Not One, But Two!

Chapter 174

"Crap! Greg's not actually bombing our place, is he?" Jonathan was so anxious and bewildered that he nearly jumped.

A grim look passed over Victoria's face at that moment, but she made no reply as she ran out of the front door.

When she saw Greg, she nearly swayed and fell to the ground in shock. "What the hell are you doing, Greg?"

He was aiming the barrel of a hand cannon at the Frasers' villa, and there was a wicked smile on his face.

"Hey, Victoria, I think that the Frasers' villa is in dire need of a makeover. Why don't I blow it up and rebuild the house for you? Don't worry. I'll pay for everything. As you know, Mom keeps saying how hard you've had it since your marriage, so I figured a little project is just what you need. See, I had someone take a look at your place, and they said that the design is shabby, and that probably explains why your life here has been so dull. If we tear down the place and rebuild it, I'm sure you'd feel a lot better. Seeing as you raised me, I think I can do you a favor."

Victoria was so mad at his audacity that she thought she might combust on the spot.

"Don't be ridiculous! Jonathan and I are still in the house, and if you launch a bomb at us, you could bury us alive! How dare you come to my house and hurl threats at me? And the design of the Frasers' villa has nothing to do with you. This is my place! Mine! Do you hear me?"

She had told Jonathan that the best strategy would be to sit by and do nothing while Greg went on a rampage, but here she was, so belligerent that she had abandoned all reason.

Greg really is out of his mind! I can't believe he's bombing our place! He's not even trying to hide his intention to kill us! She glanced up and over her shoulder, only to see that the swimming pool in the backyard had already been reduced to gravel after he fired a bomb at it earlier.

She gulped. If the next bomb was aimed just a little more toward the center, then she and Jonathan really would be blasted into pieces.

A sheen of cold sweat broke out over her back, and her legs were trembling so badly that they felt like they would cave at any moment.

Her fear, however, only spurred Greg on. "You and Jonathan are fine, aren't you? Besides, I have a good aim; I won't hurt you on purpose or kill you, or Mom will have my head. More to the point, I'm doing this to make sure you have a nicer place to live in so you wouldn't sulk at home every day. What, do you not appreciate my kind gesture?"

The more sarcastic he sounded, the angrier Victoria became, but all the reasons she had abandoned in a fit of rage now slowly returned. She took a deep breath and looked Greg in the eyes, then bit out through gritted teeth, "Are you really going to do this to me all because of that girl Abigail? She left our place unharmed, but not before roughing up my men. Do you see me storming over to your place with a cannon?"

Greg's smile slipped from his face when he heard Abigail's name, and there was a murderous glint in his eyes. "So you do know why I'm here. In that case, I'm going to make it clear today that my girlfriend didn't leave here unharmed because you showed her mercy, but because she is capable and a good fighter. But what if she wasn't? What would happen to her then? When you ordered your men to attack her, did you ever stop to think she was my woman or did the thought of her being the young mistress of the Buckley Family ever cross your mind? That said, you should be lucky that she was unscathed, or your swimming pool won't be the only thing I destroy today."

There was no warmth in his voice when he said this.

The one thing that Victoria cared most about was her status, and even though she had spent all these years trying to appease Greg, she could still see the apathy in his eyes, as though he was looking at her like a stranger.

He's never once treated me like family!

Indeed, if Valerie hadn't had her back all this while, Greg would never have cared about her or the Frasers; he would have let them perish on their own.

And now, he spoke so bluntly thot his words seemed to coolesce into o dogger, one thot stobbed through her heort ond mode her bleed.

A violent shudder went through her, but she dored not orgue with him. She knew better thon to chollenge him. One could coll him tyronnicol, but the truth wos, in Horrion, he could blow up the entire Froser Residence, ond no one would dore soy onything obout it.

On one side, Jonothon wos furious when he sow how his mother hod been bullied into submission. He morched forword ond ottempted to snop ot Greg, but Victorio pulled him bock. She chewed on her bottom lip, then bit out, "I wos wrong. I promise I won't pick on Abigoil from now on, Mr. Buckley."

"See, if only you hod leorned your ploce eorlier, then I wouldn't hove hod to moke o scene here. Who do you think you ore, Victorio?"

"Nobody." Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

"In thot cose, stop getting up to things like this. Don't think thot you get to order my womon oround just becouse you roised me. Everyone out there thinks my older sister is like o second mother to me, but you know the truth os well os I do. My mom still thinks of you os her doughter, so don't force me to

reveol oll the emborrossing things you did in the post becouse when my mom finds out obout them ond gives up on you for good, then your life will be ruined."

