Rebirth to take revenge
Chapter 108: Poison

Chapter 108: Poison

Her face turned pale. She didn’t expect Leander to say such a thing. Looking at the old butler’s scrutinizing gaze, her heart filled with anxiety. In her haste, she stepped forward to hug Leander and said urgently, "I’m your grandmother. Come, let grandma hug you."

Just then, a sharp shout from behind interrupted her action.

"Mariah, stay away from Leander!" Claire rushed over quickly, holding Leander tightly in her arms. She looked at Mariah warily, burying Leander’s face securely in her embrace.

"What are you doing here? You’re not welcome!" Claire continued. "Butler, escort the guest out!"

Hearing Claire’s shout, the blood drained from Mariah’s face. She didn’t expect Claire to appear at this time. Mariah gritted her teeth, furious but not daring to act rashly in the face of the situation.

Impatiently, Claire said, "So what if I had a child?

Look at how proud you are. You disappeared for three years and came back with a child. What, are you planning to use this child to win back Alex’s heart? Do you even think Mr. Miller will be interested in you? Just you and this child? Hmph, are you afraid it’s a bastard?" Mariah spat.

Leander poked his head out of Claire’s arms, waving his little hand angrily. "Leander is not a bastard! Leander has a father!"

Claire glared at Mariah. "Don’t say such things in front of the child, or don’t blame me for being impolite."

"Oh? Impolite? How are you going to be impolite to me, Claire?" Mariah sneered. "Don’t forget, you’re just an unwanted bastard of the Smith family. And the child you gave birth to is also a bastard!"

Smack!

A crisp sound echoed through the room. Mariah’s cheek swelled instantly. She covered her red and swollen cheek with one hand and pointed at Claire’s nose with the other, cursing, "How dare you hit me?"

"Claire, you’re asking for death! I’ll fight you to death!" Mariah raised her arm, ready to slap Claire’s face.

However, as soon as she raised her arm, a huge force gripped her tightly, rendering her immobile. "Who dares to stop me? Let me go!" Mariah turned around and saw the person behind her. Her arrogance instantly disappeared.

"Alex?!"

"Mr. Miller, what are you doing here?" she stammered. Alex then forcefully shook off her arm. Mariah stumbled and almost fell to the ground. She steadied herself, panic filling her as she looked at the tall figure before her.

Alex looked at her coldly and snorted, "I just happened to pass by." He turned his gaze to Claire. "But, Claire, I never expected you to have such a side to you."

After speaking, he glanced at Claire, who was standing behind him, holding Leander.

"You should focus on taking care of yourself and the child," Alex added.

Upon hearing Alex’s words, Mariah’s face turned beet red. She laughed awkwardly, "It’s a misunderstanding, Mr. Miller. It’s all a misunderstanding. I suddenly remembered I have something to do, so I’ll leave now, ha-ha... Let’s invite Mr. Miller to visit the Smith family when you have time!"

With that, Mariah turned and hurriedly left. Watching her retreating figure, Claire let out a sigh of relief.

As she relaxed, Leander suddenly poked his head out from her arms. He looked in the direction Mariah had left, angrily throwing away the lollipop in his hand.

"Humph, that bad auntie! She said bad things about Leander. Leander hates her!"

The lollipop fell to the ground, and Claire instinctively glanced at it. Suddenly, her eyebrows furrowed.

The lollipop shattered all over the floor, but it gave off a different scent than candy. Claire had been off medication for many years and had a very keen sense of smell. She put down Leander, squatted, and dipped her hand into the lollipop powder. She then brought it up to her nose and smelled it.

As soon as Claire caught the scent, her face suddenly turned pale, and her eyes reddened. She recalled how, when her mother passed away, she had smelled the same scent on her mother’s neckline.

A sudden surge of hatred filled Claire’s heart. Straightening up, she lowered her head, hiding her expression, and said in a trembling voice, "Leander, did that woman give you this candy?"

Leander looked at his mother with worry, nodded, and said, "Mom, what’s wrong?"

"Leander, don’t eat anything that old aunt gives you," Claire took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

Turning around, she forced a gentle smile and said, "Leander, be good. If you meet her again, stay away from her. Don’t trust her."

Leander nodded obediently, replying, "I understand, Mom."

