Chapter 140: Elson's Feelings

That night, Esther finally steeled her heart.

She stepped out wearing a T-shirt, jeans, her warmest jacket, and a pair of sneakers. Inside her backpack, she had packed her phone, a power bank, all the cash she owned, spare clothes, bottled water, and most importantly, her passport.

Esther was about to do something she had never imagined herself doing before. Leaving the country alone.

After returning from the Maxwell siblings’ house that afternoon, it did not take long for her resolve to solidify. Just as she had told Jack and Amber, the one thing most likely to have driven Gaara away was her. But what truly terrified her was the place Gaara had chosen to disappear to. The house where he had been born and raised. A place known only to him and his father. A place that clearly signaled he did not want to be found, let alone return.

Esther could not allow that.

She would lose her mind if she stayed far away from Gaara. So to hell with what anyone might say, Esther decided to enter her feral era and searched for a flight to Wiluna scheduled for that very night. Her mother had told her to chase her love, but as parents, they would never allow Esther to travel alone to a country she had never once visited in her life. Especially when the person she was looking for might not even be there. That was why Esther told no one about her departure. She was grateful she had chosen to live separately from her father since entering college. It worked in her favor. Still, to prevent unnecessary panic, she decided to write a letter first. At least to ease their worries once they found out she was gone.

Just as she stepped out of her apartment, she froze. A man she knew all too well was waiting for her, arms crossed.

“Elson. Oh my God.”

From his position, it was obvious he had been watching her every move. All her plans to leave unnoticed collapsed instantly.

“Where are you going?” he asked flatly, suspicion lacing his voice.

“J—just going for a walk,” Esther replied. Unfortunately, her stammer and her very obvious backpack made the lie painfully unconvincing.

Elson raised an eyebrow, slowly scanning her from head to toe. “With a backpack?”

Esther was not afraid of Elson. What she feared was him telling her parents. If they found out what she was doing, they would drag her home and tighten her freedom even more, right after she had finally tasted independence.

“Is he really that important to you, Esther?” Elson asked calmly when she stayed silent.

Esther looked up at him and was startled by the wounded expression on his face. “Is he worth all of this?”

“What are you trying to say?” she asked quietly.

Elson sighed and stepped closer. “You know exactly who we’re talking about.”

He caged her in, his body blocking her escape, the wall cold at her back. “Think this through. Are you sure you will not regret chasing a momentary impulse? You barely know him, Esther. Maybe all that kindness was just something you projected in your head.”

“No,” Esther said softly but firmly. “I’m not imagining it. I know I love him, Elson. And I know you would do the same for someone you love someday.”

Elson nodded slowly. “That’s exactly why I’m here.”

Esther froze. That could not be true. Right?

“I love you, Esther,” Elson said. “And you loved me too before you met him.”

The air left Esther’s lungs. Had she misheard him?

Seeing her frozen, eyes wide and lips parted, Elson leaned in closer, lowering his face. That was when Esther realized what he was about to do. Before it could happen, she shoved him away with all her strength.

“Are you insane?” she shouted. “We’re cousins.”

“And?” Elson replied, as if that were irrelevant. He stepped toward her again, acting as though she had not just rejected him.

“And what do you mean by that?” Esther demanded, disbelief thick in her voice. “We’re family. We share the same blood. You carry my blood, and I carry yours. We come from the same line.”

Her gaze softened briefly as she remembered that once, long ago, she had harbored feelings for him. “This is wrong, Elson.”

She pushed him again, creating a safe distance. For the first time in her life, the closeness between them made her deeply uncomfortable.

“If you forgot,” Elson said, “cousins marrying in our family is normal. It’s tradition.”

“You don’t need to remind me,” Esther replied. “I know.”

Of course she knew. She loved her family more than anything, yet she despised that tradition. Marrying within the family to keep wealth from outsiders felt greedy and suffocating. Her father was the only one brave enough to marry outside the family, and that choice was exactly what shattered their household. Tradition. Disgusting.

“But that doesn’t mean I want it.”

“Why not?” Elson pressed. “You love me too. We both know it. You don’t have to deny what’s always been between us. The way you look at me is different. You—”

“Stop, Elson,” Esther cut in sharply.

She looked at him pleadingly. “I did love you once. But now I care about you as my brother. Nothing more. Please understand. I love Gaara, and I have to go. Right now.”

She tried to leave, but Elson grabbed her arm again.

“What did he do to you?” he demanded. “Tell me. What did Gaara do to make you lose your mind like this? Was he there when Vinson hurt you? No. I was. Was he there when you cried after your parents divorced? No. I was. Was he there when you were sick? No. I stayed. I took care of you. I did everything for you without you ever asking. I loved you that much. Tell me, has Gaara ever done even half of what I’ve done for you?”

Esther lowered her head before answering. “You’re right. Gaara never did those things.”

Then she looked up, meeting Elson’s gaze. “But you never did what he did either. He understands me, Elson. Being with him gave me the courage to stop staying silent when people treated me unfairly. I swear, there is nowhere else in this world I want to be right now except by his side. He needs me just as much as I need him.”

They stared at each other for a long moment.

Finally, Elson stepped back and turned away. “I’ll still tell your parents what happened tonight.”

Esther was ready to argue again when he suddenly glanced back. “Tomorrow morning.”

Her breath caught, then relief flooded her face. A sincere smile bloomed. “Thank you, Elson.”