Chapter 273

"What's wrong with me? What did I do wrong?"

Julius cried out, "I just wanted mom to love me more! Vera is so stupid, always crying. Why do you only care about her? I want you to hug me too, but you always say I'm naughty, say I'm troublesome, say I'm not as well-behaved as her..."

"Because when I needed someone, it was Vera who chose to believe in me and stay by my side."

Elaine cut him off, her gaze cold as frost. "Even though Vera treated me the same way you did at first, later on, during my hardest times, when your father and your beloved Emily pushed me to the edge, it was you who chose to stand on their side, stabbing me in the heart over and over again with the most hurtful words."

Julius's crying stopped abruptly. His eyes widened as if he was truly understanding the meaning behind Elaine's words for the first time, the color draining from his face.

"Haven't you always felt that Emily was your ideal mother?"

"She buys you all the snacks and toys you want, indulges your every demand, never restricts you with health or study concerns. Since you chose her, isn't it exactly what you wanted for me to step aside?"

"I... I didn't..."

Julius's voice weakened. He wanted to defend himself, to say that wasn't what he meant, but scenes from the past flashed through his mind one after another.

So Elaine remembered all those intentional and unintentional words and actions.

"Elaine, why must you be so petty with a child?"

A soft, gentle voice interrupted.

Emily had somehow come back. She walked over to Julius and gently put her arm around his shoulder in a protective gesture.

"Julius is still young and doesn't know better. He's bound to say and do things without thinking. You're an adult, and his biological mother at that. Why get angry with him?"

Her voice was gentle, but her eyes carried a hint of provocation. "Children naturally get close to whoever treats them well. That's just their nature. Don't blame him. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too busy before and not spending enough time with your child."

She looked down and gently wiped the tears from Julius's face. "There, there, Julius, don't cry. I'm here. Your mom is just still angry with you. She'll be fine once she calms down."

Julius stood there in Emily's embrace, but his body was somewhat stiff.

He looked up at Emily's gentle smile, then at Elaine's expressionless face, his mind in complete chaos.

Emily's words sounded like she was comforting him, helping him out, but somehow, right now, he didn't want to hear any of this.

What he wanted... what he really wanted was...

Looking at Emily's pretentious display, Elaine felt nothing but disgust.

She couldn't be bothered to waste more words on this "mother and son" pair. Holding Vera, she turned to go downstairs.

"Mom, let's go home."

Vera buried her little face in Elaine's neck and said in a muffled voice, her small hands holding on even tighter.

"Okay, we're going home."

Elaine replied softly and started walking.

"Wait!"

Seeing she was really leaving, Julius instinctively tried to chase after her, but Emily gently held him back.

"Julius, be good. Let your mom cool down first."

Emily's voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough for Elaine to hear at the top of the stairs.

Elaine didn't pause for a moment and went straight downstairs.

She walked quickly toward the main door, just wanting to immediately leave this suffocating place.

But just as her hand was about to touch the doorknob, the door was pushed open from outside.

Arthur's tall figure appeared in the doorway.

He seemed to have just finished work, still carrying the cool air from outside.

When he saw Elaine standing inside the door, he was clearly stunned.

"Elaine?"

His voice carried disbelief. "You... you're out?"

His gaze quickly swept over her face. After half a month, she seemed even thinner, her chin more pointed, her complexion paler than before.

Arthur felt an inexplicable pang in his chest.

Why had she lost so much weight?

Elaine hadn't expected to run into him just as he was coming home. She stopped in her tracks, unconsciously tightening her arms around Vera.

She didn't want to get entangled with him. She just nodded coldly. "Yes."

A simple word, nothing more.

She stepped aside, preparing to walk past him.

"Wait."

Arthur instinctively reached out, blocking her path loosely. "Are you... okay? How did things turn out with that matter? Did anyone give you trouble?"

His questions came one after another, the concern in his tone surprising even himself.

For the past two weeks, he'd been trying to find out about her situation, but that place was like a fortress. Even using his connections, all he could learn was that she was cooperating with the investigation—nothing specific.

Although he'd suppressed much of the online criticism, the negative impact had already been done.

Every night when he returned to this empty villa and looked at the children's sleeping faces, her image would flash uncontrollably through his mind.

"I'm fine."

Elaine's answer was so brief it was almost perfunctory. "The investigation is clear. Nothing for now. Please move aside."

Her attitude was as distant as if he were a stranger—even less than a stranger.

Arthur watched her eagerness to leave, the irritation in his heart growing heavier.

His gaze fell on Vera, who was clinging tightly to her. The little girl sensed his eyes and buried her face deeper into her mother's embrace, showing only the back of her head.

"What's wrong with Vera?"

He asked, his tone softening.

"Nothing. She just wants to go home."

Elaine didn't want to talk more and tried to leave again.

"Since you're back."

Arthur's voice deepened. He shifted slightly, and though he didn't physically block her, his presence stood strongly between her and the door. "The children... they all miss you. Julius too."

"It's rare for you to come over, and it's almost dinner time. Stay and eat with us. I'll have the kitchen prepare the dishes you like."

Just then, Emily came downstairs with Julius.

Hearing Arthur's words, Emily's face immediately lit up with a gentle, appropriate smile. She walked forward and naturally positioned herself slightly behind Arthur, as if she were the lady of the house.

"Yes, Elaine, you heard what Arthur said. You probably haven't been eating well these past two weeks—you've gotten so thin. Perfect timing, I made soup, very nourishing. Julius, quick, ask your mom to stay for dinner."

She gently pushed Julius beside her.

Julius looked up, his face still blotchy, his eyes red. He looked at Elaine, his lips moving, but the words asking her to stay just wouldn't come out.

Elaine looked at the scene of this family of three before her and found it utterly ironic.

She held her daughter tighter, her voice cold. "No need. Vera is frightened and needs a quiet environment to rest. We're going home."

Arthur's brow immediately furrowed. He stepped forward, his tall frame bringing an invisible sense of pressure. "Elaine, stop making a scene. Everyone here cares about you. There's no need to put on this act of pushing everyone away."

Elaine's eyes held nothing but complete indifference. "I don't need your concern, and I don't care about it at all. Move aside."

The last two words came out firm and decisive.