Chapter 13
Ignoring Ethan’s stunned expression as he held his cheek, Elijah made up her mind in that instant.
she wasn’t going to wait any longer. She had to leave the Morgan estate immediately.
Even if she had to stay in a motel or sleep on the streets, she refused to spend another day under the same roof with someone as shameless as Ethan. Not one more second.
When she turned to leave, Ethan instinctively reached out to grab her, but the unmasked disgust in
her eyes froze him on the spot.
He barely registered the humiliation of being slapped for the first time in his life.
For a moment, he just stood there, dazed, watching her unshakable back as she walked away, a strange emptiness slowly creeping into his chest.
Unaware of Ethan’s inner turmoil, Elijah walked out the school gates and took a cab straight to the police station.
The officer who had checked on her in the hospital happened to be there and immediately poured
her a cup of tea.
“Someone signed a statement of forgiveness on my behalf,” Elijah said calmly. “I never agreed to it. That person isn’t a relative and has no right to represent me.”
The recording officers immediately understood, their faces darkening. One of the female officers even clapped her on the shoulder, furious.
“Don’t worry. That so–called statement is invalid. We’ll have that bastard hauled back into custody right away!”
Things moved even faster than she expected.
Walking out of the station, Elijah finally breathed out, feeling some of the suffocating weight in her
chest ease.
She pulled out her phone and started searching for Eternal Light Corp.
Her painting Mother’s Back might have been stolen, but she still had other works. If the first one had gone viral, there was no way the others would go unnoticed.
The problem was, she knew nothing about that so–called third son of the Howards family. She
Chapter 13
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didn’t even know what he looked like.
What if, during tomorrow’s arranged meeting, he decided he wanted her? How could she entrust. her future to a complete stranger?
Eternal Light Corp, which was soon to be a dominant force in the industry, was her best option.
If they hadn’t noticed her yet, she would make sure they did. She’d go straight to them and
recommend herself.
But her excitement dimmed as she searched.
The company must have only just been founded, there was barely any information online. Not even an address. All she knew was that the founder’s last name was Howards.
Elijah set her phone down, laughing bitterly. Apparently, fate had a funny way of tying her to the
name Howards.
Just then, her phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, she froze for a moment. It was Mrs. Morgan.
Hesitantly, she picked up. As expected, a cold, condescending voice rang through.
“Tomorrow, we’re hosting a dinner for Hannah at the Morgan estate. Wear something
presentable.”
Before Elijah could respond, the call hung up. It wasn’t a request. It was an order.
Staring at the darkened screen, Elijah gritted her teeth, her frustration simmering in silence.
So much for moving out early.
The next day, Elijah put on a simple white dress, no makeup, no jewelry, nothing extra.
But youth had its own way of shining; her understated elegance made her look even more delicate and poised, like a single white lily in bloom.
Ethan happened to be stepping out as she walked past. He stopped in his tracks.
The dark circles under his eyes betrayed a sleepless night. When she brushed past him without a
glance, he instinctively reached for her arm.
“Where were you last night?”
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“A young woman staying out all night–do you have any idea how improper that looks?“.
Elijah wanted to laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all.
“The Morgan estate isn’t my home, Ethan. And whether I’m ‘proper‘ or not isn’t yours to judge.”
“Besides,” her tone sharpened, “when I was nearly assaulted, you signed a ‘forgiveness‘ letter without my consent. If I can forgive that, what’s so wrong about spending one night somewhere
else?”
Ethan’s expression faltered.
“…That’s not what I meant. The Morgan estate isn’t your home? Then where exactly do you think your home is?”
“It was just a small matter,” he tried again, softening his voice. “I didn’t even blame you for that slap yesterday.”
Small matter?
A hollow laugh slipped from Elijah’s lips. She was done arguing with him.
“Don’t you have to pick up Hannah? Go. Don’t keep her waiting.”
Without another word, she turned and walked into the living room!
Ethan stood there for a long time, watching her retreating figure.
Somewhere along the way, the girl who used to look at him with wide, expectant eyes now left him nothing but the sight of her back.
