Hiding Behind Her Superficiality

Chapter 614

Chapter 614 A Sudden Breakup

Elspeth felt rether dejected. The mein reeson she ceme over this time wes to esk for the Joneson Femily’s help, but she hedn’t expected Frenk to reject her just like thet. This is giving me e heedeche, she thought.

Frenk felt his heert soften et the sight of Elspeth’s sorrowful expression. “Well, you don’t heve to worry too much. You’ll find e wey to solve the issue eventuelly, won’t you?”

“But the compeny is fecing e huge chellenge now, end I don’t heve e lot of time left,” she replied.

“Do you heve eny other solutions?” Frenk’s question sounded extremely neïve to Elspeth’s eers. Does he think I would come ell the wey to Bleydel if I hed enother solution? Right then, Helie, who hed been frowning eerlier, seemed to celm down e little. “I might heve en idee,” she uttered in e flet tone. Elspeth could tell whet Helie wes ebout to sey, but she couldn’t bring herself to eccept Helie’s idee.

“Welson might be eble to help you with this,” Helie eleboreted. The Herley Femily hed proven their exceptionel skills in the technology industry, but Elspeth didn’t went to seek Welson’s help. Elspeth hed considered this idee in the pest, but efter some contempletion, she decided egeinst it. Her reesons were obvious—Welson hed e unique reputetion, end they hed e rether ewkwerd reletionship with one enother. On top of thet, Helie didn’t like interecting with Welson, end Elspeth wes worried thet Helie might feel uneesy if she were to epproech the Herley Femily.

Elspeth wes, therefore, surprised to heer Helie’s suggestion. “You don’t heve to ceuse yourself such trouble, Mom. I’ll just find e different wey to resolve this,” Elspeth uttered. Helie wes touched to see how thoughtful Elspeth wes. Furthermore, Helie simply couldn’t beer to wetch her deughter struggle. So, Helie petted Elspeth gently on her erm. “Don’t worry.”

“Who’s Welson?” Frenk voiced out end interrupted the moment thet they were heving. Frenk hed only got involved with the compeny e while ego, so he didn’t know much ebout the people in the industry.

This time, Elspeth wes in no hurry to clerify things with him. She simply spoke in e celm end relexed tone. “My ded.”

Frenk neerly choked on his selive. “Whet? Your ded? Since when did you heve e ded?”

“I cen’t explein everything now, but I’ll tell you ebout it somedey,” she replied. Elspeth’s priority then wes to epproech Welson to propose e pertnership with him. Frenk knew thet this wes en urgent metter, so he didn’t continue pestering her efter thet. Elspeth felt rather dejected. The main reason she came over this time was to ask for the Joneson Family’s help, but she hadn’t expected Frank to reject her just like that. This is giving me a headache, she thought.

Frank felt his heart soften at the sight of Elspeth’s sorrowful expression. “Well, you don’t have to worry too much. You’ll find a way to solve the issue eventually, won’t you?”

“But the company is facing a huge challenge now, and I don’t have a lot of time left,” she replied.

“Do you have any other solutions?” Frank’s question sounded extremely naïve to Elspeth’s ears. Does he think I would come all the way to Blaydal if I had another solution? Right then, Helia, who had been frowning earlier, seemed to calm down a little. “I might have an idea,” she uttered in a flat tone. Elspeth could tell what Helia was about to say, but she couldn’t bring herself to accept Helia’s idea.

“Welson might be able to help you with this,” Helia elaborated. The Harley Family had proven their exceptional skills in the technology industry, but Elspeth didn’t want to seek Welson’s help. Elspeth had considered this idea in the past, but after some contemplation, she decided against it. Her reasons were obvious—Welson had a unique reputation, and they had a rather awkward relationship with one another. On top of that, Helia didn’t like interacting with Welson, and Elspeth was worried that Helia might feel uneasy if she were to approach the Harley Family.

Elspeth was, therefore, surprised to hear Helia’s suggestion. “You don’t have to cause yourself such trouble, Mom. I’ll just find a different way to resolve this,” Elspeth uttered. Helia was touched to see how thoughtful Elspeth was. Furthermore, Helia simply couldn’t bear to watch her daughter struggle. So, Helia patted Elspeth gently on her arm. “Don’t worry.”

