Chapter 78: Chapter 78
The hospital lobby bustled with activity, a steady stream of visitors, patients, and staff moving beneath the bright lights.
Elise looked at Dylan, a cold, mocking smile flickering in her eyes.
"Dylan, I used to think your love for Robin was priceless. Now I see that as long as it helps you achieve what you want, even Robin can become a tool in your hands."
His dark gaze remained fixed on her. His lips pressed into a thin, rigid line.
He neither argued nor offered an explanation.
Elise had not expected either.
All she needed was for him to understand where she stood.
"I’ll cover the caregiver’s expenses, the medical bills, and compensation for emotional distress. What happened has already happened. I’m grateful that Robin saved me, but the only repayment I can offer is financial compensation handled through proper channels. Beyond that, there will be nothing."
When she finished speaking, she turned and walked away.
Dylan watched her retreating figure, his expression sinking into shadow.
Elise believed she had made herself perfectly clear. As far as she was concerned, the matter involving Robin was over.
She could not have been more mistaken.
The very next day, Mrs. Lander arrived at her door carrying Robin on her back.
"Mr. Bennett had to leave on a business trip. The boy insisted on seeing you, and I honestly didn’t know what else to do."
Standing outside, Mrs. Lander looked helpless.
Perched on her shoulder, Robin gazed at Elise with tear-bright eyes.
"Pretty Miss, I’ll be good. I won’t bother you."
A quiet sigh escaped Elise. Rejecting Dylan without mercy was easy. Rejecting Robin was another matter entirely.
"Come in."
In the end, she gave in.
Once inside, Mrs. Lander carefully settled Robin onto the sofa.
He was dressed in soft cotton cartoon pajamas meant for the cooler season. One pant leg had been rolled up, exposing a small calf still wrapped in white bandages.
Elise asked Melissa to wash some fruit before taking a seat beside him.
Reaching over, she gently ruffled his hair.
"Does your leg still hurt?"
Robin looked up at her. His large, innocent eyes reflected her face as though she were the only thing he could see.
"It hurts a lot when I’m at home. But when I see Pretty Miss, it doesn’t hurt anymore."
Elise was speechless.
For someone so young, he certainly knew how to tug at people’s hearts.
Suppressing another sigh, she asked, "How many days will your father be away?"
"I don’t know."
Robin shook his head.
"Daddy has been really busy lately. He promised he’d sleep with me, but he always sneaks away in the middle of the night. He also said he’d stay home with me these next few days, but when I woke up this morning, he was already gone. Mrs. Lander said he suddenly had to fly overseas."
To be fair, Dylan traveled frequently for work. There was nothing unusual about that.
Elise silently calculated the days.
Five remained before her departure.
If Dylan happened to be away from North City during that time, it would make things much easier for her.
The thought lifted a weight from her chest.
"Why don’t you call your father and ask when he’ll be back?" she suggested.
"Okay."
Robin nodded immediately.
He tapped the smartwatch on his wrist, found Dylan’s contact, and initiated the call.
The line rang several times before finally connecting.
"Robin."
The child’s eyes lit up.
"Daddy! Where are you?"
"I’m overseas right now. Be good and listen to Mrs. Lander. I’ll be back in a few days."
The smartwatch was on speaker mode, allowing Elise to hear every word clearly.
Robin glanced at her before asking, "A few days means how many days?"
Silence lingered on the other end.
It sounded as though Dylan was considering his answer. A moment later, his deep voice came through the speaker.
"Probably about a week."
A surge of relief swept through Elise.
A week. Perfect.
Without realizing it, a smile almost touched her lips.
She gave Robin an encouraging nod.
Immediately, he said into the watch, "Got it, Daddy. Don’t worry. I’ll be good and wait for you to come home."
"All right," Dylan said. "Daddy needs to get back to work now. I’ll call you again when I have time."
"Okay! Daddy, don’t work too hard. Make sure you get enough rest!"
