The Lawyer’s Romance in Law

The Lawyer’s Romance in Law

Novel The Lawyer’s Romance in Law is an amazing story about a young woman Elias Winters and rich people Amanda Bailey. After being secretly married for a year, Elias Winters brought his mistress home but was confronted by his wife, Amanda Bailey, who presented him with a positive pregnancy test. Falsely accusing her of infidelity, he vowed never to see her again. Four years later, Amanda returned to the country as a successful barrister, causing Elias to cling to her and beg for reconciliation. He even went as far as kneeling in the rain, seeking her forgiveness. However, Amanda remained unmoved. It was then that their child rushed out and asked about Elias. He was shocked because he had always believed that she had aborted the child. To his surprise, the little one standing before him was a spitting image of himself!

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 236 That Nasty Woman Again.

Selina wanted to head over and tell Amanda not to get angry but did not know what to say, so she returned to the kitchen. Not long after, the doorbell rang again. Frowning, Amanda guessed Aiden had probably forgotten something and come back for it. The kid could get forgetful, after all

When she arrived at the door, she saw a strangely dressed woman from the intercom. The woman was wrapped tightly in her clothes and wore black sunglasses that covered most of her face. Also, she had scarf wrapped around her head, as if afraid that someone would recognize her.

Who can it bet
Amanda opened the door out of curiosity but did not expect to receive a scolding to her face right after. “Amanda, why are you so useless? You’ve already given birth to his son, yet you still can’t capture his heart. How can you be so useless? Tell me, loser, what the fuck are you good at?”

That instantly made her furious. “Who are you to criticize me, you crazy bitch??

Just as she was about to close the door, it was forcefully pushed open as the woman barged inside her home. Looking at the bizarrely dressed woman, Amanda kept wondering which asylum did she escape from and had the urge to call the cops. Then, the woman removed her scarf and glasses, revealing her face.

At that moment, Amanda recognized the woman and scoffed. “So, it’s you, Grace.”

The scary scar on her face kept reminding Grace about how stupid she was. Why did she have to hurt herself yet still fail to capture Elias’ heart? He was growing further from her and could even be said to no longer care for her. “So what if it’s me? I’m here to scold you for being a loser!”

All the criticism from before made sense to Amanda now. It turned out Grace was chastising her for pushing Elias toward Stephanie. After all, Stephanie was a tougher opponent than her. Smiling sincerely. she rebuked. “Look at how angry you are. Why didn’t you go to Miss Allegro? The woman Elias will marry isn’t me, so why are you here? I’m no longer Elias’ target, so I shouldn’t be a threat to you.”

“That’s exactly why I came to you. How can you be so useless? You bore his son, yet he still ran away from you!” Grace shot Amanda a disappointed gaze because it was more difficult to deal with Stephanie; they were not on the same level.

Amanda naturally knew what Grace was thinking and was not bothered by it. She smiled and mocked. “What’s the matter? You think I’m easier to reckon with than Stephanie, so you’re more willing to deal with me, right? You’re afraid of Stephanie.”

“Who says I’m afraid of her? Don’t think that everyone is a pushover like you!”

“Then, hurry up and think of a way to get your Elias back. They’re getting engaged at the end of the month. Why are you wasting your time with me?” Amanda turned around and returned to the couch. sitting with her legs elegantly crossed and looking ready to send her guest away.

“You’re hopeless. You don’t deserve to be with Elias because I was right! You’re a coward?” Once Grace was done, she left and slammed the door after her.

The smile on Amanda’s lips instantly disappeared. Coward? Am I a coward? Do I have to fight Stephanie to the death to be brave? I don’t give a damn! It’s just a man, and he’s not even worth fighting with them.

At that moment, Selina came out and gossiped, “Amanda, who was that woman? Why did she yell at you? So absurd

Amanda replied angrily. “Who else can she be? One of my ex-husband’s admirers-a crazy one at that Why do you think she yelled at me?”

“That makes things even more peculiar. If that’s the case, why is she scolding you? Isn’t he getting engaged with someone else? Why doesn’t she yell at the other woman?”

Amanda laughed. “You’re right. Maybe she thinks I’m a pushover.”

Selina could not help but complain, “She must be crazy. No wonder Mr. Winters doesn’t like her. If it were me, I wouldn’t bat an eye on her either.”

Winters Enterprise.

It was Aiden’s first visit to the company. He looked around with his wide eyes while exclaiming. “Wow” This place is huge, Daddy… Is this where you work?”

“Yes.” The tall man held the child’s hand, their tall and short figures in harmony.

“Then, can you let Mommy work here? I want Mommy to come here too.” Aiden raised his head to look at his father.

Elias smiled as he thought the kid was quite filial. “Your mother does work here but doesn’t come here often. Reasonably speaking. Amanda was still the company’s legal consultant, so she was considered ant employee here.

At that moment, the secretary came to inform Elias, “Mr. Winters, the meeting will start at 10.00AM. Would you like to push it back?”

“No need. Prepare for the meeting

“Okay.”

The elevator doors opened with a ding, and Elias led his son toward the office to grab something before heading straight to the meeting room.

“Daddy, is this your office?”

“Yes.”

“Do you sleep in your office every day?”

“Yes”

The child was curious and kept asking questions while he patiently answered all of them.

When the man opened the door to his office, he instantly frowned and even wanted to leave with his son because… Stephanie was sitting on the couch in the lounge, looking bored as though she had been waiting for him.

“Daddy, it’s that nasty woman again!” screamed Aiden as he pointed at her.

Nasty woman? Stephanie frowned. How could that little brat call her a nasty woman? How so?

However, Elias did not stop his son or criticize him. Instead, he led his son into the office. “Aiden, there are marks there Go and have some

“Okay Daddy, don’t talk to that nasty woman.” Aiden reminded him with a serious face, but Elias uniler thout saying anything and touched Aiden’s head.

Once the kid left. Elias sat on the couch and faced Stephanie. “Why are you here?” Although they were about to get engaged, his voice had no trace of happiness but sounded like he was talking to a strange

“You think I want to? My dad made me come and ask you out for lunch. Then, we’ll have to try on clothes for our engagement ceremony. My dad has the designers work overtime to finish them,” she explained.

He frowned unhappily. “Another day. I’m busy today.”

“Are you going to spend the day with your son? And don’t get me started on what he said. How could you let him call me a nasty woman? What kind of endearment’ is that?” She was furious by that name

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 237 Bringing Aiden to the Meeting

Elias frowned. Is he wrong? Aren’t you nasty?”

“You’ How could you say that, Elias? If I’m nasty, you’re even worse! Why would I be in this situation if it weren’t for you? You said you’d help me look for Amelia, so, where is she? Huh? You’re only good at making empty promises!” She discovered she could not win against the man in a tongue fight and would always end up speechless.

“It has only been a few days, and I haven’t received a facial reconstruction. What is there to search for? If you’re going to behave unreasonably, I have no time to entertain you. Once Elias was done, he headed for his desk and grabbed a document.

After that, he looked over and saw the child eating his snacks with crumbs all over his face. The scene made him smile. He grabbed a wet wipe and approached his son, helping him wipe away the leftover food from his face. “Aiden, let’s stop eating. Come with me to the meeting.

“Elias, watch your words! Who’s being unreasonable? You told me you would find Amelia!” Stephanie felt aggrieved but also wondered if she was being unreasonable. At some point in time, she seemed to have begun caring about Elias’ feelings, which was strange. Why should I care about his feelings? Why should that se mbag’s feelings be important to me?

She could not figure out that feeling.

Meanwhile, the man ignored her screams and carried his son with one arm before walking out the door. Aiden did not forget to make faces at her. “You nasty woman, don’t you come near my daddy. My daddy likes my mommy and not you. My mommy is gentle and elegant. You’re just an ugly and nasty woman”

Hearing that, Stephanie pointed at herself with wide eyes and scoffed. “Do I look like I need your dad to like me? Little brat, I’m telling you. I don’t like your dad either! Also, who are you calling ugly? You’re the ugly one!”

“Hmph!” The child snorted back.

She also childishly snorted, both unwilling to give in to the other. Feeling speechless, Elias used the document to pat his son’s butt. “Aiden, stop messing around.”

“Oh.” The child reverted to obedience and leaned against his father’s broad shoulders.

On the other hand, Stephanie was about to burst from anger. In all her years, this was the first time she had been so infuriated by a three-year-old that she felt like exploding.

Inside the executive meeting room.

Elias brought his son to the meeting room, shocking all the executives. Questions filled everyone’s mind, wondering what he was doing. Why did he bring a child to the meeting? Whose child was that?

“Whose child is that? Could the rumors be true? Does Mr. Winters have an illegitimate child?”

“Duh. He’s already brought the child to this meeting. Do you picture Mr. Winters as someone who likes children? Would he bring a child that isn’t his to a meeting?”

“Old Mr. Winters can rest in peace now. At least the Winters Family has an heir.”

knew about that because he would urge Mr. Winters to have a child in every press interview he did”

Everyone was busy whispering in each other’s ears, discussing this matter, while only Jack remained silent and looked gloomy. He had not begun sending out the invitations yet because he wanted the engagement at the end of the month to be both a shock and a surprise.

However, Elias, that brat, had brought his son into the meeting room. What was the meaning of this? Was Elias trying to disgust him?

During the entire meeting, several kept casting curious glances at Aiden, who looked utterly similar to Elias, almost identical.

The kid behaved quite well during the two-hour-long meeting and stayed on his father’s lap while holding his hand. After all, he was intimidated by all the people who were looking at him with strange gazes. Moreover, Elias had his secretary bring snacks and juice boxes to keep Aiden’s lips sealed.

Once the meeting ended, the executives left the meeting room one after another. As for Aiden, he had fallen asleep in his father’s embrace. Elias gently held his son in his arms and motioned for his secretary to bring a tarp to cover Aiden. Then, he prepared to leave as well. However, Jack suddenly called him.

“Elias, wait. I have something to say to you. His voice was loud, as though he deliberately did it to wake the child. Since only a few were in the spacious meeting room, they could hear the voice echoing.

Feeling the child in his arms tremble, clearly startled by the voice, Elias frowned unhappily and passed him to Yacob. “Bring him to my office. I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.” Yacob gently took over the kid and left for the office. Even the way he walked seemed slower.

Elias watched until Yacob left the meeting room before feeling assured because Yacob was the only person he trusted with the child. Once his assistant was gone, he sat back on his seat, and his voice returned to its original volume. “Mr. Allegra, what’s the matter?”

Jack felt upset seeing Elias doting dearly on his and Amanda’s son. Doesn’t that mean his and Steph’s child in the future would get less love?

“Why did you bring the child here? Do you want everyone to know that you have a son? Will you value the child you have with Stephanie after she marries you?” His words were fueled with anger. He was eager to lose his temper but endured it for the sake of his daughter’s marriage.

Elias maintained calm and replied, “Mr. Allegra, you must be mistaken. My ex-wife and I have agreed to raise our son together. He’s mine for the weekend, and I have work today, so I can only bring him with me. After all, he’s still young and can’t be left alone.”

“What do you mean I’m mistaken? How will you go on a date with Steph when you have a child with you? Can’t you see I’ve already given you an opportunity here?”

Elias knew that, and he could even feel how much Jack wanted to send his daughter onto his bed so they could sleep together and get married quicker.

Smiling, he explained emotionlessly, “Mr. Allegra, I will return my kid home in the afternoon, so it will not disrupt your plans. Also, Stephanie is a kind woman, so she will understand me. Although this child was an accident, I have to be responsible for him.”

“Be responsible for him? Then, who will be responsible for Steph? Will Steph’s child have to fight for the inheritance?” Jack was most worried about that, but he had no idea Elias did not intend to marry
The
Stephane or even have a cluld with her

“Mr Allegra, you’re overthinking this. My ex-wife and I have signed an agreement, so your concerns are redundant”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 238 Taking What One Needs.

Elias always responded coldly regardless of what Jack said, leaving him helpless.

“Fine. I don’t care about your matters, but you better handle your affairs properly. Please don’t miss your date with Steph today” Jack finished speaking and stood up to leave. He was displeased with Elias but had to endure it since it had come to this point.

Otherwise, what will happen to the engagement banquet at the end of the month? My close friends in the circle are already aware of the planned union between the Allegra and Winters Families. However, most people don’t know it yet. I’ll become a laughingstock if it falls apart and the wedding is canceled.

Elias watched Jack’s departing figure and let out a mocking laugh. He not only teased Jack but also himself.

His phone started vibrating, so he glanced at it and saw a call from Oscar. He answered the phone, and Oscar reported, “Mr. Winters, Miss Murphy refuses to leave. I told her it was your wish, but she refused to go and said you should drive her out yourself.”

A trace of annoyance appeared between Elias’ brows, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Alright, I understand. Go about your duties.

Grace is so troublesome, like a piece of gum that I can’t shake off.

After hanging up the phone, a person suddenly came to his mind. Perhaps this person could help him eliminate the trouble caused by Grace. The corner of his mouth curved into a smile as he slowly stood up and left the meeting room toward the office.

When he pushed open the door to the office, he saw Yacob putting the child to sleep on the couch with a blanket and keeping an eye on him while Stephanie was sitting on the opposite side. She looked bored as she flipped through a finance magazine and occasionally rolled her eyes at the sleeping child.

When Yacob saw him enter the office, he immediately stood up. Elias gestured for him to sit down. “Stay with the child. I’m going out to talk to Miss Allegra. Miss Allegra, let’s have a cup of coffee. He then turned and walked out after saying this.

Stephanie was also restless, so she dropped the finance magazine in her hand and slowly left the office. after a stretch. If it weren’t for my father’s insistence on waiting for Elias to finish the meeting and try on clothes with him, I wouldn’t be foolishly waiting here.

The two arrived at the cafe on the company’s third floor and sat in a window seat.

The weather was lovely today, and the gentle sunlight reflected against Elias’ facial features. Such a scene made him look like he was from a comic series because of how flawless and impeccable he looked.

For a brief moment, Stephanie was captivated by the man’s appearance.

“What are you looking at?” he asked coldly. He did not like being stared at like that. He found it annoying when someone gazed at him blankly.

After hearing his voice, she returned to her senses and averted her gaze. “Oh, nothing. Why did you choose this table? The sunlight is so strong that it’s blinding”

“Just letting some light into your brain,” he retorted mercilessly.

His rude comment left Stephanie stunned as she did not expect his straightforwardness. “Who are you insulting? Did you call me here just to say that, Elias?” She noticed that he always managed to provoke her and get furious easily

Elias picked up his coffee and took a sip. “Back to the point, we can collaborate again for our benefit.”

Collaborate? What do you mean by collaborating?” she asked.

“You help me get rid of someone, and I’ll help you find Crispin and arrange a meeting for you.” He believed that the conditions he offered were tempting enough or even sufficient to entice Stephanie.

Indeed, her eyes widened. “Are you serious? Deal! You can just tell me who you wish to get rid of

A smile crept onto his lips. “You truly have deep feelings for that man. It’s touching”

“Enough with the nonsense. Tell me!” She simply did not want to drag Crispin down. Her father was intentionally punishing her by targeting Crispin.

Elias replied, “Yacob will take you later. Once you finish the task, I’ll take you to meet Crispin in the evening.”

“So, you know where Crispin is being held?”

She thought Elias had no idea, but it seemed she underestimated his capabilities. The man remained silent and gave her a meaningful glance to let her interpret it herself.

Winters Estate.
Elias took the children to the amusement park. At the same time, Yacob drove Stephanie back to the Winters Estate and was ready to execute their plan. “I didn’t expect the Winters Estate to be so grand and massive,” she remarked.

She believed the Allegra Family’s mansion was already impressive since it was created with billions of dollars by her father. She never imagined the Winters Family estate to be even more extravagant.

Yacob remained silent and led her to Grace’s residence.

Jennifer had been sent to a recuperation facility. Still, Grace continued to linger there, claiming to wait for her to return. At that moment, she was watching a movie in the cinema room. She had grown accustomed to life there and was even willing to spend her whole life at Winters Estate.

Since Grace’s appearance was ruined, she would only be subject to ridicule by everyone if she went outside. It was better for her to hide here since the place was isolated from the world, where no one dared to mock her.

Yacob pushed open the doors to the theater, and the movie abruptly stopped.

Stephanie walked in and saw Grace sitting in the seat. Before she could say anything. Grace angrily shouted, “Who are you? Get out! Leave!” Then, she hurriedly covered her cheeks to avoid anyone seeing the scar on her face. She increasingly felt like a clown and did not want to see anyone.

“Afraid of facing people? How dare you meet my fiancé! Do you think he would like you in your current state? What are you doing here clinging on?” Stephanie was being sarcastic, and even Yacob could not help but chuckle.

Perhaps only Stephanie could handle Grace Murphy.

“What did you say? Say that again: I dare you! I used to be much prettier than you! Do you think Elias would like you?” Grace did not believe he would be interested in this daughter of the Allegra Family

Compared to my appearance and Amanda’s, who isn’t more substantial than this bitch?

That was the reason for her anger. How could Elias’ taste have downgraded so much?

What made Grace even more furious was that although Stephanie was not as beautiful as she and Amanda, her family background was something they could never catch up to in several lifetimes. I can still compete if Elias pursues beauty, but I cannot win if he seeks power.

Stephanie crossed her arms and mocked, “So what? He chose me and not you in your current state. Do you even dare to call yourself beautiful? Perhaps I should buy you a mirror”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 239 Mr Winters Has Nothing Besides Wealth!

Mirror…

Grace touched her cheeks to trace the gruesome scar that severely affected her self-esteem. This was the harsh reality that had truly shattered her inner world.

Stephanie was indifferent to Grace’s feelings and approached her, saying. I’m about to get engaged to Elias, and we’ll be married by the end of the year. Your presence here is affecting my mood. I might mess with him when I’m not in a good mood. Can you bear that if you truly love him?”

“You! Elias doesn’t like you. He won’t be interested in someone like you. What do you have to be so proud of? I used to be much prettier than you. I— Grace tried to find an excuse for herself.

“Enough! Why are you bringing up history? You’re not as beautiful as me or close to being pretty, and you still think you can hold Elias’ heart? What do you have to hold onto? Just leave and stop wasting time here!” Stephanie’s sharp and hurtful were striking at Grace’s fragile heart.

“Enough! Shut up! Just shut up!” Grace covered her ears as tears streamed down her face.

She was about to give up since her intense insecurity was overwhelming. She knew she was unworthy of Elias in her current state, but it was unbearable to accept this harsh truth. The promise of happiness within her reach had slipped away and left her in an empty voice.

“Are you leaving or not?” questioned Stephanie.

“This isn’t your home; your words don’t matter! I want Elias to kick me out personally!” Grace would be able to give up entirely only if the man himself chased her away.

“Ridiculous! I’m about to become the woman of the house, so how is it not my home?” Stephanie turned to Yacob, standing outside the door, and said, “Yacob! Get her out of here! She’s so annoying.”

He did not respond to Stephanie and went straight to Grace. “Miss Murphy, please come with me. Mr. Winters has arranged a new place for you to start a new life. There’s no need to be trapped in the past.”

“How can I start a new life in my current state?” she screamed in desperation.

He replied. “That’s not something we should be concerned about. Everybody has to take responsibility for their actions in this world. Besides, Mr. Winters has to move on even if you don’t want to start a new life. You two are never destined to be together, so please don’t try to force it.”

Never destined together? Those words weighed heavily on Grace’s heart.

He gently grasped her frail wrist and pulled her away when seeing her unresponsiveness.

After Grace was sent away, Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Yacob when he was driving. Im done with my business. When will Elias fulfill his end of the deal?” she asked.

“Mr. Winters is currently taking Aiden home. He will join us soon for a meeting. Don’t worry about it. He’ll arrange a meeting for you and your boyfriend,” he replied.


She nodded as she finally found some peace of mind. Suddenly, a sense of boredom crept in and rekindled her curiosity. “Yacob, may I ask you something?” she inquired.



He glanced at Stephanie through the rearview mirror while driving and responded, “Miss Allegra, feel free to ask. I’ll provide answers based on my knowledge and apologize if I cannot answer them.”

This bodyguard is quite cautious,

She proceeded after clearing her throat. “Who does Mr. Winters truly prefer-his ex-wife or that starred actress?”

“Miss Allegra, isn’t it obvious? He assigned you to drive away Grace, yet he prevented you from bothering Miss Bailey. Isn’t that a clear indication?” Yacob pointed out as he believed the signs were quite apparent even to a fool.

“Oh… Well, he did have a child with his ex-wife, but at the same time, Grace seems quite devoted. I must say that Mr. Winters seems to attract women effortlessly, and I just can’t fathom what these women tee in him or find appealing,” she scornfully remarked.

Yacob took offense to her words. Isn’t it normal for Mr. Winters to be popular with women? Why wouldn’t they be drawn to him? On the other hand, I fail to grasp what Miss Murphy finds so appealing about Crispin, whom she has set her eyes on. I can’t discern any redeeming qualities in that man either!

“Miss Allegra, if you consider Mr. Winters’ family background, appearance, and knowledge, why wouldn’t women like him? As for Crispin, whom you’ve taken an interest in, what makes him special?” He defended his master implicitly.

Stephanie was momentarily taken aback but quickly retorted, “I won’t allow you to speak ill of Crisp. He’s gentle, kind, and far superior to Mr. Winters in every way. Mr. Winters has nothing besides wealth!”

He felt a surge of indignation. How could she claim that Elias had nothing besides money? “What does Crisp have, then?” he asked in a challenge.

