Rebirth As Little Girl - Chapter 22: Chapter 22

He couldn’t risk her health again, but it was really hard to ignore her puppy eyes. He looked at the glass of wine in front of him and made a decision—to drink the whole thing himself so that Ella would stop thinking about tasting it.
So he picked up the wine glass and gulped it down in one go, completely forgetting his manners in front of Ella’s wide eyes. He had drunk it so fast that a bit of wine slipped from the corner of his lips. He was just about to reach for a tissue to wipe it away, but before he could, his chin was gently touched by soft lips—leaving him completely frozen.
Ella was already stunned by Alex Walker’s action. She had only asked for a sip, and this man didn’t even leave her a drop—stingy to the core. She was just curious about the taste.
So when she saw a few drops of wine clinging to his chin, a mischievous thought crossed her mind. She moved fast—leaned in—and sucked the drops of wine from Alex’s chin.
Then, in the next second, she casually sat back in her seat and looked at him with innocent eyes.
Alex raised his head and stared at her, stunned. But when he saw that look of pure innocence on her face, he forced himself to suppress all the emotions rising inside him. He took a deep breath.
“Finish your meal. After that, I’ll drop you home,” he said.
The mention of “home” reminded Ella that her so-called father was returning today. She needed to get back quickly.
After finishing their meal, Alex took her for dessert, and then finally drove her home. When Ella was about to open the car door, Alex suddenly grabbed her wrist and looked into her eyes.
“You’re not alone. I’m always with you. I’ll solve everything for you. You just have to stay with me, okay?”
Looking into Alex’s eyes—eyes that held fear and hope at the same time—Ella felt something break inside her.
She had broken many promises to him in the past. She knew Alex carried those scars in his heart. She nodded slowly, staring into his eyes, and then threw herself into his arms.
“I’ll never leave you.”
Alex hugged her tightly, inhaling the scent of her hair, as if trying to assure himself that she was really there—that she wouldn’t disappear the next moment.
After about ten minutes, Alex finally loosened his grip, kissed her forehead gently, and let her step out of the car.
When Ella entered the villa, the living room was empty. Only Nina came rushing toward her, slightly out of breath.
“Miss, Madam is in the kitchen. She’s been cooking since she came back from the company. She even sent all the chefs and helpers away.”
When Ella heard that, she immediately understood that her mom was sad. She always cooked when she was upset—it was her way of distracting herself.
Ella nodded to Nina and hurried toward the kitchen. There, her mother, Clara Jones, was busy making dumplings.
Ella walked over and hugged her from behind, speaking in a sweet voice.
“Mom, why are you making so many dumplings? Are you planning to sell them at the company?”
Clara, who was focused on folding a dumpling, blinked and returned to her senses when she heard her daughter. She smiled and replied jokingly,
“What, are we that poor now? Selling dumplings?”
Ella laughed at her mom’s joke and played along.
“If we’re not going to sell them, then are we going on a trek across some mountain of dumplings?”
Clara glanced at the huge tray in front of her and was actually surprised by how many she’d made.
Ella’s expression turned serious. “Mom, what’s going on? Why are you so distressed?”
“Come with me to your brother’s study,” Clara said. “He’s waiting for us there.”
Ella nodded. She could tell something serious had happened—her mother didn’t hide feelings like this unless it was big. And Charles Smith still hadn’t returned home yet. Something must have happened at the company.
She followed her mother to the study, where Henry Smith was already waiting.
“Ella, come sit here,” Henry said, his tone serious. “You know your father came back today. This matter can’t be delayed anymore—there’s something important you need to know.”
Ella nodded. She already had an idea of what her mother might say.
“Listen, Ella, no matter what happens in the future, Mom and I are always with you. You need to remember that,” Henry said with a deep look in his eyes.
Ella’s heart softened. These were the same words Alex Walker had said to her earlier, and now her brother was repeating them. She didn’t know why she had been so blind in her past life—hurting the very people who would’ve given their lives for her, while helping those who only used her.
Clara gently made her sit down.
“Ella, Charles cheated on me with Ava Brown, and Lisa Brown is their daughter. Those two have been using you under the name of ‘family’ and ‘happiness.’ But the truth is—they’ve committed fraud in the company, and now your brother and I are taking action against them. But you are their soft target, so you need to be careful, sweetheart.”