Chapter 252 I Was Being Taken Advantage Of
Courtney handed Tina over to Oliver. “Tina hasn’t had lunch yet; do take her out for a meal. I have an appointment with someone for a discussion. I will be back later.”
“Alright.” He nodded. “Courtney, who are you meeting with?”
She paused for a moment. “Mikayla Lewis.”
In an open-air café on Kyoto Road, the metal tables and chairs emanated rich French vibes and the maple leaves of the early autumn hung high above them, indicating that the weather in Melrose City had become cooler.
Mikayla was drinking coffee in her beige coat, looking as exquisite as when Courtney first saw her. Anyone who laid eyes on Mikayla would get the distinct impression that she was raised and pampered like a little princess from a young age.
Courtney looked around when she arrived at the place.
“Over here.” Mikayla’s voice came from a spot near the wall. Courtney raised her head and saw Mikayla waving at her, so she went over and took a seat.
“I’ve ordered a caramel macchiato, a black forest cake, and a salad for you. Is that alright?”
Courtney nodded slightly. “Thank you. You told me on the phone that you have something to discuss; let’s just get straight to the point.” She did not find her relationship with Mikayla close enough to the point of having lunch together. On top of that, the two of them had just left from an incredibly awkward lunch without even greeting each other.
Mikayla pursed her lips. “Please don’t get me wrong. The reason I asked you out this time is different than before. I apologize for my previous impoliteness.”
Mikayla seemed sincere but Courtney still thought that she was provoking her. “There’s no need for that. You have now gotten what you want, so apologizing at this point only sounds sarcastic to me.”
“You have misunderstood me.” Mikayla immediately explained, “I’ve really given up on Alex and he is just like a big brother to me. I really hope that both of you can make up and get back together, just like how you guys were in the past. I hope that my presence did not affect your relationship with him.”
The more Mikayla talked, the more ridiculous things sounded. Courtney frowned as she muttered, “Miss Lewis, are you pulling my leg? I’m afraid I don’t have that much time to joke around with you.”
“I’m being serious. I will be transferred back to the headquarters in France after some time and my parents will migrate there together with me, so I don’t think I will come back often after that.”
Mikayla’s expression did not seem like she was lying. However, Courtney was puzzled. “You are going to France? How about your marriage?”
Old Master Duncan would never allow Alexander to go to France with Mikayla. However, if the latter would not be going, were they planning to have a long-distance relationship after marriage?
“The marriage is a lie.” Mikayla smiled. “Alex asked for my help because he wanted to use me as an excuse to deal with Old Master Duncan. If my guess is correct, Alex is going to tell him the truth since Old Master Duncan has mentioned the official engagement date today.”
Courtney was stunned to hear that. Is Alexander and Mikayla’s marriage actually a lie? “I’m sorry?” Based on her understanding, Alexander was not someone who would use such childish means to lie to Old Master Duncan.
“It’s the truth.” Mikayla fished out a kraft paper bag from her handbag before placing it on the table. Pushing it toward Courtney, she murmured, “Also, I found out about something and I think that it would be quite impossible for me to come between the two of you. However, I’m a little curious so I wish to figure it out.”
Puzzled, Courtney took out the documents from the bag under Mikayla’s gaze. When she saw the title ‘parentage test report’, her expression changed.
“Before this, I did not understand why you are so committed to taking care of Alex’s son, but now I understand.” Mikayla’s voice came from opposite her.
At that instant, Courtney felt her blood run cold. Accidents tended to happen when one least expected them. She initially thought that the secret could be kept hidden forever—nobody would know about it as long as she did not tell anyone.
“I still want you to tell me in person. You, your daughter, Alex, and Alex’s son—what’s the relationship between the four of you and what happened?”
Courtney was so nervous that her fingers, which were clutching the documents, turned pale. When she finally calmed down, she asked, “Does Alexander know about this?”
Mikayla shook her head. “I didn’t tell him because I’m not sure what the consequences will be if I do so.”
“What else do you know?”
“I only know how it happened. Someone told me that Alex found a surrogate mother to give birth to his child many years ago, in order to fulfil his grandfather’s request to get married and have a child. Jordan is the child that the surrogate mother gave birth to. However, I am curious as to how you—the young lady of the Hunter Family—ended up as a surrogate mother.”
Since it has come to this… Courtney furrowed her brows with a thoughtful look on her face. She realized that Mikayla had discovered almost the entire truth but since she did not tell Alexander anything, she must have her own concerns and Courtney was able to guess what it was.
Courtney kept the parentage testing report into the paper bag and sealed it before replying, “Mikayla, I can satisfy your curiosity but I need to make sure that you can keep it a secret if I tell you about it.”
“Keep it a secret?” Mikayla was stunned. “You are not planning to tell Alex about this?”
“That’s my business.” Courtney seemed distant. “If you are not going to tell Alexander, I can also make sure that your secret will continue to remain a secret.”
Upon hearing that, Mikayla frowned. “What secret?”
“The truth about the fire.”
Hearing that, Mikayla’s face paled. “You—”
“I found out about everything within one week from the fire but I kept it a secret.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“This is not a threat but an exchange of secrets. I don’t think that we are close enough for you to meet me in person just to pass me this document and understand my relationship issues.” Courtney poked the paper bag with an impassive expression. “However, since you have brought this up, you should have your reasons; just tell me what you want.”
“I only—” Mikayla furrowed her brows and after a while, she sighed. “Alright; I admit that I have my reasons but they bring no harm to you. I came to find you because I think that we share a common interest. Otherwise, I would have sought Alex out instead.”
Courtney looked at Mikayla impassively without saying anything.
“Let’s put it this way. I didn’t know anything initially. I thought that you and Alex were merely dating each other like an ordinary couple, but someone specifically told me about the complicated relationship between you two.”
“Who?” Courtney frowned. Other than the butler back then, she did not believe anyone else knew about this.
“Britney.”
Hearing that, Courtney’s expression fell. “Britney Price?”
Ever since her relationship with Alexander had been confirmed, Britney had disappeared from their world and they had not seen her for close to six months; it was as if she had never existed. The last time Courtney saw her was during a cocktail party in Shanghai, where she saw Britney from a far distance away. Britney actually knows about the incident that happened six years ago and she even told Mikayla about it?
“Also, the fire was actually all her idea. It was only after everything happened that I realized I was used by her.”
