Chapter 117
Lisbeth remained silent. Elora stepped closer, maintaining her smile. "Ms. Whitaker, being a single mother must be exhausting, especially with two children. If you give Dennis to us, you really don't need to worry. Leopold will definitely treat the child well, and so will I, because I love Leopold..."
"Can't you have children?"
Elora's lengthy speech was cut short, her expression turning ugly.
Lisbeth looked at her with confusion. "I remember three years ago, you didn't want Dennis back. You remember what happened between us then, right?"
Of course, Elora remembered. How could she forget something she'd planned so carefully? She'd gotten what she wanted back then.
But now...
"Everything I did was for Leopold."
"Then just have a child with him." Lisbeth couldn't understand why someone would be so eager to become a stepmother. "Unless you can't have one yourself..."
Her voice trailed off.
"Elora, you couldn't possibly..."
"Lisbeth." Elora's face turned cold. "I'm discussing this civilly with you out of respect—you are Dennis's biological mother, after all. I'm showing you respect, and I hope you can show me the same."
"I only respect people who deserve it."
What was the difference between Elora repeatedly demanding her child and outright robbery?
Lisbeth's voice turned icy. "Stop deluding yourself. I won't give you custody of Dennis. If you want a child, have one yourself."
As she brushed past, she glanced at Elora's dark expression.
"If you can't conceive, figure it out yourself. Stop trying to steal other people's children."
After she left, Elora's hands trembled with rage.
She hated nothing more than people pointing out her inability to have children.
If not for the damage from those early miscarriages, she wouldn't want that little brat!
"Lora."
Without realizing it, she'd walked to the banquet hall entrance where Leopold stood by the roadside.
Elora went over and took his hand. "Leopold, let's get married."
Leopold touched her hair. "Why bring this up suddenly?"
"I just want to get married soon. It would put my mind at ease."
Otherwise, there were too many variables. After three years, Lisbeth had become much more formidable—not as easy to handle as before.
Elora shook Leopold's hand. "We've been together for years. Your parents like me. Even though we're not married, we live together... I don't want to be in this limbo anymore."
Leopold fell silent.
This made Elora uneasy.
Seeming to sense her anxiety, Leopold pulled her into his arms. "I understand how you feel. I want to marry you, too, but you know how stubborn my mother is. Without her approval, my hands are tied."
"But three years ago, you married Lisbeth even without your mother's consent."
The words slipped out.
He lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
Elora instinctively felt annoyed, realizing she'd said the wrong thing. Every time she mentioned Lisbeth in front of Leopold, she was reminding him that he'd once made an exception for her.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have brought up the past."
Leopold gently patted her back. "Don't overthink it. I'm not angry. I have something to take care of—let me drive you home first."
"Where are you going?"
"To handle something important."
"Come back early."
Elora turned to look out the window, the heaviness in her chest undiminished.
She remembered tomorrow was the anniversary of Lisbeth's father's death.
...
When Lisbeth left years ago, she'd taken her father's ashes back to their hometown and chosen a beautiful resting place for him.
After three years, she finally brought his favorite flowers and fruits to visit.
At the headstone, she found a bouquet already there.
Lisbeth moved that bouquet aside and placed hers next to it.
"Dad, I came to see you."
"I should have visited every year, but I was so busy abroad these past three years—working, earning money, raising the children."
"Oh, you have a granddaughter now. She's absolutely adorable. I brought her with me, but the little one ran off to pick flowers as soon as we arrived. She said the flowers I bought were mine, but she wanted to pick her own to give you..."
As she spoke, Anne ran over on her little legs, clutching a bunch of wildflowers in various colors.
They weren't as refined as the ones Lisbeth bought, but they were beautiful in their own way.
"Grandpa, I came to see you."
Anne was usually a mischievous child, but now she stood quietly beside Lisbeth, placing her flowers by the headstone.
The normally chatty Anne fell silent.
Lisbeth ruffled Anne's hair. An elderly groundskeeper passed by, saw the mother and daughter, and commented, "This is your father?"
Lisbeth nodded. "Yes."
"Haven't seen you these past three years."
"I wasn't in the country."
The old man nodded in understanding. "I see. I was wondering, because every year I'd see a young man come by. When I asked, he'd say he was visiting a friend. That young man must be your husband, right?"
Lisbeth glanced at Anne, who looked equally puzzled.
Lisbeth pulled out her phone and found a photo.
"Is this the person?"
"He always wore a mask, so I never saw his face clearly, but those eyes look similar."
Sebastian's eyes were quite distinctive—particularly beautiful pupils.
"Thank you."
Lisbeth thanked him and prepared to leave, but heard footsteps behind her.
She turned to see the very person they'd been discussing walking slowly toward them.
He saw her too.
"What a coincidence."
"Indeed."
The old man smiled. "You married folks are funny—why don't you come together?"
Lisbeth said softly, "You're mistaken. We're just friends."
The old man looked embarrassed. "Sorry about that. At my age, my eyes aren't what they used to be."
"Daddy!"
Anne threw herself into Sebastian's arms. He lifted his daughter with one hand, raising her high.
Anne laughed with delight.
"Daddy's so strong!"
The old man looked at Lisbeth with a complicated expression.
Lisbeth gave up resisting. "Sweetie, weren't you just saying you were hungry? Let's go down the mountain for dinner."
Anne nodded eagerly, clinging to Sebastian's embrace.
The family of three descended the mountain, Sebastian carrying Anne the whole way. Lisbeth walked behind them, and when she accidentally stepped on a loose stone and nearly fell, Sebastian caught her in time.
"Be careful."
Lisbeth nodded, still shaken. This was a mountain slope—a real fall could have cracked her skull.
Sebastian didn't let go of her hand.
Out of lingering fear, Lisbeth didn't pull away.
They walked down hand in hand like that, Sebastian holding Anne, who kept covering her mouth and giggling at the sight of her parents' clasped hands.
The family of three radiated an oddly warm, harmonious atmosphere.
After they left, a figure emerged from behind a tree.
Leopold watched their car drive away, then found himself following them almost unconsciously.
He tailed them as they shopped, dined, and strolled hand in hand as a family, suddenly remembering the child he'd barely met.
What was his name again?
Dennis, he thought.
When Elora called, Leopold glanced at his phone and chose to silence it.
He suddenly wanted to meet Dennis and began seriously considering his mother's suggestion.
What if they brought that child back...
He took one last look at Lisbeth before driving away.