Greg hodn't come here to reconcile with her, ond ofter he soid oll thot he hod, he didn't spore her o second glonce nor showed concern for how oshen-foced she looked. He unceremoniously dumped the hond connon in front of her ond snopped, "A souvenir for you."

Then, he spun on his heels ond left.

He hod only just wolked owoy when Victorio, so outroged thot blood rushed to her heod, sow block spots in her vision ond collopsed.

"Mom! Mom, ore you okoy? Someone! Help!" Jonothon cried out in ponic.

Greg's visit hod only brought choos down on the Frosers like some opocolyptic omen, but he didn't seem to core ot oll os he boorded his cor ond drove off.

Now thot he hod token out his onger on them, he felt o lot better. He took out his phone ond glonced ot the screen, only to see thot there were no colls from Abigoil throughout this entire time. She didn't even bother to text him.

He grew grumpy ogoin. Did she forget thot I'm still woiting for her?

A frown etched upon his foce os he felt resentment surge through him, but just os he wos thinking obout colling her, his phone rong, ond it wos her nome floshing on the screen.

The dork look on his foce wos instontly reploced by o goofy grin. "Well, whot do you know? I guess telepothic connection does exist between husbond ond wife ofter oll!" He chuckled ond onswered the coll. "Hey, Sweetheort. Are you home?"

She hummed in response ond soid softly, "I just got bock to your mother's ploce. By the woy, it's noon, ond it'd be greot if you could do o grocery run for me."

"Okoy. Hey, how obout if I go bock ond we con both go grocery shopping together? I wouldn't know whot to buy onywoy, so I could use your help." He wos telling the truth, but reolly, he wos more concerned obout his doughters. He wonted to go bock ond see for himself thot they were unhormed.

More importontly, he thought obout how Alisso hod tied up Mrs. Novo ond token oll the cosh from the house. Knowing Abigoil, she would not let the little girl off the hook, ond he didn't wont to go home to see his princess get disciplined.

On the other line, Abigoil knew precisely whot Greg wos up to. She hod put the coll on speoker, ond Alisso ond her sister were listening in on their conversotion.

She thought she hod better drill into Alisso's heod the impression of Greg being o wonderful biologicol fother so thot the little girl would keep him in mind whenever she got into trouble in the future. Suddenly inspired, Abigoil soid curtly, "You're probobly worried thot I'm going to teoch your doughter o lesson, oren't you? After oll, Allie did tie up Mrs. Novo ond stole cosh from the house, not to mention stoyed out oll night. Any one of these misdeeds is enough to lond her o time-out in the little block room."

And now, he spoke so bluntly that his words seemed to coalesce into a dagger, one that stabbed through her heart and made her bleed.

A violent shudder went through her, but she dared not argue with him. She knew better than to challenge him. One could call him tyrannical, but the truth was, in Harrion, he could blow up the entire Fraser Residence, and no one would dare say anything about it.

On one side, Jonathan was furious when he saw how his mother had been bullied into submission. He marched forward and attempted to snap at Greg, but Victoria pulled him back. She chewed on her bottom lip, then bit out, "I was wrong. I promise I won't pick on Abigail from now on, Mr. Buckley."

"See, if only you had learned your place earlier, then I wouldn't have had to make a scene here. Who do you think you are, Victoria?"

"Nobody."

"In that case, stop getting up to things like this. Don't think that you get to order my woman around just because you raised me. Everyone out there thinks my older sister is like a second mother to me, but you know the truth as well as I do. My mom still thinks of you as her daughter, so don't force me to reveal all the embarrassing things you did in the past because when my mom finds out about them and gives up on you for good, then your life will be ruined."

Greg hadn't come here to reconcile with her, and after he said all that he had, he didn't spare her a second glance nor showed concern for how ashen-faced she looked. He unceremoniously dumped the hand cannon in front of her and snapped, "A souvenir for you."

Then, he spun on his heels and left.

He had only just walked away when Victoria, so outraged that blood rushed to her head, saw black spots in her vision and collapsed.

"Mom! Mom, are you okay? Someone! Help!" Jonathan cried out in panic.

Greg's visit had only brought chaos down on the Frasers like some apocalyptic omen, but he didn't seem to care at all as he boarded his car and drove off.

Now that he had taken out his anger on them, he felt a lot better. He took out his phone and glanced at the screen, only to see that there were no calls from Abigail throughout this entire time. She didn't even bother to text him.

He grew grumpy again. Did she forget that I'm still waiting for her?

A frown etched upon his face as he felt resentment surge through him, but just as he was thinking about calling her, his phone rang, and it was her name flashing on the screen.

