My Stand-In Groom Is A Secret Tycoon (Audrey)

"How about your son?" Audrey asked, getting to the question that had been on her mind. "You mentioned he's not well. What kind of illness does he have?"

Since Alistair's parents didn't need to live with them, it was almost certain his son might eventually have to come over. Learning more about him now would only make things easier in the future.

Audrey had never raised a child before. She'd only spent time with her relatives' kids, and they were a handful. One day with them felt more tiring than ten days at work.

'So what will Alistair's son be like?' Audrey wondered.

Alistair's fingers gripped his fork a little tighter, and his voice dropped. "He's six years old now."

'Six?' Audrey thought and recalled the driver's license she'd seen back at the city hall. 'Alistair is twenty-seven, which means he has had a child at twenty-one?'

"As for his illness..." Alistair began, pausing for a moment. A flash of pain crossed his face before he said quietly, "He has autism."

Hearing this, Audrey felt her heart ache immediately. She'd once volunteered at a care center and had seen children with autism up close.

They were in their own worlds entirely, and it was heartbreaking. Now, Audrey fully understood why Alistair wanted a partner who could help care for his son.

If it were just a healthy child, hiring a nanny would have been enough. There'd be no need to commit his marriage.

Understanding this brought a sense of relief to Audrey. She looked at Alistair and said, "I minored in child psychology in college. Maybe I can help a little. You can bring him over, and we'll work together to help him gradually open up." Alistair looked deeply at her. "Aren't you afraid?"

It was a child with autism, and even the top specialists in Willowdale hadn't been able to help him fully. There was a chance he might never recover.

Audrey smiled calmly. "What's there to be afraid of? Since we're married, that means I'm responsible for him too."noveldrama

If she hadn't thought it through, Audrey wouldn't have agreed to a quick marriage knowing he had a child.

"Alright, I'll discuss it with my family," Alistair said calmly.

They continued their meal, while Sophie was still outside waiting in line for over an hour before finally getting into the restaurant.

The only table available was a terrible spot with no view, and the staff wasn't exactly attentive. Compared to the way John had treated Alistair, Sophie's experience was worlds apart.

Sophie fumed quietly, wondering who that guy was to get such special treatment when she spotted Eliza walking arm-in-arm with Dominic.

A mischievous smile spread across Sophie's face as she approached. "Eliza, Mr. Hayes, what a coincidence! You two here as well?"

Eliza and Sophie had bonded over their mutual frustrations with Audrey, so they could be friends now. Eliza greeted her politely. "Sophie, you're here too? Want to join us?"

"You two are on a date; I wouldn't want to intrude," Sophie replied, waving her hand before sighing in mock disappointment. "But Eliza, you're different. Not like certain people I've known for years.'

Then Sophie continued, "I bumped into her earlier, went over to say hi, and she barely even acknowledged me! What, she's married to a rich guy now, so she thinks she's something special?" The mood around the table shifted immediately as soon as Sophie said it.

Eliza stole a glance at Dominic, watching him spin his coffee cup between his fingers, looking unfazed at the surface but with an unmistakable tension in the air around him.

Trying to ease things over, Eliza asked casually, "So you ran into Audrey and her friend earlier?"

Sophie caught Dominic's darkened expression and added, "Yeah, I did. The guy with her even looked a little like Mr. Hayes here. But really, how could that pretty boy compare to Mr. Hayes? Audrey must be out of her mind." Bang! Dominic set his coffee cup down hard on the table.