Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 384: Chapter 384

At the dining table, Bailee sat across from Alex, with Maliyah seated beside her.
The restaurant felt unusually quiet. Even Zachary, who was usually talkative, sat obediently next to Marvin and me.
"Mrs. Herrera, does your whole family live here?" Bailee suddenly asked, her gaze shifting to Zachary. "And who is the little boy?"
At that, Zachary answered before I could say anything. "My name is Zachary Collins. I'm Laurel's little brother. Who are you? Are you here to steal Alex, you bad woman?"
The already quiet atmosphere grew even more tense.
Marvin let out a chuckle but quickly clarified, "I swear I didn't teach him that."
"I don't take a child's words to heart," Bailee replied gracefully. Instead of getting upset, she smiled gently at Zachary. She was clearly trying to appear kind, warm, and patient, especially in front of Alex.
Unfortunately for her, Zachary was unimpressed. He bluntly stated, "I don't like her."
"Zachary, that is very rude," I said firmly. "Ms. Foster is a guest, and we treat our guests with respect."
Zachary pouted, his young face filled with grievance.
"It's alright. Children need time to learn," Bailee said sweetly. "Mrs. Herrera, you're still recovering. You shouldn't let this upset you."
I smiled. Bailee really was something.
I had expected her to recognize her place, but instead, she handled the situation far better than I had anticipated. Not only did she remain composed, but she also used the moment to present herself as understanding, considerate, and patient, especially when it came to children.
Bailee was putting all her best qualities on display for Alex. Unfortunately, she was trying too hard, and it made her seem insincere.
"Ms. Foster, you are right. With your background and looks, you are sure to make a wonderful wife and mother one day," I said meaningfully before turning to glance at Alex.
Then, I looked back at Bailee. "Ms. Foster, are you and Maliyah technically colleagues now, right? Is there anyone at the company you two like? By the way, does your company allow employees to date each other?"
Maliyah immediately responded, "Of course not. But, well people spend enough time together, and feelings develop."
I nodded slightly and smiled. "That's not surprising. Ms. Foster, is there someone you like?"
Bailee's lips curled into a faint smile. I had expected her to deny it, but to my surprise, she nodded instead.She did like someone. But that man clearly had his reservations about being with her.
"Is he someone from work?" Maliyah asked directly.
Just as Bailee was about to answer, Alex let out a soft cough. He slowly lifted the bowl beside him and took a sip of fish soup. Though he said nothing, his action was enough to interrupt her.
Before I could react, Bailee suddenly stood up and swiftly refilled Alex's bowl with more soup.
Dorothy, who had been standing nearby, witnessed the scene and quickly stepped forward. "Ms. Foster, you are a guest. Serving others is not your responsibility. That is our job."
She then reached out to touch the bowl. "Mr. Herrera, the soup has cooled. Let me warm it up for you."
When Alex nodded, Dorothy immediately poured the freshly served soup into the trash bin without hesitation.
Bailee's expression froze for a moment. She clearly had not expected the household staff to treat her so coldly.
Yet, even in the face of such treatment, she did not get angry. Instead, she let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "I forgot myself for a moment. I guess I still think of myself as Mr. Herrera's nurse."
"Ms. Foster, you really are something," Marvin said, studying her w/ith curiosity. "Not only can you be a nurse, but you can also be a secretary. Aren't you worried the man you like will get the wrong idea?"
"He won't." Bailee smiled gently at Marvin as if she did not find his provocation worth acknowledging.
She paused for a moment before continuing, "In my heart, Mr. Herrera is a very good person. If the man I like would misunderstand me because of this, then he is not worth my affection."
"Is that so?" Maliyah frowned slightly, casting a glance at Bailee. "Why does it sound like the person you like isn't as important to you as Alex?"
Bailee's lips curled into a faint smile. She looked at Alex and said calmly, "Mr. Herrera is indeed a very important person to me."
Maliyah let out a cold laugh, her eyes filled with disdain and scorn. But I could only suppress the burning anger inside me, not daring to act too recklessly in front of Alex.
"Laurel, Alex, take your time eating. I don't have much of an appetite today," Maliyah said as she set down her fork. She shot a glare at Bailee before standing up in frustration.
Bailee remained unbothered by Maliyah's hostility, her expression as composed as ever.
'She really has strong nerves,' I thought to myself, feeling an unexpected sense of admiration. No matter the situation, Bailee never lost her composure. It was clear that her past experiences had played a major role in shaping her.
I had asked Marvin to look into Bailee's background, but the information we gathered was disappointingly scarce.
The Lambert family had always been low-key, and even fewer people knew about Bailee's status as an illegitimate child.
The only thing we did know was that after graduating high school, Bailee actually had the opportunity to attend a better university.
Her grades were decent, and with Keith as her father, she had the background to go far. Yet, for some unknown reason, she ended up attending an ordinary medical and nursing school. After graduating, she relied on her own abilities to become a senior caregiver.
She had never seemed to associate herself with the Lambert family. After Alex appeared in her life, Bailee became his personal nurse. It all seemed normal on the surface, but the timing of her arrival was suspicious at best.
And then, after Alex let her go, Bailee went to great lengths to enter Herrera Group. Her intentions were crystal clear.
Bailee turned to me, her eyes carrying a soft smile. "Mrs. Herrera, you should eat more. That way, you'll recover faster."
I shifted my gaze to Alex, staring at him intensely until he finally met my eyes. He spoke calmly, "You have lost weight lately. Is your appetite poor?"
"It's fine," I replied. "I just didn't expect you and Ms. Foster to be so close now. You even tell her about things at home? If I didn't know better, I'd think she was your secretary."
Alex's deep, unreadable eyes locked onto mine as he answered in a neutral tone, "Bailee was with me when your accident happened." To him, losing the baby was nothing more than an insignificant event.