Novel Square
Chapter 766
It was just after six in the evening when Elysia, having freshened up and steeled herself emotionally, and Tarquin made their way back to the hospital to be with their son.
No sooner had they stepped out of the hotel's grand entrance than they were confronted by the Thorne family!
Somehow, the Thornes had gotten wind of their whereabouts and had descended on the hotel in force.
Not only had the immediate family shown up, but they had also brought along a dozen menacing-looking brutes with them!
Upon seeing Elysia, Blake and Juliet Thorne displayed none of the surprise or joy one might expect from parents seeing their daughter after six years. Instead, their eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of Tarquin, whose striking looks and noble demeanor clearly set him apart from the ordinary.
Unfamiliar with Tarquin and emboldened by their numbers, the Thorne family didn't take him seriously.
"So, who's this? Your new boyfriend?" they sneered at Elysia.
Elysia, who had just managed to compose herself, felt her emotions crumbling at the sight of Blake and Juliet. After all, they had once been a significant part of her life, the people she had loved and called mom and dad.
Tarquin, sensing the tension, narrowed his eyes at the Thornes, gripping Elysia's hand tightly for support.
"It's none of your business!" Elysia snapped, her brow furrowed.
The Thornes bristled at her defiance.
Juliet scowled, but before she could retort, Blake erupted, "Insolent girl! Is that any way to speak to your parents?!"
Elysia had once been as meek as a kitten around them, taking any abuse without a word. But now, she dared to talk back!
"The nerve!" Elysia scoffed. "Whose parents? Who's your daughter? I cut ties with the Thorne family long ago. We're nothing to each other now!"
Juliet gritted her teeth, "After all the years we've raised you, you think you can just sever ties like that? We took you in before you were even a month old, raised you through hard times. Even a dog knows to show gratitude!"
Blake didn't mince words, "Enough with the chatter! Elysia, if you want to cut ties, fine, but pay up first! Settle every penny we spent raising you. Otherwise, I'll spill all your dirty secrets to him!"
Elysia knew their visit boded no good. "Looking for money? You've got the wrong person! You have no right to demand anything from me. As for my past, I've already told him everything. There's nothing left for you to say."
Daphne, unable to contain herself, cut in, "He knows? Yeah, right!"
She couldn't believe that a man as handsome as Tarquin would be interested in someone like Elysia, who had once sold herself in marriage to an ailing, older man for money and had a history of infidelity. Unless he was in the dark about her past.
Turning to Tarquin, Daphne sneered, "Did you know she married an old cripple for his money? That she cheated on him during their marriage? She's been with so many men, she might look innocent, but she's nothing but a tramp. Did you know?"
Daphne was convinced no man of Tarquin's caliber would stay with Elysia once he knew the truth. She was certain she was the only one worthy of a man like Tarquin. Even if he didn't see her that way, she wouldn't let Elysia have him.
Jealousy seethed within her as she saw them together.
"And Elysia, this wretch, even had a bastard child-"
Elysia, incensed by the insult to her child, raised her hand to strike, but Tarquin caught her wrist.
Confused, Elysia looked at him. "Why are you stopping me?"
"I don't want you to hurt your hand," Tarquin replied coolly, his gaze turning icy as he fixed the Thornes with a menacing glare.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
Sensing the situation turning against them, Blake hastily called over their thugs, threatening, "I'm not going to lie to you. I've gambled away a fortune, and these men are here to collect. They're dangerous, willing to do anything. I've told them if I can't pay up, they can take my daughter as payment. So, you either give us the money, or they take Elysia away!"