That fired her up. “Crisp graduated from a prestigious university in Cludan and is currently pursuing a PhD-

Yacob interrupted her, “Mr. Winters holds a master’s degree from MIT!”

Stephanie pondered momentarily and pressed on after observing his prideful expression. “Crisp secured scholarships through his outstanding academic achievements and is tirelessly dedicated to his studies!”

He retorted, “Mr. Winters entered university at sixteen and skipped several grades. Do you know why? It’s because he’s intelligent and has a remarkably high IQ!”

She was speechless.

Taking note of her silence, he boasted once more, “Moreover, Mr. Winters has been voted the most handsome individual among the second-generation wealthy elite. His looks rival those of male celebrities. in the entertainment industry. He could easily be a top-tier star if it weren’t for his family’s wealth.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 240

She was speechless once again. With a comparison like this, it becomes evident that Elias possesses an irresistible charm for women and an abundance of advantages. The sheer unfairness of it all is striking! Why does fate shower him with such bountiful blessings? And what grants him the privilege? He effortlessly acquires the things that others strive for throughout their lives. It’s an undeniable display of injustice…

At Northern No. 1, Elias spent the entire day playing with Aiden and then accompanied him back home. After opening the door, Aiden rushed into Amanda’s arms, his face coated in a layer of sweat. “Mommy, I went to Universal Studios today. It was so much fun! Let’s go there together next time.”

“Got it. I can see you’ve worked up a sweat” Amanda said, bending down to touch his cheek.

Elias was outside the door, seemingly not intending to come in. “I won’t come in as I already took Anden out for dinner. He had a rough time today and sweated a lot, so please bathe him.”

She responded coldly with a single word, “Oh. Then, I’ll close the door.” As she spoke, she intended to shut him out.

However, to her surprise, Aiden grabbed the doorknob and waved at Elias. “Goodbye, Daddy Don’t forget about our promise, okay?”

Elias countenance turned cold as he guided her inside the factory. I brought him here. Not even your father knows about this.”

“What Why’d you do that?” she questioned.

At that moment, Crispin came out and questioned, “Stephanie! Why are you here? How could you venture into such a dangerous place?”

She rushed over, her eyes welling up at the sight of his disheveled appearance. I’m sorry, Crisp. It’s my fault you ended up imprisoned like this.”

“No, it’s not. We made a wager. If I win, he will hand you over to me,” he explained.

What? What wager?

Stephanie turned to Elias. “Huh? What wager?”

Crispin replied, “I made a wager that if I could stay here until the end of the month, he would cancel the engagement and let us be together.”

She was shocked. What is Elias up to? Can he cancel the engagement?

Although she was long aware that Elias had no intention of marrying her, she never expected that her father only planned to make a move after the marriage to help Elias regain control of the lost company shares. Things could only progress after their ceremony.

“Are you out of your mind? How can anyone live here? It’s cold, desolate, and dark. How can you stay here for a whole month, Crisp?” Stephanie was moved by his willingness to endure such hardships for her.

Crispin saw her reaction and felt satisfied. After being poor for over twenty years, I finally have a chance to change my destiny. I can’t let it slip away since staying here for a month is nothing compared to the endless wealth and glory I will have in the future.

He envisioned a bright future where he could have anything he wanted. “It’s alright, Steph. I can handle it. It’s nothing like back in my hometown; there wasn’t much difference except for an extra lamp Besides, it’s not easy to encounter a soulmate in one’s life. I don’t want to miss you…”

Stephanie was deeply touched as her tears streamed incessantly.

On the other hand, Yacob could not help but feel a shiver down his spine. This guy may not have any other skills, but he has a knack for cheesy lines. What’s even more impressive is how he manages to make Miss Allegra, who carries herself with great poise, become swoon.

Elias watched the scene unfold with an emotionless expression. Suddenly, she turned to him. “Is what you said true? I won’t forgive you if I find out you’re toying with him!”

She simply thought that Crispin was being naive. What if Elias was just joking? After all, he had lived a pampered life and never experienced hardships. He would never understand the pain that Crispin suffered in his heart.

Elias smirked. “A gentleman always keeps his word.”

As the three walked out of the factory, Stephanie could not help but discreetly wipe away her tears. Elias remained expressionless; he knew what Crispin was thinking and felt no trace of sentiment.

“Elias, if Crisp succeeds, will you cancel the engagement and give up your shares?” She had yet to figure out this man’s intentions.

He glanced coldly at her and replied, “You don’t need to worry about that. I have my plans

Once I digitally emulate Amelia’s face today, Jack will have no choice but to owe me a favor for locating his long-lost daughter!

“What are you thinking? Don’t toy with Crisp, he’s very innocent and takes things to heart!” Stephanie cautioned.

“I’m serious too. I don’t want to break you two apart,” Elias said.

She was taken aback. “You…”

“Rest assured. I don’t love or want you. I have no interest in seizing you. Just seems pointless,” he stated.

Every word he spoke was accurate, and both Stephanie and Yacob could sense it. They sounded no wrong but they were awkward and made her uncomfortable. She could not understand where this feeling came from…

When she heard Elias say he did not love her, her heart felt a mix of emotions, which caused a suffocating sensation. “That’s fine! I don’t love you either and won’t let you have me! I belong to Crisp!” she stated, but it was more for the sake of her pride. However, after speaking it, she felt a tinge of regret and realized how childish she sounded.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 242 Warding off the Sulfuric Acid for Her

Amanda snorted and got into the driver’s seat without uttering a word.

Just as she was ready to close the door, she heard Elias saying, “Since you’ve decided to stay in the country, quit working for Simon, and not stay with me, do you have any plans?”

“Well, it’s none of your business. You’d better take good care of your fiancée and make sure she doesn’t come harassing me again. Thanks, Mr. Ex-husband.” With that, Amanda closed the door.

Elias frowned. Did Stephanie go looking for Amanda again? Wait a second… Mr. Ex-husband?

The way the woman called him put a smile on his face as he repeated it in a small voice, saying. “Mr. Ex- husband…”

Yacob couldn’t help but ask, “Are you happy just because she called you that?”

The smile on Elias’ face disappeared as he shot him a glare. “You have a lot to say, don’t you? Do you want to work overtime today?”

“No, no, no! Please forgive me, Mr. Winters. I haven’t had any proper sleep for the past seven days. I’ll die from overworking, Yacob lamented.
All of a sudden, they heard a bang from the parking lot.

They exchanged glances and sported solemn expressions. What’s going on? Amanda just went over there. Did she crash her car into something?

Following that, Amanda was heard exclaiming, “Help!”

The next moment, Elias charged forward, leaving Yacob behind.
Yacob looked at the man’s figure and sighed. “He said he no longer loves her, but he’s so anxious when she calls for help.”

Despite that, Yacob also dashed forward as something serious might’ve happened to Amanda.
What happened was that Amanda crashed her car into a column because someone appeared in front of her vehicle out of nowhere. As such, she had no choice but to turn her steering wheel.

Her forehead crashed into the steering wheel, causing her to see stars.

Then, she heard someone knocking on the window like crazy. She unfastened her seat belt and opened. the door while feeling dizzy. Before she could make out the person in front of her, she felt some liquid getting splashed on her.

She subconsciously closed the door to ward it off, but the liquid still came into contact with her sleeve.
Soon, she felt a burning sensation on her arm. Is it… sulfuric acid?!

Only then did she realize she had come across a lunatic. As such, she opened the door and ran away in a particular direction, knowing that Elias and Yacob were still over there. The men could probably help subdue the lunatic.

“Help!”

She didn’t even dare turn her head and take a look at the lunatic.
“Ah!”

She was running too fast while wearing stilettos, so she twisted her ankle and fell to the ground.
Amanda wanted to get up, but her ankle was in so much pain that she was unable to do so. I must’ve twisted my ankle… Then, she crawled backward and looked at the fully covered lunatic.

“Who are you?!”

“Who am I? I’ve become so ugly. Everyone despises me, and Elias dumped me. On the other hand, you’re still so beautiful. It’s so unfair! I want you to be as ugly as me! I’ve fallen into such a state because of you!”

When the lunatic took off her veil, Amanda finally realized it was Grace.

Her agitation made the scar on her face look even more hideous; it was as if she was a demon who had just crawled out from hell.

“Are you out of your mind, Grace? Your suffering has nothing to do with me. It’s entirely your fault!” Amanda refuted.

After giving it some thought, she realized she was supposed to prioritize her safety instead of provoking the crazy woman.

“It’s all because of you! It’s all your fault! If you never returned to the country, I would’ve married Elias, and he would never have met Stephanie. It’s all because of you!”
Grace broke down mentally and bawled her eyes out. Her eerie cries reverberated across the underground parking lot.

She still had some sulfuric acid in the bottle in her hand. If she splashed it on Amanda, the consequences would be dire.

“Calm down… We can go somewhere else and talk things out.” Amanda wanted to get up, but she couldn’t exert any force on her legs.

She stared fixedly at the bottle of sulfuric acid in Grace’s hand. A sense of horror swept over her as her eyelashes trembled.

“There’s nothing to talk about between us. I want you to become as ugly as I am. It’s all your fault. Why did you even come back? Why did you destroy the happiness that belonged to me?” she wailed and shuffled forward.

Amanda had no choice but to keep crawling backward, for her ankle was in so much pain that she was unable to get to her feet. Moreover, her ankle seemed to be swollen.
All of a sudden, Grace lifted the bottle in her hand and splashed the liquid on the woman. “I hate you, Amanda!”

Upon seeing that, Amanda subconsciously closed her eyes, feeling that her life was ruined.
Much to her surprise, a powerful force pulled her up from the ground the next moment. Someone protected her and warded off the sulfuric acid on her behalf.
Amanda opened her eyes. When she realized that Elias was in front of her, her eyes widened in disbelief.

After Elias fended off the sulfuric acid with his back, he turned around and bellowed, “That’s enough, Grace!”

The bottle in Grace’s hand fell to the ground and broke into pieces. She was despondent as tears slid down. her face. “Why, Elias… Why did you do that for her… You…”

Amanda was flustered as tears welled up in her eyes. Even her hands were trembling. She said anxiously, “Take off your clothes now! That’s sulfuric acid!”

Elias felt a burning sensation on his back as he glowered at Grace. “Are you out of your mind? How could you splash sulfuric acid on anyone?”

Following that, he quickly took off his coat. Although his coat was thick, it couldn’t withstand the sulfuric acid’s corrosion.

He tossed the coat to the ground. The acid had penetrated his white shirt, which was now dyed red with blood.

When Amanda saw that, tears rolled down her cheeks. She wanted to touch his back with her trembling hands, but she didn’t dare do so since it was covered in blood.
Yacob arrived just then and subdued Grace before bellowing,

“You’re insane, Grace! How could you use sulfuric acid? You’ll go to jail!”

“Send her to the police station. I don’t want to see her ever again, Elias ordered impassively without sparing Grace a glance.

Yacob replied, “Yes, Mr. Winters. I’ll ask Travis to send you and Miss Bailey to the hospital.”

“You can’t do this to me, Elias! I love you, and you know that. You promised my brother that you’d take care of me. How could you do this to me?”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 343 I Will Always Believe In You

Witnessing Stephanie’s intense reaction, Crispin became even more convinced of his thoughts.

Stephanie had undeniably developed feelings for someone else.

She had fallen for Elias, her very own brother-in-law.

Under Crispin’s unwavering gaze, Stephanie felt uneasy, and her attempts at explanation. sounded feeble even to her ears.

With anger in her voice, she yelled, “I’ve already said nothing is going on! Stop spreading rumors! I would never steal a man from my sister. Even after their divorce, such thoughts never crossed my mind!”

In truth, these words served as reminders for herself, a constant warning to resist the allure of Elias.

Crispin revealed a faint smile. “Steph, I trust you. I will always trust you.”

However, concealed beneath that smile was an insatiable greed that knew no bounds.

Whether Stephanie loved him or not was of lesser importance. What truly mattered to Crispin was becoming a son-in-law of the esteemed Allegra Family by any means necessary.

“Crisp, you….”Stephanie suddenly found herself at a loss for words, overwhelmed by guilt.

“Steph, I believe every word you say. Don’t worry. Even if they investigate me, I won’t expose you. It has nothing to do with you, after all,” Crispin assured her.

Stephanie remained silent as her gaze fixed upon him.

This only deepened Crispin’s conviction that Stephanie was now guarding herself against him. In any case, she didn’t wish to marry him, and that was something he could not accept.

He needed to come up with a plan to expedite their marriage. The more it was delayed, the slimmer their chances of getting married.

Determined to take control of the situation, he seized Stephanie’s hand and began to lean in for a kiss. However, she deftly evaded his advance.

“Don’t do this. It’s not good if my family catches us. I’ll go back first,” she exclaimed, turning around and running away

As Crispin watched Stephanie’s panicked figure sprinting away, a cold chuckle escaped his lips. “It doesn’t matter whether you love me or not. I will definitely become your husband. You have no other choice.”

As Elias returned to the Winters Estate, he gazed upon the vast property, only to find it incredibly dull.

Boris, the butler, approached him from behind. “Mr. Winters, would you like to have a meal, freshen up with a bath, or maybe indulge in a relaxing soak in the hot springs first?”

Elias cast a glance at Boris. “Didn’t Rosie take a dip in the hot springs today?”

Boris clarified the situation. “Not every day, Mr. Winters. She did so just last night.”

“How has her health been lately? When does she plan to go home?” Elias inquired further. The peculiar circumstances of both him and Rosie residing at the estate piqued his curiosity.

Boris responded bluntly, “I’m not entirely certain about Miss Momsey’s health condition, but her temperament has been quite volatile lately. She’s been quick to snap at the staff, and we’ve had to replace the helpers who attend to her multiple times.”

Elias scoffed disapprovingly. “Did I bring her here solely to discipline my helpers?”

Boris maintained a stoic silence in response.

“Help me pack a few clothes and send them to Galaxy Bay. I’ll be staying there for a few days,” Elias requested.

“Yes, Mr. Winters.”

Elias nonchalantly slipped his hands into his pockets and cast another glance over the estate. There was a peculiar sense of absence as if something were missing-perhaps the incessant noise caused by that little brat, Aiden.

“Mr. Winters, would you like to have dinner as well? I’ll have the helper prepare your clothes immediately.

“Yes, but keep it simple and fast.”

“Understood

Then, they made their way toward the villa.

After arriving at the dining hall, Elias pulled out a chair and seated himself. The atmosphere felt oddly hushed and carried a sense of solitude. Normally, the presence of his son would disrupt his meals, but now the space seemed vacant and deserted.

Soon after, Boris entered with a hearty serving of food.

“I specifically requested to keep it simple,” Elias remarked, reaching for his utensils.

Boris chuckled softly. “The late Old Mr. Winters had instructed us to take good care of your daily needs, especially when it comes to your meals.”

Grandpa…

Elias momentarily paused while reaching for a plate. A faint smile played at the corner of his mouth.

“Alright, then. You may leave now,” he commented.

Boris nodded and left the dining hall.

Just as he exited, Rosie hurriedly burst in. Boris greeted her politely, “Miss Momsey, is there something I can assist you with?”

“Where’s Eli? Is he planning to stay outside?” Rosie inquired impatiently, hastening to clarify the situation. Finally, I have this perfect opportunity. Amanda and that little brat have both moved out of the estate, but now Eli is going to leave as well. What’s the point of me being all alone in this estate?

“It is Mr. Winters’ affair, and we do not have the right to inquire,” Boris responded.

“I’m asking you where he is right now!” Rosie didn’t wish to waste time conversing with the butler. She wanted to speak with Elias directly.

Boris swiftly replied, “He’s having his meal in the dining hall.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Rosie immediately made her way toward the dining hall.

Boris glanced at her hurried figure. Shaking his head helplessly, he murmured to himself, “Dealing with this stubborn girl is best left to Mr. Winters himself.”

It was because Rosie only displayed her gentle and charming side when in Elias’ presence while behaving like a madwoman in front of others.

Rosie briskly entered and caught sight of Elias, who was leisurely enjoying his meal. Instantly, her anger dwindled by half.

Elias lifted his gaze slowly and inquired, “Do you need something from me?”

Rosie composed herself and asked, “Why are you also choosing to stay outside? You don’t want to be around me, do you?”

Elias chuckled softly. “You’re overthinking. I’ve been rather occupied lately, so I’m staying closer to the company. If you wish to indulge in the hot springs, feel free to do so as much as you desire. Once you’ve had your fill, I’ll have Taylor come to take you home.”

“You’re leaving, so what’s the purpose of my remaining here all alone? I…” As Rosie spoke, she realized she might have said too much and abruptly halted.

Elias laughed and met her gaze. “Did you truly believe I was unaware of your intentions? You saved my son’s life, and I am indebted to you. I will grant your every request, except for the one thing you desire. It is beyond my ability to fulfil it in this lifetime. So, do not waste your time on me.”

“How do you know you can’t grant my request? You won’t know unless you try.”

Having already breached that barrier, Rosie no longer wished to continue the pretense. It was better to be direct.

“Because I don’t want to, and I have no desire to attempt it. Is that reason sufficient?” Elias responded firmly.

Silent tears welled up in Rosie’s eyes. Much like in the past, Elias had resolutely rejected her once again.

Her emotions plummeted to the depths as she uttered, “I’ll gather my belongings and leave. You don’t need to leave. This is your home. I should be the one leaving.”


After saying that, she turned around and left the dining hall, each step feeling as heavy as if bearing the weight of a thousand pounds.

“Wait.”

Rosic stopped in her tracks, a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes. She anticipated Elias was about to intervene and stop her. With a hopeful smile, she turned back toward him.

However, Elias merely wiped the corners of his mouth, rose from his seat, and stated, “You may stay here for as long as you wish, using your status as the savior. I’ve been occupied lately, so I doubt I’ll return.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 243 He’s My Ex-husband

Grace was lugged away by Yacob. While growling, she stared resentfully at Elias.

I suppose he loves Amanda the most. He’s even willing to fend off the sulfuric acid for her. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

However, the more affection Elias showed for Amanda, the more resentful Grace felt.

Soon, Amanda was getting her wound treated in the hospital. Her injury was minor as only a few drops of sulfuric acid came into contact with her sleeve and burned her arm.

While treating her wound, the nurse said, “How did the two of you get wounded by sulfuric acid? It’s hard to get exposed to such a substance in daily life.”

“It’s a long story,” Amanda replied briefly as she wasn’t in the mood to explain anything.

She wondered how Elias was doing. His back was covered in blood. Is a large area of his back wounded?

Seeing that the woman was unwilling to talk, the nurse stopped asking and focused on treating her wound.

A moment later, another nurse entered the room and said, “The man whose back was wounded by sulfuric acid is your husband, isn’t he? Although he’s injured, he’s very tough. When we were treating his wound, he didn’t even flinch. He’s quite resilient.”

Amanda felt her chest tightening. She couldn’t help but ask, “Is his wound serious, miss? Will he be left with scars on his back?”

After all, Elias’ back was covered in blood earlier, and it was hideous.

Why does fate keep playing tricks on me? Whenever I’m about to give up on him, I end up owing Elias a favor I can never repay.

The nurse replied, “Well, it’s not that severe, but a large area of his back has been affected. He’ll only be able to sleep on his stomach for an entire month, and he might even come down with a fever. As such, we have to pay extra attention to his wound’s aftercare.”

With that, the nurse turned around and left.

The nurse treating Amanda’s wound said, “When you go home, you have to sterilize your husband’s. wound. Also, don’t let it come into contact with water. Abstain from spicy food and sleep early. He’ll recover in no time, and there won’t be any scars left. I’m sure the wound on his back will heal.

Amanda nodded. “Alright, thanks. I’ll pass on your advice to his family members. I’m not his wife, after all. He’s my ex-husband.”

The nurse’s curiosity was aroused when she heard that.
“Is he your ex-husband? He still loves you very much, though. You’d better remarry him, then.” Since the man was willing to ward off sulfuric acid for Amanda, the nurse felt it would be a shame if they didn’t. remarry.

Amanda said, “That’s not going to happen. He’s getting engaged to someone else.”

The nurse was rendered speechless and didn’t have the nerve to keep asking, thinking that their love life was quite strange.

It was puzzling that a man who was about to get engaged would still fend off sulfuric acid for his ex-wife.

After getting her wound treated, Amanda headed to Elias’ ward. He was supposed to stay in the hospital for two days, and he might come down with a fever.

Amanda stood outside the door, hesitant to enter.

He’ll be fine since so many people will be taking care of him. Moreover, they’ll get private doctors to help him recover. I won’t be of any help even if I stay here.

She wanted to turn around and leave, but she couldn’t convince herself to do so. After all, the man was wounded because of her.

Just as she was hesitant to enter, Yacob, who had just returned from sending Grace to the police station, arrived.

When he saw how conflicted she was, hesitating between entering the ward and leaving, he said, Mr. Winters got injured because he tried to save you. You’re not going to leave just like that, are you? At the very least, you should pay him a visit.”

“Well… I don’t think he needs me to visit him, and he probably doesn’t want to see me.”

She still couldn’t get over the incident of Elias hurting her feelings in the garage the other day.

Since he had made his stance clear, it would be shameless of her if she continued pestering him.

She wanted to leave, but Yacob took her hand and said, “Let’s go in and see him. He’s in pain, but he’s not willing to tell us about it. You’re the only one he can talk to. After all, you used to be his wife, and you two have a child together.”

After a moment of silence, Amanda turned around and entered the ward.

Presently, Elias was lying on his stomach without a shirt on. His back was covered in ointment, which looked hideous. It was no wonder his shirt was soaked in blood during the incident.