Seeing Claire’s softened expression, Leander felt relieved. He walked over to her, hugged her leg, glanced repeatedly at Alex, and whispered, "Mom, is that Dad?"

Claire snapped back to reality upon hearing this, looking at Leander with resentful eyes. She sighed helplessly and said, "Come on, stop pretending. I know you’ve already met him, Leander."

Leander’s face turned pale, and he raised his head in panic. Puffing up his cheeks, he angrily said, "Hmph, bad dad! You even told my secret!"

Alex laughed, stepping forward and tousling Leander’s hair, "Your mother is tough, and I’m afraid of her too."

Leander pouted with a hurt expression, looking from Claire to Alex. "Both of you are bullying me," he muttered.

Alex chuckled, but before he could respond, Claire cut in, "Leander, you’re not allowed to call him Dad anymore!

Leander’s eyes widened, looking at Alex, clearly upset. Alex’s heart softened at his son’s expression, and he quickly said, "Okay, okay, Dad was wrong. Can you forgive me?"

Seeing Alex trying to please him so much, Leander burst into laughter. "Well, since Dad apologized so sincerely, I’ll forgive him this time."

Alex breathed a sigh of relief, smiling. "Thank you, Leander!"

The warm scene was suddenly interrupted by the old housekeeper’s voice, "Master, you’re back."

All three turned to see Nelson standing not far away, watching them with a complicated expression. He walked over slowly, and his expression grew hostile as he looked at Alex.

Alex, somewhat confused, forced a smile. "Hello, Master Nelson."

Nelson paused, his gaze shifting to Claire, and in an awkward tone, he asked, "Have you two reconciled?"

Claire, caught off guard, smiled awkwardly and glanced at Alex before replying, "Of course not."

Despite the tension, a warm feeling surged through Claire’s heart. She forced a polite smile and said to Nelson, "Thank you."

Alex watched their exchange with tightly pressed lips. He pulled out a chair on the opposite side of Claire and sat down gracefully.

Claire blinked in surprise, turning to him. "Why haven’t you left yet?" she asked without thinking.

Nelson’s lips curled into a mocking smile as he watched Alex, amused. However, Alex’s expression remained unchanged.

"Since you both are just staring at each other, I’ll go rest," Claire said, turning and walking away.

Left behind were the three men—two grown and one small—looking at each other. Nelson cleared his throat and offered politely, "Since you’re here, why not come inside and have a seat?"

To his surprise, Alex responded uncharacteristically, "Then I shall, thank you."

Nelson’s face darkened, and regret crept into his heart. Yet, Alex moved forward, scooping Leander into his arms. "Let’s go, Leander," he said warmly.

Leander wrapped his arms around Alex’s neck and replied, "Alright! Dad is visiting!"

Nelson watched them walk away with a sullen expression, following close behind.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Claire’s head was buried in the pillow, her body trembling slightly. By this time, she was in tears. She was now absolutely certain that the person who killed her mother was Mariah.

Claire never expected Mariah to be so vicious, not even sparing a child. She was insane! The mother and daughter of the Smith family were quick to act—when Leander showed his face in front of them, they came straight to the door with poison.

If I hadn’t happened to be off work today, Claire thought with a shiver, Leander might have...

The thought filled her with dread. However, faced with Mariah’s ruthless behavior, Claire knew she had to remain patient. Acting too soon would only alert the enemy. Her goal extended beyond Mariah and her daughter. More importantly, it involved Cole and Mr. Miller.

Claire clenched her fists tightly, doing her best to suppress the hatred building up inside her. She wanted everything to be returned twofold to that mother and daughter, and she wanted Mariah to pay the price!

Unlike the tense atmosphere in the bedroom, the living room was peaceful. Leander sat in Alex’s lap, wrapping his arms affectionately around his father’s neck. The two chatted happily.

In the corner, Nelson’s face was dark, and his heart filled with jealousy. He watched the father and son, wishing he could step forward and separate them. After all, Leander had been under his meticulous care since birth, but Leander had never been this close to him.

Nelson’s lips trembled with frustration, and he held back tears. His expression changed as he angrily stared at Alex. Noticing Nelson’s gaze, Alex glanced slightly in his direction, a frivolous smile playing on his lips. He raised his wrist to check the time and looked down at Leander with affection, asking, "Leander, are you hungry?"