Ernest offered no repetition of his devastating statement.
Her reaction made it abundantly clear that every word had reached her with perfect clarity.
Another sigh escaped him as he forced himself to continue. “Whatever existed between Elissa and me belongs to the past. However, during our time together, she conceived my child.”
His head moved from side to side with finality that brooked no argument. “I cannot simply walk away from her now.”
Linda absorbed each word in stunned silence, the color draining from her complexion as tremors began to affect her lips.
The dam of her composure burst without warning, her voice rising to a shriek of desperate fury. “And what about me? What happens to me in all of this?”
“I’m sorry.” Ernest forced himself to maintain eye contact, offering no elaborate explanations or justifications. “I’m truly sorry.”
“What?” Shock rendered Linda nearly speechless. “That’s your complete response? Are you suggesting that I must learn to coexist with your mistress?”
Ernest allowed a brief silence to settle between them before delivering the same inadequate response. “I’m sorry.”
The response proved utterly unacceptable to Linda, who pressed both hands against her chest as tears began to redden her eyes. “Your apologies are worthless to me! They mean absolutely nothing!”
With sudden violence, her hand shot out to seize Ernest’s tie, her gaze burning with desperate intensity. “Answer me honestly—are you only agreeing to marry me because I begged you to?”
Rather than offering a direct response, Ernest chose his words with careful precision. “You expressed your fear of facing the future alone… Becoming my wife grants you permanent status within the Flynn family, regardless of whether…”
The sentence hung unfinished in the air as he studied Linda’s face with quiet intensity.
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The unspoken truth lingered between them—both understood exactly what he had left unsaid.
Linda’s stare lingered, her mouth betraying a bitter twitch. “So, should I be grateful to you? Should I take care of your mistress, too?”
“No need.” Ernest’s frown deepened as he shook his head. “I’ll handle her care. You just leave her alone.”
He hesitated, then continued, “If you have grievances, aim them at me. From beginning to end, she remains blameless.”
Linda parted her lips as tears carved bitter paths down her cheeks.
Ernest leaned forward, retrieved the tissue box from the table, and extended it toward her. “I’ll have the servants bring your meal. You must eat to maintain your strength.”
With those words, he rose and departed.
As she observed his retreating figure, Linda released a soft, hollow laugh, whispering to the empty room, “You’re simply counting the days until I die, aren’t you? After all, my time grows short!”
Several days passed before Elissa’s condition improved enough for the doctor to grant her discharge, permitting her return home for recovery.
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