Chapter 36: Chapter 36
Elise stared at Dylan in disbelief.
There had once been a time when she could never have imagined him speaking to her with such cruelty.
Such sharp, cutting contempt.
It turned out that when a man’s heart changed, even the most basic respect became something he was unwilling to give.
No wonder people always said that a heartless man was capable of the greatest cruelty.
A chill spread through her chest as she looked at him.
"Dylan, even if I did decide to become Attorney Hayes’s daughter’s stepmother, it would have nothing to do with you."
Her gaze turned icy.
"Don’t forget that we’re already in the divorce cooling-off period. Our marriage exists in name only. You no longer have the right to dictate how I live my life."
"As long as we don’t have a divorce certificate, we’re still husband and wife."
Dylan’s dark eyes locked onto hers. His voice was low and firm.
"You can forget about becoming someone else’s stepmother. And as for Robin, whether you accept it or not doesn’t change the facts. The adoption procedures were completed legally. In the eyes of the law, Robin is our son."
Elise was so angry she nearly laughed.
"You..."
"Sir. Ma’am." Mrs. Lander’s voice drifted up from downstairs. "Dinner is ready. Old Madam asked me to let you know it’s time to eat."
The argument came to an abrupt halt. Elise drew a breath and forced herself to remain calm.
"You go down first." Her voice was cold. "I want to wash my face before I come downstairs."
Only then did Dylan seem to notice how pale and exhausted she looked.
Something akin to pity flickered briefly across his eyes. After a moment, he let out a quiet sigh, his expression softening slightly.
"Elise, I don’t want to fight with you." His tone was gentler now. "But Robin is innocent. Whatever issues exist between us, you shouldn’t take them out on a child."
"I never have."
Elise rubbed her temple. Arguing with him was draining every ounce of energy she had left. She was exhausted.
Taking a slow breath, she spoke again, her voice heavy with fatigue.
"The problem is that you’re the one who refuses to see reality. Robin was raised by you and Quinn. His entire world was built around the two of you. In his mind, you’re his father, and Quinn is his mother."
She looked directly at Dylan, pinning him down with a sharp look.
"As for me, I’m nothing more than a stranger he’s met a handful of times. I’m not important to him. You’re the one who’s been forcing me to accept him as my son."
Dylan frowned.
"I already explained this. At the time, your emotional state wasn’t stable. That’s why I asked Quinn to care for Robin in your place."
"In my place?" Elise laughed. The sincerity in his expression made the situation even more absurd.
"Dylan, let’s say for argument’s sake that Robin really was adopted under our names."
Her eyes sharpened.
"You still took him and moved into Orchard Residence with Quinn behind my back. Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?"
"I asked Quinn to help raise Robin because she was someone you personally sponsored and mentored."
Dylan’s tone remained matter-of-fact.
"I believed she was the most suitable person. The most trustworthy person."
"The most suitable. The most trustworthy." Elise repeated the words slowly.
Then she laughed again. This time there was nothing but bitterness in the sound.
"Because you trusted her, you handed company shares over to her. Because you trusted her, you spent five years living side by side with her. Because you trusted her, a fake arrangement became real."
Dylan’s face darkened immediately.
"Elise." His voice turned cold. "How many times do I have to explain this? Things between Quinn and me are not what you think they are."
The same explanation. Over and over again. At this point, merely hearing those words made Elise feel sick.
"You know what?" She looked at him with complete indifference. "You don’t actually have to explain anything."
A faint smile appeared on her lips. It held no warmth.
"I would rather you had stayed silent from the beginning. At least then, in my eyes, you would only be a man who betrayed me."
Her gaze hardened.
"Instead, every explanation you give only proves what a despicable person you’ve become."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away. She had no intention of wasting another second arguing with him.
Behind her, Dylan took a step forward.
Then stopped.
He remained standing where he was, staring at her retreating figure. His expression was dark and tense.
...
By the time Elise reached the dining room, Old Madam and Robin were already seated at the table.
The moment Robin spotted her, his face lit up. "Pretty Miss!"
He waved enthusiastically. "Come eat with us!"
Elise stopped in her tracks. Her gaze drifted toward him.
The child’s eyes looked startlingly similar to Dylan’s.
For a brief moment, something strange flickered across her face. She tightly pressed her lips together.
Old Madam Bennett looked up at her, smiling.
"Elise, Robin already explained everything to me."
The older woman’s expression softened.
