Chapter 287
Elijah furrowed his brows, staring at Tarquin as if he’d just declared the sky was falling.
Tarquin’s face was etched with concern, “Who told you this p>
“That’s not the point p>
But for Tarquin, it was the crux of the matter! Only a handful knew about the past events, and they certainly wouldn’t have shared them with Elijah. He was dying to know who had spilled the beans to Elijah. And what was their angle in telling Elijah?
But Elijah wasn’t spilling. Tarquin knew he couldn’t force it out of him. After a moment of silence, Tarquin prodded again, “What exactly do you know?” “I want to hear it from you,” Elijah said.
They locked eyes. After a long pause, Tarquin began, “Considering you’re still young, I wasn’t planning on dragging the Bradford family saga into this. But since you asked, I’ll lay it out for you. Back in the day, your grandma and grandpa got together against your great-grandpa’s wishes. He did a number on your grandma because of it. Eventually, they left for abroad, and that’s where I was born. I was essentially the Bradford family’s secret child. But as fate would have it, I turned out to be the only heir of my generation in the Bradford family. Your great-grandpa had no choice but to acknowledge me. But nobody in the Bradford family took a liking to me, including your great-grandpa. He treated me just like he treats you, seeing us as mere pawns in his grand scheme. Later on, to curb my influence, the Bradford family arranged a marriage for me. It was all smiles and well-wishes on the surface, but my bride and I were like oil and water, not to mention she was said to bring bad luck to her husband. I wasn’t thrilled about the marriage, nor was I interested in the woman. But I didn’t make her life difficult. I never showed my face, but I made sure she was well taken care of during our marriage. Once I gained significant control, I sought a divorce upon returning. I planned to offer her a generous settlement, but then I discovered she was nothing short of scandalous, so I left her with nothing p>
Elijah listened quietly. Despite his psychological struggles, he wasn’t naive. His episodes didn’t cloud his intellect; he simply preferred silence. So, he was somewhat familiar with the Bradford family affairs. It was just that he hadn’t delved deep into his father’s marriage history before.
Elijah was uninterested in the Bradford family drama.
He asked, pinching his brow, “So, you were married for two years and never once met your wife p>
“Yep, never! Wasn’t interested, didn’t bother to check on her p>
“And how did you conclude she was scandalous p>
“Lowell mentioned it p>
“How did Mr. Lowell come to know about it p>
“He caught wind of some things p>
“Just hearsay? Did he even verify these claims p>
“Not sure p>
Elijah was getting heated, “So, based on rumors, without any solid investigation, you labeled her unfaithful, a disgrace. Did it ever cross your mind that you might be wronging her p>
Tarquin was taken aback, noting Elijah’s intense reaction, he asked, “Are you imagining her as your mother p>
Elijah didn’t answer his question but countered, “Is she my mother p>
“Of course not. I’ve never even met her, let alone touched her p>
Elijah’s brows knitted tighter, each word deliberate, “Are you sure, you never touched her p>
“Positive!” Tarquin affirmed with certainty.
Elijah’s lips pressed into a thin line. Untouched, then how did Elliot and Evan come into the picture?
It seemed Elliot was right; Tarquin truly had no clue that Elysia was his wife! He was also oblivious that the woman he encountered at the airport was none other than Elysia!
Elijah didn’t bring Elysia into the conversation directly but shifted the focus to his mom, “What about my mom? How did you meet her? And how did I come into the picture? I want the truth, no more fictional stories you’ve concocted to deceive me p>