Chapter 127

Elysia couldn’t quite wrap her head around the situation.

“U thought you were loaded? I mean, your car alone is worth.a fortune, so surely you can afford a decent place. But this… this is pretty rough.”

Tarquin’s expression remained blank as he replied, “I’m broke and going belly up.

“What? You’re broke?” Elysia gasped in disbelief.

“Got a problem with that?”

“No, it’s just… how does someone just go broke overnight? When did this happen?”

“Last night.”

Elysia was speechless.

To avoid exposing his true identity. Tarquin had brought Elysia to this old family home after his son Elijah was discharged from the hospital the previous evening. This was the house his mother had lived in before she moved abroad.-

“How come I can’t see any sign of you being upset about this huge ordeal?” Elysia asked cautiously.

Most people would be down in the dumps for a while after such a blow. Some might never get over it.

But looking at him, there was no trace of the grief you’d expect from someone who had just lost everything.

“How do you know I’m not upset?” Tarquin countered.

“I can’t see it.”

“You’re not my close ones, so should I parade my sad feelings in front of you?”

Elysia paused, thinking there was some sense in his words. But something inside her twisted, and she found herself offering comfort, “Life’s a roller coaster, you know. Ups and downs are part of the game.

You’ve gotta keep your chin up.”

“Chatterbox.”

“I’m just trying to show some concern.”

“Don’t need it.”

Elysia’s internal monologue was less than charitable. He was such an ungrateful jerk and it just served him right for going bankrupt!

Tarquin climbed to the sixth floor and stopped at room 601.

The old building was a walk–up with six floors, and the sixth was the top. There was no elevator, and each landing had two apartments. Across from him was 602.

Elysia glanced at 602; its door was marked with a cheery “Welcome” sign, and the doormat showed 09:43 signs of frequent use. Clearly, someone was living in thi Not like Tarquin’s place, which had no such warm greetings and a mat that looked brand spanking new.

He must be a newcomer.

“By the way, what’s your son’s name?” Elysia asked.

“Elljah Bradford, but we just call him Elijah.”

“Bradford? So, your last name is Bradford?”

Tarquin turned to her, his eyes narrowing with a look that hinted at deeper meanings.

Elysia’s eyes widened in shock.

Others called him Tarquin, and now Bradford.

Tarquin Bradford?!!

As her eyes grew larger, Tarquin looked at her with a hint of disdain, “If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.”

He wanted to avoid any idle chatter before meeting Elijah.

Elysia swallowed hard, “What… what is your name?”

Tarquin squinted and didn’t reply.

Elysia scratched her head, “It’s not too much to ask what your name is if you let me take care of your son, is it?

Tarquin replied tersely, “Tarin.”

He had revised his name a little for he didn’t want Elysia to know his identity. Now that he was sure she wasn’t trying to get close to him on purpose, he continued to conceal who he was. He didn’t want her to harbor any ulterior motives.

After all, the name “Tarquin” carried an allure that was hard to resist. The public didn’t know what he looked like, but there wasn’t a soul who hadn’t heard the name “Tarquin.”

Most women couldn’t resist the lure of wealth and power that name suggested. If she knew, she might try every trick in the book to seduce him.

Meanwhile, Elysia was still processing.

Tarin?

Not Tarquin?

It couldn’t be. Tarquin was a paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair, while this man’s long legs were the picture of health. She must have been overthinking it.

A few letters in names could change everything.

“If your folks had chucked ‘q‘ and ‘u‘ in your name, you’d share it with one of the richest tycoons around,” she quipped.

Tarquin just shot her a glance and didn’t bite.

Elysia prodded further, “You and Tarquin wouldn’t happen to be related, would you?”