The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 20: Chapter 20
You are reading The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep, Chapter 20: Chapter 20. Read more chapters of The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep.
Leon sobbed, "Daddy, I don't want to go back to Powell Manor. I want to stay with Ellie."
"Leon, it's okay. Don't cry. Your grandpa misses you. How about we go visit him for a bit?" Eliza gently stroked Leon's hair and spoke in a soft voice to calm him.
As soon as she finished speaking, Leon cried even harder, clinging tightly to Victor's leg, "No, I don't want to leave Daddy and Ellie."
"Vic, maybe just let Leon stay," Eliza spoke, frowning slightly, forcing a pleading smile as she looked up at Victor.
Victor looked at Leon who was crying his heart out, then glanced at Eliza. He sighed and finally gave in a little, saying, "Alright."
He dialed Albert's number again. "Hey, Dad, Leon's not in a good place right now. Let him stay a few more days. I'll bring him back later."
"You always give in to them," Albert said with a heavy sigh on the other end. The cane in his hand tapped against the floor. As a father, he still couldn't win against his son.
After hanging up, Victor looked at Eliza's warm smile. He couldn't help but think back to how things used to be. Back then, he didn't have to worry about any of the household matters at all—Serena always had everything under control.
Now, he had to exhaust himself juggling between Albert and Eliza, drained both physically and mentally.
All the way over in Glonia, on the other side of the world, Alyssa had locked herself in her room ever since she arrived. She wouldn't talk to anyone.
"Alyssa, open the door. It's Daddy." Keith gently knocked on her door, but the room remained silent. There was no response at all. He glanced at Henry Iverson beside him, and a pang of anxiety tightened in his chest.
Henry shook his head helplessly. "Alyssa's condition is worse than I expected. The change in environment hit her hard. It's a tough situation right now."
Keith asked, "Then what should I do? I can't just let her lock herself in that room forever. I've tried everything, but she won't cooperate."
Henry suggested, "Maybe there's still someone Alyssa knows and trusts. It might help to have them talk to her."
Keith thought for a moment, and a familiar figure flashed through his mind. "Stay here with Alyssa. I'll be right back."
Watching Keith leave in a hurry, Henry grew even more puzzled. He thought, 'In Glonia, who else could Alyssa possibly know?'
Meanwhile, Serena had just finished her shower and was getting ready to rest. When she heard the knock at the door, she went to open it.
The door swung open to reveal Keith, looking a bit hesitant. The surprise in Serena's eyes was clear. She inquired, "Mr. Brannon, what are you doing here? It's so late. Is something wrong?"
Keith spoke, "Ms. Gray, I'm really sorry to bother you at this hour, but Alyssa's not doing well. She's locked herself in her room, refusing to cooperate with treatment. We've tried everything. We're out of options, so I came to ask if you could help."
Serena's heart sank. She hadn't spent much time with Alyssa, but she'd always had a soft spot for the sweet, sensible little girl.
Hearing this, she nodded without hesitation. "Okay. I'll go with you. Just give me a second."
Realizing how urgent the situation was, Serena quickly turned back into the room, threw on a jacket, and followed Keith. Before long, they arrived outside Alyssa's room.
Seeing the unfamiliar woman behind Keith, Henry's expression shifted with curiosity.
"Ms. Gray, this is Henry Iverson. He's the doctor in charge of Alyssa's case and also a close friend of mine." Keith cleared his throat and introduced them. "Henry, this is Ms. Serena Gray. Alyssa really connected with her."
Serena said, "Dr. Iverson, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Ms. Gray," Henry replied.
Serena gave a polite nod. Henry's gaze carried a hint of scrutiny as he studied her.
After a brief exchange, Serena's attention quickly shifted to the closed door in front of her. She gently knocked. "Alyssa, it's me, Serena."
There was no reply from inside the room, only muffled sobs coming through in broken waves.
"Alyssa, can you talk to me?" Serena asked.
There was still no response, only that heartbreaking sound of quiet sobs.
Serena turned to Keith with concern. "Mr. Brannon, is it possible to open the door?"
Before Keith could answer, Henry spoke up first, "Ms. Gray, the thing is, Alyssa's rejecting everything around her right now. It's best to wait until she opens the door herself or until she calms down a bit before going in."
