Hiding Behind Her Superficiality by Kyla Olson

Chapter 478

Chapter 478

Chapter 478 It’s Been a While

Elspeth felt rather unsteady on her feet then. After understanding how cruel the experiment was, Elspeth couldn’t accept the idea of putting her mother through it. Haris could tell that Elspeth was hesitating, so he stepped forward and gently tapped her on the shoulder. His voice sounded as gentle and warm as always. “You’re my disciple, Elspeth. I don’t want to do anything that would make you sad. However, you should also know that my granddaughter had to go through a lot of suffering. I wouldn’t be able to face my ancestors if anything happened to her.”

Even though Haris sounded like he was giving Elspeth some advice, his words were actually said to his own benefit. Elspeth was well aware of this, yet she couldn’t bring herself to utter the harsh words she intended to say earlier. “I know you might find it hard to accept the truth, and I know you might think I’m lying to you. I can’t do much if you don’t believe me,” Haris added.

“I trust you.” Elspeth’s gaze glinted as she spoke.

“That’s good. It’s good that you trust me.”

The look on Callum’s face was as icy as ever. His eyes glinted sharply as he narrowed them. “Do you have any other conditions?” he asked.

“There are no other conditions for now. The only condition I have is that you guys get a divorce and you get married to Jasmine,” Haris said in response. There was no way for them to negotiate any further. Elspeth simply lowered her head without speaking. “I know you might find it hard to accept the situation now. How about this? I’ll give you guys three days. I want to see your divorce papers in three days,” Haris uttered.

With that said, Haris glanced at his watch before glancing up with a thoughtful look on his face. “It’s getting late. I’ll get the housekeeper to send you back if there’s nothing else you need.”

Callum couldn’t contain the rage within him anymore. However, he was worried that he would lose control of his anger, so he quickly grabbed Elspeth’s hand before leading her out. “It’s fine. We can head back on our own.”

Haris didn’t see a problem with this. The housekeeper, on the other hand, found the two youngsters extremely rude. “What’s surprising about that? If you were in their position, you might even be more emotional than them,” Haris stated.

The housekeeper let out a frustrated sigh. “I just don’t understand. You were the one who saved Elspeth, yet she doesn’t show any gratitude at all. Instead, she teamed up with some other man to scheme against your granddaughter, and now, she’s even giving you attitude.” Elspeth was nothing more than a heartless witch in the housekeeper’s eyes.

“That’s not entirely true. Both parties are at fault here. You may think that Elspeth is being harsh, but have you considered how Jasmine tried to ruin their marriage?” It had been a while since Haris spoke to visitors for such extended periods of time, so he seemed rather tired. “It’s a shame that I’m Jasmine’s grandfather. I have no choice but to be on her side.”

“But Callum is right. If we force him to get married to Miss McGrath, Miss McGrath might not be happy in their marriage either.” Haris massaged his brows as he felt a headache coming. “But if Jasmine doesn’t get to be with the person she likes, she won’t be happy either. There’s a saying that claims that a person who doesn’t achieve all her youthful desires will spend the rest of her life in regret. I’d rather she get what she wants and suffer through it,” Haris explained.

“You’re the wiser one indeed, Old Mr. McGrath.” The housekeeper lowered his gaze as he understood Haris’ intentions. “Alright. It’s getting late. Let’s head back,” Haris uttered.

…

The chemistry between them was strong—both Callum and Elspeth no longer brought up this matter after leaving the hotel. They acted as they did on a usual day—they held hands as they walked back to the Winthrop Residence. However, they noticed a familiar figure when they arrived at their front door. The person was looking around as if she was waiting for someone.

When Yelena saw Elspeth walking over, she practically threw herself on Elspeth. “Elspeth. Elspeth! There’s something I need to tell you!”

Elspeth gently smacked Yelena on her head when she saw the conflicted look on Yelena’s face. “What’s the rush? You can just call me if you have something to say. Why did you have to come all the way to my house?”

Yelena lowered her head before speaking in a rather sorrowful tone. “Something came up for me, and I might have to leave the country for a while.”

“How long are you going to be gone for?” Elspeth asked.

“About half a year.”

“That’s a pretty long time.” Elspeth was sad to hear that they would have to be apart for a while. “You’ll have to take care of yourself while you’re abroad. If you encounter any issues, you can always call me. I’ll go over to you immediately.”

Yelena was bad with goodbyes, and she felt especially uneasy with all the issues that they had faced in recent times. “You’ll have to video call me more, then.”

“Don’t worry. Where are you going, by the way?”

“Wohler.”

Elspeth felt a surge of familiarity upon hearing the name of the place. “That’s such a coincidence,” Elspeth muttered to herself.

“What’s the coincidence?” Yelena asked.

Elspeth realized that she had spoken her thoughts out loud, but she felt the need to explain herself when she saw the curious look on Yelena’s face. “Max is going there for some race car training as well.”

“That is truly a coincidence…” An awkward look formed on Yelena’s face.

“It’s fine. The country’s huge. You’re not going to bump into him,” Elspeth uttered.

Yelena shook her head. “There’s no reason for me to avoid him. I won’t catch feelings for him even if he shows up in front of me now…”

“Elspeth, Callum, why are you standing at the front door?” Yelena was too petite, so her figure was completely covered by Callum. Max didn’t notice her, so he walked over to greet them with a grin. However, the smile on Max’s face fell when he saw the girl behind Callum. Yelena looked up to give him an embarrassed smile as well.

Elspeth didn’t find anything awkward about the situation—she was simply amused that the confidence Yelena had just a few moments earlier seemed to have disappeared. Elspeth couldn’t help but tease Yelena about it. “You were saying a completely different thing earlier.”

Yelena gave Elspeth a playful punch. “Alright. Stop teasing me.”

Max was the first to initiate a conversation. “It’s been a while, Yelena.”

“It’s been a while. How have you been?” Yelena realized that had asked the wrong question after she finished her sentence. How could Max be doing well at a time like this?

“I’m okay. I’m sleeping, eating; the usual,” Max replied in a casual tone. When Max saw the uncertain look on Yelena’s face, he decided not to say anything that would pressure her any further.

“That’s great to hear. Well, I’ll leave now, then.” Yelena felt the urge to leave because of how awkward the situation was. “Why don’t you stay for a meal?” Max found the courage to voice out an offer.

Yelena felt pressured to agree, but she then heard an icy voice sounding from behind her. “She doesn’t need you to offer her a meal.”