Manipulative and Deceptive
Looking at the worry in his men’s expressions, Elijah felt a bit dumbfounded that they were staring at him like that, and he rubbed a hand across his face tiredly and mumbled, “What is it?
Well… you just knock the shit outta some dude,” Ryan said hesitantly, eyeing the others to back him up.
“How did you guys know about that?” Elijah frowned, glancing between the four of them.
Slowly, Ryan looked over at James, raising his brows with a curious look plastered across his face, making James sigh before facing Elijah.
“The clip is all over the internet.” He said calmly. “And we are confused because there’s no extra information about what led to the punch.”
“Well, he insulted my mother, calling me a son of a bitch… My mom is no, bitch.” Elijah snapped, clenching and unclenching his fists in anger, feeling his breathing quicken with rage. Staring in disbelief, Matt muttered beneath his breath, “Shit, he had that one coming and deserved it… Well, more than a punch.”
The room was quiet for a moment as Elijah walked over to the couch, dropped onto it, and leaned against the backrest with a clenched jaw. Then he looked over at Ryan and said, “We might have our hands full with a lawsuit.” “I knew it,” Ryan murmured, putting his hand in his pocket. “But I need a clear understanding of what exactly happened, boss.”
Frowning, Elijah sighed and then sat up straight with a serious expression as he let out,” Melina was at the hospital when Peach and I got to Miss Grace’s hospital room, and she and Peach got into serious shit. Peach slapped her in the face-”
“Damn!! Peach did what?!” Matt cursed under his breath with wide eyes before realizing that everyone was glaring at him. “Sorry, boss. Please, go on.”
It took a moment for Elijah to respond as he tried to recall what happened next, and then he said, “I guess Melina didn’t like our little encounter, and when we got outside the hospital parking lot, a bunch of reporters blocked our way and surrounded us…”
“Your ex-wife sounds like a piece of work,” James grumbled, his jaw tensing.
Looking over at his butler, Elijah nodded with a heavy sigh as he rubbed his eyes tiredly and mumbled, “Yeah, well…. she really is.”
tense moment of silence passed and then he added, “Melina cooked up this sick narrative that I was
the hell!?” Ryan exploded angrily with fury in his hazel eyes, staring at Elijah with shock as he said, “She’s insane. We just met Peach!” “Well, Melina has a lot
lunatic… no, she’s a witch… And we can’t let her continue her
James
his head a
you guys, Ryan, and Rookie to dig into Melina. There’s no way to clear Peach and my reputation without finding
did, but no one is going to trust my words without solid proof, and if I know Melina, she loves good wine and wealthy men. And
confusion crossed all four of their faces as they gaze at
on the couch, watching her daughter on the bed, hugging the pillow
was still sniffing aggressively. Slowly, Miss Grace got up from the couch and approached the bed, sitting beside her weeping child. “Peach,” She whispered gently, touching her shoulder to try and wake her up. “This is why I want nothing to do
us.”
started to build up inside her eyelids, and slowly, she laid down beside her daughter, cuddling her in
your fault. You have suffered as much as I have,” Peach answered, lifting her head a little to meet her mother’s gaze. “Even more than I have. I just wish I could make this
but then she stopped herself because she couldn’t find the right thing to say. So instead she kept hugging her daughter and kept stroking her hair. Withdrawing his fist from the door, Elijah’s hand dropped to his side as he listened to Peach’s soft sob, echoing into the hallway. For a while, he drowned in the feeling that her cry stirred within him, and the sensation of the pain carried in her voice was
it tore through his chest, and with it came a deep longing to be by her side, a desire to hold her, and tell her that everything would be fine. It was
of his being.
care for her like some new addiction he had developed, and the thought
door opened, and Elijah’s gaze rested on Miss Grace, standing in the doorway, gazing at him with a
she’s alright,” Elijah said, avoiding her eyes as he cleared his throat nervously, With calm eyes and a warm smile that never left her face, Miss Grace stepped outside and said, “She’s
fixed his eyes back on her once again, and with a small sigh, he walked over to the doorway, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.
saw him, she wiped the corner of her eye roughly and slowly sit up on her bed, brushing her fingers against her
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