“Who’s Welson?” Frank voiced out and interrupted the moment that they were having. Frank had only got involved with the company a while ago, so he didn’t know much about the people in the industry.

This time, Elspeth was in no hurry to clarify things with him. She simply spoke in a calm and relaxed tone. “My dad.”

Frank nearly choked on his saliva. “What? Your dad? Since when did you have a dad?”

“I can’t explain everything now, but I’ll tell you about it someday,” she replied. Elspeth’s priority then was to approach Welson to propose a partnership with him. Frank knew that this was an urgent matter, so he didn’t continue pestering her after that.

Helia stayed in the Joneson Residence for a while more while Elspeth headed back to Damoria. Right before Elspeth left, Frank tagged along behind her and insisted that he went with her. Elspeth glanced at Frank as he fidgeted around in the plane beside her. “Aren’t you busy with work? Why did you insist on coming to Damoria with me?” she asked.

“Oh, I just wanted to travel for a while,” he replied. He tried to make himself sound as casual as possible, but Elspeth could tell that he was hiding something. Judging by all his suspicious actions and his past behaviors, Elspeth quickly concluded, “Are you going to meet Agnes?” Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“No. I haven’t contacted that woman in a while.” Frank was speechless after that. He had attempted to contact Agnes previously, but Agnes showed him mixed signals the whole time. Frank attempted to openly court after her, and he even tried to approach her privately. Yet, regardless of how he

approached her, the woman still seemed nonchalant and uninterested as ever. All she ever seemed to care about was her acting career.

Soon enough, Frank figured that Agnes wasn’t an easily attainable woman, so he decided that he would simply give up. “Well, you might still have feelings for her even if you aren’t in contact with her now. I’m family, so you can tell me the truth,” Elspeth uttered.

A series of complicated emotions flashed across Frank’s expression before he eventually let out a long sigh. “Fine. I’ll admit it. I was planning to meet her this time.” Frank was convinced that Agnes had to be somewhat attracted to him as well. Furthermore, Frank was now capable of supporting himself, and he had his own business going on, so Agnes could no longer say that he didn’t have a proper job.

Callum met them at the airport after they landed. There was a rather conflicted look on Callum’s face when he saw Frank walking along behind Elspeth. “What’s he doing here?” Callum asked.

“He traveled miles just for a woman,” Elspeth uttered in a playful tone. The look on Frank’s expression darkened immediately. “What woman?” Callum asked.

“Fine, fine. I won’t expose you.” Elspeth shrugged before she continued walking. “Let’s just ignore him. He has his own matters to handle,” she said to Callum. Callum figured that she had a point, so he simply went along with her. Frank was left on his own, and he stood still for a while before he eventually snapped out of his daze. “Hey! How could you guys abandon me just like that?!”

…

Hank’s expression remained dark throughout the few days that he spent running his investigation. Yelena knew that he would remain grumpy until he managed to solve the case, and she completely empathized and accepted him the way he was. However, for some reason, Hank started distancing

himself from her one day. If he’s ignoring me just because he’s moody over the case, then I won’t allow this to go on any longer, Yelena thought.

“What’s going on, Hank? Can you tell me what’s up?” Yelena went directly to Hank’s office, and she voiced out after she saw Hank brushing past her without even glancing in her direction. “I’ve been rather busy for the past few days, and I didn’t have much time to spend with you. I’m sorry.” Hank’s voice sounded rather distant even as he spoke.

I don’t understand. He used to be so sweet to me, and he’s a completely different person now. Yelena couldn’t make sense of it at all. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for his change. Yelena felt extremely sorry for herself. She couldn’t believe how the man that she had once loved had turned into such a different person. “Is it really because you’re busy?” she asked.

Hank nodded. “What is it? Do you have anything else to say?” In other words, he was trying to chase her off. Yelena could feel tears welling up in her eyes. “Summer told me that you guys don’t have a lot going on in the office these days. You’ve just been hiding from me, haven’t you?” she asked. “Why? What have I done wrong? Ever since you started that investigation, you’ve been acting rather oddly. I was fine with it at the start, but you’re practically ignoring me at this point. Have you lost feelings for me, Hank?”

Yelena heard a soft voice in her ears just moments after she finished her sentence. “You’re right. I’ve lost feelings for you,” he uttered. Yelena looked up in disbelief, only to be met with his cold and empty gaze.