Alexander Sterling: The Bussines King's Rebirth

Chapter 6

Alexander walked back toward the narrow alley where Kyle's rented shack stood. In his hands, he carried several plastic bags of groceries. The money Victoria had given him, money meant to pay for prayers for his own death, he had used to buy something far more useful.

To Alexander Sterling, that sum was pocket change, utterly inconsequential. But to a destitute family like Kyle's, it was a small fortune, enough to keep them going for days.

Alexander bought fresh vegetables and fruits. He bought chicken and a bit of beef, along with soft, fresh loaves of bread,not the stale, rock-hard discount loaves Isabella usually set on their rickety table.

"You're back," Isabella said as Alexander stepped into the ramshackle house.

Alexander nodded. He walked over to the wobbly wooden table and set the bags down.

"I picked up a few things," he said.

Isabella approached. She opened one of the bags, and her eyes went wide.

Fresh vegetables. Fruits. Meat. Bread.

"This..." Isabella stared at Alexander in disbelief. "You bought all of this?"

Alexander nodded. "Yeah. Downtown, there was some wealthy philanthropist handing out charity money. I got some too. Spent it on these."

Isabella fell silent. She gazed at the groceries before her, fresh food, the kind she hadn't seen in what felt like forever. For years, all she could afford were the vegetable scraps from the market, near-rotten meat sold at a discount, and hard bread that had to be soaked in water just to be edible.

And now, Kyle had brought all of this home.

"You..." Isabella's voice trembled. "You spent the money you got on all of this?"

Even though she was starting to believe Kyle had changed, seeing him actually use money for the household still felt almost impossible to accept.

"This is how it should have been from the very beginning," Alexander replied.

Isabella was speechless. Her chest suddenly felt tight with unfamiliar emotion.

But Alexander wasn't finished. From his pants pocket, he pulled out something else, a pink butterfly-shaped hairpin he'd bought from a street vendor.

"Lily," he called.

Lily, who had been doing her homework, immediately looked up.

Alexander approached the little girl, crouched down in front of her, and showed her the hairpin resting in his palm.

"This is for you," he said softly. "I saw it by the roadside and thought of you right away."

Lily stared at the butterfly clip. Her eyes grew round, her lips parting slightly.

"This... is for Lily?" she whispered, as if she couldn't quite believe it.

Alexander nodded. "Yes. I know you like hair clips. It's a butterfly. Pretty, isn't it?"

Slowly, Lily reached out and took the hairpin. She examined it carefully, as though it were the most precious object in the entire world.

"Father bought this for me?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Alexander answered. "Put it on now if you want."

With trembling hands, trembling with joy, Lily fastened the pink butterfly clip into her short hair, which was finally starting to grow back a little. She turned to Isabella.

"Mom, look. Does Lily look pretty wearing it?" she asked innocently.

Isabella looked at her daughter, a faint smile touching her lips.

"Very pretty, sweetheart," she said, her eyes growing misty.

Alexander smiled too, watching Lily's sheer delight. Then he reached into his pocket once more. A cheap chocolate bar he'd bought from the same street stall.

"You like chocolate, don't you?" Alexander asked Lily. "Here, take this."

Lily's eyes widened again. She took the chocolate bar Alexander offered her, her face radiating pure, unfiltered joy.

"Wow, chocolate! Lily loves chocolate! Thank you, Father!" she chirped, bouncing on her heels with excitement. She tore open the wrapper and took a big bite.

"It's delicious!" she exclaimed gleefully. "Mom! This chocolate is so good!"

Isabella nodded, smiling faintly, turning her head slightly to discreetly wipe the corner of her damp eyes.

Alexander looked at the scene before him, Lily beaming with chocolate smeared on her fingers, and Isabella moved to tears once more. And again, that familiar sense of irony crept into his heart.

It was almost unbelievable that a woman would cry tears of happiness just because her husband brought home a bag of groceries, and her child received a cheap little hairpin. It truly painted a picture of the kind of hell Kyle had put Isabella and their daughter through all this time.

Alexander clenched his fists beneath the table, letting out a slow breath, holding back the storm of emotion swelling in his chest.

"Isabella," he called softly.

Isabella looked up, her eyes still slightly damp. "Yes?"

