Avery glanced at the children, then turned to Laura and said, “Take the kids to school. I’m sure he has areason for being here.”
As Laura led the children past Elliot, he noticed Layla’s face.
It was true that Layla looked similar to Avery.
Layla’s glistening wide eyes had a hint of hostility in them, and she glared at him when they walked past.
He wondered what thoughts could have been instilled in her for her to despise him to this extent.
Avery approached Elliot soon after.
“Why are you here this early in the morning?”
Elliot looked at Avery‘s cool, clean face, then asked with a complicated expression on his face, “Is sheyour biological daughter, Avery? She looks a lot like you.”
“Did you come by just to look at my daughter?”
“Who‘s her father?” Elliot asked in a raised voice. “Since she‘s already in preschool, she‘s definitely morethan three years old.”
It seemed like Avery could not get away with saying that Layla was adopted.
Her daughter resembled her too much. Layla looked exactly like her when she was a little girl. It was as ifsomeone had created Layla out of the same mold that had been used to create Avery.
“That‘s right. She‘s my biological daughter, but you‘re not the father,” Avery answered with a smile. “Ifound a random sperm donor from a sperm bank abroad to fulfill my wish to become a mother.”
What a wish!
Avery’s words rendered Elliot completely speechless.
“If that‘s the only reason you’re here, then you can leave now,” Avery said curtly.
Elliot’s face turned cold as he said, “That man who lives in your house is gay.”
The smile on Avery’s face froze.
“How did you know that?”
It was impossible to find any information on Mike online.
Mike was the world’s most notorious hacker.
No one was able to find out his personal information unless he revealed it.
Elliot felt a sense of relief.
“It looks like you already knew.”
“Do you have too much time on your hands, Elliot? How‘s your girlfriend’s wound? How’s Shearecovering? With all these women waiting for you to dote on them, there’s no reason for you to wastewhat little energy you have left on me. Do you think there could be anything left between us?”
Avery gave Elliot a hard shove, then turned and walked back into the front yard.
“Avery! My relationship with Shea isn‘t what you think it is!” Elliot called out at Avery’s slender back as hisfists tightened.
Avery gritted her teeth.
How long had she waited for those words?
She had given him countless chances to explain himself.
Why did he not say anything before? What was he trying to salvage by telling her now?
“Are you having fun messing with me like this, Elliot?” Avery turned and said mockingly several feet awayfrom Elliot. “The one who you owe an explanation to and who you should feel responsible to is ZoeSanford! Not I!”
Her words woke him up, but he did not agree with her last statement.
“I‘m not obligated to explain to or feel beholden to any woman unless I feel I am. You know I don‘t loveZoe.”
“What‘s that got to do with me? I don‘t care who you date!” Avery snapped, her words stabbing at Elliot‘sheart. “You‘ve never truly loved me, so I won‘t let you fool me again!”
If he had truly cared for her, he would not have held back. He would have told her everything he neededto say.
“You said your relationship with Shea isn’t like that,” Avery said with a tremble in her voice.” Even so,she’s the most important person in your heart. Please let me go, Elliot! I‘m done being toyed with!”
When Chad returned to the office after his day off, he noticed that Elliot‘s mood was worse than before.
He was surprised, then went to ask Ben.
“What‘s wrong with Mr. Foster?”
Ben was drinking a cup of coffee, then sighed, “According to his driver, Elliot went over to Avery’syesterday to make up with her, but ended up getting heartlessly rejected.”
“It looks like I suffered through that work–related injury for nothing, then.”
“What work-related injury?”
Chad dejectedly explained everything that happened the night he met Mike at the bar.
That afternoon, escorted by his bodyguards, Elliot appeared at Tate Industries surrounded by amurderous aura.
