Chapter 423

Willow approached Alice with a soft smile, her voice gentle yet encouraging. "David is actually quite clever, Auntie. You should give him a bit more confidence." Alice was momentarily stunned, her gaze slowly shifting to Willow. After a pause, she spoke with a quiet sincerity, "Willow, thank you." She grasped Willow's hand, her lips trembling as if searching for the right words, but in the end, she simply repeated, "Thank you." In the past, Alice had only seen Willow as Aiden's wife. Her kindness toward the young woman had been an extension of her relationship with Aiden. But somewhere along the way, this girl had become like a daughter to her—perhaps even more important than Aiden himself. There was a time when Alice had harbored dark thoughts. If Willow were to betray Aiden or mistreat Jason, she had imagined how she might deal with the "little hussy." But now, her thoughts had shifted entirely. If Aiden dared to mistreat Willow, she would make sure that scoundrel paid dearly. This s