Chapter 222

Chapter 222 Chapter 222 61%

Robert knew the Arcanum House’s rules: money alone couldn’t buy a potion. The one Elysia had given him was worth much more Seeing his hesitation, Elysia raised an eyebrow. “Too much for you?”

“No, isn’t 30 thousand dollars too little?” he asked.

Elysia chuckled softly. She never made unprofitable deals. The potion had basic healing properties, and its ingredients were common. 30 thousand dollars was already a generous price.

“Don’t worry, I’m not giving you any special treatment. 30 thousand dollars is fair,” she said.

Robert finally nodded, relieved that at least she hadn’t lost out. But hearing her say she wouldn’t give him any special treatment still left him feeling a little disappointed.

“Take care of yourself. I’m leaving,” Elysia said, standing up and walking toward the door.

But she stopped after just a few steps. Looking at Robert lying in the hospital bed, she exuded an undeniable commanding presence. Her eyes were cold as she met his gaze.

She said, “You’re indecisive and can’t tell right from wrong. Do you think hiding what Emma did is really loving her? You’re just enabling her, and sooner or later, you’ll end up hurting more people close to you.”

With that, she walked out, leaving Robert stunned. Her words and the coldness in her eyes replayed in his mind. Had he really made a mistake?

He had hidden the recording, shielding his family from the truth about his father’s death and covering up Emma’s crime. But he was also an accomplice in his father’s murder somehow.

For years, he had felt responsible for Emma, treating her as his fiancée since childhood. Now, he couldn’t tell if what he felt for her was love or just a sense of duty.

Robert’s eyes grew distant as he touched the bandages pain now.

on his abdomen. The anesthesia had worn off, and he could feel the If he had ever owed Emma anything, the injury he took for her at the hotel should have cleared that debt. The Robert who had once been obsessed with Emma was gone. Now, he was a new man.

*****

Elysia emerged from the hospital ward, and Nora finally surfaced from her thoughts. She ran her fingers through her tousled hair and smiled, “Finished talking?”

“Yeah,” Elysia replied.

“Hey, how about we grab a coffee at that café next door?” Nora suggested, surprising Elysia.

It was a far cry from the tension she’d felt when she first got Nora’s call. Seeing the sincerity in Nora’s eyes, Elysia nodded.

“Sure, why not?”

As they walked side by side toward the café, the silence between them was almost tangible. They seemed like strangers.

They settled into a cozy window seat. A waiter approached with menus. “What can I get for you ladies?” he asked.

“I’ll have a latte,” Nora said, then turned to Elysia. “And you?”

1/3 14:16 Wed, 5 Mar MO Chapter 222 “A cappuccino, please.” Elysia replied.

“Coming right up,” the waiter said, taking their menus.

Once he was gone, Nora let out a soft smile. “You know, I’ve always been a little envious of you Elysia raised an eyebrow. “You like Zane, don’t you?” she asked, cutting straight to the point.

Nora’s eyes flickered, but she laughed it off. “You’re pretty blunt. How did you know I had a thing for him?”

“The first time we met, it was written all over your face, Elysia said with a shrug. “You couldn’t hide it if you tried.”

Nora’s mind drifted back to that first encounter at the restaurant. She remembered how her heart had skipped a beat when Zane placed a peeled shrimp in front of Elysia. She’d been jealous so many times since then.

But now, it all felt so pointless. She hadn’t even had a chance to compete before she’d lost.

“Without Zane, I think we could have been great friends,” Nora said softly. “But life doesn’t work that way. I’ve been so blinded by jealousy, seeing you as a rival. But now I realize, I wasn’t even worth being your rival.”

Elysia studied Nora’s eyes, seeing the sincerity there. Pride had always been Nora’s defining trait, but here she was, humbled in front of her rival. She was crazy about Zane, but now that was just ridiculous.

If things had stayed the same, would they have ever sat across from each other like this? Elysia doubted it. Without the fall of Nora’s family, she would still be an enemy.

Taking a sip of her coffee, Elysia asked, “So, that’s why you called me here today?”

“For me, it’s more than that,” Nora replied. “It’s about closing a chapter. Those days are over.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Elysia said with a small smile. “I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for you.”

“Thanks,” Nora said, her voice sincere.

As Elysia called the waiter over to pay, Nora slipped her card across the table. “This one’s on me.”

“Alright, thanks,” Elysia said, standing up and leaving.

As she walked out of the café, Elysia couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a turning point. Nora’s unexpected change of heart was something she had never anticipated.

*****

As soon as Elysia left, Nora hurried back to Robert’s side. He needed her, and she couldn’t stay away for long.

She pushed open the hospital room door and saw Robert staring blankly at the ceiling. A soft smile touched her lips as she walked over and gently asked, “What’s on your mind?”

Robert blinked and turned his head, the familiar sound of her voice pulling him from his thoughts. “Nothing much,” he replied.

“Hey, where did you go just now?”

“I went to see off Ms. Rosewood,” she said, sitting down beside him and tucking the blanket more snugly around him. “How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?”

“Don’t worry,” he said with a reassuring smile. “It’s much better now.”

Nora sighed, relief softening her features. “That’s good. But you can’t keep getting into dangerous situations. If something happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

2/3 14:16 Wed, 5 Mar Chapter 222 Robert reached for her hand, his eyes serious. “I’m sorry, I know I’ve made you worry. From now on, I’ll learn to be more responsible. I won’t let you bear the brunt of everything”

A tender smile spread across Nora’s face. “As long as you’re okay, I’d do anything for you”