Chapter 411

"I don't have a mommy anymore." Little Elissa's lip trembled as if she was about to cry, but then a smile broke through. She took his hand and pulled him outside, pointing to the night sky. "She and my daddy turned into stars. They watch over me every day." She looked at him. "I'm sure your mommy and daddy are too."

Before she left, she pressed the other candy into his hand.

"Do you have any more for yourself?" Rowan asked.

“No,” she said, shaking her head and looking up at him. "But I don't need it."

Later, he found out from a servant that she did need it. She needed those two candies more than anyone. That was why she had saved them for so long they had almost expired, without ever eating one herself.

After that, Rowan bought her mountains of sweets, while also making sure she brushed her teeth morning and night. But it wasn't enough to stop the cavities. The first time she had one filled, he was the one who took her. She cried and screamed but didn't forget to make him promise, "You said I can still have cake when we get home!"

Rowan didn't consider himself a sentimental person. But his memories with her were like deep roots in his heart, surfacing again and again over the years. With each memory, his longing for her grew, making it impossible for him to accept her sudden, resolute marriage to Frank. He had worked as fast as he could to solve everything, but he had still been just a little too late. How could he ever be content with that?

*“I have never wanted to side with anyone else."*

The words sounded like a cruel joke to Elissa. She forced a bitter smile. "And what does siding with me look like? Was it abandoning me back then, or was it forcing me to swallow my anger today?"

They weren't children anymore. She couldn't just believe whatever he said, and he couldn't just indulge her every whim. She didn't know if he had changed, or if she had.

Back in her apartment, Elissa was still replaying Rowan's words in her head. He had said he never wanted to side with anyone else. What, then, had all these years been about? She couldn't make sense of it.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice Tanya approaching until a property deed was placed in front of her. "This is from Frank. He was afraid you wouldn't accept it, so he asked me to give it to you."

It was the deed to a freestanding villa, already transferred into Elissa's name.

Elissa blinked. "Why did you take it?" She really didn't want it, and Tanya usually supported her decisions. If she didn't want to accept something, Tanya would typically refuse it on her behalf.

"He said it was a congratulatory gift

for the successful launch of your drug," Tanya explained. "I wasn't going to taket at first but he insisted we said it was also an apology. Marcia is, after all, an Atwater. If you hadn't been prepared, they would have screwed you over again today."

Thinking it over, Tanya realized he had a point. Frank taking responsibility for the

mess Marcia created on behalf of the Atwater family made sense.

Meanwhile, after leaving Elissa's apartment, Frank received news that his mother had rescued Marcia from Murphy Manor Something følt wrong It was completely out of

character for his mother. She had despised Marcia for years, she would never risk offending the Murphys for her sake.

He drove straight to the Atwater estate. As he walked in, he found Marcia lounging on the sofa, berating a servant. "Are you an idiot? You think I can drink this broth when it's boiling hot? Are you trying to scald the baby in my belly?"

Frank's face turned to stone. He strode into the room, his expression glacial. "You didn't get rid of it?"

His voice was like a death knell. Marcia jumped, her eyes widening in fear. She quickly set down the bowl of rich broth, her eyes turning red. “I... I couldn't bear to lose the baby..."

"Frank, I was on my way to the clinic,

I really was. But when I got there, I just couldn't go through with it." Her voice trembled. "We used to be so happy together Please just let me have this baby. I'm begging you..." "If she lost this child, she would truly have nothing left to protect her.

Frank sneered. "You couldn't bear it? Or you couldn't bear to lose your own life?"

"Of... of course it's about our child!" Marcia's fingers trembled as she grabbed his sleeve, tears streaming down her face. "Frank, no matter what, this is a life. The baby is innocent..."

"The baby is innocent," Frank said, grabbing her wrist with a look of disgust. "But you are not. It would be a tragedy for any child to have a mother like you." He tightened his grip. "Since you can't bring yourself to do it, don't worry. I'll help you."

Without another word, he started dragging her toward the door.

Marcia, realizing he had come all the way back to the family estate just to force her to have an abortion, began to struggle, tears streaming down her face. "No! Frank, I'm begging you, this is your child! Don't be so cruel!"

Frank didn't slow down. He dragged her out of the house, his voice like ice. "My child will not be born from a heartless monster."

“*I'm* heartless?” The accusation seemed to snap something in Marcia. She shrieked, "Then who isn't? Who would you rather have your child with, Elissa?"

***