Chapter 27 She Returns

Michael paused for a moment on the other end of the phone and said, "Alright."

He stopped Elijah, who was about to end the call, and asked, "When are you free? Let's have a meal together."

"Tomorrow night, my treat." Elijah felt hatred toward Michael, but since Yvonne successfully joined FA Center Company, he had to repay this favor.

"It's a deal." Michael unexpectedly laughed.

Since Shirley's departure six years ago, Elijah had cut off all contact with Michael.

Even if they bumped into each other in public, Michael would lower his posture and greet Elijah, but Elijah would ignore him.

It wasn't until Elijah called for a woman named Yvonne that the two showed signs of breaking the ice.

After ending the call, Elijah walked to the balcony and looked into the distance.

The sky was dark, and ice particles were falling gently, turning the whole city gray.

He rarely had such leisure time, without having to review thick files or deal with people's endless demands.

This rare comfort did not calm his restless heart. His mind was full of that enchanting face.

Nuzzling his neck, indulging under him, ruthlessly rejecting him...

He found the number in his phone that he could recite effortlessly, dialed it, then immediately regretted it and hung up.

Yvonne called back. "You called?"

Her voice was slightly hoarse, as if she had been crying.

"Sorry, I dialed the wrong number just now." Elijah's attitude remained cold.

Yvonne didn't say anything and hung up the phone.

Elijah threw his phone onto the nearby table and closed his eyes, lost in thought.

The phone rang again, but he didn't even bother to look and pressed the answer button, eagerly greeting with a "Hello."

"It's me, Elijah," came the gentle yet stubborn voice. It was the woman who had once left a deep mark on his soul.

"I've set up a studio in America, and I'm planning to return next month," Emily said, sensing a chance to mend their broken relationship from Elijah's greeting. She was especially excited.

"What does your return have to do with me?" Elijah retorted mercilessly.

Emily hadn't expected him to turn cold so quickly, but she patiently replied, "I got divorced."

"Marriage, divorce, it's your freedom. No need to tell this to an outsider," Elijah sarcastically concluded the call.

Her call had left him even more disturbed.

He started to reassess his relationship with Yvonne. Ever since Grace was taken away by the police, Yvonne had become distant and unpredictable toward him.

In Yvonne's eyes, he was merely an instrument of revenge against Grace.

He wished to bury this secret, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

After much internal struggle, he returned to the Sunshine Community, carrying a black earring.

Through the peephole, Yvonne saw Elijah knocking on the door. She hesitated for a while before opening it.

The wind swept in, causing Elijah's hair and the frozen ice particles on his black coat to splash onto Yvonne.

Elijah leaned against the door frame, gazing deeply at Yvonne.

Yvonne, with a plain face and slightly reddened eyes, had faint tear marks on her face.

"Why have you come to my door? If you have something to say, you could have just called." Yvonne stood at the doorway, showing no intention of inviting him in.

Elijah took out a delicate box. "This is for you."

"An engagement ring?" Yvonne instantly thought of a ring and chuckled lightly.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Elijah retorted firmly. "We will never reach that point in this lifetime."

Yvonne opened the box and saw her lost earring, hastily saying, "Thank you."

"Just saying thank you is not enough. It's raining outside, at least invite me in for a cup of hot water." Elijah's face softened a little.

"It's already nine o'clock, it's inconvenient for a man and a woman to be alone together. You should leave. I'll treat you to a meal tomorrow noon," Yvonne rejected him.

"I already have plans for tomorrow, both at noon and in the evening," Elijah replied.

"Then invite me when you have time." Yvonne crossed her arms, leaning against the door, her long legs swaying beneath her nightgown.

Elijah remained silent and took action, embracing Yvonne's slender waist and leading her inside.

The room was small, and after two turns, Yvonne found herself pressed against the sofa in the living room.

Elijah's lips landed on hers, and Yvonne sensually bit him, smiling enchantingly. "If you wanted to make plans, was it necessary to be so secretive?"

"Let's set a time. How about every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday?" Elijah skillfully stripped off the last piece of fabric she had on.

Yvonne deliberately teased him, saying, "Too many dates will kill the excitement. It's not interesting at all."

"Is this approach interesting?" Elijah's voice whispered in her ear, both gentle and commanding.

He maneuvered her into a position she liked, and the two of them eventually drowned in a pool of spring water.

They didn't use a condom, and every sensation felt incredibly real.

She had a feeling that this man was Elijah, yet not Elijah.

Because this time, she saw a side of Elijah that she had never seen before- caring and considerate.

Elijah got off the bed, and Yvonne tucked the blanket around her, sitting at the bedside like a cat observing the night scene outside the window.

The ice particles had turned into tiny snowflakes, falling gracefully in the night sky.

Winter had come early this year.

"Remember to close the door for me." Yvonne felt that Elijah was almost done tidying up and it was time for him to leave.

Elijah had put on his shirt and pants and leisurely walked out of the bathroom. "You just served me, and now you're chasing me away, such a heartless person."

"You always rush me to leave after we're done, today I'll stand up for myself." Yvonne turned her head and looked at him, smiling. "You can stay if you want, I haven't had dinner yet. Help me cook some spaghetti?"

"I haven't eaten either. Let's eat together." Elijah rolled up his sleeves and made a motion to get off the bed.

Yvonne was afraid he would mess up the kitchen, so she put on her sleep dress and hopped off the bed.

