Chapter 40: Chapter 40
Elise had no intention of wasting time on pleasantries, so she got straight to the point.
"Dylan, I bought this apartment before we got married. It has absolutely nothing to do with you. Melissa only let you in today because she didn’t know the situation. Consider this the first and last time. Next time, have the decency to wait for an invitation. Showing up unannounced is incredibly unwelcome."
The blunt dismissal would have offended most people.
Dylan, however, showed no reaction.
"I called you," he said evenly. "You didn’t answer."
One of Elise’s brows lifted.
"Oh? I was busy. Must have missed an important man’s call."
Both of them knew it was an excuse.
Dylan made no attempt to argue. Instead, he said quietly, "The company shares have already been transferred to your name. Since you’ve accepted them, you should stop targeting Quinn."
A cold laugh escaped Elise’s lips.
"Dylan, you’ve got that completely wrong. I agreed not to pursue legal action against Quinn. I never said I was willing to let her off the hook."
Her voice turned icy. The contempt in her eyes was impossible to miss.
"She repaid kindness with betrayal. If Quinn chose to stab me in the back, then she should have prepared herself for the consequences. People who betray others don’t get to walk away untouched."
A shadow crossed Dylan’s face once more.
"Elise, you know exactly what kind of people Quinn’s parents are. You’re trying to destroy her."
His gaze hardened. "When did you become so cruel?"
"Cruel?" Elise’s lips curved into a mocking smile. "Cruel is still better than foolish."
She rose from the sofa and faced him directly.
"I was the one who brought Quinn out of that poor village. I paid for her education. I opened doors for her. I gave her the opportunities she never could have dreamed of on her own. I was even the one who promoted her to Vice President."
Her voice sharpened.
"And how did she repay me? By climbing into your bed while I was at my lowest. By trying to take over my company. By stealing the life I built with my own hands."
"I’ve already explained this," Dylan replied, his expression darkening. "Things between Quinn and me are not what you think. As for the shares, that was my decision. Giving her equity was simply the most efficient way to help manage the company."
Elise stared at him as if he were speaking another language.
"And you honestly think saying that will make me forgive her?"
She let out a short, bitter laugh.
"Dylan, I know you want to protect her. I know you’ll always choose her side. But Quinn owes me a debt she can never repay. She betrayed me. Whatever she took from me, I’ll collect twice over."
"Everything is over now," Dylan said, his patience visibly thinning. "Quinn has already lost everything. You’ve accomplished what you wanted. Why keep dragging this out?"
A flicker of fury ignited in Elise’s eyes.
"It was never over."
She looked straight at him.
"How convenient that the people who caused the damage are the ones declaring the matter settled. The person who was humiliated was me. The one who was betrayed was me. I never forgave her. I never forgave either of you."
Each word fell with unmistakable finality.
"The life Quinn has now should never have belonged to her in the first place. I’ll make sure she returns every piece of it."
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Dylan spoke again, "If you insist on going after her, don’t blame me for protecting her."
Elise almost laughed.
"Haven’t you been protecting her this entire time?"
The bitterness in her chest threatened to choke her. She could not believe she had once loved this man with everything she had.
Taking a slow breath, she pointed toward the door.
"Leave." Her voice was quiet but deadly cold. "I can’t stand the sight of you anymore."
Dylan’s dark eyes remained fixed on her.
She looked exhausted. The pallor in her face was impossible to ignore.
His gaze drifted briefly toward her abdomen before returning to her face.
His jaw tightened. In the end, he said nothing.
Turning away, he walked toward the front door... And just like that, he was gone.
The moment the apartment fell silent, Elise shut her eyes.
She sank onto the sofa and pressed her fingertips against her throbbing temple.
The obstetrician’s warning from earlier that day echoed through her mind. She needed to stay positive and avoid stress.
Yet how was she supposed to remain calm when Dylan showed not the slightest hint of remorse?
What infuriated her most was not the betrayal itself; it was his absolute certainty that he had done nothing wrong.
How could the person who caused all this pain stand before her and act as though she were the unreasonable one?
A soft voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Miss Elise?"
Melissa approached her carefully.
"Miss Zoey called earlier. She’ll be working late and won’t be coming back for dinner. Would you like me to serve your meal now?"
Elise opened her eyes and let out a sigh.
"Alright."
Dinner had been prepared according to the nutrition plan provided by the hospital. Unfortunately, her appetite was almost nonexistent. After forcing herself to eat a few bites, she returned to her bedroom.
Watching her disappear upstairs, Melissa quietly pulled out her phone.
She opened the messenger and selected a contact with an entirely black profile picture.
The contact was saved under a single name:
Mr. Y.
She snapped a photo of the mostly untouched dishes on the dining table and sent it.
[Miss Elise barely ate anything tonight. She’s been like this every day lately.]
No reply came.
The woman slipped the phone away and began clearing the table.
Upstairs, Elise sat propped against her headboard, reading a pregnancy guidebook.
Her phone vibrated on the bedside table. Closing the book, she reached for it and saw an unfamiliar number flashing across the screen.
After a brief hesitation, she answered.
"Hello. Who is this?"
A familiar male voice came through the line, carrying a faint note of amusement.
"Long time no see, Elise."
She froze.
The voice stirred distant memories. A second later, her brows slowly furrowed.
"...Steven?"
