Chapter 469

She truly disliked Marcia, but Suzanne Jensen was a very kind person.

"Elissa," Suzanne's weary voice immediately brightened upon hearing her soft tone. A hint of a smile entered her voice. "I'm coming back to Vistapeak City today. Whenever you have time, you can resume my treatments at Zephyr Manor."

Elissa was surprised. "So soon?" She knew how deep Suzanne's love and guilt for her lost daughter ran. Logically, she should have stayed at the family home for at least a few days after being reunited.

Suzanne seemed to understand her unspoken question but didn't elaborate. Instead, she teased, "What's the matter? Are you trying to cut ties with me now?"

"Of course not," Elissa replied without hesitation. "I promised to heal your leg, and I'll see it through to the end."

Her words, however, didn't bring Suzanne much relief. The girl was implying that from now on, their relationship would be strictly that of a doctor and a patient. And truthfully, that was exactly what Elissa intended. Otherwise, with the bad blood between her and Marcia, Suzanne would be caught in the middle, making things even more painful for her.

After hanging up, Elissa tossed her phone aside, her thoughts drifting. What about her parents? Where were they? Did they ever think of her, the way the Wilkinsons had thought of Vera all those years?

At Vistapeak International Airport, a plane descended smoothly, leaving a long white trail in the sky. Tanya Foster took off her sunglasses, pushing her suitcase as she navigated expertly toward the exit. From a distance, Rex spotted her immediately. Partly because she was familiar, and partly because she was impossible to miss.

Unlike Elissa's gentle demeanor, Tanya's features were striking and vivid, with an almost aggressive beauty. Her long, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders. A wine- red silk blouse flattered her skin, its hem loosely tucked into perfectly tailored jeans. With every confident stride, a glimpse of her delicate ankle seemed to land a direct hit on Rex's heart. She was even more bold and self-assured than she had been in college. The sensitive, insecure girl of the past was nowhere to be seen.

Rex strode over, reaching for her suitcase, but she sidestepped him with a fluid motion. "Can I help you, Mr. Wilkinson?" she asked, her expression completely neutral. It was a stark contrast to the relaxed, charming smile she gave her clients, as if he were a complete stranger.

Rex was taken aback. "Can't I come to pick you up without a reason?"

"There's no need." Tanya kept walking. "I've already called a car."

Rex fell into step beside her, his patience wearing thin. "It doesn't matter if you called a car. You can't go back to Vistapeak Gardens today."

"Why not?" Now, at last, she stopped for him.

Rex met her bright, clear eyes and explained without holding back, "Rowan moved into 2201. If you go back, the place will be a little crowded." It was a roundabout way of calling her a third wheel.

Tanya couldn't care less. She tugged at her sleeve, glanced at her watch, and said coolly, "Crowded or not, l have to go back first." Her assistant had originally booked her flight for the next day but she had changed it to today because she was worried about Elissa. The online storm was turning into a massive case of cyberbullying, and she couldn't rest until she saw with her own eyes that her friend was okay.

As soon as his meeting ended, Rowan's gaze went straight to the girl curled up on the sofa, lost in thought. She had her legs drawn up, her chin resting on her knees,

looking completely dejected He got

smooth

up walked over, andig on arms

motion scooped her i, scooped her into his arms, "What are you thinking about?" he asked, his voice low.

Startled, Elissa instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Before she could process what was happening, he had sat down on the sofa with her settled in his

lap. The position was intimate, so intimate it felt as if all their misunderstandings had already been resolved.

But in that moment, Elissa couldn't bring herself to care. She looked up into his deep-set eyes, and her own eyes began to sting. It was just like the old days, when she could endure any Bullying from others without a word, but a single concerned question from him would make her want to cry.