After Death, Love Unveiled

Chapter 29

In the afternoon, Daphne and Asher were headed to a meeting. As they walked, Daphne couldn't help but notice the bruises

on Asher's face.

Concerned, she blurted out, "What the hell happened to your face? Did your dad do that?"

Asher gave a small shake of his head. "Nah, it wasn't him. Someone came looking for my dad, and things got a little... messy" "It's about money, isn't it?" Daphne pressed, remembering something from the day before that had made her suspicious. Reluctantly, Asher nodded. "Yeah, it is."

Daphne studied him for a moment before speaking up. "You can't keep doing this, Asher. Why not ask Elara for help?" Asher frowned, clearly confused. "Elara? How the hell is she supposed to help me?"

"You used to tutor her, remember? You could start again. Sure, we weren't exactly the nicest to her back then, but she's loaded. It's worth a shot. I doubt she'd mind having you as a tutor again. Daphnie suggested. Asher's response was immediate and sharp. "No way! I'm not doing this."

He'd already been kicked to the curb by Elara, and not once did it even cross his mind to beg her to change her mind. Sure, he was broke and barely scraping by, but there was one thing he still had in spades-his pride. Daphne wasn't backing down. "Oh, come on. It's just a way to make some extra cash. Tutoring her would pay way more than some shitty part-time gig at a café. Plus, it could help with your dad's mess

Growing frustrated, Asher shot back, "We're dating now. You're seriously telling me you'd be okay with me tutoring her?"

Daphne grinned and shook her head. "Why would I care? It's not like you have feelings for her. And trust me, Elara would probably be thrilled to throw some money your way."

Asher frowned, crossing his arms. "Everyone knows about her and Lysander Hawthorne. You really think I'm gonna go back to that? I'm not doing something I hate just for money, no matter how desperate things get. Daphne pressed on. "Look, once Lysander finds out about her situation, he's not gonna stick around. It's totally normal for you to care about her as a friend, right? You wouldn't want her stuck in a bad spot with him, would you?" Asher went quiet, realizing Daphne had a point. Lysander was impressive, sure, but their marriage was arranged. There was no way he truly cared about Elara.

Seeing him hesitate, Daphne pushed further, "If you're on the fence, I can talk to Elara and set up the tutoring again.

you've gotta finish high school. With everything going on with your dad, I'm

a doubtful look, still uneasy about the whole thing. He

quickly backtracked, "That's not what

I'm not about to bow down to her! With everything going on with my dad, going back to her would just drag her down too, How the hell could I live with that on my conscience?"

18:22 Wed, Nov 67

Chapter 291

afternoon, after gym class, Elara brushed off her friends and sat down alone in the shade, trying to

her, looking worried. "Why are

knowing why Daphne had come over. What,

and Asher, people had kept their

on

group to fall back out honestly, she didn't

down next to her, glancing at Elara's pricey sports gear, mentally noting

said, "Hey, Elara... can we talk for a

been slim, so a bit of extra weight just made her look healthier. Taking a deep breath, Daphne asked,

slightly, frowning at the suggestion, "Why?" she asked, genuinely

through a tough time right now, with his dad and everything. Please, just help him out! If this keeps up,

great tutor. I'll help too. Together, we'll get your grades up. Then we can all aim for the

were pretty average, which made getting into college a long shot. Asher would be done with his exams soon, and then he'd be

"Why

What, hoping I'll bankroll your little love story again, like I'm some kind of idiot?" Daphne's eyes narrowed as she shot back, "It's not like you're hurting for money. You threw thirty grand at his