Dominic's thoughts returned, only to find the woman beside him had already closed her eyes.
With her eyes closed, the woman's skin looked cold and pale, her thick eyelashes casting a quiet shadow. She always seemed cool and unapproachable, but now she appeared a bit more gentle.
She really took him for a chauffeur.
A barely perceptible smile crossed Dominic's lips.
Perhaps any woman sitting in his passenger seat wouldn't be willing to use it for sleeping. She was truly carefree.
The car entered the Rosedale Residence. Dominic was about to wake up the woman next to him when she, like she had an alarm clock, opened her eyes.
Dominic squinted, suddenly suspecting that the woman had been pretending to sleep the entire time.
Just to avoid interacting with him.
This realization made Dominic feel a bit stifled. As the car entered the residential area, he suddenly jerked the steering wheel.
Alessia's body leaned forward, and she looked at the mischievous man beside her.
The man spoke, "Which building?"
"Park by the side, it's fine," Alessia said.
"Which building?" Dominic insisted arrogantly. "Are you planning to disappear halfway and then accuse me?"
Alessia was speechless. She knew Dominic's domineering personality and didn't want to argue over such trivial matters, so she said, "Turn left at the entrance and go straight. Building 13."
In less than five minutes, the car drove into the villa area belonging to Building 13. From a distance, they could see a car parked in front of the villa gate, and a man leaning against the car hood, smoking.
Alessia squinted and recognized the person as Nolan.
Why was Nolan here!
As the car stopped, Alessia pushed open the door and got out.
Over there, Nolan knocked on the car door and helped Ava down from the car.
"When did you come?" Alessia asked.
Ava hadn't answered yet when Nolan complained unhappily, "An hour ago. Where did you go? Why are you only back now? Auntie said we shouldn't disturb you, but how can it be considered a disturbance when elders come to visit?"
Alessia directly ignored Nolan.
Ava said apologetically, "Dear, don't blame Nolan. He's always outspoken. Is this friend sending you back?"
Ava glanced at the car.
At this moment, Dominic also got out of the car and greeted, "Aunt Ava."
"Ah, it's Young Master Carter." Ava looked a bit surprised to see Dominic, then quickly concealed it.
Dominic nodded.
"Do you have something to do?" Alessia didn't like this kind of small talk and interrupted their exchange.
Ava smiled at Alessia and handed over a leather bag she had in her hand, "Dear, the test results are out."
Alessia took it, glanced at it, then looked at Dominic, "Mr. Carter, do you have something else to do?"
This was basically a polite way of asking him to leave.
Alessia didn't want Dominic to get involved in her affairs.
Dominic had originally intended to leave, but hearing Alessia's words inexplicably made him feel irritated. After nodding to Ava, he turned and left. Soon, the car disappeared into the distance.
After the car was out of sight, Ava smiled and asked Alessia, "Dear, what's your relationship with Young Master Carter?"
"Not very familiar," Alessia said casually.
In the agreement for visitation rights, Dominic had clearly marked that she couldn't reveal their past relationship without permission.
Dominic was probably afraid that she would tarnish his reputation. Since they were already divorced, there was no need, and she didn't want to entangle with him.
"Not familiar? That's good. Young Master Carter isn't suitable for you. Mom will introduce you to someone better in the future," Ava said happily, pursing her lips.
Nolan couldn't help but sarcastically laugh, "Haha, Auntie, what are you thinking? How could Young Master Carter have anything to do with a divorced woman who grew up in the countryside? You want to find someone better? With two kids in tow, what good can she find?"
Nolan had touched Alessia's bottom line.
Alessia narrowed her eyes, saying domineeringly, "My children are my treasures. I can afford them, and they will never be anyone's burden."
Alessia's gaze was sharp, causing Nolan to hesitate. About to speak unpleasantly, he was pulled back by Ava.
"Dear, don't blame your cousin. He's always outspoken. Now that the test results are out, when can you come back to the Ramirez family with me?"
