A Distraction
Elise took a deep breath and answered impatiently, “Ah, that reminds me. I think I rescued him, didn’t
I? I don’t seem to recall you doing anything helpful. You have no right to tell me what to do, Faye.”
“Now that’s just unfair, Elise. I was the one keeping the family together before you came back.” Faye
justified her actions. “Besides, I’ve been the one taking care of dad over the last few days. You can’t
say I did nothing just because you woke him up.”
“Shut up, both of you!” Austin cut them off angrily. “I would have stayed in that coma if I had known the
ruckus I was going to wake up to!” Then, he stormed off.
Faye looked Elise in the eye for a moment before going after Austin.
Jeanie stared at the door and clicked her tongue. “That vixen! Your father has fallen for her tricks!”
“Forget it, mom.” Trevor calmed his mother down and tried his best to look up at Elise. “Elise, dad’s got
a point. I can’t drag you into this mess. You should just stay out of it.”
“Are you trying to tell me what to do like that man as well?” Elise snapped.
“Don’t call him ‘that man.’ He’s your father after all.” Trevor sighed.
He liked Elise for being so straightforward, but sometimes, she was too much of a maverick, as if she
didn’t need anyone around. She looked like she didn’t care what anyone thought of her, but he knew
she was a softie at heart, though that was only reserved for people who were close to her. Everyone
else would remember her as the haughty woman. Maybe that’s how she protects herself. After all,
she’s been by herself ever since she was a kid. The mere thought that she was homeless when she
was a child broke Trevor’s heart, and he didn’t want her to take on the risk for him.
“Worry about yourself,” she teased. “You got messed up by a mere thug. Don’t tell anyone you’re my
brother.”
She had never lost any fights, aside from that particular one. It had been a catastrophic loss, and she
had paid a hefty price for it. Ever since then, she was reluctant to show her true strength to anyone.
“You can’t blame me for this. I was bedridden for years, and this is all I’ve got. There’s like a dozen of
them against me. I can’t take them all alone.” Trevor would not admit for a fact that he was weak.
He used to be a muscular man before he was bedridden. Taking on ten men was still impossible, but
he could defeat five on his own. Ah, I miss those days. I was so energetic and youthful. Sometimes I
can even save a damsel in distress and make them fall for me. Now? Now I look like a malnourished
kid. I wonder how long it will take for me to get back to those days.
Elise thought it was amusing that Trevor was so stubborn. She shook her head and told Jeanie, “Get
him discharged and take him home. I’ll treat him myself.”
Jeanie would follow Elise to the ends of the world, so she got Trevor discharged immediately.
…
Elise was in her room, looking through the file of Leeroy Field and his family. She thought there must
be a mastermind behind them, but after some investigation, she found nothing suspicious.
Leeroy was a drunkard, a gambler, and a john. He didn’t have a stable job, and his wife died when the
kids were still young. Harald took after his father and became a delinquent, but his sister did not. She
studied hard and worked part time to pay for her studies. Thanks to scholarships and subsidies, she
went through college and was nearing graduation. She’s a hard worker.
Did Trevor actually hurt her? Elise shook her head and brushed the guess aside. Trevor’s not that kind
of person.
“What are you reading?” Alexander came in.
“It’s about the Fields,” Elise answered calmly.
“You’re focused. Did you find something?” Alexander stood behind the chair and leaned over to take a
look. He was almost sticking himself to Elise. “Nothing special.” He came to that conclusion in a
moment.
“Yes.” Elise heaved a sigh. “And that’s why this is a hassle.”
If this is really a conspiracy, then there should be a way around it. All I will have to do is solve the
problems as they come. But now, the case is slowly leaning toward the victim. Nothing can clear
Trevor’s name, unless he has the footage of what happened in that place last night. “Looks like he’ll
have to marry her,” Elise teased.
Alexander suddenly fell into a pensive silence and said nothing for a long time. Thinking it was weird,
Elise quickly turned around and inadvertently kissed his cheek ever so slightly.
Alexander felt something tickling his cheek, so he looked at her, and their gazes met.
Elise was drawn in by his mysterious eyes, and she gulped.
However, Alexander went into serious mode. “I think Trevor got himself into this mess because
someone wanted him to. He’s just a distraction.”
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda