Getting up, he went over to the kitchen to have a smoke.
Afterwards, he went to join Elissa in the living room.
âThereâs good news!â he announced excitedly.
âI got a new project.
After repairing the apartment, Iâll take you to a fancy restaurant so we can have a big meal to celebrate! Well, Iâll be quite busy in the next couple months.â
Then he turned to Brantley and told him, âMake sure to take good care of your sister and her baby while Iâm at work.â
The little boyâs eyes lit up instantly.
Then he turned to look at Elissa earnestly, as if he was expecting her to say something.
But Elissa just got up and left.
Brantleyâs head drooped in disappointment.
âCheer up, young man!â Raphael patted him on the shoulder.
âThis is definitely a new chapter in your life, but it will take some time for you to get used to it.
You just have to be patient, okay?â
A N G E L A âs L I B R A R Y
But Brantley was too young to understand exactly what he meant by this.
Nevertheless, Raphael took him to the garage, and together, they patched the walls and the leaking ceiling.
Even with his face covered with dirt, Brantley smiled heartily as he worked.
At some point, Elissa brought them some water and snacks.
âActually, I think he is a very good and sweet boy,â Raphael remarked, referring to Brantley.
But Elissa didnât say anything in response.
Raphael held her in his arms and continued in a low voice, âI know you didnât have the heart to see him end up in an orphanage.
But you didnât want them to see you as a softie either.
Thatâs why you asked him to choose between you and the money.
Elissa, why do you have to torture yourself like this? We can see very clearly that he likes you a lot.â
Elissa was usually a very easy-going and understanding woman.
But when it came to this matter, she seemed to be quite stubborn.
She continued to be indifferent to Brantley.
But still, she looked after him very well.
From his meals to his clothes and even the stationery he needed for school, she prepared everything for him without complaints.
When they went out to have dinner, Elissa wrapped up the leftovers.
Raphael thought she was just being frugal, but just as he was about to tell her they could afford food and she didnât have to eat leftovers, Elissa took the food and added some shrimps to it before carrying it downstairs to feed the stray cats.
Brantley went with her.
It was late at night and the street light was dim in the lanes, so he turned on the flashlight so she could see better.
From where he stood, he could see a few stray cats scrambling for the leftovers.
Elissa turned to look at him and said in a cold tone, âYou think Iâll be fond of you just because you follow me around? Donât be ridiculous.
To me, you are no different from these stray cats.
Iâm just having pity on you, understand?â
Brantley stood still and said nothing.
Frankly, Elissaâs words made him feel very sad.