Alexander held her gaze.

"Going forward, I'll try to be more responsible for the two of you. I'll find a job while keeping an eye out for business opportunities. You don't have to work so hard anymore. Just focus on taking care of Lily."

Isabella froze. "What?"

"You've suffered enough already," Alexander continued. "From now on, let me be the one to earn a living."

Isabella stared at him, disbelief written all over her face. She never imagined she'd live to see the day Kyle would say something like this to her. Emotion surged within her. And then, without warning, she stepped forward and threw her arms around Alexander in a tight embrace.

Alexander drew in a sharp breath.

The hug was warm, sincere, and brimming with five years' worth of pent-up feelings. Isabella held him like a drowning person clinging to a life raft.

"Thank you," Isabella whispered, her voice catching with a sob. "Thank you. I don't know what's happened to you, but thank you for changing."

Alexander stiffened, his hands hovering awkwardly in the air. He didn't know how to respond to the embrace. Isabella was Kyle's wife, technically, she was his wife now. But Alexander wasn't the real Kyle. To him, this woman still felt like a stranger.

Slowly, Alexander lowered his hands, patting Isabella's back with clumsy, uncertain motions.

"It's alright," he said quietly, his voice slightly stiff. "There, there. Don't cry."

Isabella pulled back, noticing his awkward response. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"Sorry, I got carried away," she said, smiling sheepishly.

Alexander shook his head. "It's fine. I understand."

Alexander saw Isabella still standing before him, eyes glistening. The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward. He needed something to break the tension.

"How about I cook for the two of you?" he offered suddenly.

Isabella blinked. "You... cook?"

Alexander smiled faintly. "I'll give it a try."

Isabella hesitated at first. Kyle had never cooked. He wouldn't even so much as light the stove. But she saw the determination in Alexander's eyes and decided to give him a chance.

Alexander stood in the tiny, squalid kitchen. An old gas stove with a single burner, rusted pots and pans, and a dull knife, these were the tools he had to work with. A far cry from his luxurious kitchen of old, with its stainless steel appliances and induction cooktops.

But he didn't complain.

With deft, precise movements, he began chopping the vegetables. Carrots diced neatly, potatoes peeled and sliced, cabbage shredded thin. The chicken was cut into small, even pieces. He stir-fried the aromatic garlic, shallots, a bit of ginger, and a rich, savory fragrance began to fill the cramped space.

Isabella and Lily watched from a distance, eyes wide.

"Father can cook?" Lily whispered to her mother.

Isabella shook her head slowly, just as bewildered. "I don't know, sweetheart. I really don't."

Alexander continued cooking with total focus. About thirty minutes later, a delicious vegetable and meat soup was ready. He ladled it into simple bowls and served it at the table.

"Try it while it's hot," he said to Isabella and Lily.

Isabella stared at the soup before her, clear broth with colorful vegetables and pieces of chicken, the aroma making her mouth water. She picked up her spoon and took a careful sip.

Her eyes went wide.

"This..." Isabella looked at Alexander in disbelief. "This is really good."

Alexander smiled. "Is it?"

Lily tried the soup too. The little girl slurped it down eagerly.

"It's delicious, Father!" she beamed, eyes sparkling. "Lily loves it!"

Alexander smiled at Lily's happy face. Isabella continued enjoying her soup, but her gaze at Alexander was filled with curiosity.

"Kyle," she called softly.

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"You... how did you learn to cook this well?" Isabella asked, unable to hide her confusion. "All this time, you never..."

Alexander paused for a moment. He had prepared an answer for this question.

"Before I lost myself to the drugs, I actually learned a few things. Cooking was one of them," he replied.

Isabella nodded, though doubt lingered in her eyes. But she chose not to press further. She decided to just focus on her meal.

"This soup is truly delicious. If you sold it at the intersection at the front of the alley, I bet a lot of people would buy it," Isabella added, offering pure, unguarded praise.

"Really?"

"Yes—well, I'm just saying people would love your cooking, especially with the weather starting to get cold like this," Isabella replied.

Alexander fell silent. Hearing Isabella's offhand comment, his eyes suddenly gleamed with a sharp, calculating light.

Little did Isabella realize that she had just handed a business mogul the most brilliant idea he'd had in days.