Chapter 926
Chapter 926:
Anika froze. After a long moment, she forced herself to speak, confused and unsettled. “Dad… Mom… Mom, aren’t you sick p>
Garrett lifted his head and let out a heavy sigh. “If your mother hadn’t said she was sick, would you have come back? Probably not. You’d still be in Douburgh,陪 that man p>
Anika’s eyes widened. In an instant, she understood.
She stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to move.
After a long while, she finally came back to herself and said with difficulty, “Mom p>
Elena looked up at her daughter, still standing in the doorway. Since Anika had left home, she had lost weight. She looked thinner, paler, worn down.
As a mother, Elena’s heart softened despite herself.
“Anika,” Elena called, waving her over. “Come sit with me. Your father and I were terrified when we heard you and Annabel went to the earthquake area to save people. What if something happened to you again because of Jared? What would your father and I do then? You have to think about us too p>
Garrett’s expression remained stern. “Anika, did you get back together with Jared? Do you have any idea how worried your mother and I were when you ran into a disaster zone just to save him p>
He was angry, and he didn’t hide it. He had always treated Anika like the apple of his eye, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t scold her when she crossed the line.
He had pampered his daughter growing up, and he intended to make sure her future stayed secure.
“Anika,” Garrett said heavily, “you should understand something. We didn’t raise you so you could live a poor life with Jared. He has nothing now. He can’t give you any guarantee of a stable, comfortable future. One day, you’ll understand p>
“…even if you love each other, you simply can’t be together,” Elena said earnestly, holding Anika’s hand.
Anika never imagined she would hear words like that from her parents. The pain made her eyes redden, but she didn’t cry. Instead, she asked anxiously, “Dad, Mom… why are you acting like this? To tell you the truth, Jared and I have already broken up p>
Feel inspired on gⱯlnσν𝓮𝓁s．cо𝗺
“You broke up?” Garrett and Elena exchanged a look. It was obvious they didn’t believe her.
Jared was the very reason Anika had rushed into the earthquake-stricken area. She had wanted to help him more than anything. How could she have broken up with him so easily?
After a moment, Garrett shook his head. “Anika, you’ve never been like this. Your mother and I asked you to come home so you can stay here for a while. We don’t want you going anywhere for the time being p>
“No!” Anika hadn’t expected that at all. She shot to her feet, her voice sharp in a way her parents had never heard before.
Garrett stiffened. Neither he nor Anika moved, locked in a glare. Elena looked helplessly between them, her worry deepening. Then a knock sounded at the door.
Elena hurried over to open it—and froze when she saw Marcel standing outside.
When Marcel saw her, he bowed politely. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mendoza. I’m here for Anika. Is she home p>