Chapter 188
Tarquin approached, bending down to pick up the lunchbox from the ground without a word, his gaze
lingering on Elysia.
Elysia sat on the pavement, tilling her face up at him in surprise when he made no move to help her up.
“Aren’t you going to give me a hand here?” she exclaimed
After all, she had taken a tumble while trying to deliver lunch to his son!
༈ ú གཽ ཇ ཎ ཟ p>
Tarquin frowned, hesitating for a moment before extending his hand
His palm faced downwards, clearly not inviting her to grasp it, but rather offering his arm as a support.
What’s with all the caution? She wondered indignantly. Did he think she was some sort of femme
fatale?
Elysia’s pride was stung. She ignored the offered anm, instead reaching up to grab his trousers to pull
herself up.
Tarquin’s eyes widened in alam, but before he could scold her, Elysia’s footing slipped, sending her
crashing towards him.
Her eyes wide with panic, and she instinctively reached for his tie. Just as she grasped it, her heels slid
back, and she toppled over
Camed by momentum, Tarquin also fell backwards.
As they both seemed destined to hit the ground, Tarquin’s quick reflexes kicked in. He caught her by
the waist and pulled her into his embrace.
Elysia gasped, “That was closel
Tarquin’s breathing was slightly erratic too.
Suddenly, laughter echoed nearby. “Tar”
It was the elderly couple from across the hall.
Both Tarquin and Elysia were mortified and quickly separated.
Tarquin swallowed hard before managing to greet them, “Leander, Odette, good to see you p>
The old couple beamed and asked Elysia. “What’s your name p>
Elysia’s cheeks were flushed as she replied, “You can call me Elysia”
“Oh, Elysia, what are you two doing out here in this bitter cold? Go inside before you freeze p>
“Why would they go inside when they’re having such a romantic moment out here in the snow? Young
love always seeks a little
adventure p>
’ ’ ’ྟེ ’ྠཽ ’ ཟ’ྜ ’ྞཌྷ Ł ’ ’’ ’ ’ གྷ ’ ༞ ’ ’’ p>
Elysia’s eyes widened in a mix of shock and indignation as she tried to explain, “No, you’ve got it all
wrong, I was just-
“Ha! Have your fun, we’re off,” they chuckled, not waiting for her to finish
As the couple walked toward the building’s entrance, they continued their banter. “I told you Elysia
wasn’t Tarquin’s housekeeper, right? No housekeeper gets that cozy with the man of the house. Look
at them, they’re so sweet together p>
“Why are they so shy about it, though p>
“It’s obvious! They’re smitten. Probably in the early stages of dating. Hot married yet, just sweethearts!
Ah, isn’t it lovely? They’re a match
made in heaven p>
Elysia and Tarquin exchanged a glance, both at a loss for words.
“People grow old and their eyesight fades. Don’t overthink it Tarquin finally said-
Elysia shot back, “I’m not overthinking anything. You’re the one who should stop jumping to
conclusions p>
Tarquin’s brow furrowed. Let’s not have a repeat of this p>
“What do you mean p>
Tve told you before, I’m not interested in you. Stop playing these little games around me p>
Elysia blinked, absorbing his words and her frustration peaked
“Playing games? Ive seen narcissists, but never one as self–absorbed as you p>
“You p>
“You are shameless! Unreasonable!” Elysia cut him off before he could continue, leaving him
speechless.
As usual, Tarquin was at a loss for words, only managing to grumble after a long pause, “You’re a
woman; you should have some self–respect p>
00:50
“What’s that supposed to mean? Just because you’re a man, you don’t need self–respect? Jerk p>
Tarquin fell silent.
Not for the first time, Elysia was misunderstood by him. She decided not to argue and got straight to
the point.
“How’s Elijah? Did he react at all when he woke up this moming p>
Switching the subject to Elijah, Tarquin calmed down a bit and replied coldly. He didn’t have much of a
reaction when he woke up. Seemed in good spirits, said he had a dream about his mom. And he ate all
the food you brought this morning p>
“That’s good news, I guess. At least he’s not showing any signs of distress. Give him this, it’s got his
favorite dish.
With that, Elysia hopped on her scooter and sped off. She still had to hurry to the Azure Café to meet
his husband Tarquin’s appointment