Just by looking at his wound, Amanda could feel the pain he was going through.

Elias seemed to be getting some rest, and his face was pale. When he heard the door opening, he opened his eyes and saw a familiar figure. She was the woman he wanted to see the most.

Following a moment of silence, both of them spoke at the same time.

“How are you?”

“How are you?”

They were startled, not expecting to tacitly ask the same question.

Amanda said, “I’m fine as only several drops of the acid came into contact with my arm-I’ll recover in a few days. Since your injury is more severe, you have to take good care of yourself.”

“I’m fine as well. I’m only required to sleep on my stomach for a few days. The man sounded calm as if he was talking about some unimportant matter.

Amanda frowned. “The nurse told me your injury is quite serious, and you might come down with a fever, so you’d better be cautious-”

The man interrupted her before she could finish her words. He said, “The nurse was only trying to scare. you. It’s not that serious, and I’ll recover in a few days. If you’re busy, you can go back first. Aiden needs you by his side when he sleeps.”

“Alright. The doctors and nurses will take care of you. If there’s anything you need, just let me She caught herself before she finished speaking, for she realized what she was about to say was unnecessary. Even if there was anything Elias needed, he was supposed to call Stephanie instead of her.

She couldn’t help but put on a smile, mocking her wishful thinking.

“Just get more rest. I’ll take my leave now.” It was time for her to leave. If Stephanie arrived and bumped into her, the situation would be awkward.

If she saw Elias defending Stephanic again, she would black out from exasperation. She wasn’t jealous, though-she just felt that she was too foolish.

With that, she whirled around and left the ward.

When Elias saw her leave, he wanted to say something, but he realized that he no longer had any right to make her stay. As such, he could only let her go.

After Amanda was gone, Yacob entered and lamented, “Miss Bailey is pretty heartless. You fended off the sulfuric acid for her, but she only kept you company for five minutes.”

Without replying to him, Elias closed his eyes and got some rest.

He hadn’t had any proper sleep recently, so he decided to get some shut-eye. There were many things he had to attend to the next day. Therefore, he couldn’t stay in the hospital.

When Yacob saw that the man was asleep, he stopped talking and took a look at the wound on his back.

Mr. Winters is indeed no ordinary man…. How does he even endure the pain?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 244 I Have to Visit Him

Yacob walked toward the bed. When he saw the man’s back that was covered in blood stains, he had the urge to touch it.

As soon as he extended his hand, Elias warned grimly. “If you dare touch it, I’ll cut off your hand!” Yacob immediately retracted his hand and caught sight of Elias opening his eyes. He looked like a beast whose sleep had been interrupted with displeasure written all over his face.

Then, Yacob coughed and said, “I’ll be heading out now. Grace is in the police station and under investigation. I suppose she’ll be staying in the police station for a while. After all, she committed assault.”

Then, he observed Elias’ expression for a moment before continuing, “Mr. Winters, it depends on whether you press charges against her. If you do, she’ll stay in the police station. If you don’t, she’ll be released.”

He had a feeling that Elias would go easy on the nasty woman for Kennedy’s sake.

Elias treasured his friends, but they couldn’t cross the line. Otherwise, they would be doomed.

Amanda and Aiden were the most important people to Elias. He would never allow anyone to harm them. After a moment of silence, Elias said solemnly, “Release the woman and send her somewhere else. I don’t want to see her again.”

“Alright, I see you’ve decided to go easy on her.” Yacob knew Elias would make such a decision.

Grace should be grateful that she had a wonderful brother. Otherwise, Elias would’ve destroyed her long ago. However, she was too naive to think that Elias had been conniving at her wrongdoings because he loved her.

The next morning, Yacob went to the police station and bailed Grace out, ready to send her away from Imperia.

At present, Grace was mentally unstable. She believed that everyone was trying to harm her. When the police questioned her, she almost got into a fight with them.

“This is the last time Mr. Winters lets you off, so you’d better behave yourself from now on. You can’t blame anyone for what happened to you. It’s all your fault, Yacob said impassively.

Grace was walking dazedly behind him when she heard that, and she flared up instantly.

“Shut up! What right do you have to lecture me? When Elias was deeply in love with me back then, he would do anything to please me. At that time, you had to obey my orders. Even though I’ve lost his favor, it doesn’t mean you can mock me. You don’t have the right to do that. You’re just Elias’ lackey!”

Yacob frowned, thinking Grace was mad and would target anyone.

“Mr. Winters has never been in love with you. I’ve been meaning to tell you that Mr. Winters has repeatedly let you off for your brother’s sake. You could’ve relied on your brother and lived the rest of your life without any worries. However, you stubbornly wanted to marry Mr. Winters. To be honest, you’re too greedy. You crave things you can never get.”

Yacob had been putting up with her for a long time. In the past, Grace believed that Elias doted on her, so she was arrogant and treated Yacob harshly.

Since the woman had fallen from grace, he could finally vent his anger.

Devastated by his words, Grace snapped. That’s impossible! Elias loves me, and it’s not just because of my brother. Whenever he looks at me, I can tell there’s love behind his gaze!”

She felt Elias had nothing but love whenever he looked at her, so it was impossible that it was all because of her brother.

Yacob decided to deal another blow to her. “Come on. Every woman thinks Mr. Winters looks lovingly at them. It’s all in your mind.”

“Stop spouting nonsense! That’s impossible!”

“That’s enough. Let’s go right now. I don’t want to waste any more time on you.”

Yacob stuffed the woman into the car and found the entire conversation laughable. It was ridiculous that he even tried to argue with a lunatic.

“Where are you taking me?” Grace asked.

Yacob got into the driver’s seat and closed the door. I’m taking you to a place where you won’t see Mr. Winters forever. That’s because he doesn’t want to see you anymore.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Grace tried to get out of the car, but the doors had been locked.

“Let me go! I want to get out of this car! I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have the right to send me somewhere else. I’ll stay right in this city!”

“You’d better stop making a scene, Grace! It’s different now. Mr. Winters won’t protect you again. If you keep making a fuss, no one will help you, and you’ll end up on the streets. You used to be a beautiful celebrity, but you’re just a woman with a scarred face now. If you don’t mind the reporters harassing you while you sleep on the streets, carry on with your tantrum.”

Grace instantly fell silent and subconsciously touched her face.

If Elias refused to help her, the reporters would destroy her by taking photos of her deformed face and reporting on her miserable life. By then, everyone in the country would find out she was in such a terrible state.

She felt that she would truly go mad simply by imagining what would happen to her.

As such, she stopped making a fuss and remained silent in the car.

In their home in Northern No. 1, Aiden appeared aggrieved and said with a pout, “Miss Selina, why didn’t Daddy pick me up today? He promised he’d pick me up from school every day.”

Selina had no idea how to explain it to him, so she could only say, “Perhaps your daddy is swamped with work. You know, he has a business to run.”

Just then, Amanda left the bedroom. She had changed into a dress and put on some makeup, looking like she was going on a date.

Selina asked, “Are you heading out, Amanda?”

“Yeah. Since I’m going to start my own law firm, I have to attend some cocktail parties and get to know some big shots so that I’ll secure more clients. Since I’m on my own now, I have to work harder.”

“Can I come, Mommy?” Aiden dashed forward and wrapped his arms around his mother’s legs.

Amanda bent over and cupped the young boy’s face. “No, kids are not allowed to enter. I’ll take you to such parties when you grow up, alright?”

“Hmph!” Aiden released her. “Get Daddy to come over and pick me up, then. I want him to go out with me. He promised he’d pick me up from school every day, but he didn’t come today. He’s such a liar.”

Amanda was startled, not knowing if she should tell the child about it.

After giving it some thought, she decided to tell him the truth.

She crouched down and glanced at the child, who looked like the mini version of his father. “Alright, I’ll be honest with you. Your dad is injured, so he’s in the hospital now. That’s why he can’t pick you up from school.”

Aiden’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Is Daddy in the hospital? How did he even get injured? I have to visit him!”

Amanda was rendered speechless, thinking that Aiden truly loved his father.

She said, “Let’s visit him tomorrow. He needs more rest since his injury is quite serious. I’ll take you to the hospital tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Aiden appeared unhappy, but he could only agree to it.

When Amanda arrived at the cocktail party, she took the initiative to talk to the big shots so that she could secure more clients for her law firm..

Since she wanted to make her law firm successful, she had to do everything herself.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 245 Almost Exposed

“I didn’t expect you to be so young. Miss Bailey. I thought you were a middle-aged career woman. I’m blown away.”

Upon hearing the compliment, Amanda replied with a smile, “Well, I’m not that young, and I’m a mother.”

“What?! Are you a mother? Are you married? I see you’ve been taking good care of yourself. You don’t look like a mother at all. The other party was surprised as he sized Amanda up.

Amanda didn’t mind telling them she had a child to avoid any unnecessary attention.

“Yes, I was married and gave birth to a kid, but I’m a divorcee now. My child is three years old.”

The person clicked his tongue. “That’s so surprising. Your life seems pretty interesting, Miss Bailey.” Without responding to him, Amanda smiled and took a sip of wine.

I suppose I won’t bump into any familiar people at this cocktail party. For example, Elias… Wait a minute. He’s injured, so he’s supposed to be in the hospital. There’s no way he’d show up at this party.

When Amanda looked around, she realized she was wrong. Even though Elias wouldn’t show up, his fiancée and future father-in-law would be there.

She saw Stephanie hooking her arm around her father’s as they entered the venue.

The world is pretty small, huh? Why do I keep bumping into Stephanie and Jack?

She immediately put down her wine glass, ready to leave. Getting provoked by Stephanie was the last thing she wanted.

Just as she was ready to sneak out of the venue, Stephanie discovered her presence.

“I see a friend over there, Dad. I’ll go and greet her.” With that, Stephanie released her father’s hand and shuffled toward Amanda.

Jack hummed and looked in that direction, only to see Elias’ ex-wife over there.

Has Stephanie found out about his ex-wife?

He was ready to watch how his daughter was going to deal with Elias’ ex-wife.

“Why are you leaving so soon, Miss Bailey?” Stephanie blocked the woman’s way.

Amanda stopped in her tracks. When she saw how provocative Stephanie looked, she knew what the latter was going to do.

“I have no time for your nonsense. Bye.”

She wanted to circle around Stephanie, but the woman got in her way again. “You were leaving as soon as I arrived. Can I assume that you’re eager to leave because of me?”

“So what if that’s true?” Amanda asked.

“In that case, there’s some explaining I need to do.”

Stephanie felt that if Elias could help Crispin and her get together, she didn’t mind lending him a hand as well.

“What do you mean?” Amanda was puzzled, not knowing what the woman was up to.

Stephanie took a look at her father in the distance and realized he was staring at her. As such, she took Amanda to the balcony, making them out of her father’s sight.

“Why did you take me here, Miss Allegra? Will you please cut to the chase? I’m in a hurry”

Stephanie said sincerely, “I want to tell you that you’d better not give up on your ex-husband just yet. I believe he still loves you…. Wait a minute. He definitely loves you. We’re just in a partnership. We-

Before she could finish her words, she caught sight of Jack walking up to them. As such, she immediately kept her mouth shut.

Amanda was astounded, not understanding what the woman was trying to say. Is she confessing Elias” love for me in his stead?

Jack approached them and took the initiative to greet Amanda. “What are the odds, Miss Bailey? Let me introduce my daughter to you. She’s going to get engaged by the end of the month.”

“Hi, Mr. Allegra,” Amanda replied politely.

She wasn’t in any mood to talk to the two of them.

“Anyway, there’s something I need to attend to, so I’ll stop bothering you. See you—”

Before she could finish speaking, Jack said, “Please stay for a while longer. Since we’ve bumped into you, I’d like to ask for your advice on the prenuptial agreement. My daughter is getting engaged soon, after all. I want to know what’s legally valid and what’s not.”

Amanda realized that the older man was just playing dumb.

He was aware that Amanda was Elias’ ex-wife, but he still wanted her to deal with the prenuptial agreement. It was apparent that he was trying to embarrass her.

In that case, there was no need for her to keep putting on an act.

She smiled and glanced at the two of them before saying. “You and your daughter are pretty interesting. Mr. Allegra. You want me to draft a prenuptial agreement for your daughter, but do you know what she just said to me?”

Stephanie turned pale in an instant. If Amanda exposed her, their plan would be ruined.

No! Don’t tell my dad what I just said!

Regardless of how anxious Stephanie was, she was unable to stop Amanda from speaking.

Jack took a look at his daughter’s expression before shifting his attention to Amanda. “What did she just say?”

“Your daughter told me not to give up on my ex-husband because he still loves me, and they’re only in a partnership. Haha, I have no idea what the two of you are up to. You know that I’m Elias’ ex-wife, but you’re still playing dumb. What’s the point of it?”

Ignoring the fact that Jack was shocked and furious, Amanda turned around and left upon finishing her words.

Stephanie was so apprehensive that she was drenched in sweat.

The shock behind Jack’s gaze turned into wrath as he glowered at his daughter. “Stephanie! What are you. doing?! What was that woman saying? What’s the plan between you and Elias?”

Just as the plan was about to be exposed, Stephanie came up with a solution and said, “Can you stop acting rashly, Dad? You’re a shrewd businessman, after all. Don’t you want to hear my explanation?”

“I’m all cars! You’d better explain everything!” Jack said through clenched teeth.

Stephanie picked up a glass of wine and chugged it down before continuing. “You don’t understand women at all. I’m already displeased that you’re forcing me to marry a divorcee, so don’t I have a right to give him a test? To be honest with you, I did that intentionally to find out if Elias is still in love with his ex- wife. If they still talk to each other in secret, that would make the two of us fools.”

Jack frowned. “No, Elias is not that kind of person. He no longer loves his ex-wife.”

He had heard what Elias said to Amanda in the underground garage the other day. There was no doubt his words were harsh and hurtful.

“Dad, nothing is certain when it comes to love. Are you sure you can see through Elias? As you can see, Amanda is beautiful. What if Elias can’t resist her charm? Moreover, they have a kid together. Not only is he a divorcee, but he also has a son. I can’t accept that!”

Stephanie pretended that she was on the brink of breaking down mentally, fooling her father with her acting skills.

After giving it some thought, he realized Stephanie’s considerations were valid. It was understandable that she wanted to give Elias a test.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 246 Please Help Mr Winters With the Dressing

After seeing the unquestioning look in her father’s eyes, Stephanie finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t worry, Stephanie,” said Jack, patting his daughter’s shoulder. “I will watch over him for you. I will only give him what he wants when he wholeheartedly loves you, or he can forget about getting anything.” I’ve deceived him, right? Phew… Stephanie couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief inwardly while appearing impatient.

“Do you really think this will work, Dad? Even if you can control him for a while, can you control him forever? Are you going to wait until he’s old to give him what he wants? Do you think he has that patience? If you fulfill the promise after we get married, do you think we can stop him from keeping other women outside?”

It would be perfect if she could persuade her father to call off the engagement.

At that, Jack pondered for a long time before he slowly said, “Just focus on preparing for the engagement. ceremony. Leave the rest to me. Elias Winters must become my son-in-law. He has no choice. The Winters Family now depends solely on him. With such a large family business, he needs assistance. As such, he won’t dare betray us for the next ten years at least.”

Stephanie was somewhat speechless. She couldn’t figure out why her father was so persistent.

Suddenly, she thought of Crisp, who was still living in that dark, cold, abandoned factory. She wondered what would happen at the end of the month. If Crisp could hold on, would Elias be able to fulfill his promise?

Amanda felt an inexplicable ball of rage surging within her after returning home. I swear, the Allegra father and daughter were deliberately finding faults and embarrassing me!

She believed that Stephanie said those things just to test her, wanting to see if she and Elias had really ended things.

If that was the case, Amanda would be even angrier. It was simply unfathomable.

Fed up with Stephanie’s unwarranted harassment, she grabbed her phone and told Elias to keep his fiancée in check. However, at the thought that he might still be suffering in the hospital right then, she put the phone down.

It was sulfuric acid, after all. His entire back was covered in wounds. How could it not hurt?! I wonder what he’ll do with Grace and if she’ll continue to pop up in the future…

Little did she know that at this very moment, Elias wasn’t recovering in the hospital at all. He was in the company, attending a high-level meeting.

After a three-hour-long meeting, Elias returned to his office at Winters Enterprise.

Having sat forcefully for three hours straight, unable to lean back in the chair, his back was now burning in pain.

“Mr. Winters, shall I call a private doctor to apply the medicine for you? A clumsy man like me can’t do this properly.” Yacob said, looking at the pile of ointment and disinfectant, feeling a headache coming on. How could he, an uncouth man, handle such a task?! If he accidentally hurt Elias, he would be the one getting scolded.

However, Elias unbuttoned his suit jacket and shirt before saying curtly. “It’s already too late. You do it.”

Yacob couldn’t help but swallow nervously. Elias was asking the impossible of him. He’d take being ordered to stay up all night over this any day.

Alas, Elias was already shirtless, sitting on the side, and waiting to be treated.

Yacob glanced at the wounds on his back, which were truly distressing. His boss sure had paid a heavy price for saving the damsel in distress.

“Hurry up!” Elias was starting to become impatient.

“Oh, yes, right away.” Yacob picked up the disinfectant and cotton swab, looking worried.

Suddenly, the office door was pushed open, and Natasha entered, only to be stumped by what she was seeing.

Elias instinctively picked up his shirt and put it on. He disregarded the pain from his wounds, frowning as he buttoned his shirt up. “Do you really think you’re Mrs. Winters, coming in without knocking?” Elias scoffed.

Natasha lowered her head in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Mr. Winters. There’s an urgent document that, requires your signature, and I forgot about it. I really didn’t mean to. I’ll go out and knock again.”

With that, she turned around to leave, but Elias said impatiently, “Forget about it. Give it to me.”

Natasha could only give Elias the document. Then, he picked up his pen and signed his name with swift strokes.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Winters. I’ll make stire to knock next time,” said Natasha, preparing to leave with the document.

Unexpectedly, Yacob called her back and said, “Miss Knox, please wait. Um, can you help Mr. Winters with the medicine? An uncouth man like me can’t handle this task. I’ll deliver the document for you.”

At that, Yacob took the document from Natasha and left without looking back, for he didn’t dare look at Elias’ expression. He wouldn’t doubt it looked ugly. However, he really couldn’t handle a task like applying. medicine. He’d accept it even if he’d be punished later.

The office door closed, leaving only Natasha and Elias in the room.

“Are you injured, Mr. Winters?” Natasha suddenly remembered seeing blood stains on Elias’ back when she entered earlier.

“I’m warning you-don’t talk about it to anyone, or you can say goodbye to your job.” Elias’ gaze turned cold.

He was surprised the actress Lazarus sent remained in the company when he had long instructed HR to dismiss Natasha using whatever reason.

Natasha nodded in acknowledgment. “Let me dress your wound, Mr. Elias. I promise I won’t say a thing.”

Elias hesitated for a moment, debating. It was difficult for him to apply the medicine himself, and he didn’t have time to go to the hospital. Yacob, that bastard, had slipped away too. If the wounds weren’t hey might get infected.

“Hurry up. I have another meeting to attend,” the man said and took off his shirt.

Natasha’s eyes were drawn to his sexy chest muscles and abs. In that instant, she was truly astounded, her heart pounding.

Elias turned around to show a brutally wounded back. Were they burns? Scalds? They weren’t severe, but they were everywhere.

“How did you get your injuries, Mr. Winters?” Natasha couldn’t help asking. “What happened-

“Don’t ask questions. Just do your job, apply the medicine, and leave, remarked Elias as he closed his eyes, no longer wanting to answer any of her questions.

Natasha could only comply and carefully disinfect and apply the medicine, afraid of causing Elias any pain.

After spending ten minutes applying the medicine, Elias opened his eyes and quickly put on his shirt and suit jacket.

“Mr. Winters, keeping the wounds covered like this may hinder the healing process!” Natasha couldn’t help reminding him. “You should take a few days off-”

“You can leave now.” Elias returned to his desk and picked up some documents, flipping through a few pages.

Natasha nodded and reluctantly turned to leave.

Unfortunately for her, Elias suddenly asked, “Haven’t I told you to resign? What are you still doing here?”

“I really need this job, Mr. Winters. Please let me stay. Natasha turned around, looking pitiful and helpless. Her vulnerable appearance would tug at the heartstrings of any man, but not Elias.

“Resign, and I will recommend you to other companies where your salary will be twice what you earn here,” he said.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 247 I Want to Give This to Daddy

Natasha panicked, and tears streamed down her face. “Please don’t fire me, Mr. Winters. I don’t want to go. I like the work atmosphere here, and I’ve gotten used to working here…”

“I’m not firing you; I’m just sending you to a more comfortable position. Know your chalk from cheeses.”

Elias leaned back, annoyed by Natasha’s sobs. He detested women crying the most. To his dismay, the young woman went up to him and begged on her knees, showing barely any humility. “Please, Mr. Winters, I really don’t want to leave. I have gotten used to everything here. I won’t listen to Mr. Harvard anymore, I promise. I will work diligently. Please…”

Natasha’s sobs gave Elias a severe headache. Coupled with the fiery pain in his back, he became increasingly frustrated.

“Enough, just leave. Stop bothering me.”

He waved his hand, urging her to leave at once. Her sobs put his head on the edge of exploding.

“Thank you, Mr. Winters.” Natasha stood up gratefully. “I will work hard. Thank you, Mr. Winters.” With that, she left the office immediately.

