Chapter 414

The timing made Elissa pause. The members of that criminal organization had been imprisoned twenty years ago. Finn had left the country twenty years ago. He had been adopted and had only recently taken over DK Pharmaceuticals.

She tried to connect the dots. "So, it's likely that someone else is the real boss of DK Pharmaceuticals?"

"Exactly," Jesse said, a look of admiration on his face. He was impressed she had pieced it together from so little information. "By the way, my mother is preparing to return to Cresthaven for a couple of days, so you can put her treatments on hold."

Elissa nodded. "How long will she be gone? The treatment is just starting to show results; it's best not to interrupt it for too long."

"About a week," Jesse said, his voice gentle. "She'll be back after my grandfather's birthday celebration."

"Okay,” Elissa agreed. A week wasn't too long; it wouldn't have a major impact.

Coincidentally, Elissa was also planning a trip to Cresthaven. Her parents' death anniversary was in a few days.

That evening, when Tanya Foster learned of her plans, she slapped her forehead. "How could I have forgotten? Do you want me to come with you after I finish up my work?" A major case had just been dropped on her desk, and she was swamped.

Elissa smiled. "It's okay, I can go by myself." She just missed her parents and wanted to introduce them to the baby growing inside her.

On the day of the anniversary, Elissa left Vistapeak City at dawn and drove to Cresthaven. When she arrived at The Memorial Gardens, she found several bouquets of daisies and sunflowers already placed in front of her parents' tombstone.

She hadn't felt overly sad on the drive over, but seeing their names carved in the stone, she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face.

"Dad, Mom...” she whispered, slowly sinking to her knees. She wiped at the non- existent dust on the cool marble, trying to smile but crying even harder. "I'm doing really, really well now. But I don't know how you two are doing up there."

She sniffled. "My new drug has launched. And don't worry, I'll work hard to be just like you and save as many people as I can." She placed a hand on her belly, a genuine smile mally breaking through her tears. "Oh, and Mom, I'm pregnant. I'm going to be a mother too?You and Dad would be happy for me, right?"

Her words dissolved into sobs. For years, aside from the time Rowan had sent her back to his grandmother's estate, she had hardly ever cried like this. But now, she couldn't stop the grief from pouring out. She couldn't help but think how wonderful it would have been to share these two milestones with them.

The tombstone remained silent, but a shadow fell over her. A man's gentle voice said, "They would be.

Frank knelt beside her. "But the net

would also worry if they saw

You

crying like this." He pulled outa tissue, intending to wipe her tears. He had never seen her cry like this in fact he had never seen her cry at all Seeing her shoulders shake with sobs made his own chest ache.

Elissa was startled. She took the tissue from him, embarrassed that he had seen her in such a state. "What are you doing here?"

"It's your parents' anniversary. I happened to be in Cresthaven for business, so I thought I'd come pay my respects." He placed a bouquet of flowers by the tombstone, his gaze dropping. "I was a terrible husband. I never once came back here with you."

"It's all in the past,” Elissa said, not wanting to dwell on it. In truth, she no longer felt those three years had been so bad.

Seeing her calm acceptance, Frank felt a pang of loss. He bowed three times to the tombstone and then said, "You should spend some more time with them. I'll wait for you at the entrance."

***