Chapter 446
Chapter 446:
Callum’s tone dropped into something sharper, a clear warning hanging in the air. Bernice felt the sting of his words as if they’d physically struck her. Instinctively, her hands flew to her mouth, her wide eyes blinking rapidly in an exaggerated show of remorse.
The silence that followed was tense until Elianna, who had been quietly observing, decided it was time to intervene—if only for Bernice’s sake.
“It’s time for my afternoon nap anyway. Bernice, come help me upstairs,” Elianna said smoothly, effectively saving her from further trouble.
As the two disappeared upstairs, Katelyn sighed deeply, stepping closer to Callum and Donna with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, truly. Bernice didn’t mean any harm p>
Meanwhile, back on campus, Yelena checked the time and smiled faintly. Enough time had passed. Assuming the dust had settled, she picked up her phone and dialed Donna’s number, curious to hear how things had gone.
Callum had just brought Donna upstairs. Once they were sitting together on their bed, Donna eagerly asked, “What happened?” It was only when they were in the privacy of their room, away from Elianna, that Donna finally felt she could relax.
Ever since Elianna moved in with them, this small room had been the only place in the house that truly belonged to Donna. Callum recounted the phone call he had received earlier from Yelena. He even imitated Yelena’s tone and manner of speaking. Donna’s eyes turned red, tears welling up in them and threatening to spill over at any moment.
With a tremor in her voice, Donna murmured, “I feel so powerless. I can’t even stand up for myself, and my own daughter has to be the one to protect me p>
Seeing Donna on the brink of tears made Callum’s heart ache, as if it were being ripped apart. The pain left him struggling to find the right words to say.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Callum whispered as he pulled Donna into a tight embrace. He knew how much Donna had endured in this house. Without any family of her own to protect her, Elianna always saw Donna as an easy target. “You’ve been through so much here p>
After a moment, Callum gently pulled away, his hands resting on Donna’s shoulders as he looked into her eyes. With a serious expression, he asked, “Honey, how about we move out p>
𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺: ⳑ𝗮𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⸬𝖼𝗈𝗺
Although the house they currently lived in had been built with Callum’s money, it stood on land that had been passed down through the Harris family for generations. That was why Elianna was staying with them. Callum believed that if they moved out, Donna would no longer have to go through so much.
Donna shook her head. Although she was tempted to immediately agree at the first mention of moving out, she quickly regained her composure. She glanced at Callum, her expression filled with concern, and said, “We can’t leave now. If we do, your mom will think it’s my idea. She’ll feel like I’m trying to tear the family apart p>
Donna’s concerns were valid. Elianna had always been the type to overreact. If someone went against her wishes, she would take it as a personal affront, believing they were deliberately challenging her.
Especially with Callum’s younger brother’s family planning to return for a visit, moving out now would raise too many questions. It simply wasn’t the best timing.
Callum looked at Donna with a mix of pity and admiration. Even when dealing with her own issues, she always thought of others before herself.
“Don’t worry,” Callum said, noticing the anxiety in Donna’s eyes after his suggestion. “We won’t move right now. We’ll discuss it further with Cayson and Yelena before we make any decisions, okay p>
Donna finally let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing as she replied, “Okay p>
Suddenly, Donna’s phone began to ring, breaking the silence in the room.
The unexpected ring startled her, especially since they had been having such a solemn conversation.
Donna glanced at the phone and saw that it was Yelena calling. Seeing Yelena’s name brought a smile to her face, instantly lifting her mood.
Donna picked up the call and said softly, “Yelena, dear.” Yelena felt a wave of relief wash over her at the sound of Donna’s calm and soothing voice.