Once the door closed, the whole office finally returned to peace, and Elias stared at the door with tightly pursed lips.

FUck, this is like being stuck to a piece of chewing gum. No matter how much I try, I can’t shake it off.

At that, he grabbed his phone and called Lazarus. After a few rings, the call connected.

“To think I’d receive your call. Has the busy man finally gotten some free time?” Lazarus boomed. He seemed to be in a bar of sorts, for the background was rather noisy.

Of course, Lazarus knew how busy Elias had been recently, so he didn’t bother Elias from reclaiming what was his.

Elias snorted coldly in response. “Withdraw that actress you arranged for me. She’s no longer useful. She’s like chewing gum that can’t be rid of. You handle it personally. I don’t want to see her again.”

He thought Natasha’s gazes at him were odd, and it annoyed him.

“What actress? Are you talking about Natasha? What, do you not plan on winning back your ex-wife?”

Elias stared at the desktop for a while and responded indifferently, “Hmm…”

“Have you changed your mind again? Well, thank goodness she didn’t say yes, or she’d be abandoned again. Tsk, tsk, what a se mbag you are, Winters.”

Elias frowned in response and couldn’t help cursing. “F*ck off!”

After that, he ended the call, slowly stood up, and picked up the documents on his desk, preparing to head to the next meeting.

Two projects were about to start simultaneously, so these days were filled with endless meetings to confirm each department’s duties and ensure that nothing went wrong.

Right as Elias exited his office, Natasha, who was sitting in the secretary area, stood up and nodded toward him. “Mr. Winters…”

Seeing that she was about to follow him to the meeting room, Elias looked at another secretary. “Jean, come with me to the meeting.”

“Yes, Mr. Winters.” The other secretary stood up and followed behind Elias, not forgetting to smile smugly at her colleagues as if saying, “Finally, it’s my turn.”

Natasha stood there, her face full of defiance, biting down on her lower lip.

“Aw, is someone falling out of favor? So much for being Mr. Winters’ first love. The treatment isn’t any different.”

“Tell me about it. The way I see it, Mr. Winters has been avoiding someone lately. What’s the use of being a first love? The best comes later. Men don’t care about their first love; only women can’t forget theirs.”

Two secretaries mocked deliberately beside Natasha in loud voices, who glanced at them icily in response. She wanted to retort but decided to hold back in the end. The most important thing now was to stay in Winters Enterprise, or there was no way she could maintain her relationship with Elias.

Where there’s life, there’s hope. No rush. I’ll take it slow.

The following evening. Aiden, having returned home from school and eaten his dinner, insisted on visiting his father at the hospital.

Amanda initially thought that the little guy would’ve forgotten about it after one night, but who’d have thought he hadn’t?!

At this moment, she had to admit the importance of blood relations. The little guy’s heart had begun to ache for his father; what a loving son he was.

“Hurry up, Mommy. Daddy will fall asleep soon. By then, I won’t be able to see him.” Aiden rushed into the elevator, urging Amanda behind him.

“Okay, okay. Why the rush?” Amanda reluctantly entered the elevator with displeasure.

It wouldn’t look nice going to the hospital empty-handed. I should get some fruit and flowers. Besides, he got injured because of me.

With that, Amanda drove to a local florist and bought a bouquet of lilies, then went to the adjacent fruit shop and got a basket of fruits.

Meanwhile, the impatient Aiden kept urging her, “Hurry up, Mommy, hurry up! It’s getting dark.”

“Alright, alright, I know,” Amanda came out with a helpless expression while holding the bouquet of lilies. She swore the little devil would drive her crazy with his impatience.

After that, Amanda drove to the hospital with Aiden, who held the large bouquet while she carried the basket of fruit as they approached Elias’ ward. Lo and behold, it was empty, looking as though Elias had never been there.

Aiden blinked. “Mommy, where is Daddy?”

What’s going on? Have I mixed up the room number, or have I mixed up the hospital? Why isn’t anyone here?

Coincidentally, a nurse happened to pass by, so Amanda asked, “I’m sorry, but can you please tell me where the patient in this ward is?”

“Oh, you mean Mr. Winters? He left the same night.”

“He left?! Isn’t he supposed to be observed in the hospital for another two days? Why did he leave?” Amanda remembered the doctor saying Elias’ wound needed to be observed for two days.

“We tried to persuade him, but Mr. Winters insisted on leaving,” said the nurse helplessly. “We had no choice but to provide him with some medication and let him dress his wounds.”

With that, the nurse walked away with a medical tray.

This is ridiculous! It was a sulfuric acid attack, for goodness sake! How could he leave just like that?! What if the wound gets infected and starts oozing pus?! Amanda felt speechless. Why can’t this man listen for once?! How can he not listen to the doctor?! I swear to God, he’s a man-child sometimes.

“Mommy.” Aiden held the bouquet tightly and looked up at his mother. “Can’t we see Daddy anymore? Has Daddy left the hospital?”

“Yeah, you heard the nurse, didn’t you? He already left!

“Let’s go to Daddy’s home, then. I want to give him the flowers. They’re for Daddy.” Aiden was equally persistent.

Like father, like son, one more persistent than the other.

At that, Amanda sighed. “Must you see him today? How about tomorrow?”

“No! It has to be today. I want to give these flowers to Daddy.” Aiden held the bouquet tightly in his arms.

Left with no other choice, Amanda pulled her phone out and called Elias to ask for his whereabouts. After all, he might not even be at the estate.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 248 I’ll Come to You Guys

The call was made, but nobody answered even after ringing for a long time, for right then, Elias was in a meeting with his phone on silent mode.

Amanda said to Aiden helplessly, “He’s not answering. He’s probably busy with something. How about we try again tomorrow?”

“The flowers won’t look good anymore tomorrow, though…” said little Aiden dejectedly, looking at the big bouquet.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do. We can’t reach Daddy if he doesn’t answer his phone.”

Frankly speaking. Amanda thought it was better if they didn’t meet up, for she didn’t know how to face him at the moment.

She already wanted to completely cut ties with Elias, but lo and behold, Grace showed up, and Elias shielded her from the sulfuric acid attack, leaving her conflicted. Should she hate this man now or treat him like an old friend?

Little Aiden grumbled wordlessly, seemingly upset. He compromised in the end, for he knew there was no other way around this. “Okay…”

Amanda could tell that the little guy was worried the flowers would wither by tomorrow. At that, she ruffled her hair and said, “Cheer up, alright, bubba? I know how to keep the flowers fresh.”

“Really?!”

“Of course. When have I ever lied to you? It’s still early. How about we watch a movie before going home?”

She decided she shou take the little guy to the movies lest he grumbled all night.

“Okay!” Aiden instantly perked up, his attention successfully diverted.

Amanda smiled, took his little hand, and left the hospital.

After arriving at the parking lot, Amanda placed the fruits and bouquet on the back seat, then strapped Aiden into the child safety seat.

Just then, her phone rang.

Amanda froze for a second upon seeing the caller ID-it was Elias.

To answer or not to answer?

“Mommy, your phone’s ringing. Why aren’t you answering it?” Aiden asked, seeing that she still hadn’t answered the call.

“It’s your father.” As much as she wanted to lie to Aiden, she still told the truth, and sure enough, the little guy beamed brightly. “Daddy?! Mommy, answer the phone quickly!”

With that, she swiped ‘answer’ and handed the phone to Aiden. “You answer it. You miss him, don’t you?”

“Daddy, it’s me!” Aiden chirped without a second thought.

On the other end, Elias’ heart melted after hearing the sweet, childish voice. “Where’s Mommy, Aiden?” he asked with a smile. “Why did you suddenly call?”

“Mommy said you’re hurt, so we came to the hospital to see you, but you were gone. I even bought flowers and fruit. Why aren’t you in the hospital?” Aiden questioned, sounding somewhat upset.

“Sorry, I already left. Are you guys still at the hospital?”

“Yeah, Mommy said we’ll visit you again tomorrow.”

“Tell Mommy to wait at the hospital. I’ll come to you guys.”

“Really?” The little guy beamed. “The flowers I got you are really pretty, Daddy. They’re for you. I’m sure you’ll love them.”

“Of course. I’ll love anything you give me. Alright, hand the phone to Mommy. I want to talk to her.”

“Okay.” With that, Aiden returned the phone to Amanda. “Mommy, Daddy wants to talk to you.”

Amanda genuinely didn’t want to answer the phone, but she had no other choice at this point and reluctantly took it from Aiden. “Hello?”

“Wait for me at the hospital. I’ll come to you guys right away,” Elias reiterated.

“How can you misbehave like a child and even discharge from the hospital on your own accord? Don’t you know you have to listen to the doctors in the hospital?

“Let’s talk when we meet later. Wait for me at the hospital.”

Elias was about to hang up when Amanda heard his secretary’s voice on the other end, reminding him that he had a meeting in an hour. As such, she said, “If you have a meeting later, don’t come. We can visit tomorrow,”

“Don’t worry about it. I still have an hour in between.”

“Hey, don’t… don’t run around, or your wound might get infected. You know what? Forget it. We’ll go to you.”

With that, she ended the call, not giving Elias any chance to refuse.

I’m not concerned about his well-being. I just feel bad because he took the injury in my place. However, why would he shield me from the attack? That was still something that puzzled Amanda to this moment.

Half an hour later, Amanda and Aiden arrived at Winters Enterprise, and after explaining it to the receptionist, they were ushered to take the president’s exclusive elevator upstairs.

Little Aiden continued to hold the big bouquet, almost exhausting his tiny body.

“If you’re tired, I can hold it for you.”

“No! I want to give it to Daddy myself!” The little guy was determined. In fact, his frown resembled a certain someone’s.

Amanda shook her head helplessly and glanced at her wristwatch, realizing there was only half an hour left. In half an hour, Elias would have to attend another meeting.

Ding! The elevator door opened slowly, and the mother and son exited the car, heading straight to the president’s office.

As they passed the secretary area, Jean came to receive them. “Miss Bailey, Mr. Winters instructed me to escort you. This way, please.”

“Thank you.” Amanda nodded to express her gratitude,

As she looked up, she saw Natasha sitting there.

Isn’t she… Elias first love? What is she doing here, working as his secretary?

Amanda thought Elias had hidden his ex-girlfriend away long ago, but here she was, working as a secretary.

Then again, he would be engaged to Stephanie soon. It’s likely he still remembers his first love is still here.

Evidently, Stephanie was much more attractive to Elias than Natasha..

Meanwhile, inside the office, Elias sat at his desk and received an email. He opened it and found that it contained the reconstructed appearance of the elder Allegra daughter twenty years later.

He downloaded the attached image and prepared to take a look at how Amelia Allegra would look twenty years later. Just then, the office door was pushed open, and Jean entered with Amanda and Aiden.

“Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey is here, Jean announced before turning to Amanda. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thanks. I’m good. Please give Aiden some flavored milk,” Amanda said, to which Jean replied with a smile, “Certainly. Please wait a moment.”

With that, she headed out, closing the door behind her.

Elias, on the other hand, turned off the computer screen upon seeing the two.

“Daddy!” the little guy called out excitedly with the bouquet in his hands.

Upon hearing Aiden’s voice, Elias smiled affectionately, kneeled, and spread his arms. “Come here. Let me hug you.”

With that, Aiden ran toward his father, nearly stumbling to the ground.

Elias caught his son and the bouquet steadily. “Is this for me?” he asked with a doting smile..

“Yes, it’s for you.” Aiden nodded.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 249 Misunderstanding

Meanwhile, Amanda moved to the couch, watching the father and son bond. She seemed rather unnecessary….

She propped her chin on her right hand and leaned against the armrest, watching Aiden follow Elias wherever he went with beaming eyes like a little shadow.

At that, she sighed helplessly and leaned back on the couch, finally asking. “Can you tell me now why you left the hospital on your own accord? You know full well that your injury needs to be observed for two more days, and you could receive better care at the hospital.”

Elias, who was engrossed in indulging his son with snacks, spoke slowly. “There’s too much work at the company. I can’t afford to stay in the hospital.”

“Daddy, I want more,” Aiden requested, pointing at the snacks in the man’s hand.”

“Here.” Elias took another one and fed it to Aiden.

Meanwhile, Amanda frowned with displeasure. “That’s your excuse for disregarding your well-being? Forget it. I’m in no place to boss you around. Still, thanks for saving me. I won’t bother you anymore, nor will I appear in your sight again.”

She believed it was what Elias wanted. After all, he had already made it clear in the basement parking.

Elias was stumped, and his smile froze. “Here, eat it yourself. Drink this water if you get thirsty, okay?” he said to Aiden, handing the snacks in his hand to the boy,

“Okay. Daddy, are all these for me?” Aiden asked, looking at the pile of snacks before him with twinkling eyes.

He had the secretary get them on the spur of the moment, knowing that Aiden liked eating them.

“Yes, they’re all yours.” Elias nodded with a smile. Take them home if you can’t finish them.”

With that, he went to the couch and sat across from Amanda. “I didn’t mean it that way. This country is not mine. You can be wherever you want. Just make sure to protect yourself and Aiden in the future,” he said.

Amanda looked at the man before her. He still looked somewhat pale, likely still unwell. Well, he had been. splashed with sulfuric acid. A minor injury was already painful enough, let alone the fact that a large area of his back suffered from the attack.

“I get it. You don’t have to say anything. You’re pretty helpless yourself. After all, your father-in-law isn’t a simple character. You have to show him due respect.”

Amanda knew that though Elias’ feelings toward Stephanie remained disputable, there was nothing to argue about him wanting to marry Stephanie, for Jack could help him secure the position of power in the Winters Family.

She understood that people aspired to climb higher. In a prominent marriage, matching backgrounds. were crucial. As for herself, she could consider her marriage to Elias as an unrealistic dream. It was already incredible enough for her to marry him, even in a secret marriage.

Elias attempted to explain but hesitated in the end. Forget it. There’s no need for it.

Amanda glanced at Aiden, who was still munching on snacks, and casually asked, “Why do you still have your first love as your secretary? Knowing you, you would’ve long sorted the rest of her life out.”

Wasn’t that the case with Grace?! Because Elias felt indebted, he sorted everything out nicely. However, the fact that his first love remained his secretary seemed off

A chuckle escaped Elias in response. “That’s not my ex. I never admitted it verbally.”

Confused, Amanda pressed on with furrowed brows. “You’ve admitted it before, though. I asked you if she was, but you didn’t say anything.”

“That was acquiescence, not admitting. Now, I verbally deny that she’s my first love. Rumors aren’t to be trusted.”

Amanda was rendered speechless. This man is seriously unbelievable.

Come to think of it, it made sense. If Natasha was truly Elias’ first love, she wouldn’t just be working as his secretary.

At that, Amanda chuckled. “I knew it. There’s no way you’d treat your first love so indifferently. If she really were to show up-”

“I don’t have a first love.”

Yeah right! Amanda mused. As if a guy like you with an affluent background didn’t have any crushes back in the day!

Then again, she couldn’t be bothered to pursue further. If he said he didn’t have one, then he didn’t have one.

She checked the time, and it was seemingly time for his next meeting.

At that, she grabbed her bag and said, “Looks like it’s time for your next meeting. We’ll make a move. By the way, Aiden insisted on getting you fruits. It’s still in the car. I’ll leave it at the reception later. Have them bring it up for you.”

After that, she stood up gracefully and beckoned at her little man. “Aiden, we have to go. Daddy has to attend a meeting

Aiden was eating cake with cream smeared all over his mouth, looking reluctant to let go.

“Mommy, this cake is really good. Can we bring it home?”

“Sure.” Amanda chuckled. “If you like it, we’ll pack some for home. After all, your father got it for you.”

She didn’t have to guess to know that it was specifically bought for Aiden.

Elias went to his desk and pressed the intercom button. “Please come in and pack the cake.”

Soon after, Jean entered and packed the cake for them to take away.

“Miss Bailey, let me walk you out,” Jean said.

“Sure.” Amanda held Aiden’s hand and prepared to leave.

Just then, a knock came at the door, and everyone looked toward it reflexively.

“Come in,” Elias commanded, only to regret it the next moment, for he wouldn knew who was behind the door.

However, Stephanie entered, wearing a disgruntled expression as she complained. “Elias, when are you. going to accompany me to try on the engagement dress?! My dad has been reminding me several times-”

Stephanie saw the scene before finishing her words, and she froze in place. What is Elias’ ex-wife doing here? The little rascal too!

Meanwhile, Aiden screamed upon seeing Stephanie, “I don’t want to see that nasty woman, Daddy! Tell her to go away!”

That nasty woman? Amanda was puzzled. “Have you met her before, Aiden?”

“Yes, I saw her at kindergarten.”

The kindergarten?! Amanda was shattered. She couldn’t believe Stephanie had gone to the kindergarten to harass her baby boy.

“What are you trying to do, Allegra?! Why did you harass my son at the kindergarten? Do you really have to involve children in adult affairs?!” Amanda thundered angrily, unable to bear it any longer.

Meanwhile, Stephanie stood rooted to the ground, unsure of how to explain herself. Yes, she had gone to the kindergarten, but she didn’t succeed, for Elias showed up.

Elias, on the other hand, felt another throbbing headache coming, and he ordered gravely, “Wait outside. Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it later.”

“I… Okay.” Stephanie exited his office at once.

Meanwhile, Amanda held Aiden’s hand tightly, furious.

“Amanda- Elias wanted to explain, but Amanda interjected, “Say no more. It’s our fault for bothering you. and Stephanie. We’ll leave. Don’t worry, we won’t cause you any more trouble.”

Thinking back, Amanda realized she had been foolish. No wonder Elias wanted to go to them instead of having them come to his office…

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 250 Did You and Daddy Argue?

“Amanda, I do not mean that.” The man frowned.

Amanda coldly snorted. “I realized that you guys really are something. What are you, your fiancée, and your future father-in-law up to? He asked me to draft a prenup, but she told me that you guys have a plan. and that you love me. If I hadn’t seen her look for you to try on the attire and thought about the way you protected me, I honestly would have believed everything.”

The man was speechless, and he couldn’t help but think that Stephanie was causing issues for him by doing stupid things.

As the tears welled up in Amanda’s eyes, she continued, “Elias, I really don’t know what the hell. What do you want? Is there something valuable within me?”

She never expected that the man could still find something valuable within her; otherwise, why would he continuously torture her by giving her hope and disappointing her?

“Mommy… Are you and Dad arguing?” Aiden looked up at her and asked softly.

Only then did Amanda realize that her son was still with her and that she should not argue in front of him.

“Nope. Daddy is busy with work, so let’s head back first,

At that, she carried Aiden and left without even looking back. Jean also quickly rushed up.

When Elias saw that the door was closed, he wearily closed his eyes.

It wasn’t long before the office phone rang.

He answered it, after which Jean’s voice was heard. “Mr. Winters, it’s time for the meeting. Please head. over to the meeting room. Also, I’ll send Miss Bailey off.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up the phone, Elias couldn’t help but lean against the chair because the pain he felt caused him to grunt and frown.

He sat up straight again.

He never thought about using the sulfuric acid matter to force Amanda to accept him, but he merely reacted subconsciously.

Maybe Amanda was more important than he thought.

However, Elias had forgotten about the email in his inbox that contained the stimulated portrait of the Allegra Family’s second daughter twenty years later.

Since he was not in the mood to read the email, he gathered the documents and materials before heading out of the office.

At this moment, Stephanie was outside the office, playing on her cell phone.

The moment she saw him exiting, she quickly put her phone away and asked, “Your ex-wife… She’s not mad anymore, I hope?”

I saw her face earlier. She looks terrible.

Elias did not bother responding, so he walked straight for the elevators and prepared to head to the meeting room.

When Stephanie saw that he ignored her, she rushed after him. “Say something. I’m talking to you. Are you deaf or something?”

Suddenly, the man stopped in his tracks.

She also followed suit and almost collided with him.

“You have forgotten what you promised me a long time ago.”

“What did I promise you?” Stephanie was dazed since she couldn’t think of anything after being frightened by his anger.

At the sight of her expression, Elias was furious and sneered in disdain.

“Looks like you have forgotten everything. It seems Crispin can forget about having a good life!”

His expression was dark as he entered the elevator after speaking.

Stephanie was taken aback before she realized, Why does he want to trouble Crisp again?

She hurried into the elevator, to which Elias scolded, “Get lost!”

“No!” She then pressed the close button before the elevator closed its doors.

So, there were two of them in the elevator. She stared at his flawless side profile. “What do you mean by that? What does this have to do with Crisp? Why are you looking for trouble with Crisp?”

“Why?! Then, who permitted you to harass my ex-wife? Didn’t I tell you to leave her and the child alone? Have you lost your mind?” Elias was furious and became even more annoyed at the sight of the woman in front of him.

If it had not been for his grandfather’s lost company shares, he would not even have spared Stephanie a glance, let alone have anything to do with the Allegra Family.

“When did I harass your ex-wife? I haven’t even spoken to her after that incident!”

Stephanie felt that she had been wronged. Why does he have such a bad temper? I really give Amanda the kudos for enduring his temper!

“Really? In that case, who told her that we had a plan and that I still loved her? If it’s not you, then who could it be?”

Only then did she remember about the banquet last night and fell speechless.

That happened by accident at the banquet. I didn’t even go looking for her on purpose.

“Do you remember it now? You have nothing to say, huh? That’s why Crispin can forget about surviving tonight.”

The elevator doors slowly opened with a ding.

