Chapter 20 Never Reconcile

Elijah rarely called Yvonne.

In the past, Yvonne would answer right away.

But this time, the call rang several times before Yvonne finally answered.

"Are you off work?" Elijah's tone had no ups and downs.

Yvonne mirrored his tone in response, "What's up?"

"Joseph completed a Lego puzzle and wanted to personally give it to you as an apology for yesterday's incident." Elijah suddenly laughed in self-mockery. "Joseph is persistent, he called me three times right after school."

"I have to work overtime tonight," Yvonne casually lied, "The child accidentally bumped into me, but I'm fine, no need to apologize."

Before Elijah could say anything, Yvonne hung up first.

Taking a deep breath, she felt half of the grievances she encountered with Elijah vanish into thin air.

Afraid of running into Elijah, Yvonne didn't dare return to Rhode Hills. Instead, she met up with Ryan and came to the Winston family together.

On the way, Ryan teased her. "My mom will definitely praise your dedication when she sees you wearing your work dress to my house. She might also scold me for attracting women who only care about men's wallets."

Yvonne chuckled at his joke. "Being stared at for a man's wallet is also a skill."

"You're quite skilled."

When they arrived at the Winston family, Mrs. Winston had already prepared a sumptuous dinner. After finishing their meal, Mrs. Winston insisted on taking Yvonne to go shopping. Yvonne declined several times, afraid that Mrs. Winston would incur expenses, but in the end, she couldn't resist Mrs. Winston and ended up at Winslow's largest luxury department store.

Mrs. Winston held Yvonne's hand, and they started from the first women's clothing store on the first floor. In less than half an hour, Ryan's hands were already filled with seven or eight shopping bags.

In reality, every time Yvonne saw the jaw-dropping prices on them, she would say several times that she didn't like it and didn't want it.

Mrs. Winston held her hand, her eyes filled with love and concern. "Yvonne, Ryan is my only son, and I treat you like a daughter. Today, while chatting with my best friend, I learned that Mary hasn't been good to you at all. As your future mother-in-law, who else should I care for if not you?"

Yvonne felt uncomfortable all over and was afraid that this play would deviate from its original course.

"My mother's lifelong wish was to give birth to a sister for me, but it still hasn't come true. She already sees you as my sister." Ryan noticed Yvonne's unease and quickly reassured her.

"A daughter-in-law is a daughter-in-law!" Mrs. Winston slapped Ryan's hand.

Ryan quickly begged for mercy, "I was wrong, I was wrong. Yvonne is your daughter-in-law…"

Yvonne felt a sharp gaze fixed on her. She looked around, but she couldn't see anyone.

Upon Yvonne's strong request, Mrs. Winston finally restrained her overflowing motherly love and prepared to head back home.

The three of them arrived at the parking lot, and Ryan unlocked the car. He stared at a gray SUV parked on the left for a while and asked Yvonne, "Why does this car look familiar? Is it Elijah's?"

Yvonne glanced at the license plate and indeed recognized it from Elijah's garage.

First, Ryan dropped off Mrs. Winston at home, and then he drove Yvonne to the Brooks Group building.

During the drive, Yvonne sat restlessly and repeatedly urged Ryan to return the pile of things.

"Forget about it. My mom has nothing better to do all day. She spends money to make herself happy. I can't ruin her fun, right?" Ryan had a carefree demeanor.

"I hope this play won't go as far as getting engaged," Yvonne recalled with lingering fear.

Ryan laughed, "When we get to that point, you can play the villain and kick me out first."

"Deal," Yvonne smiled brightly. "I won't back down."

After saying goodbye, Yvonne drove back to Rhode Hills.

Yvonne left the clothes Mrs. Winston bought in the car and didn't bring them inside.

Elijah was sitting on the balcony in the living room, sipping tea.

"Welcome back?" Yvonne greeted him as she took off her coat.

"You were working overtime. It's too late. Did you have dinner?" Elijah muttered.

Elijah's unexpected concern made Yvonne feel uneasy.

"I've eaten," Yvonne lied preemptively, eager to move past the topic. "I finished the mousse cake Joseph gave me in the morning. You must thank him for me."

Elijah's thin lips suddenly curved into a faint smile. "After work, I went to GD Plaza and picked up eel rice for you."

GD Plaza was the shopping mall where Mrs. Winston took her on a shopping spree.

"For how long will you act alongside Ryan?" Elijah's deep gaze reflected a hint of mystery as he took a sip of tea.

Yvonne chuckled as her excuse for working overtime was exposed. "Mr. Winston helped me boost my performance. Whenever he asks, I must lend a hand."

Elijah held the teacup, his gaze drifting toward the window. "There's a meeting tomorrow afternoon that requires a Spanish interpreter. Can you attend?"

"If there's money to be made, of course." Yvonne was already thinking of reasons to take leave tomorrow.

"I'll send you the relevant materials later," Elijah said, and Yvonne immediately went to the bathroom.

Yvonne changed into her home clothes and went to the kitchen to boil water when she noticed a grey paper bag on the dining table.

She glanced inside and indeed found the eel rice.

She couldn't fathom what was going on in Elijah's mind for him to bring her food.

Elijah, standing on the balcony, suddenly called her name.

