Chapter 88 One Step Closer
Elizabeth noticed the seriousness in Yosef's tone. The usual edge in her voice softened as she replied, "No… there's no need to have Miss Sutter apologize to me."
Emma was still pregnant. Elizabeth had no desire to quarrel with a woman carrying a child. Deep down, she knew that even if Emma hadn't brought Natalia into the picture, Natalia's personality would have driven her to find some way to spread the story herself.
Yosef studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, then lunch is on me."
Elizabeth gathered a stack of files, lifting her gaze briefly. "No need. I'm having lunch with my boyfriend." She hugged the files to her chest and walked out of the office.
Yosef froze for a second, watching her leave.
In a private room at a restaurant, Timothy sat across from Elizabeth, wearing disposable gloves as he peeled shrimp for her. His phone began to buzz repeatedly, the sound sharp in the quiet space. The device lay between them on the table.
Elizabeth instinctively glanced down. Several messages lit up the screen in quick succession, each accompanied by the soft chime of incoming texts.
[Timothy, that woman Elizabeth—you can only keep her outside.]
[In short, you cannot marry her.]
Elizabeth saw the words. Timothy saw them too. His jaw tightened, anger flashing in his eyes.
"Elizabeth," he said, voice low but fierce, "you don't have to pay any attention to my father's words. Believe me, alright?"
He stripped off the gloves, meeting her gaze with an intensity that left no room for doubt.
Elizabeth blinked, then asked suddenly, "Mabel is your father's third wife… How many wives has your father had, exactly?"
Timothy slid the plate of peeled shrimp toward her. "Officially, my father has three wives. The first was my mother—his lawful spouse. The second was Beatrix's mother. The third is Mabel."
"My parents' marriage was a business arrangement. There was no love between them. Not long after my mother passed away, he brought Cecilia into the house."
He decided to lay out the family history plainly. "Cecilia was originally married to a distant uncle from a side branch of the family. Her husband died young. When my mother fell ill, she hired a caregiver—Cecilia."
Elizabeth gave him a look that said she was thinking something unsaid. Timothy read it instantly.
"My mother died of natural causes," he added firmly.
He continued, "Beatrix isn't my father's biological daughter. She was born to an uncle from a collateral branch of the family."
In truth, Timothy's blood ties to Armando were distant.
Elizabeth hadn't touched her utensils. "And Mabel?" she asked.
"Mabel entered the family when I was abroad. My mother's relatives—the Simpson family—are greedy. I'm not close to them."
A bitter smile tugged at his lips. "When they realized they could get nothing from the Robinson family, they came up with a plan that would unsettle me and still get them inside the Robinson household.
"At the time, Mabel had a boyfriend. He took money from the Simpson family and left her."
Silence settled over the private room for a moment. Then they let the subject drop.
After the meal, Elizabeth said she wanted to take a walk. Timothy bent into his car seat, brows drawn together. He suspected Elizabeth was finding the Robinson family far too complicated. The thought left him faintly restless.
Walking along the street, Elizabeth spotted a famous pastry shop and pushed the door open. Inside, she was surprised to see Sherry and Mindy.
"Miss Penrose," Sherry greeted with a smile, handing a stroller to Eloise. Then her expression shifted as if in realization. "Oh, right—when you're in a bad mood, you should eat something sweet."
Elizabeth arched a brow. Sherry's words were unusually direct and cutting. Normally, she preferred to speak in veiled barbs.
Since Elizabeth had entered, Mindy had been openly sizing her up. Recently returned from abroad, she had come to buy cake.
"Sherry, she really has no shame," Mindy said with disdain. She had endured hardship after Elizabeth's actions sent her away.
"If Armando had known you were molested by an older man when you were so young, he'd think you were filthy and never marry you."
Elizabeth gave them a cool glance and turned to leave. With people like Mindy, ignoring them was sometimes the best tactic. Besides, she had no intention of standing there like some exhibit for others to gawk at.
Just as she was about to step outside, the shop manager approached, calling out, "Miss Penrose."
He carried a beautifully wrapped box of pastries. "Miss Penrose," he said respectfully, offering the box, "this was ordered for you by Mr. Timothy Robinson."
Elizabeth paused, then accepted the gift with a sudden smile. "Thank you."
"If you'd like any other flavors, Miss Penrose, you can tell me directly," the manager added dutifully.
Sherry and Mindy overheard the name "Timothy," and their expressions twisted. Why was Timothy still so attentive to Elizabeth?
Sherry moved closer, lowering her voice. "One day, Mr. Robinson will tire of you."
Elizabeth had intended to ignore them, but Sherry pressed again. She gave a light laugh. "Whether he tires of me, I can't say. But Miss Scott, you've already had a child and still haven't married Mr. Johnson—that's a shame."
Her parting smile made Sherry's heart lurch, stealing the breath from her lungs.
Elizabeth walked away with the pastry box, certain that keeping Sherry's world in constant turmoil was a mission she would never abandon.
Sherry's body stiffened, rage tightly leashed. "Sherry, don't be upset," Mindy said. "Armando has always intended to marry you. Let me call him."
Sherry gave a weary smile. "Mindy, let's discuss it at home." It wasn't convenient to talk here.
Mindy nodded. Sherry lowered her gaze and climbed into the car, fingers trembling with anger. She had to find a way to make Timothy despise Elizabeth.
Back home, she claimed fatigue and retreated to her bedroom. Pacing the floor, she suddenly thought of someone who could help her. She hurried to retrieve a second phone from the safe and dialed a number.
Natalia had gone to TechStrong to confront Elizabeth. When she returned home, Ron locked her in. He scolded her for going after Elizabeth without a word.
Natalia couldn't understand it. Ron wasn't protecting her—he was defending Elizabeth! Worse, her father planned to send her to Ian in a few days.
Just as Natalia was wondering what to do, a call from an unknown number offered her a lifeline.
Elizabeth spent the afternoon buried in work. When she finally finished, her gaze fell on the elegant pastry box on her desk. In that moment, something clicked in her mind.
She remembered her marriage into the Johnson family—how she had always been treated as lesser, sometimes swallowing her pride just to keep Armando happy. That habit had made her instinctively avoid discussing Timothy's family.
A woman doesn't simply marry a man; she marries into his family. And the Robinson family was far more complex than the Johnsons.
But…
Elizabeth sent Timothy a message: [Mr. Robinson, I can try to take a step forward.]
As long as Timothy never betrayed her, she was willing to take that step.
Timothy read the message, and his anger ebbed away. His eyes darkened, thoughtful.
"Find the best designers," he instructed. "Have them prepare sketches for the engagement ring and the gown."