“Our encounter was by accident. I didn’t go looking for her on purpose, and I wanted to help you too. I wanted to help you explain the situation to her so that she won’t misunderstand you. You still love her, so why do you want to pretend that you don’t give a shit? I-”

As she followed him, she continued speaking until he could no longer stomach it and interrupted, “That’s enough!”

She was so stunned that she froze on the spot.

“You don’t have to worry about my affairs. Who do you think you are? Stop meddling. With that, Elias turned and entered the meeting room.

Stephanie was left all alone as the tears swam in her eyes. Even as a little girl, no one had been this fierce toward her…

I feel so wronged. I just wanted to help Elias explain the matter…

She initially wanted to say something, but when she saw that Elias had entered the meeting room, she didn’t want to interrupt his meeting.

At that moment, Amanda drove herself and Aiden back to their place.

Selina didn’t cook dinner for them because she knew that they were out, so she only prepared herself a bowl of noodles.

When they arrived home, they saw Selina eating.

As Amanda was in quite a state, she weakly instructed, “Selina, I’ll need to trouble you to give Aiden a shower after your meal.”

“Sure, but what happened? You look so pale.

“It’s nothing. I’m just a little tired.” Amanda crashed on the couch as her mind replayed the scene of Stephanie asking Elias to try on the attire earlier.

She almost forgot that it was almost the end of the month, which meant that Elias would be getting engaged to the Allegra Family, and the marriage would soon be announced publicly.

Argh! Now that I think about my secret marriage, I’m really frustrated. We could only have a secret marriage when I married him, but the whole world knows about his marriage to Stephanie. Do I really deserve to be left in the shadows?

After all, it was still a case of being in unequal social positions, which was the reason why Amanda was in such a situation.

She thought, Just treat it as a dream. It’s quite beautiful, though. It’s just incredible that someone who had no relationship with me in the past could marry and have a child with me.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 251 Amanda’s Blurred Identity

Late at night.

The meeting lasted three hours before Elias emerged from the meeting room.

“Elias, you’ll have to keep a close eye on the project. Otherwise, your aunt will make a move.”

“I know,”

Jack emerged from the meeting room with Elias but never expected to see his daughter waiting for them outside.

“Steph, what are you doing here? Waiting for Elias, are you?”

Elias also stopped and noticed Stephanie’s nervous look. He didn’t need to ask to know that she was worried he would lay a hand on Crispin.

“I’m waiting for Elias, Dad. You can head home first. We still need to try on the wedding attire. If we don’t, we really will be pressed for time, Stephanie replied.

Jack nodded upon hearing that. “Okay, then. I’ll head off first. Come back once you guys are done with the trying.

At that, he left.

Seeing that it was just him and Stephanie, Elias didn’t spare her another glance and headed in the direction of the elevator.

She hurried toward him and said, “If I have caused your ex-wife trouble or any misunderstanding between you two, I can explain things to her. I really didn’t mean it, so please don’t cause Crisp any trouble. He’s already going through hell at his place…”

“You have underestimated the endurance of those like him. In the name of wealth and power for eternity this suffering is considered nothing.” The man sneered.

“Don’t gauge his chivalry with your own measure. Crisp is not such a man. He loves me.”

Stephanie was so naive that she thought there was true love between her and Crispin.

Meanwhile, Elias could not be bothered to talk to her anymore since it did not even bother him.

The elevator doors slowly opened with a ding, and he walked inside. “You don’t have to follow me. I’m not in the mood to lay a hand on your man, but I’m warning you once more-don’t look for my ex-wife again. I also won’t need you to poke your nose in my matters. If you ever run into her, just step aside and leave her to enjoy her peaceful life.”

At that, he pressed the close button.

Before Stephanie could even say anything, the elevator doors closed.

Does that mean he won’t lay a hand on Crisp?

At that, she exhaled in a sigh of relief.

Back in the office, Elias sat on his chair, but he couldn’t fully lean back because of his injured back.

He placed his right arm on the table and squeezed his brows before he tiredly closed his eyes. Although he really wanted to sleep, there were too many things to do, which left him with no time to sleep.

Elias suddenly remembered that he had not opened the email he received before Amanda entered the office.

It was a simulated portrait of the Allegra Family’s second daughter, Amelia Allegra, twenty years later.

So, he opened his eyes and gently shook the mouse to light up the computer screen.

He clicked on the web page and saw that the picture of the stimulated portrait had been downloaded, so he proceeded to open it.

Shock enveloped his features when he opened it because…

There was a hint of astonishment in his eyes.

This simulated portrait of Amelia Allegra looks so familiar… It looks like someone I know…

Elias immediately opened the drawer and yanked the photo frame to have a careful look again. The Stephanie in the photo frame was standing aside giggling, while her sister, Amelia, was smiling cutely, but they did not share any facial resemblances.

If he had to be honest, Amelia was much prettier than Stephanie ever since they were young.

What is going on?

Elias had stared at the little girl in the picture many times. His first impression was that she looked familiar, as if she was someone whom he knew, but he couldn’t place it.

Now that he saw the simulated picture of her twenty years later, he was taken aback.

Isn’t this… Amanda?

Although it was not one hundred percent similar, it still had a resemblance of about seventy to eighty percent to the current Amanda.

Does this mean that Amanda is the lost daughter of the Allegra Family and has been missing for more than twenty years? Is it even possible? Isn’t her father the gambler Dick Leans? Moreover, her mother never mentioned whether Amanda was her biological child or not.

Elias stared at the simulated portrait on the computer screen. The eyebrows, eyes, and demeanor are about seventy to eighty percent similar to Amanda’s.

The longer he stared at it, the more he felt that these two people shared similarities to the point where the portrait almost overlapped with Amanda’s face.

He took his cell phone and called Yacob, who answered quickly. “What is it, Mr. Winters? I’m actually catching up on sleep now.”

“Don’t sleep yet. Help me with something.”

“Do you still have some humanity left in you, Mr. Winters? I haven’t even slept properly for the past week, so can’t you wait until I wake up before instructing me?”

Elias responded in a serious tone, “No can do. In fact, it has to be done right now since it’s important.”

“Alright. Your wish is my command.”

“Help me locate Dick Leans. I need to see him before dawn.”

At that, Elias ended the call and could already imagine how Yacob would curse at him on the other end of the line, but he could not care that much. He desperately wanted to know the truth.

It would be interesting if Amelia was really the oldest daughter of the Allegra Family…

Elias stared at the computer screen while waiting for Yacob to bring Dick over. It was already 2.00AM, which meant that dawn was just around the corner.

At 5.00AM, there was a knock on the office door.

Elias, who was taking a nap, regained his energy instantly and straightened his posture. “Come in.”

The office door was pushed open to reveal Yacob with Dick in tow, who looked timid and scared.

“Eli-no, Mr. Winters, why are you looking for me? I haven’t done anything bad recently and didn’t look for the child either, so why the sudden call?”

Dick was worried that Elias would cause trouble for him, so he did not dare to look for Elias for fear of being beaten into a pulp.

Dick’s heart was in his throat the last time that he lost Aiden. When he learned that the child was found safe, he was relieved and did not dare to look for Aiden again.

Meanwhile, Yacob looked like he had not slept for days, so he leaned against the couch in the reception area. It was as if he could fall asleep at any moment.

Elias slowly rose to his full height and walked toward Dick.

At the sight of Elias approaching him, Dick kept retreating with a timid expression. “What on earth do want, Mr. Winters? I was in the wrong. I’ll never look for Amanda and her son anymore.

Before Dick could even finish speaking. Elias asked in a deep voice, “Is Amanda your biological daughter?” The older man was taken aback for a second. “What do you mean? Of course, she’s my daughter. Otherwise, who else could it be?”

“You sure?”

“Naturally. Otherwise, would her mother have really cuckolded me? It’s impossible! Even her mother lacks. the guts to do so when I’m the only one who can!”

At the sight of Dick’s confident expression, it was obvious that he felt that Amanda’s mother would never betray him.

Elias felt so sick to his stomach that when he saw Dick’s response, only one word appeared in his mind. Scumbag.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 252 How Could You Treat Your Savior Like This?

“Do you feel honored? What are you being proud of?” Elias asked in a deep voice.

Dick hesitated for a moment before he smirked. “Nope, I’m just telling the truth. Amanda is my child. Her mother surely lacked the courage to betray me. Why are you asking this?”

“I’m suspecting that she’s not your daughter. How could you have such a daughter with your virtues?”

When Elias thought of it, he realized that Amanda and Dick did not share anything in common. Not only did they not look alike, but they also had different personalities. In short, they did not seem like they were a father and a daughter at all.

“Mr. Winters, you are going overboard now. Amanda is my child. It is an iron-clad fact.”

Elias did not bother to talk to Dick any longer and turned to Yacob. “Call Dr. Smith over.

Yacob nodded and walked out of the office lazily.

Christopher Smith was the Winters Family’s private doctor and had served the family for many years. He had excellent medical skills and spoke very little, which was why the Winterses fancied him.

“Hello, Mr. Winters!” Christopher greeted as he entered the office.

Elias signaled with his eyes, to which Christopher nodded and walked toward Dick.

“What are you going to do? Why is the doctor here, Mr. Winters?”

When Dick noticed that Christopher had taken a syringe and a blood collection tube, he was horrified.

“What is this? Please forgive me, Mr. Winters! I really have done nothing bad lately.

Christopher then explained, “Please stretch your arm out. It’s just a blood test, so we don’t need much blood from you.”

“Is it that simple?” Dick couldn’t believe his ears.

Yacob walked over and straightened Dick’s arm for Christopher. “What’s with the nonsense? You can leave once your blood is drawn. Why are you making so much noise? You’re so annoying.”

Dick became obedient the second he was yelled at and had no choice but to let Christopher take his blood.

In less than a minute, two tubes of blood were drawn.

Then, Elias told Yacob, “Ask the driver to send him back

“Yes,”

At that, Yacob took Dick and left, leaving Christopher in the office..

“Dr. Smith, how long will it take for a DNA test?”

“A week at the earliest.”

The man nodded. “Okay, then. I’ll provide you with another blood sample as soon as possible.”

Yacob returned to the office after Christopher left and asked curiously, “Mr. Winters, why did you need that gambler’s blood? Do you want to give him a physical examination or something?”

Dick is no longer his father-in-law, so why is he so caring toward that gambler?

Elias had a thoughtful expression as he muttered, “I suspect that he’s not Amanda’s biological father.”

Yacob, who was originally sleepy, suddenly woke up in that instant and almost lost his balance. “What?! Although it is true that she did not inherit that gambler’s inferior genes, what basis is there to say that she’s not his daughter?”

Elias turned the computer screen to Yacob. “Based on this.”

Yacob looked at the simulated picture on the screen and blurted out, “Isn’t that Miss Bailey’s portrait? What do you mean?”

Sure enough, anyone who saw this would subconsciously think of Amanda.

The corners of Elias’ lips curled upward, after which he said slowly, “This is based on the of the eldest daughter of the Allegra Family who went missing. This is how she would look Do you think she resembles Amanda?”

Yacob was shocked to hear that. “What you mean to say is that Miss Bailey could be the daughter of Jack, that cunning old fox?”

He felt that his mind was about to be shattered. It is such a crazy world. I don’t know what the situation would be like if it was really true. If Amanda is Jack’s daughter… Oh goodness…..

The sun shone brightly in the afternoon.

Today, Amanda intended to look at the office spaces for rent. She wanted to rent an office building at a prime location, but she did not want to spend too much money either. As a result, she had to go through a lot of hassle.

“It’s not easy to start your own business…” She couldn’t help but sigh under her breath.

Office buildings situated at prime locations were expensive, while the cheap ones were remote. This is really difficult.

At this time, her phone rang.

She swiped her screen to answer the call. “Hello, it’s Amanda Bailey. Who is this?”

“It’s me, Elias.”

When she heard the man’s voice, her expression darkened. “What is it? Why aren’t you accompanying your fiancée to try on the wedding attire? Why are you calling me?”

Even Amanda herself was not aware that her tone was laced with acidity.

“My wound hurts a little. I’m going to get some medicine from the hospital, but since Yacob has to run errands and I can’t drive, can you pick me up?”

This… Something’s weird about this.

Amanda did not think too much about it and immediately refused. “Do you only have Yacob as a bodyguard? I remember that your family has many of them, so you can just easily ask one of them to send you home.”

She felt that Elias was being intentional with his words.

At that, Amanda was about to hang up the phone but never expected to hear Elias’ response. “No matter what, I was injured because of you, so how can you treat your savior like this?”

He did not even mention me repaying him before, and now he claims that he’s my savior.

Amanda chuckled as she muttered, “But I never asked you to get hurt for me.”

“You are being a bit heartless here, Miss Bailey. No matter what, I’m the one who blocked the acid from being splashed on you. Even if you never expected to be grateful to me, I’m sure you still can agree to a small request of sending me home, right? Otherwise, who would dare to fight for injustice in the future?”

Miss Bailey?

When Amanda heard how Elias addressed her, she was about to blow a gasket.

“Fine. You wait at the hospital. I’ll come now!” she growled through gritted teeth. ”

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Elias and Yacob had settled everything. They were now waiting for Amanda, so no matter what, they needed her blood to be extracted today.

If the DNA test results illustrated that she was not Dick’s daughter, then it was likely that she was Amelia Allegra, the Allegra Family’s eldest daughter.

Amanda arrived at the hospital about half an hour later.

As she walked toward the elevator, she couldn’t help but curse in a low voice, “Scumbag, why can’t you ask Stephanie to pick you up? Am I destined to suffer at your hands since you always look for me to settle such a matter?”

The elevator doors opened, so she just walked into it. What she never expected was that Yacob had followed her in as well.

Just as Amanda was about to turn around, Yacob covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, causing her to lose consciousness. Then, he carried her into his arms..

“Please don’t blame me for this. If you want to blame someone, blame Mr. Winters. It was his idea.

The elevator doors then opened with a ding.

Yacob walked out of the elevator with Amanda in his arms and headed for Christopher’s office.

After what seemed like an eternity, Amanda regained consciousness, only to realize that she was already on a hospital bed, feeling rather groggy.

“What’s wrong with me…” She slowly sat up as she supported her head. Then, she saw the man standing in front of the windows.

Elias turned around and replied, “You fainted in the hospital. You have anemia.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 253 Are You Intentionally Messing With Me?

Anemia?!

Amanda supported her dizzy head and sat up. She might have been slightly anemic, but her health had been all right lately. How can it be so bad that I collapsed?

“So, I passed out in the hospital?”

I really know how to choose the place because I was immediately warded after it happened.

“Yeah. Go back and rest. Don’t exhaust yourself,” came the man’s reminder.

Amanda shook her head to regain some clarity. “Okay. I’m fine now. Let’s go. I still have things to deal with later.”

“What kind of things?”

“None of your business. Let’s leave now.”

Amanda wore her heels and grabbed her purse in preparation to leave the ward.

Elias then solemnly said, “Forget it. I guess it’s better for you to leave first since Yacob will be done with his errands soon and will arrive any minute now.”

She was speechless upon hearing that. Did this sc*mbag just trick me?


She sneered. “Is it that interesting to intentionally mess with me?”

She really wanted to pry open this man’s head to see what went through his mind on a daily basis since he always thought about torturing people!

She glanced at the man coldly and left the ward, but he did not stop her from leaving this time.

After she left, Yacob entered the ward and spotted Amanda’s angry figure in the corridor.

“Mr. Winters, I think it’s okay for you to tell Miss Bailey about this. Who knows? She might even look forward to the DNA test results.

“It’s better not to tell her when we don’t have the results yet,” Elias countered. “Not everyone can endure the suspense.”

Yacob remained silent as he nodded.

Elias’ cell phone vibrated again. For the past two days, Stephanie had been calling him for dear life to the point where he was getting irritated by her.

However, it was not Stephanie this time. On the other hand, it was that old fox, Jack Allegra, who was calling.

Elias hesitated for two seconds before he answered, “Hello, Mr. Allegra. What is it?”

“It’s already going to be the end of the month. When are you going to try on the clothes with Steph? Why didn’t you guys go last night?” Jack had no choice but to personally make the request when he noticed that his daughter had failed to try on the wedding attire several times.

“I’ll go now,” Elias responded. “We didn’t do it because it was way too late, and I didn’t want Steph to feel drained. That was why I sent her home first. Since I have some time now, I can pick her up if she’s at home now.”

“Yes, she is. You’d best go over quickly. There’s not much time left. We still have a lot to settle after this.”

“Yes, Mr. Allegra.”

After ending the call, Elias informed Yacob, “Go rush Dr. Smith and ask him for the report.”

“Yes.”

Elias and Stephanie arrived at the designer’s office in the evening.

The attire had been designed a long time ago, but the two of them were reluctant to try it on.

With the assistance of the staff, Stephanie put on the silver mermaid-shaped gown. After they zipped her up, they adjusted her long hair behind her.

Stephanie walked to the mirror, surprised when she saw her reflection.

The designer, whom her father had his eyes on, was talented. The dress was suitable for Stephanie as accentuated her assets and covered any shortcomings in her figure. It gave her a shapely figure and portrayed her as a little woman with a sensual appeal.

She felt that she was mature because she had always dressed in the style of a young girl.

“Miss Allegra, this dress has really made you beautiful as it suits your qualities.”

The staff standing off to one side complimented Stephanie, but she was rooted to the spot in astonishment. If she was really engaged, she could wear this gown. However….

At this time, the curtain on the other side was also pulled open to reveal Elias, who had changed into his attire. Everyone there was amazed, including the designer, who had perfectly interpreted what the wedding attire stood for.

“Whoa! Your fiancé looks so handsome in this suit. It’s my first time seeing such a handsome man.”

Only then did Stephanie notice the man behind her in the mirror, leaving her speechless for a few seconds.

She slowly turned to see a man in a black suit in her vision. He was intently buttoning up his cuffs with an indifferent expression, as if he was not the slightest bothered about the suit.

Stephanie couldn’t help but gulp. If she had to be honest, the man would look good in any attire, but the design and the sewing of the suit were exceptionally perfect, effectively accentuating his figure. Elias is the epitome of what it means to be wealthy.

Elias’ gestures and temperament were that of a nobleman.

The designer took the initiative to ask, “Mr. Winters, what do you think about the suit? Is the size suitable? Do we need to amend it?”

Elias glanced upward and replied perfunctorily, “No. It’s alright.”

After all, he did not need this suit. If the DNA test results were inconsistinconsistent he would have to go through with it

The designer then turned to Stephanie. “How about you, Miss Allegra? Do you need any amendments to your gown? Are you satisfied with the dress?”

Stephanie was staring at the man, completely immersed in how he looked.

When she heard the designer’s voice, she finally regained her composure and responded, “Huh? Oh, it’s pretty good. I don’t need any amendments,”

The designer then politely replied, “That’s good. I’m grateful for the beauty that you two have because it perfectly interprets the design of the attire. It suits both of you and goes together well too. I believe you’ll be the focus of the audience with this attire on the day of the engagement ceremony.”

All of a sudden, Stephanie subconsciously fantasized about the day of the engagement ceremony.

If she were really to be engaged to Elias, she would be wearing this mermaid-shaped gown, and he would be in his suit. The two of them standing together would definitely look like a match made in heaven.

At the thought of it, a sweet smile appeared on the corner of Stephanie’s mouth.

She completely forgot about Crispin, who was still living at the abandoned factory.

“Alright, then. Let’s get changed. We need to rush as I still have a dinner to attend.”

After he said those words, Elias turned and prepared to head into the changing room to change out of the suit.

On the other hand, Stephanie was dumbfounded and wanted to stop him from changing since his attire was really eye-catching.

At the sight of Elias in this suit, she could envision beautiful pictures in her mind, but unfortunately, the woman whom he still loved was Amanda, his ex-wife and the mother of his child.

Stephanie frowned and shook her head to bring herself back to reality.

Gosh, what on earth was I thinking about being engaged to Elias? This is madness. I still have Crisp! Crisp treats me so well, so how can I forget about him? Is this me betraying him on an emotional level?

In that instant, Stephanie was condemned by her own morality as she quickly gathered her thoughts and had a change of clothes too.

When they emerged from the designer’s office, Stephanie entered the man’s car and buckled her while curiously stating. “It’s almost time for the engagement ceremony. Will you be able to keep the promise?”

“Sure. You don’t have to worry about me. You just have to worry whether your Crisp can endure it or not.” Elias then started the car engine and left the place.

At this, there was a look of disappointment in Stephanie’s eyes.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 254 Amanda? It’s Really You!

So, Elias never intended to marry her. He did so just to get what he wanted. That realization instantly ruined Stephanie’s mood.

It was not because she liked Elias but because she felt like her ego was being stepped on. Was she not excellent or pretty at all? Why was Elias so infatuated with his humble ex-wife? She could not wrap her head around that….

Stephanie averted her gaze to look at the scenery outside the window. She pretended not to be bothered. by it before asking calmly. “Elias, if Crisp managed to hold on and we successfully canceled our engagement, will you choose to get your ex-wife back?”

Then, she turned to look at the man’s side profile, anticipating his answer. But she did not know what answer she was anticipating. Was she hoping Elias to say no?

While looking in front, Elias held the steering wheel with one hand and thought about it for a while before saying, “Let’s talk about it next time.”

Stephanie instantly felt relieved that Elias did not say “Yes” but then thought she was being ironic. What did it have to do with her if Elias had decided to get back with his ex-wife? What was she relieved about?

There were seven days until their engagement, but Stephanie was getting even more unsure about her feelings. She seemed less willing to make Crispin stay and was even somewhat eager to see Elias wearing. that particular suit during their engagement.