Elijah stood in the kitchen, merely as a decoration. Yvonne found him in the way and told him to go to the side and boil some water.

Two large bowls of tomato spaghetti, two slices of cheese per person.

Yvonne found the taste mediocre and put down her fork after a few bites. Elijah, on the other hand, seemed hungry and ate everything cleanly.

"You're not picky at all," Yvonne sighed as she glanced at the time on her phone. "We're done with sleep and eating. It's time for you to leave, right?"

The warmth in Elijah's eyes suddenly turned cold. "No need for you to chase me away, I'll leave now."

"You're such a good boy," Yvonne was satisfied and sincerely praised him.

She suddenly remembered that they didn't use protection earlier and hurriedly found the emergency contraceptive pills that Elijah had bought before.

By the time Elijah passed her a glass of water, she had already swallowed the pill.

After half a glass of water, her throat felt better.

"I shouldn't take this kind of pill too often. From now on, you'll have to be the one to take precautions." Yvonne regretted her earlier craziness.

"I'm sorry, it was my oversight," Elijah immediately apologized. "Don't worry, there won't be a next time."

Seeing his sincere attitude, Yvonne avoided this subject and said meaningfully, "The snow outside is getting heavy again."

"No need to hint, I'm leaving now." Elijah picked up his coat and unlocked the security door.

Before Yvonne could say, "Be careful, the road is slippery," Elijah had already entered the elevator.

After closing the door and locking it, the house returned to its usual tranquility.

This time, Elijah was clearly different from before.

She remembered it vividly - in that moment of passion, besides naked possessiveness, Elijah's eyes also had the joy of falling in love...

Impossible!

For the noble and aloof lawyer Elijah, their relationship was limited to physical pleasure.

Nothing more. She was overthinking things.

Yvonne had a restful night's sleep and went to see Joseph in the afternoon.

Joseph looked energetic and vibrant.

Yvonne dared not take him out, so she held his little hand and walked in circles around the neighborhood.

The landscaping in Bird Hills was excellent, with rockeries, fountains, and European-style corridors. It had just snowed yesterday, giving it a taste of a fairytale castle.

Joseph wanted to build a snowman, but there wasn't much snow. Yvonne made two cute mini versions instead, which delighted Joseph. He took photos with his watch phone and complained about Elijah at the same time.

"Old Harper never plays with me! Other kids have their mom and dad accompany them to the playground, but he just leaves me there alone and sits outside with his notebook working! I want to show him the snowman Aunt Yvonne made for me!"

Inspired, Yvonne opened her phone and took several selfies, capturing the two snowmen in the frame as well.

Then she sent a WhatsApp and posted it on Instagram.

The two adorable little snowmen and Yvonne's beautiful appearance were shown with the caption: "Sunny days are perfect for reunions, snowy days are ideal for missing each other."

"Auntie, take a selfie with me. I want to send it to Old Harper!" Joseph also activated the camera on his watch phone.

Yvonne hugged Joseph and struck a scissor hand pose. "Make sure you capture me looking pretty!"

When Elijah saw Yvonne's Instagram post, he had just finished work and was about to see Joseph.

Her small face, the size of a palm, caught his attention. Even though she was only wearing a regular hoodie and loose black down jacket, there was an indescribable charm in her eyes and demeanor.

It reminded him of last night, when what started as a mere physical release ended up occupying his thoughts solely for her.

He had hardly slept during the second half of the night.

Whether his eyes were open or closed, all he could think of was the scene of him and Yvonne entangled on the bed.

He felt as if Yvonne had cast a terrifying spell on him, trapping his body and pushing his heart into the quagmire of love. If things weren't handled well, he might never be able to extricate himself...

However sober he was, he still placed Yvonne's photo in his favorites and encrypted it.

Back in Bird Hills, Yvonne and Joseph had just finished their walk.

Their cheeks were rosy from the cold, and Joseph's shoes were soaked with icy water. Aunt Yvonne was worried he might fall ill again, so she checked him all over before feeling relieved.

Joseph was in high spirits and eager to share his snow-playing joy with Elijah.

"You haven't fully recovered yet, so you shouldn't stay outside for long. If you fall ill again, you might have to go to the hospital," Elijah said, touching Joseph's cold little hand and glancing at Yvonne.

Yvonne completely disagreed. "Joseph has been cooped up at home for two days already. It's nice for him to go outside and breathe some fresh air. Besides, moderate exercise can improve his resistance."

"I'm disciplining my disobedient son. It seems to have nothing to do with you!" Elijah coldly retorted to Yvonne.

In doing so, he hoped to salvage some of the shame he felt from last night.

Going through rain and snow to "deliver the earring" and lingering at her rental house for dinner were all embarrassments he didn't want to bring up.

Joseph, Grandma Aunt, and the nanny were present there as well. Yvonne didn't expect Elijah to speak so harshly. She picked up her down jacket and bag.

Grandma Auntie noticed Yvonne's intention to leave and stepped forward to persuade her. "Miss Brooks, Elijah cares about his son very much. His words were a bit harsh, please don't take it to heart."

Yvonne forced a smile and patted her shoulder. "It's alright."

"Daddy, don't scold Aunt Yvonne, it was my idea to go out and play in the snow!" Joseph immediately admitted his mistake to Elijah.

"Joseph, Aunt has something to do, so she's leaving first, bye-bye!" Yvonne waved her hand and smiled at Joseph, but her expression turned gloomy as she turned around.