After the Last Tear: Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Marriage By Cassila K

Chapter 91

The assistant studied his boss's face before nodding and turning to leave-only to bump straight into Jenna standing in the doorway.

"Mrs. Phillips." His startled greeting caught Elijah's attention.

Elijah quickly grabbed a throw blanket and moved toward his wife. "Hey, why are you up? Cold? Baby giving you trouble?"

He wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, rubbing her hands for warmth.

Jenna gave him a soft smile, though concern laced her voice. "Couldn't sleep without you. Thought I'd check in." She paused. "I overheard something about Gloria leaving the country. Is it my fault?"

Her eyes filled with tears as she ducked her head.

Elijah pulled her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Come on, this has nothing to do with you. She's just being dramatic. Don't waste your energy on her."

Anxiety still showed in Jenna's eyes as she clutched his shirt. "But her dad trusted you to watch out for her. What if something happens?"

his voice hardening. "Maybe a reality check would do

rested against his chest, a

Never come back, Gloria.

dismissive words, Elijah kept searching for Gloria

asked for updates, the answer remained the same: nothing.

Elijah dismissed his assistant. Once alone, he collapsed back in his chair, massaging his

just sulking about his marriage. But weeks had passed without a single trace of

that conversation with

seemed everyone had taken her seriously except

of his desk where a photo of him and Gloria once stood. After her confession, he'd trashed it, replacing

around, he realized his office had once been filled with traces of her presence. Now they'd vanished-just like

corner, he picked up his phone to call her

speak, an automated voice answered: "The

him as his mind

sat frozen, phone in hand. Despite their age difference, he and Gloria's father had