Chapter 491
Over at the research institute, the development of the new drug wasn’t overly
urgent. Elissa had plenty of time and no longer needed to pull late nights like before.
By early evening, Tanya Foster happened to drive past her building. Elissa packed up her things and hitched a ride home.
The moment she got into the car, Tanya kept her eyes on the road and casually brought it up. “Why do I get the feeling that things between you and Rowan aren’t exactly playing out the way you thought they would p>
Elissa blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?” “You never said it out loud, but deep down, you definitely assumed he wasn’t going to choose you p>
Tanya had seen right through her disappointment the night before. “But today, not even five minutes after you left the house, Rowan showed up p>
“From the look on his face, he definitely had something he wanted to say to you.” Tanya had dealt with Rowan quite a few times over the years.
Most of the time, the man was stone-faced and entirely self-possessed. But earlier today, Tanya had caught something else in his eyes. It looked a lot like panic.
Elissa was caught off guard. She had assumed that when Rowan left last night, it would be a long time before they interacted again. After all, he now knew that his grandmother was her worst enemy.
She hesitated. “Was he… looking for me?” “Who else p>
Stopped at a red light, Tanya reached over and poked her forehead. “Did you think he was there for me p>
Elissa bit her lip, a faint spark of hope flickering to life in her chest. “Then p>
“I won’t need you to keep me company for dinner tonight.” Tanya saw right through her and waved a hand dismissively. “Once we get back, go straight to his place. If there’s something you guys need to hash out, do it p>
She was cut off by the sharp ringing of her phone.
The caller ID flashed on the dashboard screen, making both women freeze. Silas Foster. Tanya’s violently misogynistic father.
Tanya spaced out for only a second before her expression hardened into ice. She hit reject and calmly pressed the gas pedal. Elissa didn’t utter a single word of persuasion; she knew better.
However, the phone started ringing again, over and over like a death sentence. Rejecting it did nothing, so Tanya simply blocked the number. The world went blissfully quiet.
But the peace only lasted a few seconds. This time, it was her mother calling. Mrs. Foster.
Tanya’s grip on the steering wheel tightened until her knuckles turned white. After a brief hesitation, she gave in and answered. “Hello, Mom p>
“Don’t ‘Mom’ me! Do you even care about your parents anymore?” Since the phone was connected to the Bluetooth, Silas’s explosive shouting echoed through the car, laced with profanity. “You’ve got the nerve to block me, so why didn’t you block your mother? Did she miraculously conceive you all on her own p>
The absolute disrespect. She had achieved a sliver of success and now dared to turn her back on her own father.
Tanya was just about to hang up when Silas roared again. “Cry, cry, cry! That’s all you ever do when something goes wrong! Your daughter makes all that money now, tell her to get her ass back here and pay up p>
The tirade wasn’t directed at Tanya. It was aimed at Sheila Foster.
As if finally snapping to attention, Sheila grabbed the phone from him and sobbed into the receiver, “Tanya, Tanya, something terrible has happened to our family p>
Tanya’s expression didn’t waver. “Not our family. Yours.” She had always known that their household had never been a family of four. It was only ever a family of three.
“Enough!” Silas barked, dripping with impatience. “Cut the crap. Wherever the hell you are, get back here right now you dont your brother is
Libr
going to up dead, and your
mother won’t survive the grief p>
Tanya’s fingernails dug into her palms. Her throat was painfully dry, but she
maintained her icy composure. “What did he do this time p>
For years, there had been a constant stream of domestic drama. But it was rarely anything catastrophic; they usually just wanted to shake her down for cash. As long as she stayed away and ignored them for a while, it always blew over
But someone ending up dead? That was a first.
“Just get back here!” Silas snapped, hanging up the phone.
Elissa wasn’t about to let her face them alone. “Don’t bother dropping me off at Vistapeak Gardens. I’m going with you to see what’s going on p>
“Okay.” Tanya didn’t argue. In fact, a wave of relief washed over her. “Thank God you’re the one in the car with me p>