Chapter 217 Caught Adela
At the bank, Elise hurried toward the ATM.
"Susan, I'm at the bank now. Send me your account number and I'll transfer it right away,"
Elise said as she called Adela, who immediately sent over her bank account number. Elise hunched over the machine, operating it frantically. Soon, she transferred eight thousand dollars to Adela.
Just as she was about to leave, Adela called again.
"That's all you're sending? How is that enough? Can't you transfer more at once?" She complained.
"Once the bank opens, I'll go to the counter and transfer more."
It was just past six in the morning.
Zachary had just woken up when he received a message from Lucas.
[Mrs. Ginger is waiting outside the bank. From last night until now, she's already transferred ten thousand dollars to Adela.]
Zachary hadn't expected Adela to go after Elise for money. He was known as a devoted son—even though his birth mother had constantly used him, he'd never done anything to hurt her. His eyes darkened as he gave an order.
"Tell her Quinley isn't feeling well. She needs to come home immediately."
Just as Elise was anxiously waiting for the bank to open, Lucas appeared unexpectedly in workout clothes.
"Mrs. Ginger, weren't you going to buy groceries? What are you doing at the bank?"
Elise's face showed discomfort, but she used Lucas's question to cover for herself.
"I ran out of cash and didn't want to go back home for it, so I'm waiting here."
The excuse was weak.
Lucas didn't call her out. He just continued playing along.
"How about I withdraw some for you? Mr. Jennings just asked me to contact Dr. Brown. He said Mrs. Jennings suddenly isn't feeling well—she's been throwing up and having other issues."
"What? What happened to Cindy?"
Hearing that Quinley was in trouble, Elise immediately panicked.
"Maybe let Martha handle the groceries. You should hurry back. Mrs. Jennings has been looking everywhere for you. It might be serious."
Seeing that the bank wouldn't open for a while, Elise couldn't worry about anything else. She rushed back to Maple Estate. The moment she entered, she didn't even stop to change her shoes.
"Mrs. Ginger, why are you in such a rush?"
Martha was still busy in the kitchen. Seeing Elise return, she poked her head out to ask.
Elise hurried up the stairs, heading straight for Quinley's bedroom. But when she pushed the door open, Quinley wasn't there. Only Zachary was in the room, leaning back in a chair.
"Where's Cindy?"
Elise asked with concern.
Zachary's sharp gaze fell on Elise. She'd rushed back so quickly that beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.
"She went to work."
"But isn't she sick?"
Elise blurted out, then quickly realized what she'd said. Once she understood, she turned to leave the bedroom, but Lucas blocked her path at the door.
"Mrs. Ginger, please stay."
"What are you trying to do?"
Elise demanded.
Zachary gestured toward a chair. "Mom, please sit."
But Elise didn't want to sit.
"I have things to do."
She tried to push past, but it was useless. She couldn't get past Lucas.
"Were you planning to transfer money to Susan?"
Zachary exposed her.
"Doing this only enables her. It doesn't actually help her."
"Susan is my daughter. What I do is none of your business."
Elise was getting angry.
But Zachary remained calm. "Cindy is also your daughter, isn't she? Do you really want to see Cindy and me split up? I did date Susan, but that was many years ago. The person I love now is Cindy. My wife is Cindy. Everything Susan is doing now is just to break us apart. Do you want to help her hurt Cindy?"
Zachary's words left Elise speechless.
"She's just going through hard times right now. I'm only giving her a little money. I'm not doing anything else. I wouldn't hurt Cindy."
"What you're doing right now is hurting Cindy."
Zachary pierced through her excuse.
"Do you know why she suddenly sent a child here?"
Zachary asked.
Elise shook her head, then nodded. Adela had acted first and informed later—suddenly sending a child over, then messaging afterward to say she didn't have the energy to care for him and asking Elise to help for a while.
"That child isn't mine. I'm certain of that."
"How is that possible?" Elise refused to believe it.
Zachary smiled faintly. "Five years ago, when I broke up with her, she was already pregnant with someone else's child. That's why she initiated the breakup. Later, she was abandoned and lost the baby. She also lost the ability to become a mother."
Elise didn't know any of this. Hearing what Susan had been through, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
"Mom, I know you feel sorry for her, but she chose that path herself. I don't know where that child came from, and I won't ask. But if she thinks she can use that child to break up Cindy and me, I absolutely won't allow it."
Elise fell silent.
Suddenly, Adela's call came through again. The phone buzzed. Elise wanted to hang up but didn't dare.
"Answer it. I have something to say to her afterward."
After hesitating a moment, Elise answered the call.
"What are you dragging your feet for? It's already eight o'clock. Why haven't you transferred the money yet? If you can't do it, don't promise. Didn't you keep saying you owe me? If you really feel guilty, I'm just asking to borrow some money and you won't even do that. You never saw me as your daughter at all."
Adela's furious voice came through the phone.
Zachary took the phone from Elise and spoke into it. "Susan, if you need money that badly, you can ask me. Pressuring your own mother—I'd advise you to stop doing that."
On the other end, Adela was stunned. She hadn't expected Zachary to answer the phone. After a moment, she laughed.
"She's my mother. She offered to give me money on her own. How is that pressuring her? If we're really talking about pressure, isn't my current situation because you and my dear sister joined forces against me?"
"You brought this on yourself."
Zachary's words were cold and merciless.
"I brought this on myself? If you'd been stronger five years ago, would I be like this today? Zachary, you ruined me. You need to take responsibility."
Zachary laughed coldly. "Is that so? Since you want me to take responsibility, I'll do just that."
The moment he finished speaking, Adela's screams came through the phone.
"Who are you people? What do you want?"
Hearing Adela's screams, Elise panicked.
"Susan! Susan, what's happening to you?"
"Mom, don't worry. She'll be fine." Zachary assured Elise.
"Mr. Jennings, we've got her,a cold male voice said over the phone
"Zachary, was it you? You sent people to grab me?"
"Bring her back."
Zachary gave the order and quickly hung up. Elise was already crying.
"Zach, I'm begging you, please! Cindy, Susan, and I were separated for twenty-five years. Now that I've finally found both my daughters, can't you please not treat her this way?"
Elise pleaded for Adela.
Zachary steadied Elise's arm. "Mom, I know you're heartbroken right now, but I'm Cindy's husband. I have to protect her. Would you really be willing to watch one of your daughters hurt the other?"
Elise fell silent. Her head drooped as she slowly walked toward the door.
"I'm taking Cheese back to Lakeside City." She said quietly.
At the door, Lucas was still blocking the way. "Mrs. Ginger, before we get to the bottom of this, you shouldn't make any decisions. Susan will be here soon. You can ask her face-to-face what's going on with this child."
The truth held tremendous power over everyone. But sometimes, for those who learned it, the truth was also a devastating blow.