Her thoughts were everywhere during the rest of the way, and the car finally arrived at the Allegra Villa after who knew how long.

“We’re here. Get out.” Elias ordered.

Stephanie took a look at the familiar door and finally realized she was home but was slightly reluctant to return home.

“Oh…” She unfastened her seatbelt and slowly got out of the car. Just as she had closed the door and was about to wave goodbye, Elias drove away without even looking at her, leaving her with the sight of a pair of taillights moving further away.

Has that man always been so unromantic? Does he treat that lawyer the same? I wonder how Amanda would be willing to bear a child for that man.

The following week, everyone was busy with their own matters, and Amanda never met Elias again.

Elias still transported his son to and from school every day, but whenever he arrived at Northern No. 1, Amanda either had already left or was yet to return.

“Daddy, tomorrow’s the weekend. Why don’t you bring me out to play? Mommy won’t be home tomorrow.” Aiden sneakily informed the man.

While holding his tiny hand, Elias led him to the door and pressed the doorbell. “Is she now? What has your mommy been busy with lately?” I never see her whenever I come. Is she busy, or is she deliberately trying to avoid me?

Aiden frowned. “Mommy mentioned something about establishing a legal firm. Anyway, she’s even busy on weekends and has no time to accompany me.”

A legal firm? Is Amanda thinking of opening her own office? Indeed, she can open her own firm with her current ability and reputation.

Elias smiled. “Sure. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow. Where would you like to go?”

“Universal Studios! I went there last time, and it was fun! I want to go there again!” Aiden looked excited because he knew his father had never rejected his requests.

“Okay. I’ll bring you there tomorrow

At that moment, Selina opened the door. “Mr. Winters”

“Bring Aiden to take a bath. He’s sweaty from playing soccer just now.”

“Okay.”

Then, he asked, “Is Amanda going to open her own law firm? Is she not returning to her previous one?”

“I’m not sure about it either, but Amanda’s been busy with matters about the law firms. She wants to open her own law firm and has the qualifications to do so. I recommend she do so, too,” Selina replied,

The man said nothing more and gave her the child before leaving.

After sending Aiden home, Elias went straight to the club for a dinner reservation tonight.

He had never participated in these dinners before, but now that his father and grandfather had passed, he had to support the entire Winters Family on his own and was now on his own.

When he arrived at the private room, it seemed like everyone hadn’t arrived yet, so he took out his phone and hesitated for a bit before dialing Amanda’s number.

The call rang for quite some time before he heard Amanda’s voice. She seemed very busy. “Mister, please deliver these office supplies to the building at Rugfolk. I’ll send you the specific address later.”

Once Amanda was done ordering office supplies, she asked the man on the phone, “Why did you call? If you have anything to say, keep it short. I’m kinda busy right now.”

“Are you going solo?” He did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

“So what if I’am? What’s the matter? Are you planning on recommending me some clients?”

Elias replied, “That’s not a bad idea. But have you really thought about it? You might get very busy if you start your own business. You were busy in the past, but you’ll be so packed that you won’t have time to take care of Aiden.”

He knew how much she would be taking on her plate if she opened her own law firm, as that would mean several business meetings in one day and no time to care for her child.

“Can I take this as you trying to fight me for our son’s custody?” Amanda seemed to have misunderstood. his words entirely.

Elias wanted to explain himself but then decided not to. Everything would have to wait until the DNA results were out. “That’s not what I meant. You should get back to work. I won’t disturb you any longer.”

On the other hand, Amanda stared at the ended call and sneered. “What’s gotten into him?”

Then, she continued to busy herself with her matters because she hoped to establish her law firm smoothly at the end of the month.

Suddenly, she remembered that Elias was going to get engaged at the end of the month too, but then felt her thoughts were ridiculous. What did that have to do with her? The other side had already clarified that he wanted nothing to do with her.

“Amanda? It’s really you!”

Who’s calling me? Turning around, Amanda was shocked to see who it was. It was Simon, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time. She felt like they hadn’t seen each other for centuries.

Simon approached her and asked, “What are you doing here? You haven’t been taking my calls recently.”

“I… I’m buying office supplies.”

Looking at her shopping list, Simon saw she had bought computers, desks, chairs, and many more. Is she planning to open her own firm?

“Are you opening your own firm?”

Amanda did not plan to hide it from him and nodded. “Yes. I want to open my own law firm.”

They were bound to meet again sooner or later, and she could not hide that she was opening her own firm from Simon. Moreover, she would have more interaction with Simon in the future.

Meanwhile, Simon was slightly taken aback but not surprised. He had noticed that Amanda would not be satisfied with working for others and would come out to start her own business sooner or later.

“Congratulations. If that’s the case, I won’t force you to return to Justice & Associates anymore.” Simon smiled.

Amanda replied, “Thank you, and I’m sorry. I was selfish.”

One could say she was selfish or unreasonable, but she thought it would be better for everyone if she stayed away from him.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 255 Hurry Up and Tell Me the Results

Simon shook his head with a smile. “It’s fine. I feel assured seeing you doing well.”

Amanda smiled as well but did not speak.

Then, Simon asked, “By the way, do you know that Elias engagement ceremony is coming soon? He even sent me an invitation because I used to collaborate with Mr. Allegra.”

“Really? I didn’t know that. That’s great news, but I don’t care. She pretended like she did not care about it.

In fact, Simon did it on purpose because he wanted to test and see what Amanda’s current feelings for that man were. That way, he could tell if he stood a chance,

But just as he was about to speak, Amanda cut him off. “Simon, I know what you’re doing and understand your feelings for me, but it’s impossible between us. I’ve already told you. Stop wasting your time on me. Lunabelle is a better match for you because you two have feelings for each other. No matter what, you should choose her.”

Her words were resolute and gave Simon no room for argument.

On the other hand, Simon silently gazed at her. He wanted to say something but could only look her. He did not want to give up on her, but she did not give him the slightest chance.

“I still have something to do, so I’ll be going now.” Amanda smiled and nodded at him before leaving.

Then, Simon spoke to her back. “You’d rather go on a blind date and marry a complete stranger than accept me?”

Even though she and Elias were done, she was still unwilling to accept him, so he did not know where he lacked.

Amanda’s figure gradually stopped, and she replied, “Yes. I’ve already seen through it all. No matter what, we aren’t fit for each other, so there’s no need to waste our time.”

Once that was said, she left without looking back.

Simon wanted to ask why, but she was already gone. Then, while pursing his lips, he slammed his fist hard on the desk beside him.

It was soon the end of the month and the day Jack had planned for the engagement ceremony.

Elias sat at his desk while rhythmically knocking his fingers on his desk, seemingly waiting for something.

Beside him was the engagement suit the designers had tailor-made for him.

Two hours were left until the engagement ceremony, yet he hadn’t even changed his clothes. The Allegras were probably already at the hotel looking everywhere for him. His phone was switched off, so no one could reach him.

But he left another phone switched on and patiently awaited Dr. Christopher Smith’s DNA test results.

Suddenly, the phone began ringing. The man took a look and was slightly disappointed because it was not Christopher but Yacob called.

He calmly answered the phone and put it on speaker. “Mr. Winters, where are you? The Allegras are about to go crazy looking for you. Jack is about to explode from anger and is taking it out on me.”

“Then endure it.” The man smiled wickedly.

Yacob, on the other end of the line, was about to go mad. “How can you still have the effort to tease me? What are you planning? The engagement ceremony is about to start, and what if the DNA results show that Miss Bailey isn’t the Allegras’ missing daughter? How are you going to settle this mess? You would be losing more than what you paid for!”

It was clear that Yacob was worried and anxious, but his boss was not the slightest bit anxious. As the bystander, he was more worried about this matter than the person involved.

Elias replied, “Then I’ll attend the engagement ceremony.”

“Will you be able to make it in time, and are you sure Jack will show you a good attitude? You’re not even here yet, and I can already see Jack fuming. It seems like he is quite angry.”

“I have my plans.” Since he did so, it meant he had thought about how he was going to explain things to Jack.

“Alright, I’ll just have to continue stalling. By the way, doesn’t Stephanie know about our plan? Why does she look anxious as well? She seems like she doesn’t hope this engagement flops.”

Elias scoffed. “I don’t care about her feelings. I just want to get what I want.”

“Yes. Understood!”

In the meantime, Yacob hung up and glanced at the anxious family behind him before continuing his innocent act.

“How is it? Have you found that Mr. Winters of yours? Jack asked rudely.

Yacob shook his head. “No. I tried to call all three of his cells. I don’t know where he’s gone. I clearly sent him back home yesterday.”

Standing beside them, Stephanie seemed worried while leaning against her grandmother’s embrace. “Don’t worry, Steph. Elias won’t run away. Our darling is such a nice woman. How could he bear to abandon you? He’s probably busy with something and forgot about this. Let’s wait a while longer.”

But Jack roared, “How could someone forget their own engagement? Mom, stop causing more trouble and find somewhere to rest!”

Looking at his daughter’s aggrieved expression, Jack assured her, “Dad’s here, so don’t you worry now, Steph. If Elias dares to miss this engagement ceremony, I’ll make sure he pays!”

Stephanie did not speak but leaned into her grandmother’s arms. What’s going on with Elias? How could he not show up? Is he planning to cancel the engagement like this? But wouldn’t that mean I’ll be humiliated? If word gets out about this, it’ll be that Elias does not like me and decided to skip the engagement. My reputation will be ruined!

While thinking of that, Stephanie felt that Elias did not arrange this properly because she would end up being the laughingstock of her social circle for at least a year.

On the other hand, Jack approached Yacob because he had seen through Elias’ thoughts.

Jack pulled Yacob to the side and gritted his teeth, threatening, “Don’t think that I don’t know what you two are planning. Tell Elias that if he doesn’t show up anytime soon, he can kiss the shares his aunt took goodbye. Also, he will have a new enemy-me! Besides that, I will withdraw my shares from Winters Enterprise and let him have a taste of what it means to hurt like hell!”

Putting on an innocent expression, Yacob argued, “Mr. Allegra, what are you proposing? I have no idea where Mr. Winters is, and I’m also trying to look for him. It’s no use venting your anger on me. I’m innocent too…

“Scram! Hurry up and search for him!” Jack bellowed.

Then, Yacob turned around and left. He did not want to stay here any longer because he was a bad actor and might slip up.

Inside the president’s office at Winters Enterprise.

Elias leaned against the back of his chair, waiting for Christopher’s call. Last night, Christopher called him. telling him he would have the results today..

Suddenly, a phone started ringing inside the quiet room; it sounded harsh on the ear.

Without any hesitation, Elias answered the phone with a serious expression. “Hurry up and tell me the results!”

Christopher replied, “Mr. Winters, the DNA test results between Amanda Bailey and Dick Leans show that they are incompatible, which means Amanda is not Dick’s daughter.”

Elias’ dark eyes were filled with anticipation. “What about Amanda and Jack Allegra? What’s the result of that?”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 256 Your Ex-wife Is My Daughter?

Christopher was silent for a while before answering, “Amanda and Jack Allegra’s DNA test results show that they are blood-related.”

Once that was said, Elias’ eyes were filled with shock. Although he had anticipated such a result, he was still surprised to hear Christopher admit it.

“Which means Amanda is Jack’s daughter?” Elias asked,

Christopher concurred, “Real as it can be. I’ve compared it several times and received the same results.”

“Okay, I understand. Send me the test results. I’ll be waiting for you in my office”

“Alright, Mr. Winters. I’m bringing them over now.”

After the call ended, the man seemed quite relieved as this would save him a lot of trouble. At the very least, he would have less difficulty explaining this situation to Jack.

At that moment, Yacob called again.

Elias answered the call, but before he could say anything, he heard Yacob’s anxious voice explaining. “Mr. Winters, how is the situation on your side? Have you confirmed it or not? The old fox is growing more restless. He thinks we’ve planned this and keeps interrogating me. Also, he asked me to tell you that if you don’t show up anytime soon, you will have a new enemy, a new roadblock, in business, and he will withdraw his shares from Winters Enterprise. What are we going to do?”

If Jack were to withdraw his shares at such a crucial moment, Winters Enterprise would soon be divided up, especially when Anna was still holding onto Howard’s shares.

At that moment, a knock came from the door. It must be Christopher with the DNA test results.

Elias instructed Yacob. Tell him I’ll be there in twenty minutes, and ask him to wait for me in the waiting room. I have something to tell him.”

“Sure!”

In the meantime, once Yacob received his instructions, he immediately knew that Christopher must have the results, and judging from how confident Elias sounded just now, the results might be what they expected.

Then, Yacob turned to face the Allegra Family and informed the anxious Jack, “Mr. Allegra, Mr. Winters says he’ll be here in twenty minutes and asks that you wait for him in the waiting room. There’s something important he needs to discuss with you.”

Jack laughed. “Is he finally going to show up? Sure. I’ll wait for him in the waiting room. I’m eager to see what tricks that brat has up his sleeves.”

No matter what explanation Elias gave him, Jack was determined not to forgive Elias that easily and teach him a hard lesson, or else Stephanie might have to suffer after marrying him.

After letting out a cold snort, Jack made his way toward the waiting room. Meanwhile, Edith and Cassandra followed him, leaving Stephanie, who watched them go. Then, she approached Yacob and asked, “What is Elias doing? Does he think he can ease my father’s anger with a few simple explanations!

She thought Elias was quite foolish to think so. How could a man, who seemed quite intelligent, make such a foolish decision?

“Just wait for him in the waiting room. Mr. Winters has his reasons.” Yacob remained expressionless as he replied calmly.

Unable to get anything from Yacob, Stephanie scoffed coldly and left as well.

Yacob finally felt relieved that Elias was about to arrive. Otherwise, he might be unable to handle this situation alone, especially when Jack was lashing out at him. That was something no one could withstand.

Twenty minutes later, inside the waiting room.

Jack was pacing around the room, feeling anxious. He couldn’t help but ask impatiently, “When will he be here? Don’t tell me that kid is playing with me?”

“Please be patient, Mr. Allegra. Perhaps Mr. Winters is stuck in traffic. He always keeps his word,” Yacob assured Jack.

Right then, the door to the waiting room was pushed open, and Elias came in with a document in his hand. However, he wore casual clothes, not the engagement suit they had prepared.

What is the meaning of this? Jack was about to lose it as he roared, “Elias Winters! In all my years of doing business, this is the first time I got played by an immature brat like you! What are you thinking of doing? What is the meaning of this? You know it’s your engagement ceremony today, yet you came late. Now that you came, you’re not even wearing your engagement suit? What are you trying to do? Are you regretting your engagement?”

With a calm expression, Elias took a seat on the couch and replied, “Yes. I am regretting this engagement.” Once he said so, everyone at the scene looked shocked except Yacob.

Stephanie looked at her father’s dark expression and then at Elias’ calm expression. She couldn’t help but. complain inside, What’s this man trying to do? Why is he still trying to anger Dad at this moment? Is this a part of his plan?

“You-“Jack was about to slap Elias, but Stephanie stopped him. “Dad, calm down. Don’t act rashly.”

“Move away, Steph. I’m going to help you get even today. I will not allow my precious daughter to suffer such grievances!” Jack pushed his daughter away.

Elias, at this moment, handed Jack the document in his hand. “I’ve already found your missing daughter, Amelia Allegra.”

Hearing that, Edith was the first to stand up with a happy and shocked expression. “What? Did you find Amelia? You found the daughter we’d lost for twenty years?”

She could not believe her ears. Not only Edith but even Jack and Stephanie also seemed bewildered. He found her? How is that possible?

Rising to his feet, Elias gave Jack the document. “This is a DNA test report. After reading it, you’ll know why I’m calling this engagement off. It’s not that I don’t want to marry Stephanie, but because I can’t.”

Stephanie was dumbfounded. What is he saying? What does he mean by can’t’?

Jack received the document and took out the DNA test report. He flipped to the last page and saw the last line, which read, ‘Parent-child relationship established!”

Then, he looked at the name on top and saw ‘Amanda Bailey, Amanda Bailey? Isn’t that Elias ex-wife? She’s the daughter we’ve lost for twenty years? How could that be? How can there be such a coincidence?

“How can this be? This can’t be real. Your ex-wife is my daughter?” Jack felt like he was being told a huge joke. He could not accept that.

But Elias remained calm. That is the truth. So, I can’t marry Stephanie, no matter the reason.”

Meanwhile, Stephanie was shocked and grabbed the DNA test results from her father. She quickly flipped through the contents and gradually turned pale. Amanda is my biological sister. How… How is that possible?

Suddenly remembering how she kept looking for trouble with Amanda, Stephanie turned mortified. Amanda was actually her sister, Amelia Allegra?

Meanwhile, Edith had broken down in tears while holding onto the DNA test results. “Is she really Amelia? I’ve finally found Amelia… It’s really Amelia.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 257 Don’t Tell Me You Fell For Me

Elias looked at the sobbing Edith and explained, “Not only have I found her, but she also gave birth to a cute grandson, my son. His name is Aiden, and he’s an active child.”

Listening to his words, Edith smiled. “Aiden, that’s a great name… My daughter… Where is Amelia now? I want to meet her.”

However, Jack was still skeptical about it. “What daughter? It’s been twenty years. Do you possibly think that Elias could find her in such a short time frame? That’s outrageous! Perhaps Amelia has already.

These years, Jack had been constantly searching for his daughter and had resorted to all sorts of methods. but failed. Therefore, he thought his eldest daughter might have already passed away.

“Mr. Allegra, if you don’t believe me, you can have a DNA test done yourself. That’s something easily achievable for you, and I’m sure you can also easily find out where my ex-wife lives,” Elias reasoned.

Once that was said, Edith hugged the DNA test results to her chest and bellowed, “Were you about to say that Amelia’s dead? That’s impossible! I have always believed that Amelia is still alive, and have the DNA results here. What other proof do you want? Don’t you want our daughter to come home?”

Jack remained silent. Of course, he did want to get his daughter back, but he was unwilling to admit that Elias played him. Also, who knew whether Elias, that brat, was playing tricks or not?

At that moment, Cassandra spoke up. “Mr. Winters, are you saying Amelia, our family’s eldest daughter, is your ex-wife? And she has given birth to your child?”

Elias answered, “Yes”

Frowning, Cassandra announced, “If that’s the case, wouldn’t that make you Steph’s brother-in-law? How can you two get engaged? That can’t be done!”

Cassandra finally figured it out.

Meanwhile, the dumbfounded Stephanie also realized that fact. That meant Elias was her brother-in-law. Although he got divorced, he was still her brother-in-law. Also, the kid she went to harass at the kindergarten was her nephew. Everything suddenly became strange for her.

She was having mixed feelings about all this and couldn’t put them into words. If that was their relationship now, wouldn’t it be impossible for Elias and her to get together anymore?

For some reason, that thought made Stephanie inexplicably frustrated. But she was unsure whether she was frustrated at the fact that she could not be with Elias or the stupid things she did. Why are the heavens torturing me? How did things become like this….

Elias looked at Cassandra and seriously remarked, “Yes, Old Mrs. Allegra. That is why I took so long to come here. I was waiting for this DNA test result. It’s not that I don’t want to marry Stephanie, but rather, I can’t.”

Deep down, Stephanie sneered. She had a feeling that the man had known about this early on. Otherwise, how else would he be so sure that their engagement would get called off? He probably already knew about this earlier, yet pretended he was the aggrieved victim here.

Stephanie finally discovered how scheming this man was. His shrewdness was unfathunfathomable.

The engagement was called off perfectly, leaving Jack with nothing to argue because Elias could not marry Stephanie.

When Elias was about to leave the hotel, Stephanie went after him. “Stop right there, Elias!”

The man gradually came to a halt. “What’s the matter?”

“Are you planning to leave just like that? There are so many guests outside waiting for our explanation. Don’t tell me you intend to have my family clean up this load of mess?” The more Stephanie thought. about it, the angrier she became as she wondered what the man was here to do.

Before, she did hope that he could find Amelia sooner; that way, her family would not focus all their attention on her. But now that it was revealed that her sister was Elias’ ex-wife, she suddenly felt reluctant to let Amelia come home…

Elias rebuked, “Is there something wrong? Are you hoping that I will help you explain things? It was your family who wanted this marriage. I never wanted this.”

“Why you- What is the meaning of that? Are you saying that my family forced you to marry me?”

“Isn’t that true?” Elias had no intention of speaking to her. All he wanted now was to see Amanda and tell her about this.

“That’s bullshit!”

Elias frowned. “Now that the engagement is off, shouldn’t you be looking for Crispin? Why are you wasting your time talking to me? Don’t tell me you fell for me.”

Stephanie felt her heart skip a beat as though her inner thoughts were exposed. She quickly denied, “Of course not! I would never fall for a sly man like you! Never!”

The more she tried to deny it and the louder she screamed, the more guilty she seemed.

Meanwhile, Elias had no intention of guessing her thoughts, so he rebuked, “That would be the best. I would never fall in love with you anyway, so go and find your poor man. He’s probably still there, waiting for you. The temperature will drop tonight, so you should stop wasting time here if you don’t want him to die from hypothermia.”

“You-

Stephanie still wanted to say something, but the man had already left without turning back, seeming like he wanted nothing to do with her.

While looking at the man’s cold back, she muttered, “Don’t you feel anything for me? Am I that unattractive…”

At Northern No. 1.

Amanda had finished taking a bath and was about to get in bed. She had to recruit staff for her new law firm tomorrow.

After starting her own business, she discovered how complicated it was to establish her own law firm. She was so busy that she did not even have time to eat.

When her phone rang, she glanced at it and saw it was a call from Elias. Then, she hung up without answering.

