Chapter 82: Chapter 82

Andrea walked into the guest room with a tray of food for Elena and found her curled up on the bed like a worm. As she watched, Elena's gaze remained glued to the window.

Andrea took a deep breath and approached Elena with soft footsteps. "Lena," she called out gently.

"Mhm," Elena replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't blame yourself for Ryan's choices. You have done nothing wrong," Andrea said, sitting at the edge of the bed and stroking Elena's hair.

Elena sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I just can't believe Ryan's been hiding his true self from me all along. I thought he loved me," she said, her voice breaking.

"Come here," Andrea pulled her in for a hug. "Everything is going to be alright. With time, I believe you will forget about him and move on. There are outstanding guys out there who would love to be your life partner, okay?" she coaxed her gently.

Elena's sobs grew even louder. "Where do I start from? After I gave him all my love. My heart aches seeing the man who I truly love and adore making out with a guy."

"I understand, Lena. I know you are hurt, but please take good care of yourself for me."

She nods her head and held Andrea's hand. "Thank you so much for your support and letting me stay here at your place."

"I will hit you if you thank me again. You are my sister, and true sisters stick together through thick and thin. You have been with me during my lowest times, and it's natural I do the same," Andrea gave her a reassuring smile.

"Go freshen up and have your dinner. I will get you a clean pair of pajamas," Andrea remarked before walking away.

Elena watched as Andrea's figure disappeared from view and let out a sigh. She went to the bathroom and stood beneath the showerhead, feeling the soothing warmth of the water wash over her body. However, Ryan's words lingered in her mind and began to sting.

"Are you shocked? How dare you say that I use you? Do you think you're doing me a favor by dating me? It's the other way around, Lena. Despite your past, I agreed to date you, and here you are spouting nonsense at me," he had said.

A tear trickled down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away, focusing instead on positive thoughts.

Emerging from the bathroom, she found a clean set of pink pajamas on the bed accompanied by a brief note.

"Take good care of yourself. I'm sorry, I would have loved to spend the night with you, but Mr. Wilson forbade me. Goodnight, Lena," she read the short note and couldn't help but smile weakly.

....

"Why did you use Dad's phone to call me then?" Sean asked, his frustration already building.

"It's because you haven't been answering my calls. Why are you doing this to me, son? Has that vixen forbidden you from talking to me?" she asked with a pitiful tone.

Sean's expression became stern. "Mom, don't call her a vixen. It's disrespectful. And no, she hasn't forbidden me from talking to you. But if you keep talking about her like this, I will have to end the call."

"Okay, I'm sorry. I heard from Sonny that you went on a trip. Have you returned yet?" his mom asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I'm back. Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?" Sean asked, his tone now slightly softer.

"Wait, son. I want to see my granddaughters. Will you bring them over tomorrow?" his mother asked.

"I'm afraid that decision is up to their mother. You know you don't get along with my wife. And right now, I'm too busy to arrange anything. But if you let Andrea bring the girls to your house, then you can see them," Sean replied.

"No, I don't want that woman near me. What if she brings bad luck?" Mrs. Wilson countered.

Sean heard footsteps and turned to see Andrea approaching. "I'm done with this conversation," he said before hanging up.

He gave Andrea a quick kiss on the lips and asked, "How's Elena doing?"

"She's better now," Andrea replied, eyeing him suspiciously. "Who were you talking to just now?"

Sean's gaze darted around the room, and he suddenly flashed a small smile at her. "It was just my secretary," he lied, hoping she wouldn't ask further questions.

"Andrea slowly nodded her head, her facial expression suddenly enlightened. "I see," she said.

Sean wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his chest. Startled, Andrea gasped, trying to free herself from his grip. "What are you doing?" she asked, looking up at him.

He lifted her chin gently, making sure their eyes met. "And you, how are you feeling? Are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Andrea blushed slightly. "I'm just a little sore from last night. I don't think we should do this right now," she whispered.

"I wasn't referring to any of that, but anyway, I'm sorry you're hurting right now all because of me. I will be more gentle next time," he placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Andrea's face flushed with embarrassment as she felt the urge to bite her tongue. "What were you talking about then?" she asked.

"I was referring to your mother. Are you okay? You can talk to me about it. If I'm being honest, I would advise you to forget about her for good," Sean held her hand.

Andrea let out a low chuckle and forced a smile. "Thank you for your concern, Sean. I appreciate it. Goodnight" she whispered and laid down on the bed.

She couldn't comprehend why Sean was giving her this sort of advice. She was suddenly taken aback. She recalled Sean telling her he would find out the reason for her mother's strange behaviour, and now he was saying another thing.

*****

The sound of a bird chirping by the window alerted her that dawn had arrived. She slowly got out of bed, stretching out her muscles as she made her way to the walk-in closet.

She found Sean already dressed in a grey tailored suit that hugged his body perfectly. Andrea couldn't help but admire how handsome he looked.

Sean smiled at her as he knotted his necktie. "Good morning, love," he said.

"Morning. Are you off to work already?" Andrea asked, her brow arched inquisitively.

"Yes, I have a lot of work piled up, and I will also be visiting my dad's company from today onwards to supervise for the time being until my cousin comes back from the UK," Sean replied.

Andrea's tone softened in concern. "Please don't overwork yourself and remember to eat. Will you be home late today?"

Sean pressed his lips together and nodded. "Yes, unfortunately, it will be a long day. Please don't wait up for me before going to bed. Take care of yourself and the kids until I return." he leaned in to peck her lips.

Andrea held his arm as they went downstairs. "Can I at least make you breakfast before you go?" she pouted.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I will have breakfast at the office. You don't have to bother, okay?"

As soon as they stepped down the stairs, they found Mrs. Wilson seated on the sofa with her legs crossed over each other, watching TV. She turned to face them with a charming smile on her face, and her suitcase right beside her.

"Good morning, son. Hope you slept well," she said.

The shock was clearly evident on their faces. They could only stare at her blankly, amazed.