Chapter 34: Leave Soren.

Theron held her gaze. For years, he had carried this small piece of her past with him.

"You dropped it when you rescued me. Before I could return it, you had already left. Then my parents took me back to the city, and I never got the chance to find you.

It was a lie.

He had never intended to return it. He had kept the bracelet because it was the only thing he had from the girl who had saved him, the woman he had fallen in love with at first sight.

"I see..." Elowen’s gaze softened.

She slipped the bracelet onto her wrist and raised her hand, looking at the tiny heart dangling from the silver chain.

"I finally got it back. Thank you for keeping it safe."

Theron watched her. His heart beat faster.

This was his chance to tell her how he felt about her.

"Elowen..."

Just then, Mara approached. "Sir, you have a call."

She held out his phone.

The interruption annoyed Theron, but he knew Mara wouldn’t disturb him if it weren’t important. He glanced at Elowen.

"I need to take this."

"Please go ahead," Elowen said understandingly.

Theron stepped away to answer the call.

Elowen stayed near the lake. She looked at the bracelet again, her thumb gently brushing over the tiny heart.

Her phone vibrated. She looked down. A familiar number blinked on the screen.

Valora rarely called her.

An uneasy feeling settled deep inside her stomach. Elowen frowned as she wondered why her mother-in-law called her at this hour.

After a moment of hesitation, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Come home, now. I’m waiting."

Elowen resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I am at work. I can’t leave now."

"Cut the crap," Valora snapped from the other side of the phone. "That low-level designing job in a small company means nothing. Come here in an hour."

Her tone turned threatening. "Or I’ll make you regret it."

The line went dead.

She scowled at the dark screen. "What is she up to this time?"

"Elowen." Theron’s voice came from behind. "This weekend, I am attending a private gathering. I want you to come with me."

"Me?" Elowen looked surprised.

"We are meeting the investor at this party," he explained. "Since you have selected as the chief designer, I want you there when we discuss the project. The investor may have questions about the architectural concept, and you can explain it better."

Theron had another reason for inviting her. He wanted her beside him. He wanted to spend more time with her away from the office. More importantly, he wanted to show her that he was someone she could rely on.

Elowen nodded. "Alright, I’ll go with you. Uh..." She glanced at her phone. "Shall we head back now? I need to go home. Something came up."

Theron immediately noticed the change in her expression.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, worry slipping into his features.

She forced a smile. "Yes, everything is fine."

Theron looked at her for a long moment. He knew she wasn’t telling him everything.

"Look, if something is bothering you, you can tell me. I am not just your boss. I am your friend, remember?"

She smiled slightly. "Yes, I remember. If I really have a problem, I’ll tell you."

At that, he felt at ease. "Let’s go."

They walked back to the car.

~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, Elowen was at the villa. The moment she entered the hall, she found Valora sitting on the sofa and sipping coffee.

But something else caught her attention.

Seraphina sat on the other side quietly. The girl was unusually quiet. Her face looked pale. Fear in her teary eyes was unmistakable.

Elowen’s heart lurched. She rushed toward her. "Sera, are you okay?"

She crouched beside her and held her chin, studying her.

Before Seraphina could reply, Valora spoke. "I’m not a monster. I won’t hurt my own granddaughter."

Elowen glanced at her.

It was true.

Valora wouldn’t physically hurt Seraphina. But she had never shown the child any warmth in all those years. She had barely spoken kindly to her. She had always been cold and harsh to her.

Seraphina had grown so intimidated by her that her mere presence would make the little girl nervous.

Elowen turned back to her daughter. Her tone was soft as she spoke. "Go to your room."

Seraphina quietly walked up to her room.

Elowen watched her until she disappeared upstairs. Only then did she look back at the woman on the sofa.

Valora set the glass down. Reaching into her bag, she took out a stack of documents.

"Sign them," she said, her tone cold and commanding.

She slammed them onto the table.

Elowen looked down.

The Divorce Agreement.

The words on the first page caught her attention.

Her fingers curled slightly.

Valora started, "My son has suffered for seven years with you. He doesn’t love you. The only woman he has ever loved is Tahlia. Stop clinging to him shamelessly. Leave him."

Elowen looked at her.

First, Soren had asked her to sign the divorce papers. He had said he didn’t want to be trapped in a meaningless marriage.

Elowen had agreed to end the marriage. She had been ready to leave him.

Then everything had changed all of a sudden.

Soren had torn up the divorce papers and told her he was serious about this marriage. He had insisted that he wanted to make things right.

And now, his mother was here, telling her to leave him.

Elowen couldn’t help but wonder whether Soren had sent her.

"Does he know about it?"

There was anxiety in her voice despite her attempt to stay calm.

"What difference does it make whether he knows?" Valora scoffed. "He never wanted to marry you in the first place. If you had not drugged him and got pregnant, you would never have had a chance to set foot in the Vale family. Now, the time has come for you to walk out of this marriage."

Elowen’s gaze hardened. ’So it’s her idea. Soren didn’t know about it.’

A small weight lifted from her chest.

"I’m not signing them," she said firmly.

"What did you say?" Valora’s composure cracked. "Are you defying me?"

Elowen’s gaze remained unwavering. "I won’t sign them until Soren wants to end this marriage."

Valora snorted condescendingly. "And why do you think he won’t? In seven years, he barely glanced at you. He never cared about you. He has only been with you because of his grandfather. The old man is dead. Soren has no reason to remain tied to you."

With each word she spoke, her tone grew sharper.

"Sign them," she ordered. "Or I have hundreds of ways to make you sign them."

A few days ago, those words would have been enough to make Elowen surrender. She had once been ready to leave without making a scene. But after seeing how determined Soren was to make things right, she had changed her mind.

Elowen had watched him trying. He had protected Seraphina. He had promised to make up for the years he had neglected them.

She still didn’t know whether she could trust those changes completely. But she wouldn’t let someone else decide the fate of her marriage.

"I told you. I’ll leave if Soren wants to end this marriage. Instead of forcing me to sign the documents, talk to him. Ask him whether he really wants a divorce."

She squared her shoulders, eyes shining with confidence. "Since you have come all this way, have dinner with us. Soren will be happy to see you."

"You... insolent..." Valora trembled in rage. "You have the nerve to talk back to me. I’ll tell Soren everything. I’ll make him punish you."

Grabbing her bag, she stood up and stormed out the door.