Chapter 185 Five Years of Endurance
Elizabeth didn't go straight back to the Sherman Group after leaving the hospital. Instead, she had the driver take her to a coffee shop up ahead.
She thought about Armando, whom she'd just seen.
Elizabeth slowly curled her lips. Seeing him made her sick.
What's lost is lost. What's the point of pretending to be all devoted and trying to win her back?
Men like Armando are purely trapped in their own self-righteous feelings.
Self-moved.
There's another word that describes it too: "pathetic."
The car stopped.
Robbie turned around and asked, "Chairwoman Penrose, we're at the coffee shop."
Elizabeth turned to look at the coffee shop and acknowledged, "I'll go sit for a bit."
Robbie was about to get out to open the door for Elizabeth, but she said it wasn't necessary.
She was wearing a simple shirt and dress pants today. Her tall figure attracted the attention of some customers when she walked into the coffee shop.
"Welcome."
The owner wore thick black-framed glasses. He was round in build and asked Elizabeth with a smile what she'd like to drink.
"A cappuccino, thank you."
Elizabeth paid, then placed her phone on the counter and tapped it with her finger.
The owner glanced at the phone and nodded. He placed a drink menu on top of the phone. "Would you like anything else? Our shop's pastries are really good."
"No pastries needed."
"Alright, you can find a seat first. Your coffee will be brought to you shortly."
Elizabeth nodded. "Thank you."
She chose a seat by the window.
After finishing her cappuccino, Elizabeth took her phone and left the coffee shop.
Her fingertips gripped the phone tightly.
The phone in her hand was given to her by Jake when she returned to the country.
Jake had said, "Just use this phone."
Elizabeth had suspected at the time that this phone might be monitored by Jake.
The coffee shop owner was someone Lyle knew, a man who could repair phones himself.
When the owner brought her coffee earlier, he'd written her a note: "Yes."
Jake really was a pervasive creep. He'd actually installed a listening device in this phone.
Elizabeth was glad she hadn't told Timothy about Seraphina in the car last night.
Jake did it on purpose, deliberately reminding her to use this phone.
This was a deliberate psychological pressure tactic.
So what if you know there's a bug? You still have to obediently keep using it.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and looked up at the sky.
She got in the car. "Back to the Sherman Group."
Elizabeth sometimes felt that the fact she hadn't gone crazy yet showed she had a pretty strong character.
Meanwhile.
Jake was wearing colorful beach shorts, squatting in the small yard, making a fence out of bamboo.
"Done!"
He turned around and picked up the newly bought duckling by its feet and placed it inside the fence.
The little yellow duck ran around freely inside the fence.
He pulled out his phone and took a photo of the duckling and fence, sending it to Elizabeth.
[Bought Seraphina a new duckling]
Elizabeth had returned to the company by then. She glanced at her phone and saw Jake's message.
She replied expressionlessly: [Okay]
Jake looked at her simple reply and smiled slightly.
A little yellow duck trapped in a fence.
He stood up, looking down at the duckling.
Not knowing anything—that's the happiest kind of life.
He checked the time on his phone. It was time to pick up Seraphina from kindergarten.
To prevent Timothy's people from finding him, Jake always wore a mask, hat, and black glasses when going out.
By the time he left the house, he'd completely transformed into a shapeless homebody-type figure.
Seraphina, wearing a little white rabbit t-shirt, said goodbye to her teacher with her backpack on.
When Seraphina saw Jake, she looked up and asked, "Jake, where's my daddy?"
Her eyes were bright and innocent.
At school, the kids all talked about their moms and dads.
Seraphina didn't know where her daddy was.
Jake squatted down and patted Seraphina's head. "When you grow up, I'll take you to see your daddy."
"Grow up?" Seraphina tilted her head. "When will I grow up?"
"Soon," Jake picked up Seraphina. "The duckling Seraphina was raising came back."
Jake figured all ducklings looked the same anyway, and Seraphina couldn't tell if it was the original one.
When they got home, Seraphina put down her little backpack, washed her hands, and excitedly ran to the backyard to see the duckling.
Jake's butt had just hit the couch.
Then he saw Seraphina run in, stand in front of him, pout, and accuse him with tears in her eyes, "Jake, you lied. That's not my duck."
"That's the baby the duckling had. Seraphina needs to take good care of it, okay?"
"Baby?" Seraphina's tear-filled eyes widened in surprise.
She froze.
"Yes, baby! Just like Seraphina is Elizabeth's baby," Jake made up nonsense until he finally pacified Seraphina. "Seraphina should go feed the duckling first. It's hungry."
"Okay."
Seraphina toddled back to the backyard on her little legs.
Jake sent Elizabeth a message: [Seraphina asked me today where her daddy is. Guess how I answered?]
Elizabeth didn't see Jake's message until after 6 PM, when she was busy.
Her heart ached.
Robbie knocked and came in, carrying a bag. "Chairwoman Penrose, Ms. Bishop had dinner sent over."
Elizabeth's voice was hoarse. "Okay, thank you."
Robbie thought Elizabeth's voice sounded a bit strange, almost like she was choking up.
But when he looked at Elizabeth, he still saw her cold expression.
"Ms. Bishop said to eat it while it's hot."
After Robbie left the office.
Elizabeth called Calliope and thanked her.
On the other end, Calliope reminded her to take care of her health and not work so late every day.
Elizabeth said okay.
They hung up.
Elizabeth stared at her phone thoughtfully. Jake dared to place her near Vincent and Calliope—wasn't he afraid she'd threaten him with Vincent and Calliope's lives?
Clearly, he wasn't afraid.
Someone who could disregard his parents' lives to this extent wasn't even human anymore.
Elizabeth sent Jake a message: [Worse than an animal]
At that moment, the worse-than-an-animal Jake was helping Seraphina practice doing the splits.
"Jake, your leg isn't straight. Look at me," Seraphina said while doing the splits with her little legs, patting her own leg for Jake to see. "You need to try harder."
Jake, stretching his stiff long legs, looked at Elizabeth's message.
He replied with complete self-awareness: [You're right, "worse than an animal" is very accurate]
At 10 PM, Elizabeth walked out of the Sherman Group.
The driver opened the car door.
She looked up at the black sedan in the distance.
She knew Timothy was in that car.
Elizabeth looked away and got in the car.
Timothy watched Elizabeth's car drive away before continuing his conversation with Joe about what they'd been discussing.
"Armando's small company has been developing well over the past two years," he said coldly. "That's enough. Tell them to make their move."
"Yes," Joe brought up another matter. "There's no marriage registration record between Ms. Penrose and Jake domestically. Abroad..."
"No need to check anymore."
Joe couldn't quite figure out whether "no need to check" meant he was ready to let Elizabeth go, or...?
Timothy, hidden in the darkness, looked coldly out the window and dialed a number.
"Max, capture Jake."
Over the past five years, the people he'd sent out had discovered traces of Jake before.
But because he never saw Elizabeth, Timothy held back and told his men not to capture Jake.
He also knew about the little girl by Jake's side.
Five years. Timothy had endured for five years.
Timothy touched his face where Elizabeth had hit him and laughed quietly. These past few days, he'd confirmed that everything around Elizabeth was safe.