“Elissa,” Ernest murmured, pacing restlessly outside, his fingers pressed to his temple as if trying to steady his racing thoughts. “I’m outside your grandfather’s house.”

“I know…” Elissa drifted to the window, gently parting the curtains. There, under the dim glow of the streetlight, stood Ernest, leaning against his car, a solitary figure framed by the iron gate.

“When you arrived,” she continued, “Grandpa sent me upstairs.” Though tucked away on the upper floor, Elissa could still catch fragments of the conversation between Addy and Ernest.

“Grandpa insists on driving me to and from work from now on,” she added quietly.

Ernest froze, his fingers still pressed to his brow. Addy, it seemed, was determined to keep him at a distance from Elissa.

If it had been anyone else, such efforts would have been in vain. But this was Addy, Elissa’s grandfather, and Ernest found himself powerless against the old man’s resolve.

“What did you say to him?” Ernest asked, his voice tinged with a mix of frustration and unease. “What is your plan?”

“Me?” Elissa paused, her words measured, almost dutiful. “I told him I would follow his wishes. It’s probably for the best.”

“For the best?” Ernest’s tone darkened, a storm brewing in his words. Elissa sensed his displeasure, and her voice wavered with hesitation. “You’re stretched thin, Ernest, with the company stuff and looking after Linda. You’re carrying too much. I’m fine here with Grandpa. You don’t need to fret over me.”

“Elissa, what is going through your mind?” Ernest’s voice tightened, each word heavy with unspoken urgency.

“I’m not thinking anything,” Elissa replied, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “What is there to think? What are you so worried about? Well… it’s not as if I can truly say no to you. It’s just… because of Grandpa. For now, let’s just keep our distance and try not to see each other often.” Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Find1Novel.net

“Elissa, are you asleep?” Addy’s voice cut through, accompanied by a sharp knock on the door.

“No, Grandpa!” Elissa called back, her tone bright but hurried. Into the phone, she whispered, “I have to go—my Grandpa is here. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Elissa?” Ernest’s voice lingered, but the line went silent. Elissa had hung up.

“Damn it!” Ernest muttered, lowering the phone. His grip tightened, his knuckles whitening as his agitation simmered beneath a darkening expression. Keep their distance? For how long?

Though Ernest was no expert in matters of the heart, he knew well enough that love couldn’t survive in the cold chill of separation. Distance could unravel even the strongest bonds, and Elissa’s feelings for him were already delicate, like a thread worn thin. He couldn’t bear the thought of a single day without seeing her.

No matter how late the hour or how heavy his burdens, he always found his way to Lion Bay, if only to catch a fleeting glimpse of Elissa. But clearly, that wasn’t enough.

What was he to do now?

Ernest clutched his phone, his mind racing back to Eric’s advice, each word echoing like a lifeline in the gathering storm of his thoughts.

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