Chapter 28 Timothy Stands Up for Her
On the day Armando returned, Elizabeth also made her way back to Emerald Park.
The living room was crowded. Everyone was there.
Sherry sat in her wheelchair, her posture stiff, a flicker of unease in her eyes.
Bronte's expression was drawn, her gaze heavy.
Sherry had no idea how things would unfold from here.
Beatrix lifted her teacup, sipping slowly, her face unreadable.
Mindy looked ready to speak, but one sharp glance from Beatrix silenced her instantly.
Armando rubbed at his brow. He truly hadn't expected Sherry to be pregnant.
"Grandmother."
"What will you do about this?" Bronte met Armando's eyes, her voice calm. "This time, it's your decision. I won't interfere. I won't be able to watch over you for much longer."
Sherry's face tightened. Her eyes were red as she looked at Armando, lips pressed together, saying nothing.
Elizabeth felt nothing but quiet resolve. She and Armando had been divorced for a long time. She wanted no more entanglements with him—or with Sherry.
Armando glanced at Elizabeth, then at Sherry, who sat tense and uneasy.
He rose to his feet. "Grandmother, I will marry Sherry."
He could not wrong her any further.
After he spoke, his gaze flicked back to Elizabeth. Her calm demeanor stirred a faint, cold displeasure in him.
Sherry's head snapped up, eyes bright with tears. She looked at Armando as if he had just handed her the world.
Bronte exhaled, weary, and waved a hand. "Do as you please. I'm old. I can't manage you anymore."
She turned to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, I owe you an apology."
Elizabeth smiled faintly. She was grateful, in her way. If Bronte hadn't liked her, Armando would never have married her, and without the money he provided, she could never have saved Quinton.
The root of it all was simple: she had loved Armando, and Armando had never loved her. Letting go was the only way forward.
Beatrix's voice cut in, cool and deliberate. "What about the Johnson Group shares in Elizabeth's hands?"
She wasn't part of the Johnson family anymore—how could she still hold their shares?
"I'll return the Johnson Group shares to the Johnson family," Elizabeth said evenly.
At that moment, Tom entered with Timothy in tow.
Elizabeth blinked, stunned. He… he had actually come?
Her mind flashed to what he'd said the night before—that he would stand up for her. She had thought he was joking.
Timothy caught her startled expression, his lips curving slightly.
Beatrix's eyes widened as she stood abruptly. "You… you're here?"
Timothy's tone was mild. "I came to see Mrs. Robinson."
Tom frowned. Timothy had said he was coming for Elizabeth. Beatrix looked unsettled. Since when was Timothy so familiar with the Johnson family? Something about his sudden arrival set her nerves on edge.
Armando stood as well, respectful. "Uncle Timothy."
Tom's confusion deepened. Wasn't Timothy related to Elizabeth's side of the family?
Timothy gave Tom a knowing glance before stepping toward Bronte. "Mrs. Robinson, good afternoon. I'm Timothy."
Bronte studied the distinguished man before her, her mind turning. She knew of the Robinson family in Border Ridge City—had met Beatrix's mother, Cecilia Patel, Manuel's second wife—but had never met Timothy, the son of Manuel's first wife, Azalea Simpson.
She had heard stories about him.
"Thank you for visiting, Mr. Robinson. Please, have a seat," Bronte said with a polite smile.
Timothy chose the seat beside Elizabeth.
From Beatrix's wary respect to Bronte's measured courtesy, Elizabeth realized—perhaps for the first time—that she barely knew Timothy at all.
Her gaze dropped, thoughts turning over. Timothy was not a man to cross.
Axel set tea before him. The air in the room was heavy, pressing.
"Everyone, sit," Bronte said.
"I thought I heard something about shares just now?" Timothy's voice was calm. "Have I come at a bad time?"
Bronte, unsure of his purpose, didn't hide the truth. "They were discussing the shares I gave to Elizabeth."
Most would stop there, but Timothy had come for a reason—and he intended to pursue it.
From the day he'd pulled Elizabeth out of Michael's hands, he'd wanted more than to destroy Michael. He'd wanted to teach Armando a lesson. But back then, he'd held back, knowing Elizabeth still had feelings for Armando.
Now, Timothy turned to her, smiling with a warmth that was almost possessive. "Elizabeth, I'm here. No greeting for me?"
The tone made Bronte and the others glance at Elizabeth in shock.
Elizabeth stiffened. What was he trying to do?
Under the table, Timothy's polished shoe brushed hers. "Elizabeth, don't be afraid. If the Johnson family dares to push you around, I'll deal with them."
She lifted her head, forcing a smile. "Thank you."
Beatrix's voice was almost fawning. "Mr. Robinson, you know Elizabeth?"
Beatrix had entered the Robinson household alongside Cecilia upon her marriage, and she would never dream of addressing Timothy casually.
"Of course I do," Timothy said lightly. "We're very close."
He was, after all, the man she was offering a million-dollar annual retainer to keep at her side.
Under the table, Elizabeth nudged his foot and shot him a look, as if to say, "Don't say too much."
Beatrix's surprise shifted into satisfaction. "Elizabeth, why didn't you tell us?"
If she'd known, she would have pushed Sherry aside long ago.
Elizabeth could only smile faintly.
Timothy, sensing her irritation, offered Bronte an explanation. "Elizabeth once saved my life."
Bronte nodded slowly. So that was it.
Sherry, meanwhile, sat tense, wondering if Timothy would help Elizabeth stay in the Johnson family.
Elizabeth turned to Armando. "Let's settle everything today. Call the lawyer. I'll return the Johnson Group shares to the Johnson family."
She had thought about mentioning the divorce papers and the six-month contract they'd signed, but looking at Bronte's tired face, she chose not to bring it up.
Beatrix regretted raising the matter of shares so early. She glanced at Timothy, unsure if he would intervene.
He didn't. Shares were nothing. But what they owed Elizabeth—they would pay.
Armando called the lawyer. While they waited, Timothy calmly speared a slice of apple and offered it to Elizabeth.
"What happened to your hand?"
"Fracture."
Elizabeth forced herself to eat the apple from his hand.
Across from her, Armando watched, a faint crease between his brows.
"Elizabeth, let's talk upstairs."
She met his gaze. She needed to speak to him anyway. "All right."
As she climbed the stairs, Timothy turned to Bronte, his smile cool. "Is the Johnson family planning to send Elizabeth away with nothing?"
Bronte's eyes narrowed. So that was why he'd come.
"I'll convert the shares into cash for Elizabeth," Bronte said.
"No," Mindy snapped. "When she married Armando, he already gave her a hundred million dollars."
"Be quiet!" Bronte shot her a glare, disappointment flashing in her eyes. Timothy's allegiance was obvious, yet Mindy still didn't grasp the situation.
Timothy's laugh was soft, dangerous. "A hundred million, is it? Is that supposed to be a lot?
"Elizabeth is worth more than any sum you could name. Only you people keep waving that number around like it means something."
His gaze swept over them, cold. "How quaint. Is the Johnson family on the verge of bankruptcy? Shall I be generous and help you along?"