She thought she and Elias had nothing to talk about. What other topic could they discuss besides their child? Moreover, it was obvious that Elias’ call was not to talk about their child.

Hence, she still resolutely hung up when the call came again.

On the other hand, Elias looked at the declined call with a frown, thinking that she might be asleep or was refusing to pick up.

Seeing that it was quite late, Elias decided to forget it and try again tomorrow.

However, he did not expect the Allegras to be one step ahead of him.

Morning the next day.

Amanda was still asleep when she heard Selina’s voice coming from outside. It seemed like she had guests, so Amanda dazedly got up, wanting to quickly wash up so that she could go outside to see who it was.

In the meantime, Selina looked at the bunch of strange people before her, wondering what they were doing there.

“May I know why you’re looking for Amanda? Is it about a lawsuit?” Selina innocently thought they were Amanda’s clients.

Jack looked around the house and replied, “No, it’s not. We have something to discuss with her. Please call her out.”

“Alright…” Selina felt the atmosphere seemed strange and oppressive, but just couldn’t put a finger on it.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 258 I Am the Allegra Family’s Daughter

Selina had no choice but to make her way to Amanda’s room. She was going to knock but noticed the door was not locked, so she headed inside.

In the meantime, Amanda had washed up and was coming out of her closet after changing her clothes. “Hey, why did you come inside? Is there a problem outside? Who is it?”

Selina approached Amanda and whispered, “I don’t know, but they seem strange. An entire family came looking for you. At first, I thought they were here to ask you to represent them as their lawyer, but they denied it and asked that I come to get you.”

That made Amanda frown as she wondered who it could be and why the large lineup. Since they weren’t here to ask her to be their lawyer, then why were they here? Could it be her enemies? After all, she had made quite a lot of enemies while working in this line of work. At that thought, she couldn’t help but feel wary as she contemplated on whether to call for security.

Then, Selina added, “The middle-aged man said his name is Jack Allegra and that you know him.”

Jack Allegra? Amanda instantly felt relieved because it was not her enemy. However, why did the Allegra Family come looking for her at her home this early in the morning? Wasn’t yesterday Stephanie and Elias” engagement ceremony? Why were they gathered at her home so early today?

Amanda then left her bedroom to see what the old fox wanted.

Inside the living room.

The entire Allegra Family was sitting on the couch, waiting for Amanda to come out. Besides Stephanie, everyone else was looking forward to it.

In the meantime, Stephanie was unsure how she would face Amanda and was even unwilling to accept that Amanda was her sister.

“Mr. Allegra, why did you bring your entire family to my home so early in the morning? Did here to accuse me of something?”

Amanda crossed her arms and put on an overbearing expression. No matter what unreasonable request. that family might ask of her, she would never give in.

Edith stared at Amanda’s face while trying her best to recall her eldest daughter’s face when she was young. When the two faces gradually overlapped, she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

At the same time, Stephanie was also staring at Amanda’s face. That was because she was trying to figure out why she did not make the connection that Amanda was Amelia when she had seen Amanda several times before.

Jack was the first to react and reprimanded, “That’s not how a lady should speak! Watch your manners!”

Hearing that, Amanda could not hold back her laughter. Had Jack been a company president for too long and thought everyone should revolve around him? How could he reprimand her like he was her elder?

Then, Amanda clicked her tongue and sneered. “I understand now. You find me living here a nuisance, right? After all, Elias bought this place with his money. Here I am, living in the house your to-be son-in- law bought, and I even had his child. Does that make your family feel uncomfortable? But there’s nothing I can do about it because this is a fact.”

She knew Jack was here for trouble. They must be here to chase her out of this house and get rid of all the dangerous obstacles hindering Stephanie from having a happy married life.

At that moment, Edith finally broke down and sobbed, “Amelia, you shouldn’t talk to your father like that. We’re ”

Confused, Amanda looked flabbergasted. What’s this? Did they come to the wrong house, or have they gone insane? Is this some sort of new play?

“Wait, wait, wait… What are you talking about? Who’s Amelia? What father? Mrs. Allegra, are you still dreaming? My name is Amanda Bailey, not Amelia. Also, my father is not the high and mighty Mr. Allegra. My father is a gambler who is always in debt and has abandoned his wife and children.”

Hearing that, Jack frowned even deeper. So, this was how her daughter had been living all these years? A father who was a gambler and abandoned his wife and children? How good could such a life be?

Edith sobbed even harder after listening to that.

Meanwhile, Amanda watched the scene before her and felt skeptical as she wondered what this family was up to. “Mr. Allegra, can’t you be more frank about why you’re here? What’s with the act? Do you find this amusing?”

Just as Jack was about to speak, Stephanie beat him to it. “I didn’t get engaged to Elias, and you are the missing eldest daughter of the Allegra Family. So, you are my sister, and I can’t get engaged to Elias. Do you understand now?”

Amanda was silent for a moment as the amount of information thrown at her was so huge that she could not process them all at once. What do they mean by I am the missing eldest daughter of the Allegra Family?

After staring at the bunch for a long time without knowing how to react, Amanda pointed at herself as her eyes widened in shock. “Are you saying that we are biological sisters? Am I the Allegra Family’s daughter as well?”

Even though Stephanie was reluctant to admit that, she still nodded. “Yes, that’s right. That’s the truth. So. Elias and I can’t get engaged.”

Whenever Stephanie thought about how she could not get engaged to Elias, she could not help but feel displeased. But she did not know what she was displeased about. She did not like Elias, so why did she feel disappointed when she could not get engaged to him?

At that moment, Aiden rubbed his eyes and came out of his room in cute pajamas while whining. “Mommy, I’m hungry…

When he arrived before Amanda, he finally realized the bunch of strangers in the living room, but he immediately spotted Stephanie sitting on the far side.

Aiden immediately screamed, “Ahhh! It’s the nasty, ugly woman! Mommy, chase her away! I don’t want her in our house!”

The kid’s scream angered Stephanie. “Who are you calling ugly, huh? Who’s ugly? You’re looking to be taught a lesson, brat!”

Edith stopped her. “Why are you arguing with a child? What’s more, he’s your nephew.”

In the meantime, Amanda took Aiden into her embrace and turned to Stephanie. “I don’t need you to lecture my son.”

However, Jack angrily slammed his hand on the table. “Look at how you brought up your son. Why aren’t you letting Stephanie criticize him? How can you let your son call someone ugly? What will become of him in the future?”

Then, Jack finally looked at the kid’s appearance and concluded that Aiden was indeed Elias’ child. They looked almost identical.

“Do you think that you’re my parents just because of a few words you said? You have no right to tell me what to do! I’ll have to ask you to leave this instant, or else I’ll call for security.” Amanda’s mind was in a mess, and she needed time to rearrange her thoughts.

“You! How could you speak to your father this way?” Jack was so angry that he shot up from his seat.

At that moment, Amanda’s phone began ringing, which was quite inappropriate in such a situation.

At first, Amanda had no intention of picking up, but when she saw it was from Elias, she quickly answered the call. “Elias, get Elias ass up here now and take your father-in-law away! They’re driving me crazy! I can’t stand them anymore!”

When Elias heard that, he said nothing else but, “I’m downstairs right now. Will be there in a minute.”

After hanging up, Amanda sighed in relief. At the very least, Elias would get rid of these people because she was his ex-wife and had his child.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 259 Don’t You Lecture My Son!

“Why is Elias here as well, Dad?” Stephanie turned to look at her father.

Jack frowned, wondering what Elias was doing there when he was about to reunite with his long-lost daughter.

A minute later, Elias pushed the door open without even knocking on it first.

Even though he knew the passcode, he would usually press the doorbell before entering, but he directly stepped into the house this time.

Amanda sneered, wondering if the man was there to stop them from arguing or worried that she would ruin his plan.

After all, if Elias could marry Stephanie, the Winterses would be unrivaled in the business world. There was no way the man would let the chance slip through his fingers.

Amanda felt that someone had fooled the Allegras into believing that she was their daughter in an attempt. to ruin the marriage.

When Elias entered the living room and saw everything he frowned in displeasure as he didn’t expect Jack to come looking for Amanda with his family members. “You’ve acted on a whim, Mr. Allegra,” he said grimly.

Then, he walked up to Amanda and took Aiden from her before placating the young kid. “Don’t worry. Daddy is here.”

“Daddy, I don’t want to see that ugly woman again. Please chase her away.” Aiden pointed at Stephanie.

How dare he call me an ugly woman again?! Stephanie was enraged. “Do you even know how to discipline your son, Elias? He’s so rude!”

She hated anyone calling her ugly. She had always been the center of attention since a young age, but the kid kept calling her ugly. As such, she felt humiliated.

Elias snapped. “You have no right to lecture my son. Mind your own business.”

Jack and Stephanie were rendered speechless, thinking that Elias and Amanda were indeed a couple as their way of speaking was similar.

Amanda shot him a glance and demanded, “Chase them away right now. Even though your engagement is a failure, it has nothing to do with me. How dare they come to my house in the morning and cause a scene? Do you know what they said? According to them, I’m Stephanie’s older sister as well as the eldest daughter of the Allegra Family. How funny is that?”

All of them fell silent, including Elias. After all, everyone was aware of the truth except Amanda.

She continued, “Perhaps your enemies have fabricated such a ridiculous story. Not only do you believe it, but you’ve also come all the way here to claim that I’m your daughter. Are rich people so easily fooled? How did you even make your fortune?”

Her voice was filled with mockery and disdain. She didn’t believe their story, nor was she interested in becoming their daughter.

Moreover, Jack had been acting all high and mighty as if becoming his daughter was the biggest honor one could ever achieve.

Damn it! It’s not like I want to be his daughter!

Without uttering a word, Jack turned to look at Elias, who was the best person to explain the situation.

While carrying Aiden, Elias gently rubbed his hands and said, “What they’ve said is true. You’re their daughter as proven by the paternity test result.”

“What did you just say?” Amanda’s eyes widened in disbelief, thinking she had misheard him. What the heck?!

The man gave her a firm look and nodded. “That’s right. Dick isn’t your biological father. Mr. and Mrs. Allegra are your parents. Although it sounds preposterous, the paternity test result is the best proof.”

The next instant, Jack fished out the paternity test result and placed it on the table.

When Amanda saw the document on the table, she fell into a dazed state, not knowing what to do.

It was mind-blowing to hear such shocking news early in the morning.

She stepped forward and picked up the paternity test result with trembling hands before going through it.

She didn’t understand much of what was written, but the bottom of the last page clearly stated that she and Jack were biologically related.

There was also the seal of the laboratory that conducted the test, so it didn’t look like a sham.

With the document in her hands, Amanda glanced at Jack before shifting her attention to Elias. She had tons of questions to ask, but she didn’t know where to start.

“Is the test result credible? Have you looked into it?”

Elias replied, “There’s no need for that because I asked someone to conduct the test. Do you remember when you passed out in the hospital the other day? Well, you didn’t black out. I asked Yacob to make unconscious so that he could collect a blood sample.

Upon hearing that, Amanda flared up and hurled the document at the man. “How could you do a paternity test without my permission? Who gave you the right to do that? Also, why didn’t you tell me earlier? You made me look like a clown!”

What’s wrong with this world? How is it possible that I’m their daughter?

Elias let the woman vent all her fury before saying, “I’m sorry. I wanted to get to the truth before telling you about it. After all, I was uncertain at that time.”

Seeing how cool-headed the man was, Amanda soon calmed down. She touched her head, feeling like her mind was a mess. “Tell them to go away. I need to be alone. I don’t want to hear whatever they have to say.”

When Aiden saw his mother acting like that, he thought she was furious. As such, he yelled at Stephanie, “Get out of my house now, you ugly woman! I hate you!”

Elias glanced at his son and said, “Don’t talk like this, Aiden.”

Without responding to her, Elias turned to look at Jack. “Please go home first, Mr. Allegra. I’ll talk to her. Please give her more time to digest everything, considering how shocking the matter is.”

Just as Jack was ready to say something. Edith took her husband’s arm and said, “Elias has a point. Give Amelia some time. Let’s go home first, Jack, Steph. We’ll take our leave.”

Jack stared fixedly at Amanda for a moment before turning around to leave, and Stephanie followed suit.

Meanwhile, Edith walked up to Amanda in an attempt to take a closer look at her daughter after being separated for such a long time,

As she approached the woman, tears slid down her face.

Then, she said through choked sobs. “I’m glad that you’re all grown up now. Thank goodness your life wasn’t taken away. We’ve been searching for you over the years. After such a long time, we thought you might be… gone for good. I’m truly happy that you’re still alive.”

When Amanda looked at the older woman, she felt a sense of familiarity for some reason.

Is she really my mother? Even though there was the paternity test result as evidence, she still couldn’t believe.

Edith continued, “It’s all my fault. I’m sorry for losing you. If I had been more careful at that time, you wouldn’t have gone missing, and you wouldn’t be looking at me like a stranger now…

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 260 You’ve Taken Great Pains

Amanda looked at the sorrowful woman before her eyes, but she didn’t know what to say.

Edith wiped her tears off and turned to look at Aiden. “You’re so cute, and you’re also protective of your mom.”

She wanted to touch the child’s hands, but Aiden quickly dodged it.

Embarrassed, she retracted her hands and turned around to leave reluctantly.

When the door was closed, Amanda shuffled toward the couch and took a seat.

Elias placed his son on the floor and said, “Go and look for Miss Selina. I need to talk to your mom.”

“Alright…” Aiden reluctantly turned around and went looking for Selina.

The man sat down on the couch. When he detected her conflicted gaze, he knew she must be flustered.

He kept her company without saying anything.

A long time later, Amanda turned to look at him. “Why did you make a decision without my permission? Why did you do the paternity test? Even if it was true, I don’t want to be part of their family, nor do I want -to find out about it.”

Elias explained, “That’s because I want you to be proud. I want you to stop feeling self-abased because you have a gambler father. Your father isn’t Dick. He’s the shrewd businessman Jack Allegra, and your mother is the demure Mrs. Allegra.”

Amanda couldn’t refute him.

For a very long time, she’d had low self-esteem because of her gambler father, but she wasn’t any happier upon finding out about her identity.

That was because her adoptive mother had always treated her well. She believed that the woman was her biological mother, but now, she was told that she was adopted.

“So what? It’s been more than 20 years, and they’re no different from strangers to me. If not for our relationship, Jack would’ve wanted to destroy me. That’s because he believes that I’m the obstacle to Stephanie’s happiness, Amanda said.

The atmosphere in the living room was gloomy. Even though it was morning, there wasn’t much sunlight as the curtains were drawn.

After a moment of silence, Elias said, “Amanda, I accidentally discovered that you were the daughter of the Allegra Family. I’m sorry for not getting your permission in advance.”

“Tell me how you discovered that.” Amanda was more curious about this.

She and the Allegras had nothing to do with each other. No one would’ve thought that she was their long- lost daughter.

“I saw a photo in the Allegra Villa. It was a photo of Stephanie and her older sister. As such, I took the photo and did a simulated image of the older sister to find out what she’d look like in 20 years. When I saw the simulated image, I realized the woman looked similar to you. Therefore, I speculated that you were their daughter and secretly did a paternity test. If it turned out that you were not their daughter, I wouldn’t have told you that I even conducted the test.”

Upon hearing his explanation, Amanda smiled. “You’ve taken great pains to do all this, but at the same time, you’ve also shot yourself in the foot.”

Elias frowned, looking puzzled.

Amanda explained, “Even though you’ve proven that I’m their daughter, you’ve also ruined your engagement party with Stephanie. In that case, how are you going to marry her?”

“Well, I married their eldest daughter, and we have a son together.”

“That’s true, but so what? We’re divorced, so I’m only your ex-wife. Do you think Jack would help his daughter’s ex-husband?”

Elias smiled. “I’ll leave that to fate. Perhaps it’s the heavens telling me to rely on myself.”

“Are you really willing to let the chance slip through your fingers? You’ve been planning everything for a long time. Can you give it all up?”

Amanda didn’t think the man would give up easily. He was a domineering and obstinate man, after all. As long as he wanted something, he would get it at all costs.

Elias smiled without responding to her.

Certainly, he wasn’t willing to give up. It had come to a point where he was determined to achieve his goal no matter what.

Moreover, if he didn’t retrieve his grandfather’s shares, his aunt and his good-for-nothing cousin would ruin everything. By then, the Winters Enterprise would be sold off.

Elias wouldn’t let the business his grandfather had spent his entire life building be gone for good.

“Amanda, I told you the truth because you have the right to know. As for whether you’re going to acknowledge them as your family, it’s up to you, and I won’t interfere. I know you need time to sort things out. Please get some rest.”

With that, he got to his feet and was ready to leave.

If Amanda was unwilling to lend him a helping hand, he had to start everything from scratch. As such, there was a lot he had to do.

As Amanda looked at the man’s towering figure, she said suddenly. “You seem to have lost some weight. Are you busy retrieving your grandfather’s shares?”

Elias stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. “Yes.”

She found out that the man had been busy getting back his shares. He became downcast after his grandfather’s death. As such, his aunt took the chance and snatched the shares away from him. Now that he had pulled himself together, he certainly had to take back what was rightfully his.

“Were you happy when you found out I was Jack’s daughter? If I ask Jack for help, he’ll help you get back those shares. Is that your plan, Mr. Winters?”

That was the Elias Winters she knew. A man who was intelligent and merciless.

Elias remained silent for a long time before he walked up to her and said solemnly. “To be honest, I’d be lying if I told you that never crossed my mind. I hope you’ll lend me a hand, but if you’re not willing to do so, I won’t force you. That’s because matching back the shares is my matter, and it’s not your duty. I understand that “

“How righteous you are. In that case, why did you showack the paternity test result first instead of me! Don’t you want him to owe you a favor? Her voice was filled with disdain.

The man fresered. I’m never going to marry Stephanie. Are you happy with this explanation

An enraged Amanda had no ides what right the man had to be furious. He made many decisions without her knowledge, after all She stood up from the couch and sneered. “Why dont you want to marry Stephanie? Not only is the young and beautiful, but the can also give you a hand. Why did you even try to search for her long-lost sister? Turns out that I’m her older sister, and your plans are ruined.”

“Amanda. I’ll say it one more time. I’ve never wanted to marry Stephanie. I don’t love her?

“Why did you say that to me in the garage a while back, then? Was it all an act?” Amanda was furious when the thought about the incident in the garage.

Elias replied, “Yes, it was just an act. That was because Jack was hiding somewhere near us, so I didn’t want to arouse his suspicion. I needed his help to help me retrieve the shares, after all. At that time. I didn’t know that you were the other daughter of the Allegra Family

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 261 Scandal

Amanda remained silent and watched the man blow his top, barely remembering the last time she saw him mad. They stared at each other for a while before Elias’ phone rang all of a sudden, breaking the dead silence.

He answered the call. “Speak.” Upon hearing what the other party said, he uttered, “I got it. I’ll be there soon. No one is allowed to speak to the reporters or say nonsense!”

After hanging up the call, he turned to look at Amanda, who had calmed down. “I told you I only wanted to get to the truth, and you’ll deal with the rest. No one can force you to acknowledge the Allegras as your family. If they make you do that, you can tell me about it, and I’ll protect you. That’s it. I have to take my leave now. There’s something I need to attend to.”

With that, he turned around and left, leaving Amanda alone in the spacious living room as she plunged onto the couch. She didn’t mean to vent her anger on Elias, but she couldn’t control her emotions. It was. difficult for her to accept such shocking news, after all.

While sitting on the couch, she felt fidgety and had no idea how to calm herself down. Just then, she received a notification of the latest news on her phone. She wasn’t in the mood to take a look, so she picked up her phone and wanted to toss it away.

However, when she caught sight of the news on the screen, it instantly grabbed her attention.

The Secretary of Winters Enterprise’s President Committed Suicide by Jumping off the Building.

What?! The Winters Enterprise?

Amanda quickly switched on her phone and took a look at the latest news, only to discover that everyone was talking about the incident.

It was no wonder Elias had left in a hurry, for such a serious incident had happened at the company. She clicked into a news article and realized that the deceased was Elias’ first love, Natasha, though the man had never admitted to it.

What’s going on?

Out of curiosity, she went through the news article and learned that the secretary had committed suicide by jumping off the company building. It was suspected that she had been troubled by love affairs. The writer of the article speculated that the secretary had hooked up with Elias and wanted to marry him, but the man turned her down straight away. As such, she was dejected and decided to end her life.

After reading the article, Amanda found it laughable. This is ridiculous.

She supposed Elias’ enemies had hired the writer to produce such an article to demonize the man. He was described as a jerk who messed with women. Besides that, he was also framed as a psychopath who tortured the secretary, causing her to commit suicide.

Amanda wondered how Elias was going to deal with the matter.

As a lawyer, she would suggest Elias not making a statement for the time being. Instead, he should observe the incident development and deal with the case first. After all, a life was lost.

She opened her contact list, ready to call the man. Nevertheless, after giving it some thought, she decided. not to do it. There were many people on the Winters Enterprise’s PR team, so her advice was likely redundant.

Meanwhile, Elias arrived at the underground parking lot of the Winters Enterprise and entered the elevator. Yacob, the assistants, and the secretaries had been waiting outside the elevator.

The moment the door was opened, the man stepped out of it, after which a group of people surrounded him and reported everything to him.

“What should we do, Mr. Winters? The corpse is still outside the company, and the police are looking into the matter. Many reporters and passers-by have taken countless videos and photos and posted them online. We can’t stop everyone from talking about it.” Yacob followed him and seemed to be on the brink of tears.

