Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 83

"Come on in, have a seat."

After spending a little while at the orphanage, Tyrone agreed to stay for dinner at Albertine's invitation.

Alicia had honestly expected him to be eager to leave.

…

"Alicia, tell me honestly—what's really going on between you and Tyrone?" Albertine pulled Alicia aside the moment Tyrone stepped out of sight, her voice thick with concern. "He comes from such a powerful family. Is he truly serious about you?"

Alicia hesitated. "Albertine, right now, yes, we're serious. As for the future… I can't say for sure." She didn't dare mention the contract marriage, worried it would make Albertine anxious—or that, if things ended in divorce, she'd never be able to explain.

Albertine nodded. "Your happiness is what matters most. If he ever treats you badly, just leave him. Don't ever let yourself be hurt."

Alicia managed a grateful smile and nodded.

After helping Albertine settle the kids for their afternoon nap, Alicia led Tyrone out to the backyard.

"I grew up here," Alicia said, smiling as she walked him past the battered swing set.

Tyrone watched her carefully. "Did your birth parents ever try to find you?"

Alicia sat on the swing and shook her head. "Once or twice, couples looking for their lost child came, hoping I was theirs. But every time, the DNA tests just brought disappointment…"

She'd watched those parents walk away with slumped shoulders, and each time, she'd endured her own wave of heartbreak.

"There were a few good families who adopted me because they couldn't have kids," she added quietly, her smile tinged with irony. "But then, a few years in, they got pregnant, and suddenly I was a burden—sent right back here."

Tyrone's shoulders tensed. He raised a hand as if to comfort her, but thought better of it and let it drop. "You have a home now…"

Alicia froze, turning to look at Tyrone in surprise.

A home. Because of their marriage contract, she finally had a place to belong.

Tyrone had even given her the Riverside Mansion—a house worth millions.

But was a home really just a house? Did not being homeless mean you belonged somewhere?