"He said the injury on his forehead happened because he accidentally fell. It wasn’t your fault."
She sighed. "Dylan misunderstood you."
Elise’s brows drew together slightly. Her eyes returned to Robin. The child sat there innocently, clutching his toy, completely unaware of the storm surrounding him.
Although Robin had spoken up for her, he had not told the whole truth.
When Quinn had suddenly rushed toward him earlier, everything had happened quickly, but Robin was no longer a toddler. He was old enough to know the difference between tripping on his own and being shoved by someone else.
There was only one explanation... Robin knew exactly who had pushed him, but he was protecting Quinn.
The realization made a cold smile curl at the corner of Elise’s lips.
Of course he was. After all, Quinn had been the woman he called Mom for five years.
A bitter laugh echoed silently in Elise’s heart.
But she said nothing.
Walking to the dining table, she took the seat opposite Old Madam Bennett and Robin.
In the past, the seats beside the old woman had always belonged to her and Dylan.
Now Robin occupied one of them.
Elise had always been the type of person who knew when to cut her losses.
The moment she realized a relationship had changed beyond repair, she forced herself to let go as quickly as possible.
Just endure it a little longer, she told herself.
Once Grandma’s surgery was over and her condition stabilized, she would find an opportunity to explain everything properly and say her goodbye.
With that decision made, her emotions settled considerably.
Just as she sat down, Dylan entered the dining room. Old Madam Bennett immediately turned to him.
"Dylan, sit beside Elise." She gestured toward the empty chair. "I’ll keep Robin company."
Then she frowned at her grandson.
"And you. You’re terrible with words. You misunderstood Elise this morning. Apologize properly."
"Grandma, that’s not necessary." Elise looked at the older woman calmly. "It’s already over."
Old Madam sighed.
"You were wronged. How can it simply be over?"
All Elise wanted was to finish dinner and go upstairs to rest.
So she replied evenly, "It was just a misunderstanding. Dylan already explained things upstairs. As long as Robin is alright, that’s enough."
The old woman looked toward Dylan.
"Dylan, did you explain everything clearly?"
Dylan’s expression remained composed.
"Yes." His voice was calm. "We talked upstairs. I was wrong this morning. I jumped to conclusions and blamed Elise without understanding the situation."
"Good." Old Madam Bennett shot him a stern look. "As long as the misunderstanding has been cleared up."
Then she continued lecturing him.
"Marriage requires communication. Your temper really needs work. You can’t keep relying on Elise’s soft heart and expecting her to tolerate being hurt."
The old woman continued her well-meaning advice. Dylan listened patiently, occasionally responding.
Elise remained silent throughout. She focused entirely on her meal. Her appetite had been poor all day. She barely touched her salad.
Fortunately, Mrs. Lander had prepared pork medallions with roasted potatoes, one of her favorite dishes.
Most of her dinner consisted of that alone.
Suddenly, Old Madam Bennett chuckled.
"Look at that. Elise and Robin really do have a special connection."
Elise paused mid-bite and looked up. The old woman was smiling warmly. One hand rested on Robin’s head as she continued speaking.
"You’ve always loved ketchup with your potatoes, and it looks like Robin loves it too. You are the only ones who added it to your plates."
Her smile deepened.
"Elise, the two of you were clearly meant to cross paths."
A faint crease appeared between Elise’s brows, while her gaze shifted toward Robin.
At the same moment, Robin looked up at her, too.
Their eyes met. Elise’s expression turned colder.
Robin’s eyes were bright and innocent, completely free of calculation. When he smiled, his voice rang out with childish sincerity.
"Pretty Miss, you like it too?"
He pushed his sauce dish forward slightly.
"Then I won’t eat any more. You can have all of mine."
Before Elise could respond, Old Madam Bennett burst into delighted laughter.
She affectionately ruffled Robin’s hair.
"Our Robin is such a thoughtful boy."
Pride and tenderness shone openly in her eyes. Then, almost as an afterthought, she turned toward Dylan.
"A home only feels truly warm when there’s a child in it."
She smiled meaningfully. "Dylan, you’re not getting any younger."
Her gaze moved between him and Elise. "Maybe it’s time for you and Elise to have another baby."
The moment those words fell, Elise’s fingers tightened around her fork.
The movement was subtle, almost imperceptible. Across the table, Dylan remained silent, yet his gaze shifted... Until it settled on Elise’s abdomen.
