Chapter 5

Alexia felt no attachment to the Vega family and had no desire to return. But since Victor had already insisted they go, she had no choice. The driver guided the black Rolls-Royce smoothly down the road. Alexia sat on the left, Calvin on the right, with a wide space gap between them. When the car came to a stop, they entered the Vega residence one after the other. The driver followed behind, carrying the gifts prepared for the visit. As soon as they stepped inside, Bobby and Maya greeted them with wide smiles. "Mr. Reed, there was no need to bring anything! Make yourself at home—come by whenever you like. No need for formalities." Just as they finished speaking, Hailey came bounding down the stairs, pushed past Alexia, and immediately clung to Calvin's arm closely. Calvin looked indifferent, his body instinctively stiffening, but he didn't pull away. "Hailey, lunch is ready. Why don't you take Mr. Reed to his seat?" Bobby beamed, eager to please. Bobby's attention was on Calvin as if he hadn't even noticed his daughter, Alexia, standing nearby. The table was already set for lunch. Maya smiled warmly, gesturing toward the seat of honor. "Mr. Reed, please, sit here." Calvin's expression remained cool. "I'll sit here, according to seniority." Bobby rubbed his hands nervously and took the head of the table. All smiles and chatter, Hailey slid into the seat beside Calvin. They might have looked like newlyweds returning to visit family to an outsider. No one seemed to notice Alexia, let alone invite her to sit. Watching the four of them happily chatting, Alexia returned to her room. But Hailey spotted her and called, "Alexia, where are you going? Come have lunch with us!" At that, everyone turned to look at Alexia. Maya's face flickered with irritation, barely concealed beneath a forced smile. But in front of Calvin, she had to keep up appearances. "Come on, sit down and join us for lunch," Maya said warmly, grabbing Alexia's arm—though she squeezed it tightly, out of sight. Alexia looked over the spread on the table. There were so many exquisite dishes. What an impressive feast. Clearly, they had gone all out to impress Calvin. She was hungry, anyway. With food delivered right to her, why not eat? She lowered her head and focused on her meal. "Hailey, how's the job search going?" Maya asked, deliberately steering the conversation in that direction. "I've interviewed with a few companies, but I haven't found the right fit yet," Hailey sighed, then looked at Calvin with hopeful eyes. "Mr. Reed, is your company hiring recent graduates?" Calvin's lips curved slightly. "Go to Reed Group tomorrow. Someone will handle your onboarding." He never short-changed his women. Even though Hailey hadn't married him yet, she had given him her first time. Hearing this, Alexia was taken aback. Reed Group was the leading company in Airedale, with graduates from top universities competing fiercely for a position. And with just a casual mention, Hailey had secured a spot—just like that. It seemed Calvin truly was in love with Hailey. Hailey shot Alexia a smug, almost taunting smile. "Thank you, Mr. Reed. I'll work hard!" At that, Alexia let out a soft scoff. "Ha." A diploma from a third-rate college, practically bought and paid for, and she's talking about hard work? Who would believe that? Calvin's gaze flickered to her, his voice cold. "What's so funny?" Everyone turned to look at her. Alexia looked up and met Calvin's eyes, steadying herself. "Nothing." After a beat, she added, "It's just that today's food is pretty terrible. The seafood is too fishy, and the beef is tough. Clearly, Aunt Maya didn't make this herself—it looks store-bought. Aunt Maya's cooking is usually much better." Maya's heart clenched in anger. This little brat! But with Calvin present, she had no choice but to keep her composure. Forcing a smile, she said, "I caught a cold today and wasn't feeling well. Next time Mr. Reed visits, I'll cook everything myself." "That won't be necessary," Calvin replied coolly. Bobby's face froze, and he shot Maya a sharp look. Maya barely dared to breathe, while Hailey looked tense, worried about upsetting Calvin. In an instant, no one seemed to have any appetite left—except Alexia, who continued eating, even helping herself to an extra serving. After lunch, she returned to her room and started packing up her clothes, planning to bring everything back to the Reed residence. In the past, Bobby had total control over her. She couldn't go anywhere. But now, her ID and social security card were both registered at the Reed residence. She wasn't coming back to the Vega residence—ever. Halfway through her packing, Hailey walked in. Seeing Alexia busy with her things only fueled her frustration. If it weren't for Alexia, she would already be the future Mrs. Reed. "Just this pile of junk? Does it even need packing?" she sneered. Alexia didn't even look up. "Mind your own damn business." "Don't think that just because you married into the Reed family, you can do whatever you want!" Hailey shot her a venomous glare. "In eight months, you'll be out on your ass!" Alexia wasn't fazed. She let out a cold, mocking laugh. "So what? As long as I'm not divorced from Calvin, you'll always be the other woman—just like your mother, a shameless homewrecker." "You bitch! I'll rip that mouth of yours to shreds!" Hailey lunged at her. Alexia sidestepped her easily. "Calvin must be blind to go for trash like you." Before she could finish, Calvin walked into the room. He strode forward, catching Hailey as she stumbled, then turned to Alexia with a dark, unreadable gaze. "Blind? Trash? Who exactly were you calling trash?" Alexia's expression shifted, and she clenched her fingers nervously. Hailey took the opportunity to snuggle into Calvin's arms, a smug smile tugging at her lips. Calvin looked at Alexia coldly and said in a low voice, "She's the one I've chosen as Mrs. Reed. You know exactly how you ended up in this family. If this happens again, you'll face the consequences." Alexia lowered her eyes, swallowing her emotions. In a quiet voice, she replied, "I understand." Calvin looked away and handed Hailey a black card, his gaze softening just a bit. "A gift for you. Get yourself whatever you want." "Thank you," Hailey said, grinning so wide it seemed her smile might split her face. "Mr. Reed, go on to the front hall. I'll be there in a minute." As Calvin turned to leave, he shot Alexia a warning glance. Crossing her arms, Hailey smirked down at Alexia. "See that? A black card with no spending limit. I could buy a jet or a building if I wanted to." Alexia kept her face impassive. Irritated that she wasn't getting a reaction, Hailey's mood soured. She leaned close to Alexia's ear and said slowly, "Oh, right—there's something I almost forgot to tell you. When you married into the Reed family and broke off the engagement with Carter, Dad stopped paying for your mom's medical bills. She's probably waiting to die right about now." "That's impossible." Just two days ago, Christine had called and told her that Victor had paid the fees. The Reed family wasn't short on money, so Christine wouldn't lie about something like that. "The hospital called this morning. The deadline for payment passed, and your mom's already been kicked out—" Hailey hadn't even finished her sentence before Alexia turned and bolted out the door.