Chapter 109

“What’s on your mind?” Tarquin asked, a hint of suspicion lurking in his tone.

“You didn’t want to get close to Elijah’s father, but what about Elijah? Did you worm your way into Corbin’s life to get to Elijah?”

Elysia shook her head fiercely. “It was an accident, helping Corbin! I just stumbled upon him having a fit in the street, and I helped him instinctively. Later, when the Dentons put out a missing person’s call, I was worried about his condition, so I visited him in the hospital. That’s how our paths crossed. I had no idea who Elijah was before that! Elijah’s father was the one who brought me there. If he hadn’t taken the initiative, I wouldn’t even know Elijah existed, let alone have met him. You can check the facts. I’m not lying!”

Tarquin watched her, his frustration palpable. After a moment, he said impatiently, “Let her go upstairs to get her son.”

Lowell quickly added, “Your son’s at the third–floor arcade entrance. Go find him yourself.”

The call ended.

Elysia’s eyes were red–rimmed as she stumbled towards the third floor.

At the arcade entrance, upon seeing Emmett, she felt a sting in her nostrils and lunged forward to embrace him, bursting into tears.

“Mommy… Mommy…”

“Emmett, you scared me to death. I thought I had lost you, whoops, sorry. I’m a terrible mom. I didn’t look after you well. Did you get hurt? Did they harm you?”

Emmett shook his head quickly. “Some guy just picked me up all of a sudden. I struggled a lot, but he said he got the wrong kid, and didn’t mean to, and then he told me you’d come for me and to wait here without wandering off.”

“What did this guy look like?”

“Tall, skinny, seemed pretty nice, and he even bought me candy. But I remembered what you said, not to take things from strangers, so I didn’t eat it.”

“Good boy, Emmett. Were you scared?”

“Not really, the guy didn’t hurt me or anything. He was nice.”

Elysia held Emmett tight, her heart still racing.

Her phone rang; it was Blossom. They had bought some milkshakes and couldn’t find them on the first floor.

Elysia said, “Emmett and I are on the third floor.”

“Why’d you go up there? We’re heading straight to the seventh floor then. Let’s meet outside the cinema.”

“Okay.”

09:39 Elysia calmed her nerves and gently told Emmett, “If the man didn’t hurt you, he probably did get the wrong person by mistake. Let’s not tell your big brothers about this, okay?”

She didn’t want Elliot and Evan entangled with that man.

“Okay.” Emmett nodded obediently.

“Good boy.” Just as Elysia was about to take Emmett upstairs, she spotted Keaton!

Keaton was a picture of casual charm with his floral shirt, crisp white suit, and the top two buttons carelessly undone, revealing a hint of collarbone and a teasing glimpse of his chest. His eyes, when squinted, exuded a roguish charm.

He was the epitome of a good–looking… rascal!

Elysia wasn’t drawn to men like him. It wasn’t exactly repulsion, but a deep–seated reluctance to engage more than necessary, sensing his lack of seriousness.

She preferred men like Zane and Benjamin – even Lowell was not bad, with a gaze that was clean and sincere.

And Elijah’s dad? Forget it. She liked him even less.

It was clear he hadn’t had a happy life before, which was probably why he always wore such a frosty expression. Like a walking freezer, chilling everything in his path!

But out of respect for Jessamine, Elysia didn’t show her disdain to Keaton, merely asking politely, “Is there something you need?”

Keaton squinted, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he said, “Don’t be so tense. That mess today was my ex–girlfriend’s doing. I had no idea, honestly. Look, I even turned them all in to the police, that’s got to count for something, right?”