Elaine White was stunned.
Following Cillian Grant’s style of action in her mind, she suddenly shivered, "My old man used to say that business is like a battlefield — you fight with real weapons and insults are as dirty as they co. But no one ever dares to curse at Cillian Grant. If soone were to say a bad word about him, he could seize their land in the countryside, raze everything down, and leave no trace, he’s a real destroyer."
Eleanor was breathing heavily, "That’s just one side of it. In his anger, he kicked out of the Grant Family. That one hundred million investnt is completely gone. With both old and new grievances combined, I have no choice but to run. I can’t manage the company side anymore, I need you to go to the black clinic for —"
She hadn’t finished her sentence when Elaine White grabbed her hand, "No need to go, what I want to tell you is just that."
Eleanor frowned.
Elaine had a gleam of happiness in her eyes, "In the afternoon, you were in a hurry to get back to the company. I was following behind you, didn’t make it a few steps before being stopped by Damian Sinclair’s secretary."
Eleanor’s frown deepened.
Elaine excitedly shook her hand, "You don’t have to worry about the black clinic’s check-ups anymore. Damian Sinclair’s secretary promised, even if Cillian Grant goes to that clinic a thousand tis, the owner won’t say a word about you. Damian Sinclair has also arranged for you to go abroad: tickets, visas, a new identity—"
She pulled out a stack of papers folded into thick squares from her pocket and stuffed them into Eleanor’s hands, "Your plan was to hide and lie low in the country for a few more years. Now you can go abroad, and with Cillian Grant’s three eyes, he won’t see that far. You don’t even have to hide, just get off the plane and start a new life."
Eleanor flipped through the neatly spread pages from the outermost one, not only were there docunts for going abroad but there were also lists of foreign properties and contact numbers. From ho to abroad, as long as she was prepared to leave, she could call the numbers one by one, and every stage would have soone protecting her escape.
Her hand trembled slightly as she shifted all the papers to the other hand, revealing a paper crane nestled inside, with faint writing exposed in the folds of the papers.
Elaine explained, "The secretary said, this is a letter from Damian Sinclair for you."
"I know." Eleanor repeated softly, "I know."
Elaine saw that her face had frozen into an ashen white, eyes dim and dull, suppressing her bitterness with great effort.
"Is it him—"
Elaine had just opened her mouth when Eleanor’s phone rang, the sharp shrill piercing the quiet street and startling several wild cats.
Eleanor folded the paper, sliding the paper crane inside.
The caller ID on the phone was glaring and urgent, and Elaine also saw it, blurting out, "Cillian Grant really doesn’t intend to let you go."
Eleanor took a deep breath and answered after five or six seconds.
The man’s voice was devoid of emotion, "Where are you?"
Eleanor struggled to control her emotions, "At the company."
"Thrown out of the house, yet still able to work at the company?"
It was like stabbing soone and then asking why they weren’t dead yet. Elaine listened, feeling as if knives were burning into her eyes.
Eleanor signaled with her eyes for her to stay calm and spoke in a flat, emotionless tone, "Besides the company, I have nowhere else to go."
There was a silence on the other end, with no reply or hang-up.
After a few breaths, the man’s voice ca through, low, "Take a long leave. I’ll co fetch you."
Elaine’s expression turned dramatic.
Eleanor clutched the phone, knuckle white, her voice breaking with a thread of genuine emotion, "I don’t want to see you right now."
Yet, in a mont of clarity, she knew she couldn’t provoke him now; stabilizing him was crucial.
Eleanor added, "Can you give an afternoon to calm down?"
Too long a ti would test the man’s patience in his anger, but too short wouldn’t allow her to reach a safe place.
The phone screen lit up, and the call was disconnected.
Eleanor’s back suddenly collapsed with exhaustion, and Elaine let out a deep breath, "Did he agree or not?"
Eleanor strode towards the exit, "There’s a seventy percent chance he agreed, but I can’t gamble on the thirty percent."
She hurried away, relentless.
.........
Just two streets away from Eleanor’s company.
The man hung up the call and instructed Aaron Chase, "Back to the company."
Aaron imdiately turned on the indicator and changed lanes to turn around.
Cillian Grant’s fingers gently caressed the phone.
A mont later, he dialed a new number.
The other side quickly picked up, "Is it a solar storm, the apocalypse, or did my uncle turn into Iron Man and defeat you, that you actually called ?"
Cillian Grant ignored his teasing, his gaze fixed on the swiftly passing cherry blossoms in the greenery, "For the next two weeks, find your own way. Unless it ends in complete defeat, don’t bother ."
Liam Xavier, lazily sprawled on the sofa, sat up in shock, "You kidding ? Are you in trouble? Is your wife also pregnant?"
The man was displeased, remaining silent.
Liam couldn’t resist, "Oh right, you don’t even have a wife. Since you don’t, why are you taking leave at such a dangerous ti?"
Listening to the cold silence on the other end, Liam reclined again, teasing, "You can’t take it out on happily married just because you can’t have a wife."
This ti Cillian Grant responded, with a cold laugh, "Soone who needs my help to protect his wife and kids, has no right to talk about a happy marriage."
He hung up the call.
Liam Xavier sat up angrily, venting his frustration to the woman peeling an orange beside him, "He’s taking it out on , acting all condescending, think he’s easily defying the world?"
The woman fed him, "But he does have the ability, doesn’t he?"
Liam felt sour in career, love, and taste, "Are you on my side or his?"
......
Eleanor bid farewell to Elaine and boarded the bus.
The cherry blossoms in the greenery were vibrant with life, each tree lush with greenery and stretching through the entire city with erald splendor.
Eleanor overheard two young girls next to her, whispering excitedly, "Never thought all cherry trees survived. Next spring when they bloom, the wind will blow petals through the city, a pink mist, just thinking about it makes so thrilled."
" too. Who knew the governnt, usually so old-fashioned, could be so dreamily romantic."
Eleanor drew the curtains.
The two girls were half right; she too never thought Cillian Grant, such a cold, rigid person, would indulge his sister and have such a delicate yet grand gesture.
As the bus rged onto the highway, the provincial city faded into a vague shadow behind.
Eleanor relaxed a bit, stretching out the paper tube she held, its outer two layers wet with cold sweat, which she ignored.
She put it aside and unfolded the paper crane.
After four years, Eleanor once again saw Damian Sinclair’s handwriting.
[After learning the truth in the teahouse, countless impulsive thoughts surged in , clamoring, wishing to expose everything and tear Cillian Grant to pieces.
Then, I rembered your eyes, full of turbulent fear, every mont etched with the struggle for survival, awaiting salvation in the next second. Therein, I also saw your guard against , like your caution towards him.
Eleanor, I am deeply ashad.
All these four years, I thought I respected your decisions.
You trust , I’ll resist. You want to leave, I’ll let go. You avoided because of Phoebe Grant, I accepted it.
Two months ago, I saw Phoebe Grant slandering you, and you hid in the garden crying. All the flowers vied for splendor, the world infinitely beautiful. Yet, your suffering, grievances, and sadness could only be silent and lonely.
I realized I was wrong. The marriage between Sinclair and Grant is a responsibility I couldn’t shirk. Faced with the reality that I must marry Phoebe Grant, I accepted it while rejecting all intimacy with her, clinging to the past you.
Leading her to vent hatred upon you, harming the real you.
That night, I was with her.
I’m telling you this not to burden you further, but to let you know that with that step taken, I understood we have no future.
So, do not view this kindness with any suspicion.
By no ans accept it.]
Eleanor froze, almost suffocating.
Flipping to the back, surprisingly, there were more words.
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