Serena nodded, indicating she understood. But right now, with a child shut away like this, the longer it dragged on, the more dangerous the outcome could become.
She knocked gently on the door again. "Alyssa, do you remember the little bunny we used to play with? It really misses you."
The broken sobs coming from the room finally stopped. Henry raised his eyebrows, surprise flickering across his face. He adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.
As Alyssa's psychologist, he knew just how fragile she was emotionally right now. For Serena to calm her this quickly was something he couldn't help but admire.
"Ms. Gray, Alyssa really trusts you," Henry said.
Serena asked, "Dr. Iverson, do you think it's okay to try opening the door now?"
Henry frowned slightly. "Her emotions should be a bit more stable now, but I still worry that opening the door too abruptly might upset her again."
Serena didn't respond. She turned to Keith instead. Their eyes met, and Keith somehow felt a trust rise in his chest.
"I think we should open the door," Keith said. He chose to believe in Serena and in her ability to handle what came next.
Though Henry still had some concerns, at this point he had no choice but to trust her too.
Keith unlocked the door with the key card. The room inside was dim, the curtains tightly drawn, with only a faint sliver of light coming through the crack in the doorway.
Alyssa was curled up in the corner of the bed, clutching a stuffed animal tightly, her shoulders trembling nonstop.
Serena carefully crouched down by the edge of the bed. "Alyssa, it's me, Serena."
Alyssa didn't lift her head. She just buried it deeper.
Serena thought of Leon when he was little. Her heart ached as she reached out, wanting to stroke Alyssa's hair, but her hand stopped midway. She was afraid that even the slightest touch might scare Alyssa more.
Keith stood at the doorway, his tall figure blocking most of the light, making the room even dimmer. He looked at the small, shaking form on the bed. "Alyssa." His deep voice wavered, but in the end, he couldn't finish the sentence.
Serena spoke again, "Alyssa, look. The little bunny asked me to bring you these candies."
She held out the candy in her hand. The colorful wrappers caught the faint light in the room, reflecting tiny glimmers.
Alyssa finally lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes looking toward the candy in Serena's hand.
Feeling bad for her, Serena gently pulled Alyssa into a hug, softly patting her back. "It's okay, Alyssa. I'm here. You're safe now."
"Leon, it's okay. Don't cry. Your grandpa misses you. How about we go visit him for a bit?" Eliza gently stroked Leon's hair and spoke in a soft voice to calm him.
As soon as she finished speaking, Leon cried even harder, clinging tightly to Victor's leg, "No, I don't want to leave Daddy and Ellie."
"Vic, maybe just let Leon stay," Eliza spoke, frowning slightly, forcing a pleading smile as she looked up at Victor.
Victor looked at Leon who was crying his heart out, then glanced at Eliza. He sighed and finally gave in a little, saying, "Alright."
He dialed Albert's number again. "Hey, Dad, Leon's not in a good place right now. Let him stay a few more days. I'll bring him back later."
"You always give in to them," Albert said with a heavy sigh on the other end. The cane in his hand tapped against the floor. As a father, he still couldn't win against his son.
After hanging up, Victor looked at Eliza's warm smile. He couldn't help but think back to how things used to be. Back then, he didn't have to worry about any of the household matters at all—Serena always had everything under control.
Now, he had to exhaust himself juggling between Albert and Eliza, drained both physically and mentally.
All the way over in Glonia, on the other side of the world, Alyssa had locked herself in her room ever since she arrived. She wouldn't talk to anyone.
"Alyssa, open the door. It's Daddy." Keith gently knocked on her door, but the room remained silent. There was no response at all. He glanced at Henry Iverson beside him, and a pang of anxiety tightened in his chest.
Henry shook his head helplessly. "Alyssa's condition is worse than I expected. The change in environment hit her hard. It's a tough situation right now."
Keith asked, "Then what should I do? I can't just let her lock herself in that room forever. I've tried everything, but she won't cooperate."
Henry suggested, "Maybe there's still someone Alyssa knows and trusts. It might help to have them talk to her."
Keith thought for a moment, and a familiar figure flashed through his mind. "Stay here with Alyssa. I'll be right back."
Watching Keith leave in a hurry, Henry grew even more puzzled. He thought, 'In Glonia, who else could Alyssa possibly know?'
