Chapter 61

The pulse reading suggested no major issues.

Things are looking up at the moment. Just make sure not to ruffle his feathers when he wakes, and from now on, he shouldn’t be left alone. This suicide attempt is just the beginning; there will likely be more to come!

Tarquin furrowed his brow, troubled.

Something clicked for Elysia, and she dug into her bag, pulling out a small bottle of pills.

“If he has another episode and the sedatives don’t do the trick, give him one of these. It should stabilize him temporarily,”

Benjamin gratefully took the bottle, inspecting its contents–pills concocted from traditional herbal medicine.

“What’s this?”

Elysia hesitated to admit she’d made them herself, so she improvised an explanation.

“I got them from an old herbalist. They work wonders, I’ve tried them myself. If you’re skeptical, feel free to consult another herbalist.”

“Thank you,” Benjamin said quickly.

“No worries. I won’t be changing my number after I leave. If the kid runs into trouble, give me a ring. I’ll help if I can.”

Elijah’s eyes reminded her of Elliot’s–it was a connection she couldn’t ignore. Plus, she owed them a debt of fifty million. She might not admit it with a happy heart, but a debt was a debt. She couldn’t pay it back with money just yet, but helping their son would ease her conscience.

Benjamin looked surprised. “You’re leaving?”

Tarquin’s frown deepened, throwing her a glance.

“Yeah, I came to Jindale City on business. I should be done by this afternoon, and then I’ll be off.”

She was pretty sure she’d be able to get that sham of a marriage annulled by then.

“Where will you go?” asked Benjamin.

Elysia glanced at Tarquin subconsciously, not wanting to disclose her location in front of him.

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ll take the kids for a bit of a road trip before settling down.”

Benjamin pressed, “You don’t have a permanent place to stay?”

“Nope, we’ve been country living for a while, but I’m planning on city schooling for the kids. Just haven’t picked the right city yet…

Before Benjamin could respond, Tarquin suddenly cut in, “You’re really leaving?”

Yeah, “Huh.”

“What’s that look for?”

“People should keep their word. If you say you’re leaving, leave. Don’t just pay lip service.”

Elysia frowned. “Who’s just paying lip service? I’m seriously out of here! What would I gain from lying to you? Why would I even want to lie to you?”

“Just don’t make me lose respect for you. If I see you around here again, I’ll laugh you out of town.”

“Are you nuts? Rest assured, if I ever show up again, I’ll eat my hat!”

“Get lost.”

“You!”

Benjamin quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. “Ms. Thorne, don’t mind him. He’s just in a bad mood today.”

“So he gets to snap at people because he’s in a foul mood? Who let him get away with that terrible attitude?”

Tarquin shot her a chilling look, and Elysia clammed up.

She turned to Benjamin. “It’s getting late, and I’m on a tight schedule. I should ge F OF I Take care, Dr. Benjamin.”

Huffing, Elysia stormed out of the hospital room.

going.

Yet, as she walked away, she couldn’t resist one last glance at Elijah through the window. The thought of leaving stirred an unexpected ache inside her–she felt oddly reluctant to say goodbye to the boy.

But, then Tarquin’s voice cut through from the room, “If you’re going, then go. No one’s stopping you.”

Elysia thought, “As if I care about your approval. I don’t want you to stop me, you jerk! Let this be the last time we ever cross paths!”

Benjamin stepped out but couldn’t spot Elysia, so he returned to the hospital room. “What’s the deal, Tarquin? Don’t you want her help with Elijah?”

Tarquin remained silent, his face dark.

“She’s leaving, and you don’t even try to keep her around, just antagonize her. Alas! honestly think she’s a good match for Elijah. It’s going to be hard to find another lady with her qualities.”

A master of psychology, kind, caring, patient, and even a bit of a healer with her herbal know–how… A rare combination, indeed.