"I'll consider it. You can go ahead, no need to send me off," Alessia said, scanning the leather bag in her hand, then turned and pushed open the gate, walking in.
Seeing Alessia close the gate, Nolan said irritably, "Auntie, what does she mean? Is she refusing to acknowledge you?"
"Say a few words less," Ava tugged Nolan and shouted towards the gate, "Sia, Mom is waiting for your answer. Mom will come to see you again tomorrow."
There was no response from inside.
Nolan frowned unhappily, "Aunt, why do you have to be so humble? You are her mother."
"Nolan, you don't understand. You'll know when you become a mother in the future." Ava shook her head, looking like a kind mother.
However, this didn't appease Nolan; instead, it made him have a bigger grudge against Alessia.
He disliked his aunt who always defended him, suddenly being entirely devoted to a stranger.
Nolan looked at the closed gate and spat, "I don't know what's so great about her. She is living in such a good house, it must be given by some wild man."
...
Back home, facing the two children, Alessia had already hidden the hostility in her eyes.
"Have you two been good at home?" Alessia walked to the sofa and touched the faces of the two children.
"Hmph, not really." Christian put his hands on his chest, pouting and said playfully, "Mommy needs to kiss us to make us feel better!"
Eleanor sat beside Christian, her eyes sparkling, her little hands covering her mouth as she giggled.
Looking at the pair of little babies, Alessia suddenly had no temper at all. But unfortunately, there were people who lacked judgment, saying that her babies were just freeloading.
Thinking like this, the hostility in her heart surged again.
Alessia breathed a sigh of relief, kissed the foreheads of the two babies, and went upstairs with a leather bag.
"Mommy doesn't seem very happy?"
As a mommy's girl, Eleanor, even if mommy hid her emotions well, she still keenly noticed mommy's abnormality.
Christian analyzed with his chin resting on his hand, "Could it be the bad uncle who came to knock just now... and grandma?"
"Probably, Chris, I don't like them." Eleanor frowned.
"Me too." Christian nodded in agreement.
That uncle looked down on people with his head held high, he didn't like him. And that grandma, although she smiled when she looked at him and his sister, he just felt weird.
"Anyway, I won't let anyone bully mommy!" Christian blinked his black grape-like eyes and clenched his small fists.
"Me neither." Eleanor also clenched her two small fists.
Upstairs.
Alessia opened the leather bag and took out the appraisal report. The result shown on it was indeed the same as what Ava had said; she and Ava were mother and daughter.
For some reason, Alessia didn't feel much emotional fluctuation in her heart, just then her phone vibrated.
Alessia frowned; it was a message from Riley.
[Sia, the appraisal result is out.]
Following were two photos.
Alessia enlarged the photos, and the appraisal results shown on them were exactly the same as the ones Ava showed her.
She and Ava were indeed mother and daughter.
Looking at the two identical reports, Alessia always felt something was strange.
She searched for information about Ava online and found that Ava had two relationships when she was young, but neither lasted long, and there was no mention of Ava having children with anyone.
Alessia pulled out photos of Ava's two former boyfriends; she didn't see any resemblance between them and the children.
Her father was a puzzle, and if she wanted to know, she could only ask Ava.
Alessia lowered her almond-shaped eyes and searched about the Ramirez family.
Twenty-seven years ago, the Ramirez family was still one of the top families in Toronto, but they began to decline twenty-seven years ago.
The phrase 'twenty-seven years ago' meant something to Alessia.
The next day, the doorbell rang again.
Alessia and the two little babies had just finished breakfast.
Mrs. Cate saw Ava standing at the door through the video and the servant behind her carrying big and small bags.
"Miss La Rosa, it's Ms. Ramirez who came yesterday."
"Open the door." Alessia said.
Christian and Eleanor glanced at each other and immediately affectionately hugged Alessia's arms from left to right.
***