of tea to the guests one by one.

The old woman took some snacks and gave them to Aldo and Buddy, saying to Sebastian and Madeline, "We're just a simple family, so we don't have any exquisite items. These snacks are all made from beans and potatoes we planted ourselves, so perhaps the little children would like to try something fresh."

The old woman's eyes were red, and it was obvious that she had cried before.

Even though she smiled warmly at Sebastian and the others, she couldn't hide the sorrow in her eyes. However, there were guests present, so she could only squeeze out smiles to welcome the guests.

She was smiling on the outside, but there was a raging sorrow and anger within her heart.

She thought that her healthy grandson was sent to the city to live a good and happy life, but she never expected him to come back so thin.

The child threw himself in her arms and sobbed sorrowfully. In a few sentences, he spoke of his terrible life under his stepmother's control. She wanted more than anything to grab a knife and run up to that vicious woman to kill her.

However, she couldn't do that yet since there were guests present.

They had traveled all that distance to send the child home, so she had to treat the guests well.

Sebastian and Madeline thanked the old woman politely. Joel and Quincy also said to her, "Thank you, Grandma."

The old woman had a grateful look in her eyes as she gazed at them. "I should be the one thanking you all. Alex told me that it's all thanks to you that he's able to come home, or he wouldn't have been able to make it alone…"

Just a few sentences in, the old woman's eyes turned red again, and her tears were on the verge of falling.

Her grandson had been mistreated outside and wanted to go home, but he was too young and couldn't do it on his own. No one answered his cries and calls, so he must have felt terribly lonely.

Alex was an intelligent and obedient child, so how could that horrible woman bear to abuse him?

"Grandma…" Alex leaned against her and looked longingly at her. "I'll stay with you in the future, and I won't go anywhere else. Grandma, you don't have to worry about me. I can still study here, and I'll get into a college too. I'll prove myself useful, and when that happens, I can earn lots of money and give you a comfortable life. By then, we'll both be happy!"

The old woman had her head lowered as she looked at him. She touched his face with trembling fingers, her heart breaking.

Belle was old and wrought with many illnesses.

When she had been hospitalized last year, the doctor suggested that she undergo surgery, but she refused.

The doctor said that her body was too weak and she only had a fifty-percent chance of surviving the surgery. In other words, she might not leave the operating table alive.

If she died during surgery, what would become of Alex?

A child without his own mother to care for him was always pitiful.

If she were alive, she could keep watch on her second son and his wife. That way, Brian Carter and Rachael Vasquez wouldn't dare to mistreat Alex.

If she persisted for a few more years and endured it until Alex was all grown up, he wouldn't be bullied easily.

However, Belle never thought that those two cruel beasts still dared to abuse her grandson despite her still being alive.

One of them forgot how good Alex's mother had treated him, and another forgot what she had promised before getting married to the family.

They were both beasts without any sense of conscience!

Belle couldn't count on them anymore, but who else could she rely on instead?

Her eldest son and his wife treated her well, and they sincerely loved their nephew, Alex. However,

they already had three children themselves. Olivia wasn't in the best physical condition either, and they lived in poverty as well. Thus, they didn't have the means to raise Alex.

Meanwhile, her body was frail, and she might pass away at any moment. Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.

If those beasts were already treating Alex like that while she was still alive, they might treat him even worse once she passed away.

At that thought, Belle felt even worse as the pain in her heart increased. Her vision blurred, and she could only stand straight by gritting her teeth and gripping Alex's hand tightly.

As Leigh looked at the old woman, she leaned closer and whispered in Madeline's ear, "The old woman is in ill health, and she looks like she's nearing the end. In other words, she won't be able to live much longer…"

Startled, Madeline frowned as she looked at Leigh. "Is there any hope of recovery?"

Leigh said, "I'll have to check her pulse before—"

She hadn't even finished speaking when the old woman shook tremendously.

"Grandma! What's going on?" Alex shouted in fright as he supported the old woman.

Leigh hastily rushed over and placed the old woman on the ground. She pressed some of the old woman's acupuncture points, and when she saw Belle reaching into her pocket, she found a bottle of pills inside. After confirming that the pills would help, Leigh opened the bottle and fed the old woman her medication.

"Grandma! What happened to you? Grandma… Don't do this to me, Grandma…" Alex's voice was filled with fear, but he dared not raise his voice as if he was afraid that the old woman might be startled. His young voice was hoarse and suppressed.