"I will. You need to be a good boy too. Take your medicine and cooperate with your treatment."
"I’ve been taking my medicine every day!"
"That’s good..."
Father and son chatted for another minute or two. The sounds coming through the line grew increasingly chaotic, as though Dylan was surrounded by people and ongoing business. Clearly pressed for time, he ended the call shortly afterward.
Robin lowered his wrist and looked at Elise.
"Pretty Miss, Daddy won’t be back for another week."
"I heard." Elise gently smoothed his hair. "Then you can stay here with me for the next three days."
His eyes widened instantly.
"Really? I can stay here?"
"You can. But only for three days."
The excitement on his face faltered.
"Why only three days?"
"Because on the fourth day, I have to travel to another city for work. I won’t be home."
That was the explanation she gave him.
In reality, Zoey had already arranged every detail.
A fatal car accident would take place in Rivergate City.
After the "accident," Elise would disappear completely and leave the country under a new identity.
Carrying out the plan away from North City significantly reduced the risk. Even if Dylan became suspicious and launched an investigation, tracing her movements would be far more difficult once the trail led beyond his immediate reach.
Elise arranged for Mrs. Lander and Robin to stay in one of the guest rooms.
Over the next three days, she discovered that Robin was remarkably well-behaved. He was thoughtful, emotionally perceptive, and far more mature than most children his age.
The longer he stayed, the more she noticed countless similarities between him and Dylan.
Dylan disliked bananas.
So did Robin.
Dylan always used his left hand when turning the pages of a book.
Robin instinctively used his left hand while flipping through picture books.
But the discovery that shocked her most involved something far more unusual.
Dylan experienced digestive discomfort whenever he ate tomatoes, a rare genetic quirk few people shared.
To her astonishment, Robin reacted exactly the same way.
Watching the little boy, Elise found herself increasingly bewildered.
If she hadn’t known with absolute certainty that Dylan had an identical twin brother, she might have genuinely suspected Robin was Dylan’s son.
Every time she looked at the child’s face, so strikingly similar to Dylan’s, she could only marvel at the extraordinary strength of the family’s genetics.
It was almost unbelievable.
On the morning of the fourth day, knowing Elise would soon leave on her business trip, Mrs. Lander packed their things and prepared to return to Bennett Manor with Robin.
The little boy was reluctant to go.
As he stood by the door, his eyes had already turned red with unshed tears.
"Pretty Miss, when you come back from your trip, can I visit you again?"
"Of course."
Elise crouched slightly to meet his gaze.
"When I get back and have some free time, I’ll bring Lily to see you."
His face lit up immediately.
"Really? You’re bringing little sis too? That’s even better!"
He threw his arms around her neck.
"Pretty Miss, you’re so nice. I like you so much!"
Tilting his head back, he looked at her with sparkling eyes full of pure affection and happiness.
Elise gently stroked his cheek. A sharp ache tugged at her heart.
She knew there was a very real chance they would never meet again. Yet she was still feeding him comforting promises.
If she claimed she felt no guilt, she would be lying.
But she had run out of choices. Dylan refused to grant her a divorce. The child growing inside her could not wait indefinitely.
Leaving was the only path left to her.
After seeing Robin off, Elise and Zoey packed the last of their belongings.
Neither carried much.
Just two lightweight suitcases and the determination to leave everything behind.
According to the plan, Elise would "die" in a fiery car accident in Rivergate City the following day.
Zoey, acting as her grieving friend, would remain behind to handle the aftermath and tie up loose ends.
Once Elise had safely settled overseas under her new identity, Melissa and Zoey would quietly join her.
Everything had fallen into place with almost suspicious perfection.
Dylan’s sudden overseas trip had only increased their chances of success.
For the first time in a long while, the future seemed within reach.
Meanwhile, back at Bennett Manor, Mrs. Lander and Robin had only just returned when the doorbell rang.
Puzzled, the housekeeper walked over and opened the door.
Outside sat Quinn in a wheelchair.
