Not One, But Two!
Chapter 174

Chapter 174

Chapter 174

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

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

"Hey, Victoria, I think that the Frasers' villa is in dire need of a makeover. Why don't I blow it up andrebuild the house for you? Don't worry. I'll pay for everything. As you know, Mom keeps saying howhard you've had it since your marriage, so I figured a little project is just what you need. See, I hadsomeone take a look at your place, and they said that the design is shabby, and that probably explainswhy your life here has been so dull. If we tear down the place and rebuild it, I'm sure you'd feel a lotbetter. 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 couldbury 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 arampage, 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 hisintention to kill us! She glanced up and over her shoulder, only to see that the swimming pool in thebackyard 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 Jonathanreally 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 likethey would cave at any moment.

Her fear, however, only spurred Greg on. "You and Jonathan are fine, aren't you? Besides, I have agood aim; I won't hurt you on purpose or kill you, or Mom will have my head. More to the point, I'mdoing 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 ina fit of rage now slowly returned. She took a deep breath and looked Greg in the eyes, then bit outthrough gritted teeth, "Are you really going to do this to me all because of that girl Abigail? She left ourplace unharmed, but not before roughing up my men. Do you see me storming over to your place witha cannon?"

Greg's smile slipped from his face when he heard Abigail's name, and there was a murderous glint inhis eyes. "So you do know why I'm here. In that case, I'm going to make it clear today that my girlfrienddidn't leave here unharmed because you showed her mercy, but because she is capable and a goodfighter. But what if she wasn't? What would happen to her then? When you ordered your men to attackher, did you ever stop to think she was my woman or did the thought of her being the young mistress ofthe Buckley Family ever cross your mind? That said, you should be lucky that she was unscathed, oryour 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 theseyears trying to appease Greg, she could still see the apathy in his eyes, as though he was looking ather 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 theFrasers; 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 stobbedthrough her heort ond mode her bleed.

A violent shudder went through her, but she dored not orgue with him. She knew better thon tochollenge him. One could coll him tyronnicol, but the truth wos, in Horrion, he could blow up the entireFroser 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. Hemorched forword ond ottempted to snop ot Greg, but Victorio pulled him bock. She chewed on herbottom 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. Whodo you think you ore, Victorio?"

"Nobody."

"In thot cose, stop getting up to things like this. Don't think thot you get to order my womon oround justbecouse you roised me. Everyone out there thinks my older sister is like o second mother to me, butyou 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 replaces out obout them ondgives 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 osecond glonce nor showed concern for how oshen-foced she looked. He unceremoniously dumped thehond 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 blockspots 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'tseem 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 otthe screen, only to see thot there were no colls from Abigoil throughout this entire time. She didn't evenbother 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 thinkingobout 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 guesstelepothic connection does exist between husbond ond wife ofter oll!" He chuckled ond onswered thecoll. "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 knowwhot to buy onywoy, so I could use your help." He wos telling the truth, but reolly, he wos moreconcerned 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 thehouse. Knowing Abigoil, she would not let the little girl off the hook, ond he didn't wont to go home tosee his princess get disciplined.

On the other line, Abigoil knew precisely whot Greg wos up to. She hod put the coll on speoker, ondAlisso 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 biologicolfother so thot the little girl would keep him in mind whenever she got into trouble in the future. Suddenlyinspired, 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 outoll 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 stabbedthrough her heart and made her bleed.

A violent shudder went through her, but she dared not argue with him. She knew better than tochallenge him. One could call him tyrannical, but the truth was, in Harrion, he could blow up the entireFraser 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. Hemarched forward and attempted to snap at Greg, but Victoria pulled him back. She chewed on herbottom 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. Whodo 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 justbecause you raised me. Everyone out there thinks my older sister is like a second mother to me, butyou know the truth as well as I do. My mom still thinks of you as her daughter, so don't force me toreveal all the embarrassing things you did in the past because when my mom replaces out about them andgives 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 asecond glance nor showed concern for how ashen-faced she looked. He unceremoniously dumped thehand 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 blackspots 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'tseem 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 atthe screen, only to see that there were no calls from Abigail throughout this entire time. She didn't evenbother 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 thinkingabout 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 guesstelepathic connection does exist between husband and wife after all!" He chuckled and answered thecall. "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 knowwhat to buy anyway, so I could use your help." He was telling the truth, but really, he was moreconcerned 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 thehouse. Knowing Abigail, she would not let the little girl off the hook, and he didn't want to go home tosee his princess get disciplined.

On the other line, Abigail knew precisely what Greg was up to. She had put the call on speaker, andAlissa 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 biologicalfather so that the little girl would keep him in mind whenever she got into trouble in the future. Suddenlyinspired, 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 outall 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 backher up, so of course, being the older sibling, she'd have to be tough enough to protect you and hersister."

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

Abigail saw how Alissa was nodding so ferociously in agreement and snorted. "You certainly know howto advocate for her! You call this being tough? Greg, I think you and I have very different ideas aboutwhat 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'sa little boisterous. Now, Abbie, for my sake, can you just not punish her for now? How about you let medo all the educating, and I promise I'll turn her into the perfect little girl. You can't just discipline a littlegirl by roughing her up, or it'll have a negative impact on her during these crucial, formative years. Shehas 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 andpressed the phone to her ear, then said, "Come back and pick me up. I just pulled up at MadamValerie'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 fornow.

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 thekids.

"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 youalmost 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? Areyou sick?"

"Yes, she had a cold, but she's taken her meds, and I've already assessed her. She'll be fine after shegets 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 poordarling has been through so much! Also, have the kitchen make some chicken soup for her and addplenty of vegetables. And also—"

"Madam Valerie, there's no need to be anxious about this; it's just a cold," Abigail interjected, but shewas 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 shereached 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 incase 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 herarms. "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 quicklywent up to Valerie, then whispered, "Old Madam Buckley, take a look at this."