Meanwhile, Serena had just finished her shower and was getting ready to rest. When she heard the knock at the door, she went to open it.
The door swung open to reveal Keith, looking a bit hesitant. The surprise in Serena's eyes was clear. She inquired, "Mr. Brannon, what are you doing here? It's so late. Is something wrong?"
Keith spoke, "Ms. Gray, I'm really sorry to bother you at this hour, but Alyssa's not doing well. She's locked herself in her room, refusing to cooperate with treatment. We've tried everything. We're out of options, so I came to ask if you could help."
Serena's heart sank. She hadn't spent much time with Alyssa, but she'd always had a soft spot for the sweet, sensible little girl.
Hearing this, she nodded without hesitation. "Okay. I'll go with you. Just give me a second."
Realizing how urgent the situation was, Serena quickly turned back into the room, threw on a jacket, and followed Keith. Before long, they arrived outside Alyssa's room.
Seeing the unfamiliar woman behind Keith, Henry's expression shifted with curiosity.
"Ms. Gray, this is Henry Iverson. He's the doctor in charge of Alyssa's case and also a close friend of mine." Keith cleared his throat and introduced them. "Henry, this is Ms. Serena Gray. Alyssa really connected with her."
Serena said, "Dr. Iverson, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Ms. Gray," Henry replied.
Serena gave a polite nod. Henry's gaze carried a hint of scrutiny as he studied her.
After a brief exchange, Serena's attention quickly shifted to the closed door in front of her. She gently knocked. "Alyssa, it's me, Serena."
There was no reply from inside the room, only muffled sobs coming through in broken waves.
"Alyssa, can you talk to me?" Serena asked.
There was still no response, only that heartbreaking sound of quiet sobs.
Serena turned to Keith with concern. "Mr. Brannon, is it possible to open the door?"
Before Keith could answer, Henry spoke up first, "Ms. Gray, the thing is, Alyssa's rejecting everything around her right now. It's best to wait until she opens the door herself or until she calms down a bit before going in."
Serena nodded, indicating she understood. But right now, with a child shut away like this, the longer it dragged on, the more dangerous the outcome could become.
She knocked gently on the door again. "Alyssa, do you remember the little bunny we used to play with? It really misses you."
The broken sobs coming from the room finally stopped. Henry raised his eyebrows, surprise flickering across his face. He adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.
As Alyssa's psychologist, he knew just how fragile she was emotionally right now. For Serena to calm her this quickly was something he couldn't help but admire.
"Ms. Gray, Alyssa really trusts you," Henry said.
Serena asked, "Dr. Iverson, do you think it's okay to try opening the door now?"
Henry frowned slightly. "Her emotions should be a bit more stable now, but I still worry that opening the door too abruptly might upset her again."
Serena didn't respond. She turned to Keith instead. Their eyes met, and Keith somehow felt a trust rise in his chest.
"I think we should open the door," Keith said. He chose to believe in Serena and in her ability to handle what came next.
Though Henry still had some concerns, at this point he had no choice but to trust her too.
Keith unlocked the door with the key card. The room inside was dim, the curtains tightly drawn, with only a faint sliver of light coming through the crack in the doorway.
Alyssa was curled up in the corner of the bed, clutching a stuffed animal tightly, her shoulders trembling nonstop.
Serena carefully crouched down by the edge of the bed. "Alyssa, it's me, Serena."
Alyssa didn't lift her head. She just buried it deeper.
Serena thought of Leon when he was little. Her heart ached as she reached out, wanting to stroke Alyssa's hair, but her hand stopped midway. She was afraid that even the slightest touch might scare Alyssa more.
Keith stood at the doorway, his tall figure blocking most of the light, making the room even dimmer. He looked at the small, shaking form on the bed. "Alyssa." His deep voice wavered, but in the end, he couldn't finish the sentence.
Serena spoke again, "Alyssa, look. The little bunny asked me to bring you these candies."
She held out the candy in her hand. The colorful wrappers caught the faint light in the room, reflecting tiny glimmers.
Alyssa finally lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes looking toward the candy in Serena's hand.
Feeling bad for her, Serena gently pulled Alyssa into a hug, softly patting her back. "It's okay, Alyssa. I'm here. You're safe now."
End of The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep Chapter 20. Continue reading Chapter 21 or return to The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep book page.