“Mr. Winters, many reporters would-like to interview you. They’ve been asking the employees questions. The older employees know they shouldn’t say anything, but the newer ones are not so restrained.”

“Mr. Winters, Natasha committed suicide because her parents came to the company and forced her to give them money. They even laid a hand on her. Many people pulled them away from Natasha and chased them out of the company. I believe that was the reason she jumped off the building”

Elias finally heard something useful. He stopped in his tracks and glanced at that secretary. “Are you saying that she ended her life because her parents demanded money from her?”

I think so. Her parents had humiliated and abused her in the company. It must be embarrassing for her. No one could ever accept such humiliation-

Before the secretary even finished speaking, Elias told Yacob, “Find out who Natasha’s parents are. Also, get the surveillance footage and take screenshots of her parents hitting her. Post the images online when it’s necessary.”

Yacob replied, “Yes, right away.”

Then, Elias glanced at his assistant. “Chase the reporters away and ask the PR Department to take down the news articles.”

“Yes.”

All of them left the place one by one, following Elias” orders.

He entered his office and stood in front of the windows before looking down at the crowd. The police had cordoned off the area, and Natasha’s corpse had been put inside a body bag. Everything looked dismal.

Life was full of uncertainties.

Natasha had prepared coffee for Elias the day before, but she was a dead body now.”

Is that why Natasha never wanted to leave the company? The Winters Enterprise had prepared accommodation for employees who needed it, and everyone had a room to themselves. As such, Natasha had always stayed in the hostel and refused to return home. It seemed that she had been avoiding her parents.

Although Elias didn’t love the woman, he let out a sigh as he had seen too many corpses over the years.

A young woman was gone for good, after all.

Exhausted, he closed his eyes to get some rest.

–

It seemed that he had been unlucky recently. Before he even settled the problem at hand, another one arose.

By the same evening, the discussions about Natasha’s death on the internet had intensified. Some people even started spreading rumors that Elias had killed Natasha and pushed her off the building to make it look like suicide.

Amanda had been following the incident on Twitter. As she went through the unfounded rumors, she had the urge to argue with those netizens.

“All of them are ridiculous. Do they think they’re detectives or something? How could they spout nonsense like this?” Amanda muttered as she read the comments online.

Selina couldn’t help but ask, “What are the comments about?”

Amanda got to her feet and passed her the tablet. “See it for yourself. They’ve even started creating rumors.”

Selina took the tablet and skimmed through the comments, which were so nasty that she became furious. instantly.

I suspect that Natasha was killed because of love affairs, and the murderer is Elias. That’s why he has been. hiding since the incident happened. He doesn’t even have the guts to say anything about it.

“She was quite beautiful. Did Elias force himself on her or something? That’s why she felt humiliated and killed herself.

“I saw a rumor saying that the secretary was impregnated by Elias, but he refused to take responsibility. The woman was unwilling to get the child aborted because she wanted to marry Elias. But now, she’s dead. The more I think about it, the more terrified I feel:

‘I have a relative who works at the Winters Enterprise. It’s said that the woman was Elias’ first love.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 262 You Shouldn’t Have Come

Selina’s eyes widened in disbelief as she read the unfounded rumors. These people have crossed the line. How could they spread and even create rumors when they know nothing? A woman’s life is lost, so how could they do such a thing?”

Amanda sneered. “That’s the last of their concerns. They believe that since they’re anonymous on the internet, they can spout nonsense as they please, and there won’t be any consequences. If Elias dares to press charges against them, they will boycott the Winters Enterprise’s products and call him narrow- minded.”

“The more I read these comments, the more furious I feel. I don’t want to see it anymore. A vexed Selina put down the tablet.

Just then, an excited Aiden rushed over and asked, “It’s the weekend, Mommy. Is Daddy coming over to head out with me?”

Well, Elias is probably busy dealing with the scandal right now. I don’t think he’ll have time to come over and have fun with his son.

At the thought of this. Amanda explained patiently, “Baby, your daddy is swamped with work today, so we have to be considerate. Don’t you agree?”

Upon hearing that, Aiden hung his head low. Despite feeling unhappy, he pouted and said, “Alright, I’ll have fun on my own today.”

Amanda touched his face with a smile. “You’re such a good boy. Miss Selina and I will prepare shrimp for you tomorrow as a reward.”

“Yay! That’s great!” Aiden turned around and ran back to his room with a joyful expression.

“Amanda, do you think Mr. Winters might have an affair with the secretary? Otherwise, why did she commit suicide all of a sudden?” Selina was interested in the real reason behind Natasha’s death.

“That’s impossible,” Amanda replied without hesitation. Her response was resolute, as if she understood. the man fully well.

“I’m saying what if-”

“There’s no what-if.” Amanda cut her off. “I understand Elias, and he’s not that kind of person. Since he said Natasha wasn’t his first love, that’s definitely true. I’m not saying that he’s righteous. It’s just that he can’t be bothered to lie. That’s because he has the money to bear all sorts of consequences. If the rumors were true that Natasha was indeed impregnated with his child-he could’ve let the woman give birth to it. It’s not like he’s too poor to raise a child. As such, your what-if doesn’t hold water?

A convinced Selina dipped her head. “You have a point. It seems that your ex-husband is pretty righteous. and reliable.”

Amanda sneered. “That’s true. Even if he wants to mess with women, he’ll make it clear and won’t let them have any hope.”

Presently, she was watching the television because the news channel was reporting the incident.

It seemed that she had to head to the company the next day. Regardless, she was still the legal consultant of the company on paper. Since such a scandal had broken out, she couldn’t just stay at home and do nothing.

The next morning, Amanda put on a suit and headed to the Winters Enterprise. After entering the lobby, she saw an elderly couple holding a banner that claimed Elias had killed their daughter.

She stopped in her tracks and looked at them. Are they Natasha’s parents?

Under normal circumstances, the relatives would deal with the funeral first before they went looking for the culprit. Natasha’s parents came to the company the next day after she passed away, so it was apparent that they were after money.

Just then, a security guard came over and said, “Please hurry up and don’t look at them, Miss Bailey. They’ll catch anyone and accuse Mr. Elias of killing their daughter.”

“Why do you guys let them stand there?” Amanda asked.

The security guard replied, “We have no other choice. We’d asked them to head to the reception room to have a talk, but they turned down the suggestion. They insisted on staying here and putting on an act.”

“What do you mean?”

The security guard continued in a hushed voice, “This elderly couple is pretty interesting. On the day their daughter committed suicide, they had come to the company and demanded money from Natasha. They scolded and hit her in front of many people. After they were gone, Natasha ended her own life. How do they have the nerve to come here and demand justice?”

Upon hearing that, Amanda finally understood what was happening and figured out why Natasha committed suicide.

She took another look at the elderly couple, no longer having any sympathy for them. Then, she was ready to walk toward the elevator.

The security guard said politely, “Are you going to see the president? He’ll probably need your legal advice. Please use the elevator on the left as the one on the right is under repair.”

Thanks, Amanda said and headed toward the elevator.

When the elderly couple heard the word ‘legal, their eyes brightened as they dashed forward and stopped. Amanda.

“Are you a lawyer, miss? Can you help get justice for our daughter? She was killed by the president of this company!”

A helpless Amanda was pulled back to the lobby. She gazed at the two of them and explained, “Yes, I’m a lawyer, but I’m the legal consultant of this company.”

The man asked, “What does a legal consultant do? Can you get justice for my daughter? I don’t care what your title is as long as you can stand up for our daughter.“

The security guard rushed over and pulled Amanda away from them before standing in front of her. “What are you doing, sir and madam? She’s the legal consultant of our company, so she’ll only defend our rights. If you need a lawyer, hire one yourself.”

“What? Are you saying she’ll only defend this company? Elias had killed my daughter, so how could you still help him? You’re a terrible person as well!” The man stared resentfully at Amanda.

Then, the elderly couple lifted the banner again and lamented to the employees about how miserable they were.

“Please leave in a hurry, Miss Bailey. Otherwise, they’ll pester you again,” suggested the security guard.

Amanda nodded and entered the elevator.

Elias was dealing with work in the president’s office when he heard someone knocking on the door from the outside.

Without lifting his head, he said, “Come in.”

Amanda pushed the door open and saw the man signing a document.

Even when she sat down in front of him, he was still unaware of her presence. It wasn’t until he was done with work and lifted his head that he was met with the woman’s clear gaze.

He was startled for a moment, but he soon pulled himself together. “Why are you here? You shouldn’t have come at this point. There are reporters everywhere.”

“I’m the legal consultant of this company, so I have to help deal with the crisis as well.”

Elias was rendered speechless. To be honest, he didn’t want Amanda to be dragged into this matter.

She leaned against the chair and cut to the chase by saying, “Have you come up with a way to deal with it? The elderly couple is putting all their effort into it. I’ve heard from the security guard that they’ve been. standing in the lobby for more than ten hours, even though they are old and frail. They’ve been crying and lamenting, but they don’t seem exhausted at all.”

The man snorted. “If they can get exorbitant compensation, their effort will be worth it. They certainly hope to stand there for a longer time to get more money.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 263 Miss Bailey Makes Her Move

After that, Elias received another call. There seemed to be some new developments in Natasha’s case. He gazed at Amanda and said, “You should go back. The company is in chaos right now, and I don’t have time to deal with you.”

“Go back? Where to? Have you fired me? I don’t recall submitting my resignation letter either so that still makes me this company’s legal advisor. How can I not be present when something like this happens?” Amanda crossed her arms and gazed plainly at him.

Elias fell silent at that. Just like that, the former husband and wife stared at each other for a long, long time as if they had cast aside all distractions and obstacles around them. Suddenly…

“Mr. Winters, we’re in trouble!” Yacob rushed into the office frantically, only to freeze the next second. “Sorry, I’ll come back later. He instinctively wanted to retreat.

Yacob’s voice broke the endless gaze between the two, and Amanda averted her gaze.

Elias, on the other hand, called him back. “Come back. What happened? Shoot.”

Yacob obediently returned and walked up to the desk, his face serious. “I don’t know who gave those two the idea, but they invited a group of internet celebrities to live stream the scene. Everyone online is watching, and we’re being heavily criticized. Natasha’s parents are still there, crying and sobbing. They’re still going strong.”

“What the hell are they waiting for?” Elias frowned.

He had someone go and negotiate early on, asking the elderly couple to come to the conference room for negotiations, but they flatly refused and continued standing there, holding their banner.

“Who knows?!” Yacob grumbled. “Who knows who’s giving ideas behind them, but it’s obvious they want to ruin Winters Enterprise’s name.”

At that, Amanda snorted. “Do you even need to guess? It must be one of your enemies. This is the best time to ruin your company’s reputation, isn’t it?”

“What should we do now?” Yacob slapped the table anxiously. If this went on, their image would be completely ruined, though it was already in jeopardy.

Suddenly, Amanda stood up and walked out of the office, saying. “I’ll go and meet with this mastermind.”

Yacob and Elias exchanged a glance, seemingly not quite understanding her intentions, but they followed her nonetheless.

Meanwhile, in the lobby of the first floor, the Knox couple grew increasingly addicted to their act, and several internet celebrities were live streaming with their phones..

Many employees of the company were gathered, discussing and gossiping. After all, no one would have the mindset to work properly, given the situation. Everyone came to watch the excitement.

Elias and Amanda stood behind the crowd, observing the absurd and comical scene, and Yacob stood behind the two, saying, “See how the elderly couple is distracting our employees from work. Our many clients coming in for business discussions can’t even enter.”

Elias squinted his eyes slightly. He was genuinely at a loss for what to do with the couple at this point. However, he couldn’t let them spread garbage either.

A chuckle escaped Amanda at that. “Whatever you guys say or do will be wrong, and this is the time for us lawyers to step up and sort everything out for you. Also, this will help you realize how worthwhile it is to hire a lawyer.”

Both men looked at Amanda. It seemed that this was indeed her area of expertise.

Meanwhile, Amanda walked into the crowd and approached the elderly couple, and the man became alert and pulled his wife aside as soon as he saw Amanda, glaring daggers at her. “Aren’t you the lawyer who only handles lawsuits for this company? What are you doing here?”

Immediately, the internet celebrities who were live streaming quickly turned their cameras toward Amanda’s face and started filming, adding various commentaries.

“Look, guys, this is the Winters Enterprise’s lawyer. Let’s see what she has to say. This regards a person’s life, folks!”

“She actually defends this unscrupulous company. Does she have any conscience while earning this dirty. money?!”

Amanda couldn’t be bothered by the mockery and ridicule from these internet celebrities. It was the perfect opportunity to use these live-streaming cameras to make the public see certain things clearly.

“Sir, Ma’am, is Miss Natasha Knox your biological daughter?”

Her question shocked everyone present. They couldn’t believe Amanda would ask such a question. She was just rubbing salt on the elderly couple’s wound, wasn’t she?!

The live stream chat rooms, too, were filled with curses, accusing Amanda of earning dirty money.

“What is she doing, Mr. Winters?!” Yacob was dumbfounded. Does she think we haven’t been badly criticized enough? How can she ask such a question?!”

However, Elias didn’t say anything but only calmly observed. He’d like to see what Amanda had in mind.

The elderly man was taken aback by Amanda’s question, but he quickly reacted and berated, “What nonsense are you talking about? Of course, Natasha is our birth daughter! Are you even human, to ask such a question at a time like this?!”

"Please don’t get me wrong, Amanda said composedly. “I just want to know, since you are her biological parents, do you know where Natasha’s body is right now? Have you identified her body to the police? But according to the police, they notified the family to identify the body, yet they never showed up. I assumed you guys have been too busy, but now, seeing that you two have been here all this while, you’re not too busy yourselves. So, how about going to the police station and seeing your biological daughter one last time? Do you not want to do that?”

The next second, the crowd erupted. Even the viewers in the live stream burst into an uproar.

“What’s going on? Did the elderly couple not identify their daughter’s body at the police station at all? Did they come here with their banner directly?!”

“Are they really parents?! How can they treat their own daughter like that?! Are they really not going to see
her one last time?”

‘Good Lord, what kind of weirdo parents are they?! They’re crying their hearts out here but wouldn’t even bother to identify the body!”

Even the internet celebrities who were live streaming were dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. They could only stare in disbelief.

The Knox couple, on the other hand, turned mortified upon hearing the criticisms, and Mr. Knox shouted. at Amanda, stuttering, “T-That’s… That’s because we couldn’t bear to see it. W-We… We want to seek justice for our daughter! F-For her life! If we don’t come here now, the public will forget about this very quickly. Will this heartless company take responsibility, then?! You truly are a heartless lawyer. G-Go away! We won’t talk to you!”

The elderly couple realized they would easily fall into this lawyer’s trap if they talked to her, for she was constantly trying to manipulate their words.

“In that case,” Amanda asked innocently, “I still want to know why did you come to scold and berate Natasha the day she jumped? Do you not care about your daughter’s reputation in the company?”

The live-streaming internet celebrities were even more dumbfounded in response. They initially stood by the ‘defenseless’ Knox couple’s side, but now, after hearing Amanda’s questions, they began suspecting the couple was just trying to extort money.

“No, wait, mister, do you really come and cause a scene the day your daughter died? Why did you physically assault your daughter in front of so many people in the company?”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 264 Do You Care?

Internet celebrities thought their values had been shattered. Shocks overcame them as they suddenly thought they might have chosen the wrong side. Even the viewers on the live stream chat rooms began. raising doubts.

“What’s going on? Are they really the victim’s parents? How can they do this to their daughter?!”

‘It seems that Natasha Knox jumped off the building purely because her parents caused a scene in the company. Who wouldn’t be mortified in that situation?! I know I will!

I put myself in her shoes, and to be scolded and berated by my parents in front of my colleagues in the office, I believe I would want to… Goodness, what scary parents.

‘Guys, until now, this elderly couple hadn’t gone to the police station to identify their daughter’s body! Instead, they went to protest at Winters Enterprise with their banners. Why is that? It’s definitely for money!

Realizing that public opinion was no longer in their favor, the elderly couples decided to leave quickly. seeing there was no benefit in staying

“You really are a heartless lawyer! How can you always speak up for this company? Aren’t you afraid of retribution? What’s wrong with us coming to the company to find our daughter? What’s wrong with hitting our daughter? We didn’t make her commit suicide! It was this company that drove our daughter to jump off the building! Why not question this company but suspect us instead?! Are you trying to say that we forced our own daughter to death?!” Mr. Knox berated Amanda while dragging his wife out of the lobby with their banner.

They didn’t know what other unfavorable words the lawyer might say if they stayed any longer. So, amid a chorus of questioning, the elderly couples left the company.

The Internet celebrities, too, left, feeling that the situation was no longer interesting.

Meanwhile, Amanda looked around at the surrounding employees and said, “Alright, everyone, get back to work. Go on. Run along now.”

After that, she turned and approached Yacob and Elias with a quirked brow. “Here you go, peace and quiet.”

Yacob finally realized the abilities of a lawyer and was dumbfounded. “Hats off to you, Miss Bailey. The two of them had been causing a scene here for dozens of hours, but nobody could get rid of them. You, on the other hand, handled it effortlessly. As expected from a top-notch lawyer.”

“So….” Amanda looked at Elias. “Do you think this lawyer’s fee is worth it?”

“I’ll give you a raise,” Elias said with a smirk.

“Pift, as if I care. I’ll probably be even busier after my law firm establishes. No need to bother me with minor issues in the company, but you have to notify me regarding major incidents like this.”

“Hmm.” Elias nodded, staring at her.

She was no longer the submissive Amanda who revolved around him four years ago. Now, she had her own career, thoughts, and personality, and she could even stand on her own.

An inexplicable sense of crisis suddenly arose within him, and he began believing that Amanda didn’t need his protection as much anymore.

What would he do if it came a day when Amanda found someone she genuinely loved, and they also loved her back?!

Elias couldn’t shake off the feeling that Amanda’s feelings toward him had faded. Now, they were just two people co-parenting their child without any other emotional investment.

At noon, the two ate their lunches in the company cafeteria.

Amanda wasn’t particularly hungry and ate absentmindedly, while Elias seemed to be eating seriously but didn’t appear hungry.

“Are you really hungry? I remember you used to dislike the food in the company cafeteria,” Amanda said.

“I have to eat even if I’m not hungry.” Elias looked up and replied to her. “There are still many things I need to handle. If I wait until I’m hungry to eat, I might not have the time.”

Amanda fell silent at that.

That seemed to be the case. Ever since Howard passed, all the burdens fell solely on Elias’ shoulders, He had to bear them even if he didn’t want to. Every day, various matters needed his attention as soon as he opened his eyes. He had no choice.

“How is the wound on your back healing? Did you go to the hospital to have it treated?” Amanda asked.

“No, I didn’t go,” Elias replied. “I don’t have the time. I can apply the medication myself, and it should be recovering fine.”

Since the day Natasha dressed his wound, he decided to do it himself. Even if it was an area he couldn’t reach, he wouldn’t ask Yacob for help, for that dumb’ss would only ask a female secretary to apply the medication. He might as well do it himself.

Amanda frowned in response. Isn’t he neglecting his own well-being too much?! As busy as he gets, he should still pay attention to his wound. That was sulfuric acid, for goodness sake!

“Are you pushing yourself too hard? You have so many employees. Is it necessary to do this? It’s sulfuric acid, after all. You should pay attention to the progress of your wound’s recovery!” Amanda became inexplicably angry, even though she wasn’t sure why she was angry.

Seeing how upset she was, Elias asked with a smirk, “Do you care?”

“Me?” Amanda quickly denied it after recovering from her stupefaction. “Why should I care? That’s your body, not mine. Besides, we’re already divorced. You’re just my ex-husband. I don’t care about you.”

Elias looked at his food, seemingly contemplating something, before speaking up, “Amanda… I…”.

“What do you want to say?”

“Never mind, it’s nothing. Let’s eat. After that, I’ll have Yacob send you back. I have several meetings in the afternoon.” He thought it over and decided it was better to drop it. He thought he was no longer worthy.

Amanda thought she had guessed what he wanted to say, but at the same time, she didn’t.

In the afternoon, Amanda continued to be busy with her law firm, which had entered the renovation. phase. She planned to decorate it in a minimalist style and was ready to find a renovation company to outsource the work. She didn’t have time to worry about these things anymore.

Just then, her phone rang. Seeing it was Selina, she answered it. “What’s up?”

“Amanda, I’m picking Aiden up from school, but the people from this morning are also here. They also want to pick Aiden up. What should we do?”

The Allegras?! Amanda instantly put the documents down and said gravely, “Wait there. I’ll be right over.”

She sped to the kindergarten and saw Selina holding Aiden’s hand, with Jack and Edith standing across from them. To her relief, Stephanie wasn’t there.

Little Aiden clung to Selina’s hand, looking timidly at the two elders in front of him, pouting with a sense of grievance. “I want Mommy..

“Mommy will be here soon.” Selina ruffled his little head.

Amanda, livid, immediately charged up to them. “What do you people want?! Are you trying to force us into acknowledging our relationship?!”

Meanwhile, Aiden rushed to his mother immediately and wrapped his little arms around her legs tightly. “It’s okay. Mommy’s here.” Amanda soothed him, picking him up.

“What with that attitude?!” Jack reprimanded with a frown. “Your mother just wanted to see the child. We didn’t do anything. Must you have such hostility?!”

“What’s there to see? Aiden doesn’t even know you two. Do you think a child would like two strangers?” Amanda couldn’t understand why the Allegras were in such a hurry. Can they not give me time to ease into the situation?!