The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me

Chapter 259: Finding a Way to Get Alexander to Come Home for Dinner

Chapter 259: Finding a Way to Get Alexander Over for Dinner

She hadn’t been home since her near-miss incident. Even though nothing had actually happened, Florence Preston still felt a lingering fear whenever she thought about it.

Rachel Royce smiled. "Mom, you make it sound like I haven’t been back in years."

"Rachel’s home," Johnson Royce’s voice called out.

"Dad."

"You’ve been working so hard lately!"

Rachel said, "It’s the end of the year. It’s normal to be a little busy."

Florence Preston took Rachel’s hand. "You don’t have to work this hard, Rachel. You should lighten your workload. It breaks your father’s and my hearts to see you like this."

Rachel said, "But my brother is working hard too. Look how long it’s been since he had a proper rest."

Florence said, "He’s a man. This is the prime time for him to build his career. How can he succeed if he doesn’t work hard? How else is he going to find a wife?"

Rachel smiled.

Only when she was home did she feel such warmth and relaxation.

She went to play with Bobby for a little while.

She stayed home for the day.

That evening, Peter Preston came home.

The family had dinner together. It was cold outside, but the house was warm and cozy as they made small talk.

New Year’s Day was next week, and another year was about to pass.

「After dinner.」

Rachel went to find Peter.

"Brother, still busy?" Peter had only taken half a day off yesterday.

"Yeah. We have two projects to deliver before the new year. I’ll probably be busy until then."

Rachel nodded. "I have a project here. If Prodigy can partner on it, we’ll have no problem fulfilling the gambling agreement." She handed a document to Peter.

Peter took it and flipped through the pages, his eyes wide with unconcealable shock. After reading it carefully, he looked at Rachel and asked, "Rachel, did you land this deal?"

The tech project in this contract was something Prodigy wouldn’t even dare to dream of. These kinds of projects were typically awarded only to the nation’s top tech companies.

If Prodigy could really sign this, it could propel them to the forefront of the industry.

Although Peter had always advocated for steady progress, deep down, he dreamed of taking Prodigy to greater heights.

Rachel gave a helpless smile. "No. It was Tristan Sterling."

At those words, Peter was even more shocked.

"Tristan Sterling?" His tone grew wary. "Why would he give you this contract? What does he want you to do?"

Rachel said, "I’ve already accepted the project. You can consider it a temporary truce with him... for Melissa’s sake." She then explained her reasoning to him.

Peter couldn’t help but frown. "But that man is far too calculating."

Rachel replied, "Don’t worry, Brother. I know what I’m doing. We’ll just take what we’re owed. No need to feel guilty about it."

This contract was essentially Tristan giving her double the benefits he had received from Zion Alden.

Peter knew that since she had already made her decision, she must have thought it through. Nothing he said would change her mind.

"It would be best if we could get custody of Melissa back."

Rachel smiled. "Let’s hope so."

With that, Rachel went downstairs.

She could faintly hear Florence Preston and Johnson Royce arguing about something.

Finally, Johnson compromised. "Okay, okay, whatever my wife says."

"Dad, Mom, what are you talking about?"

Florence was taken aback for a moment, then turned to Rachel. "Your father is just asking for it. I’m considering whether I should make him kneel on a durian."

Rachel walked over, sat beside Florence, and linked her arm. She first pinched the pale, tender cheeks of Bobby, who was in her mother’s arms, before saying to Johnson, "Dad, you should try not to make Mom angry."

"How would I dare? Your father’s become a coward who just hides in his shell now."

Florence shot him an irritated glare. "Then stay in your shell, so you don’t go around causing trouble."

Listening to their bickering, Rachel felt a sense of bliss.

「Just then.」

Johnson Royce’s phone started to vibrate.

He picked up his phone from the sofa and glanced at the screen. Florence Preston, who also caught a glimpse of it, pulled Rachel to her feet. "Let’s ignore your father. We’ll take Bobby upstairs."

Rachel smiled. "Okay."

She took Bobby into her arms, gave him a kiss, and went upstairs with Florence.

She didn’t pay any mind to who was calling her father.

Once they were upstairs, Johnson Royce answered the phone. "Alexander, are you off work yet?"

Alexander replied, "Still at the office, taking a short break. Have you had dinner, Dad?"

Johnson said, "We’ve already eaten. What about you? Have you had dinner?"

"Not yet."

"No matter how busy you are with work, you have to eat on time. It’s not worth it to ruin your health. It’s been cold lately, so make sure you stay warm."

Alexander hummed in agreement. "I know. I’ve already had my assistant go get dinner. Once this busy period is over, I can get a good rest on New Year’s Day."

"You definitely should get some rest during the holiday. Are you and your mother going back to Portington for New Year’s?"

Alexander said, "We probably won’t be going back."

"I see. Well, staying in Kingsland is nice too."

Alexander hummed in acknowledgment.

After he spoke, an abrupt silence fell between them.

Alexander seemed to be waiting for his father to say something more, but eventually, Johnson spoke up. "Well, since you’ll be at the office tomorrow, Dad will bring you lunch. You can have a taste of my cooking."

It wasn’t what he had hoped to hear from his father, but the offer still left him feeling very content. "Okay, I’ll be waiting for you at the office."

He originally had other plans for lunch tomorrow, but now he would definitely cancel them.

"Alright."

The father and son chatted for a little longer.

Johnson Royce hung up the phone and let out a deep sigh.

’I still haven’t given up hope, though.’

’There’s still some time before New Year’s. If I’m on my best behavior, I can try to talk Florence into letting Alexander come over for dinner on New Year’s Day.’

Alexander, of course, understood. His father had a new family now, and judging by his current state, he was living a very happy and fulfilling life, which was why his personality hadn’t changed.

「The next day.」

Rachel was running in the gym when she received a call from Tristan Sterling. She tapped her Bluetooth earpiece and heard his gentle voice. "Are you up?"

Rachel’s voice was still breathy. "I’m on a run. What’s up?"

"Melissa wants to video chat with you."

Rachel said, "Let me finish up and get ready first. I’ll call you back then."

"Okay."

Rachel finished her run, stretched for ten minutes, then went back to her room to shower and get ready before making a video call to Melissa.

"Mommy!" Melissa’s clear and sweet voice came through.

Just hearing it was enough to lift Rachel’s spirits.

However, it wasn’t just Melissa on the screen; Tristan was there too. This was the first time he had appeared during one of her video calls with Melissa.

’So much for being "self-aware."’

The man was sitting on a stool, leisurely sipping his coffee. Even through the screen, his air of extraordinary nobility was palpable.

Sensing her gaze, he set down his coffee cup and said to her through the screen, "Good morning."