Her voice cracked as she spoke again. “My grandfather is gone, Ernest. There’s no way to undo that. No way back.”
She looked at him, her gaze lingering, tracing the lines of his face—the one she had once loved so deeply.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and then her voice broke as she sobbed. “Every time I see your face, I’m hit with the same unbearable guilt—that I was the reason my grandfather died. If I stay with you, he’ll never find peace. He raised me. He loved me, truly—he was one of the only people in this world who did.”
Her chest tightened with pain as she turned her face away, unable to meet his eyes anymore.
“Elissa!” Ernest groaned, gripping his head in torment. “I’m so sorry about your grandfather. I never wanted this to happen—it was an accident!”
“An accident?” Tears spilled down Elissa’s cheeks as she looked at him, her voice quivering under the weight of grief. “That was my grandfather! He could’ve lived the rest of his life in peace—with his family. And now you stand here and call it an accident?”
As the words left her mouth, Elissa gasped and clutched at her chest, her breathing turning shallow and erratic.
Ernest reached out to steady her, alarmed. “What is it? Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?”
“It’s none of your business…” Elissa gasped, trying to push him away. Her voice was weak, but her resolve didn’t waver. “Let go of me. I don’t need your help!”
“Elissa,” Ernest said, his voice firm, his arms still around her. “You should know by now—I can’t let you go. I never could.”
There was a tightness in his tone—frustration and helplessness rising just beneath the surface.
He continued, his voice strained. “If I were capable of letting you go, I’d have done it long ago—but I can’t. So tell me, what is it you want me to do?”
“Release me!”
Elissa’s voice trembled with helpless desperation, while Ernest’s remained steady and unyielding.
“Release her immediately!”
Ernest had managed only two steps while dragging Elissa when Savannah reappeared, clutching a bag of freshly purchased water bottles.
The purchase itself had been quick, but a phone conversation with her husband had detained her longer than expected. When she finally returned, she found Ernest locked in a physical struggle with Elissa.
“Ernest!” Savannah charged forward, yanking Elissa to safety behind her protective stance. Her stare burned with fury and cautious hostility as she faced him. “What do you want? You cling to us like a persistent shadow! You tracked us down here? I never imagined this from you, Mr. Flynn—a man of your position, degraded to a common stalker!”
Ernest wielded his wealth and influence like weapons, proving ruthless in his pursuit.
“I’m giving you fair warning! If you continue tormenting my daughter, I will contact the authorities!” Savannah’s lips curled with contempt. “Certainly, you possess immunity in countless areas, Mr. Flynn, but some forces remain beyond even your reach. The police will manage what you cannot!”
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