Yvonne walked toward him with a cheerful smile. "Just say it, no need to beat around the bush."

Elijah's stern features softened slightly, but eventually, he hesitated and turned his gaze toward the window.

"I've given you a chance. If you don't say it, forget it." Yvonne approached him, following his gaze curiously. "What are you looking at, so lost in thought?"

The curtains were not drawn, and it was drizzling outside.

Elijah's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Yvonne.

His gaze became even more intense. Yvonne wanted to run, but she was pulled into his embrace.

"Why hide? It's not the first time." Elijah's voice filled with desire sounded in her ear.

She thought of Joseph, and the urge to hide arose, but Elijah had already carried her up.

"Be good, it's my turn to take care of you this time." Elijah bit her earlobe, the tingling sensation making her cheeks flush.

Within her watery eyes, passion surged. With one hand holding onto his neck, she caressed his stern features with the other.

Locked in a gaze, their breaths mingling, he became softer and more unrestrained than before. Yvonne indulged in his pleasurable advances.

In the face of physical pleasure, reason crumbled.

It was a night of passion.

Yvonne woke up in Elijah's bedroom, feeling sore as she got out of bed.

The house was empty, with no signs of any activity in the kitchen or dining room. It seemed that Elijah had already left for work.

There were several missed calls from George on her phone, but she skipped over them.

After reaching the Brooks Group building, Yvonne was called into the office by George. Knowing it wouldn't be good news, she stood at the door with her arms crossed and said, "What's the matter? Spit it out."

"Yvonne, for the sake of your dad, let Grace and her mom go!" George looked exhausted, as if he hadn't rested well last night.

"When did I have the power to do that?" Yvonne was puzzled, reaching out to feel George's forehead. "Are you feverish and delirious?"

"They were wrong to have someone harm you, but I scolded them harshly last night, and they apologized to me. After all, we are family, and it won't do us any good if they go to jail." George's voice was calm, but his emotions were clearly felt. He was clearly a caring father doing his best for his daughter.

Yet, this caring father was Grace's father.

It turned out that the two scumbags who attacked her were instructed by Mary and her daughter.

She had called the police station yesterday afternoon, asking them for updates, and now they had already found the real culprits behind the scenes. How fast!

"Yvonne, they made a mistake in the heat of the moment. If you let them go, I will give you the position of the design department director tomorrow!" George was anxious, seeing Yvonne remaining silent. "If Grace carries a criminal record, which prestigious family will marry her in Winslow?"

Yvonne bit her lip hard, feeling her heart turning cold.

George was worried that Grace would have a criminal record and couldn't marry into a prestigious family, but he didn't think about the fact that she would have been long gone without Elijah's help.

If wrongdoers don't receive the punishment they deserve, there will be no justice in the world.

Yvonne spoke firmly, "Even if you give me your position, I won't let them go."

"They were already taken away by the police in the morning. If you give them a letter of understanding, they can be granted bail. Spare us, please," George pleaded patiently.

"This matter will never be resolved." Yvonne slammed the door and left.

George's face turned pale as he picked up the papers on the desk and threw them on the floor.

Back in the design department, Yvonne felt an indescribable sense of relief.

She never dreamed that things would be revealed so quickly.

With Mary's wealth and connections, the mother and daughter could have easily escaped, but instead, they ended up at the police station.

Behind this satisfying result, there must be someone helping her.

A name immediately came to her mind.

Yvonne clenched her phone and went to the staircase, dialing Elijah's number.

"Hello," Elijah's deep and pleasant voice came through.

With utmost sincerity, Yvonne said, "Thank you for helping me find the real culprits."

"Is there anything else?" Elijah seemed busy.

Yvonne stammered, "No, that's all."

"Goodbye," Elijah said and hung up.

With the joy of good news, Yvonne quickly let go of her dissatisfaction with Elijah. She sent him a "thank you" emoji on WhatsApp.

Elijah didn't reply, but she didn't mind. After all, she had already expressed her gratitude.

It's over.

George had approached Yvonne three more times, only to be declined each time by her.

On their final encounter, George confronted Yvonne angrily.

"What you see in the Brooks Group may seem glamorous, but in reality, it is burdened with debt. Over the years, it has relied on your mother's dealings with various loan companies to obtain one loan after another. If your mother ends up in jail, the company's financial chain will break, and we will all be ruined!"

"I've long been accustomed to this kind of life," Yvonne retorted without mercy. "It's the three of you who might find it difficult to adapt after leaving your comfortable environment!"

The father and daughter parted ways unhappily.

Around noon, near the end of the workday, Lily went to the pantry and brought back some explosive news.

Grace had been officially detained by the public security authorities!

Thomas, being attentive, mentioned that Grace was Mr. Brooks's stepdaughter and held a relatively low-level management position in the company. Her troubles had become widely known, and it is likely that she had offended someone of great importance.

Shaking her head, Lily added, "A colleague told me that Grace is suspected of orchestrating murder- a serious criminal case unrelated to angering influential figures."

Yvonne's heart boiled. She thought Grace was only involved in a kidnapping for ransom scheme, but she never expected her to be convicted of murder!

At that moment, her phone rang. It was Elijah.

Before she could speak, Elijah's composed voice came through, "The meeting has been rescheduled. Hurry up and come here within half an hour."