Dorothy said, "You’re looking for Elliot, of course!"Sophia was momentarily speechless but continued to appease her grandmother. "I suffered so much to find him, you know?"Dorothy laughed. "You should check Elliot. He might have a birthmark, too."Elliot, listening from outside, found the legend oddly touching. He signaled to Samuel to knock on the door.They entered the room, and Elliot said, "We have the porridge. Should we eat now?"Sophia's mood had improved significantly. "Yes, let's eat."Samuel hastily set the porridge and side dishes on the table. Sophia sat down and began eating silently, making no noise but consuming her meal swiftly."Delicious! It would be even better with some of my shredded potatoes. I'll bring you my stir-fried potatoes tomorrow morning, Grandma," Sophia remarked.Dorothy smiled. "Sure. It’s getting late. Finish up and head back!"After leaving the hospital, they got in the car. Sophia reverted to her silent self.But Elliot suddenly spoke. "
Sophia choked for a moment. "That's different. The circumstances were different."Elliot turned over. "If you want to sleep, go ahead. Don't blame me if you regret it. This is an old mansion, and it has a heavy energy. A few years ago, when Grandma passed away, Grandpa had nightmares every night. “My dad had a priest perform some rituals, and the priest said Grandma lingered because she was concerned about Grandpa. Sleeping on the floor might show Grandma that you're a bad granddaughter-in-law."Sophia felt a shiver go down her spine. She said uncertainly, "Y-You're trying to scare me. Nightmares are caused by neurosis."Elliot said, "Believe whatever you want." With that, he closed his eyes, and appeared to doze off.The more Sophia thought about it, the more frightened she became. She was irritated when she saw how unaffected Elliot was. She got up and pinched Elliot's nose. "If you won't let me sleep, I won’t let you sleep peacefully either!"Elliot grabbed her hand, hi
After a night of fighting and fooling around, they tossed and turned until the wee hours. Getting up in the morning seemed impossible. The alarm clock had beeped persistently several times.Sophia, still half-asleep, reached out to turn off the alarm. But she looked down to see that Elliot’s arm was restraining her own around her waist. She remembered pushing him to the other side of the bed last night. 'How did he end up here again?'The pillow that had divided them had also disappeared from the bed. Elliot was using her pillow.So they had shared a bed and a pillow last night.She wanted to strangle this untrustworthy man, but she was also afraid of the awkwardness that might ensue when they faced each other.She decided to remove his arm from around her, turn off the alarm, and get out of bed.She did not see the faint smile on Elliot’s lips, even as his eyes remained closed.The arm she had thrown off found its way back to the pillow she had used, and he sniffed it deeply,
After taking their seats, Jeffrey started, "I had to come here in person. This matter originated from me, and I felt the need to explain it to you face to face."Jocelyn smiled wryly. "What's there to explain? Our families have had a long-standing friendship, so you can tell us anything."Jeffrey sighed. "Don't blame Elliot. In fact, he’s been honoring the engagement with Christine. It's just that in fear of my own impending mortality, I took matters into my own hands.“You’ve heard about me undergoing several surgeries during my recent hospitalization, right?”“With Elliot's parents gone, he was the only one I could trust. So, I arranged a marriage for him behind his back. Now that the young couple is together, we can't let Elliot and Christine's engagement stand. We owe you an explanation."Jocelyn sighed deeply. "I heard about this from Chase last night. Christine has been missing for so many years, and we can't expect you to honor the engagement forever. It's good as long as E
Deep down, Elliot felt uneasy. In truth, he was somewhat selfish. For the sake of his feelings, he had rejected a marriage that he had upheld for twenty years.In reality, he didn't have much emotional attachment to that little girl in his mind. What he had maintained was merely a sentiment between two families.However, this was a wound for the Morgans. In their eyes, Elliot’s decision to break off the engagement meant he didn't want to share their joys and sorrows anymore. They could wait, but he couldn't, and it felt like a betrayal."I'm sorry," Elliot apologized.Jocelyn wiped away her tears and looked at him, saying, "There's nothing to be sorry about. I discussed this engagement with your grandfather long ago. You’re allowed to break it when you find yourself a suitable partner.“You've waited for Christine for so many years and done your best. I just get emotional whenever my daughter is mentioned. Okay, let's forget about the marriage between you and Christine. Even if sh
Charles positioned himself in front of Sophia. Despite her taking his aunt’s place, he didn't harbor any resentment toward her. This was more like helping his uncle, he reasoned.He stared at the group of men solemnly. "You lot are blind to the truth. Before laying a hand on her, shouldn't you find out who she is?"The bikers paid no heed to his warning. They inched toward Charles with baseball bats in hand. The onlookers held their breath as if anticipating Sophia's imminent fate, afraid even to exhale.Isabel trembled as she anxiously stared at the men approaching.The bikers stopped about a meter away from Sophia. Just as she wondered what was about to happen, they all executed a perfect ninety-degree bow.In unison, they shouted, "Soph!"The sound was so loud that it startled her to the point of almost stumbling.'What in the world?’ Isabel looked at Sophia in confusion. Why were these fierce-looking men calling her "Soph?”Charles, ready to brawl with them, froze in place.
Elliot responded vaguely, "Mmm." He glanced at Sophia, who showed no signs of jealousy on her face, just a hint of awkwardness and uncertainty. "Come here, Sophy," he called out to her.Sophia walked over, eyeing the woman.Elliot took her hand and introduced, "This is Vanessa, my childhood friend's sister. Vanessa’s like a little sister to me."Sophia looked at Vanessa’s hostile expression and found the whole thing amusing. 'A little sister? Really?’She chuckled. "Hi, Vanessa."Vanessa forced out a smile. "Hey." She then turned to Elliot. "Didn't you break off the engagement with the Morgans today?"Sophia was surprised. 'He broke it off? How did he manage that?'Elliot replied, "Yes, I did."Vanessa, unwilling to accept it, asked again, "And you got married today?"Elliot answered impatiently, "Sophy and I got married a long time ago."Vanessa felt her heart shattering into pieces. She had liked Elliot since she was very young, but he insisted on adhering to his engage
Ethel knew that being seen meant she had to explain herself. Without fanfare, she followed them into the bedroom and recounted the night’s events."I've always known that Brandon isn’t an honest person, but for the sake of our child, I endured it. Today, he asked for a divorce, and I couldn't control my temper, and we argued.“I told him that everything he bought for that woman was with my money. If it weren't for me, he’d be nothing. In a fit of anger, he hit me. He claimed the success of the company was all thanks to him.“You don't know how infuriating he can be. He said I've already taken back the startup capital for the company, but if I hadn’t paved the way, he’d never have what he has today.“Our argument escalated, and he left in his car. I was worried he’d go to that woman, so I followed him and ended up here."Elliot was furious, hating Brandon for his lack of integrity. "Why did you follow him? Why didn't you just let that scum go?"Sophia pulled Elliot back, wondering