Chapter 22

She was making a spectacle of herself in front of him, and it was downright rude.

Elysia took several deep breaths in the shadows, working to calm her frazzled nerves.

Seeing her regain herposure, Tarquin’s voice was icy as he demanded, “Alright, spill it. What was

yesterday’s fiasco all about?”

Elysia tilted her chin defiantly and countered, “What fiasco are you talking about?”

“Who whisked you away? Where did you two fly off to after that? And, what’s your angle with me? Are

you after my money or are you gunning for my life?”

Elysia was bbergasted, “When did I ever try to get close to you? Yesterday, you came knocking at

my door and hauled me away, and then the building suddenly caught fire. I took the chance to run for it.

I’m not after your cash, and I certainly didn’t…”

She paused, biting her lip. If he was that brute, she might indeed want to throttle him.

“And didn’t what?” Tarquin pressed.

Elysia pouted, muttering, “Didn’t want to take

your

life!”

J

“Do you really think I’m buying any of this?” he bit back. “Well… believe it or not, I’m only telling you like

it is!”

Tarquin asked, “So, where did you crashst night?”

He had sent people to the motel to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. The motel owner aid

they took off without even checking out.

With his current resources, if he couldn’t find someone in Jindale City, the biggest possibility was that

man was covering their tracks well. And only someone with real skills could hide like that.

Of course, Elysia was clueless that it was Elliot who had tampered with the surveince. She frowned

and retorted, “What does it matter to you where I stay? How’s that any of your business?”

Tarquin just gave her a frosty look, and Elysia’s heart skipped a beat in fear.

He was quite intimidating wheh angry.

Earlier, her temper had red, and she’d been as fierce as a little tiger, but now, cooled down, she felt

the bite of fear.

Elysia shrank in on herself and grumbled, “That’s my private affair, not something I’d share.”

“Is it really just a private matter, or are you purposefully hiding something?” he asked.

“Why would I hide anything? I don’t owe you…” The thought of the fifty million stopped her mid–

sentence.

Suddenly remembering something, she huffed and pulled out her phone, showing him at photo,

“Look here, I questioned my son about it. Sure, he scratched up your car, but look at this you started it

by bullying. Evan did it to stand up for his brother.”

As Tarquin nced at the photo, his brow was furrowing.

In the picture, a child’s tender leg was covered with arge bruise. It was painful even to look

1. at.

Elysia continued, “This bruise? Yourdy friend did that, probably your wife. That’s child abuse! I could

take her to court for that!”

Tarquin was silent.

Elysia added, “The train station has cameras. If you don’t believe me, go check the footage.”

Tarquin didn’t doubt her word; he knew all too well what N was capable of. But what N did had

nothing to do with him.

“The injury wasn’t caused by me, but your son did wreck my car.” He stated.

Elysia stared nkly and turned speechless.

Debts and grievances had their designated owners, and even in a marital rtionship, she couldn’t pin

the me on him.

“And the bite on my wrist was all you,” Tarquin added.

Elysia nced at the bite mark on his wrist and shrank back, her bravado deting.

However, Tarquin had shifted the conversation when she was at loss of words, “If you don’t

to end up behind bars and leave your kids motherless, you bettere clean.”

“Clean about what?”

“Your real reason for getting close to me. Who’s pulling your strings

Elysia red, “I told you that I had no intention of getting close to you, and nobody sent me!”

Tarquin clearly didn’t believe her, “If you don’t tell the truth, the consequences will be severe.”

“I’m telling the truth!”

His expression darkened, “Lowell! Hand her over to the cops, and don’t let her out without my say–so!”

The car door was yanked open in an instant, and Lowell stood by the car, “Ms. Thorne, please step

out.”

18-54

Tarquin remained silent.

Elysia, seizing the moment of his hesitation, added with feigned confidence, “And let me tell you,

Tarquin is… head over heels for me! If youy a finger on me, he won’t let you off the hook!”

Tarquin’s lip curled in obvious distaste.

Lowell struggled to keep a straight face. Their boss was right there, and she didn’t recognize him, yet

she dared to im his undying love.

What a far–fetched tale.

But then, a thought struck Lowell–could she actually be the elusive Mrs. Bradford that even he had

never met?

No, that couldn’t be. Tarquin’s wife was named Daphne, not Elysia.

Clearly, Tarquin also believed she was lying, but he was too disinterested to call her out. Without

sparing her another nce, he ordered coldly, “Take her away!”

Elysia was terrified, “Hey! You can’t–mmmph… mmmph…

One of the bodyguards mped a hand over Elysia’s mouth and dragged her from the car, heading

straight to the police station.

No sooner had they left than Benjamin approached Tarquin with a sense of urgency.

“Did you find her?” he asked immediately upon seeing Tarquin.

“No news yet,” Tarquin replied curtly.

Benjamin was so regretted, “Well, it’s my fault! If only I’d been quicker, she wouldn’t have been

snatched away. Listen, you need to be on your toes. Trust me, that girl is the perfect match. I saw it

with my own eyes–she calmed Corbin down in no time.”