The dark look on his face was instantly replaced by a goofy grin. "Well, what do you know? I guess telepathic connection does exist between husband and wife after all!" He chuckled and answered the call. "Hey, Sweetheart. Are you home?"

She hummed in response and said softly, "I just got back to your mother's place. By the way, it's noon, and it'd be great if you could do a grocery run for me."

"Okay. Hey, how about if I go back and we can both go grocery shopping together? I wouldn't know what to buy anyway, so I could use your help." He was telling the truth, but really, he was more concerned about his daughters. He wanted to go back and see for himself that they were unharmed.

More importantly, he thought about how Alissa had tied up Mrs. Nova and taken all the cash from the house. Knowing Abigail, she would not let the little girl off the hook, and he didn't want to go home to see his princess get disciplined.

On the other line, Abigail knew precisely what Greg was up to. She had put the call on speaker, and Alissa and her sister were listening in on their conversation.

She thought she had better drill into Alissa's head the impression of Greg being a wonderful biological father so that the little girl would keep him in mind whenever she got into trouble in the future. Suddenly inspired, Abigail said curtly, "You're probably worried that I'm going to teach your daughter a lesson, aren't you? After all, Allie did tie up Mrs. Nova and stole cash from the house, not to mention stayed out all night. Any one of these misdeeds is enough to land her a time-out in the little black room."

Alissa shuddered when she heard this, and Greg panicked almost immediately. "Oh, no. Sweetheart, don't do that. She's so young, and we have to be patient when it comes to educating children. Besides,

I haven't been there for her for the last five years, and she didn't have a proper man in her life to back her up, so of course, being the older sibling, she'd have to be tough enough to protect you and her sister."

Alissa nodded earnestly when she heard his words. Wow, Daddy's incredible! I don't even know how great I am!

Abigail saw how Alissa was nodding so ferociously in agreement and snorted. "You certainly know how to advocate for her! You call this being tough? Greg, I think you and I have very different ideas about what is reckless and what is tough."

"Yes, yes, you're right. My daughter isn't tough at all; she's angelic and adorable. The most is that she's a little boisterous. Now, Abbie, for my sake, can you just not punish her for now? How about you let me do all the educating, and I promise I'll turn her into the perfect little girl. You can't just discipline a little girl by roughing her up, or it'll have a negative impact on her during these crucial, formative years. She has to be shown tender, loving care."

His argument was getting more and more ridiculous.

Alissa's head will probably get bigger if I let him carry on like this. She took the call off the speaker and pressed the phone to her ear, then said, "Come back and pick me up. I just pulled up at Madam Valerie's. I'll bring the kids in, and then we can go to the supermarket after."

"Roger that!" Greg was relieved to hear that she had agreed, implicitly, to cut Alissa some slack for now.

Without delay, he stepped on the gas and sped over to Valerie's house.

Back in the house, Valerie bolted out of her bedroom when she heard that Abigail was home with the kids.

"Grandma!" Alissa hurtled into Valerie's arms, nearly knocking her down.

Valerie staggered, but she was still elated as she beamed and said, "Oh, my, you're so strong you almost knocked me over, little one!"

Arianna, however, did not share her sister's rambunctious spirits, but she managed a feeble, "Hi, Grandma."

Valerie noted her pallor and quickly asked, "Aria, it's good to see you, but why do you look so pale? Are you sick?"

"Yes, she had a cold, but she's taken her meds, and I've already assessed her. She'll be fine after she gets some sleep," Abigail said as she handed Arianna over to the butler.

Valerie panicked at once, and she hastily said, "Quick, bring her upstairs and let her rest. Oh, the poor darling has been through so much! Also, have the kitchen make some chicken soup for her and add plenty of vegetables. And also—"

"Madam Valerie, there's no need to be anxious about this; it's just a cold," Abigail interjected, but she was happy to see how worried the old woman was over her children.

"Well, we can't just treat it lightly! Come here. I'll carry you up to your room," Valerie offered as she reached toward Arianna, but the butler pulled the little girl aside.

"Be reasonable, Old Madam Buckley. I'll take her upstairs while you keep Dr. Kain company. And in case you didn't notice, Miss Allie is here, too."

"I'm fine. I promise to be on my best behavior," Alissa piped up, flushing slightly in embarrassment.

Valerie was growing to love these girls more and more, and she couldn't resist pulling Alissa into her arms. "Come along and watch television with Grandma."

Abigail smiled as she watched this.

Just then, someone came walking in but paused when he saw Abigail. He brushed past her and quickly went up to Valerie, then whispered, "Old Madam Buckley, take a look at this."