Chapter 290

Chapter 290

He spoke to the driver in a low voice.

The car started and merged into traffic.

The interior was spacious, but the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Elaine pressed herself tightly against the window on her side, putting as much distance as possible between herself and Arthur.

Arthur leaned back on the other side, his gaze fixed on her tense back.

He was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts, before finally speaking:

"About what happened with Julius yesterday, I'm apologizing to you on his behalf."

Elaine's eyes remained locked on the rapidly receding street scene outside the window. Hearing Arthur's dry apology, she didn't even blink.

She just found it ridiculous and grew increasingly impatient.

"If you showed up at my door first thing in the morning and forced me into this car just to say this meaningless apology..."

Elaine's voice was icy. She finally turned her head to face him directly, her eyes showing undisguised annoyance. "Well, now that you've said it, can you stop the car? I'll get there myself."

Arthur felt a sting from her eagerness to draw clear boundaries, his brow furrowing.

He suppressed his displeasure and said in a low voice, "It's not just an apology. There's something else."

"Then say it."

Elaine turned back around, leaving him with her cold profile once again. "Don't waste each other's time."

Arthur looked at her stubborn attitude, feeling a tightness in his chest.

"Julius and Vera have both been very emotionally unstable lately because of... our separation. The fights between the two kids have become much more frequent and serious than before. Even though Julius won't say it, I know he really misses Vera, and he also... misses you."

He paused, observing Elaine's reaction, but she remained unmoved.

"For the children's mental health, and to help their relationship become harmonious again..."

Arthur revealed his real purpose. "I think it's necessary for them to live together again for a while. A complete family environment is crucial for their growth."

"Then just bring your daughter back home."

Elaine said flatly.

But Arthur's next words completely blindsided Elaine.

"What I mean is, the four of us should live together as a family, just like before."

Elaine finally reacted.

She slowly turned her head to look at Arthur, her eyes full of disbelief at the absurdity.

She let out a scornful laugh and said firmly, "Even your daydreams should have limits."

At those words, Arthur's expression instantly turned extremely ugly.

"Elaine!"

His voice rose involuntarily. "You're refusing so decisively now simply because you've latched onto Bradley, right? You think you've found a better backer, so you can't wait to cut ties with us, isn't that it?"

He seemed to have found a reasonable explanation, his tone becoming increasingly aggressive. "Before, for the children's sake, you could endure anything, compromise on everything. And now? Are you really so heartless that for a man you've barely known, you don't even care about the children's feelings? Have you thought about this—no matter how good Bradley is, he's not Vera's biological father! Can he treat Vera with the same sincerity as I do? Can he give her unconditional fatherly love? Have you considered any of this?"

These words were less about questioning Bradley and more about venting his own deep-seated resentment.

He couldn't accept that Elaine, who once considered him and the children her everything, could now so calmly refuse his proposal regarding the children.

Listening to his self-righteous attempts at manipulation, Elaine just felt disgusted.

She whipped her head around, her eyes sharp as knives, her voice filled with extreme revulsion.

"Arthur, you listen to me clearly!"

She enunciated each word, every syllable laced with ice:

"First, who I date is my freedom—it's not your place to comment! I know what kind of person Bradley is ten thousand times better than you do! At least he won't be like you, always putting another woman before me and our child! And he definitely won't enable others to hurt us!"

"Second."

Her gaze swept coldly over his ashen face. "Stop using the children to manipulate me! I love my daughter more than anyone! It's precisely because I love her that I'm taking her away from that cold, indifferent household! Ask yourself honestly—how much unconditional fatherly love have you given Vera? When you were absent time and again for Emily's sake, when you tacitly approved or even enabled Julius's behavior, where was your fatherly love?"

"Third."

Elaine took a deep breath, her tone more resolute than ever. "Our only relationship now is coordinating Vera's visitation rights. Beyond that, you have no right to question my life, judge my choices, or tell me what to do!"

Having said her piece, she stopped looking at his heaving chest and called out coldly to the driver up front, "Stop the car! I want to get out!"

"Elaine! You..."

Arthur tried to say something more, but Elaine had already reached for the door handle, her movements decisive and without hesitation.

The driver saw Arthur's extremely grim expression in the rearview mirror and didn't dare delay. He quickly found a spot where they could temporarily pull over and slowly stopped the car.

The moment the car stopped, Elaine yanked open the door and got out without looking back.

Arthur sat in the car, watching as she walked to the roadside without hesitation, flagged down a taxi, quickly pulled open the door and got in. The taxi soon merged into traffic and disappeared from view.

He clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on the backs of his hands, the fury in his chest nearly drowning him.

She actually just left like that!

Meanwhile, Elaine sat in the taxi, rubbing her throbbing temples, trying hard to drive Arthur's nauseating words from her mind.

Not worth it.

Getting upset over that kind of person, that kind of thing—it wasn't worth it at all.

The taxi soon arrived at the research institute.

Elaine paid the fare, took a moment to steady her breathing, and walked briskly into the building.

She had just changed into her lab coat and entered the laboratory area when a figure mysteriously sidled up to her.

It was Parker.

"Elaine!"

Parker lowered his voice, his eyes bright. "Are you free tonight? Bradley asked me to make sure I bring you somewhere tonight!"

Elaine froze, instinctively remembering Bradley's confession last night, her cheeks warming slightly.

She looked at Parker, trying to appear calm. "Where? What's going on? I might not be able to today..."

"No 'might'! You have to go!"

Parker quickly cut her off, his expression even more exaggerated. "It's a surprise! A surprise he specially prepared! To thank you for taking care of him recently, and also for... oh, anyway, it's very important! I'll send you the address and time on your phone later. Just head over after work—I'll handle picking you up!"

Looking at Parker's expectant expression, Elaine suddenly couldn't bring herself to refuse.

A surprise? Prepared by Bradley?

Thinking of that steady, reserved man, her heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

She pressed her lips together and finally nodded under Parker's expectant gaze. "...Okay. Got it."