Chapter 116: Chapter 115: Light at the End of the Tunnel
"Grandma, I’ll go help out first." Elliana Lyle smiled gently. As long as she didn’t make any mistakes, presumably Grandma Lyle wouldn’t find too much to criticize.
Grandma Lyle’s face was full of wrinkles, and it seemed that the cane in her hand might fall on Elliana at any moment.
But with so many people around, Grandma Lyle just nodded slightly.
When she left the room, a little girl followed her out.
"Elliana, can I take a picture with you?"
A clear voice sounded from behind her. Elliana turned to look at the source of the voice, only to find a pleasant-looking girl, about 14 years old, who was probably still in middle school.
She was dressed simply and was someone Elliana didn’t know, likely a relative from her brother-in-law’s family.
Seeing the girl’s expectant expression, Elliana finally agreed.
As soon as Elliana left, the little girl posted on her social media with the caption: "My newfound sister, who knew she’s a star, from now on my sister’s got my back."
...
"Hey, how’s it going? Can you hurry up a little?"
Elliana was hiding in the bathroom, making a call with a backup phone for Luna.
The voice on the other end sounded a bit impatient: "Busy, busy. I’ll come get you when it’s done. Bye."
Beep beep beep...
Luna’s manner remained unchanged; she was accustomed to it.
It was already 11 o’clock. She had just seen her father in the elaborately decorated engagement banquet hall. Although not far away, she didn’t want to go over and greet him.
Some things are not so easy to let go of, nor are they easily forgiven.
But now she had to go and say hi, because the household registration book was in her parents’ room. To avoid troubles, she even thought of a specific reason.
Looking at her father chatting with a few men, she took a deep breath and then calmly walked over.
"Dad~"
Elliana smiled sweetly and obediently, giving outsiders the impression that the father and daughter had an excellent relationship.
Shawn Lyle felt a bit uncomfortable with his daughter’s smile, even finding it somewhat eerie.
He remembered how angry Elliana was when she left and how she hadn’t returned even for the New Year.
"Elliana."
Shawn’s tone carried a hint of unfamiliarity. If Elliana were to shout at him angrily right now, he could still play the role of a loving father.
But now, he didn’t understand his daughter at all. Had she come to her senses?
"Dad, our school needs the household registration book this afternoon. Can you call the housekeeper to send it to me? Please?"
Clearly, Shawn hesitated for a moment before responding to her request, "Alright, I’ll have someone deliver it to you later."
"Not later, Dad. You always forget things, just make the call now. It’s just a matter of one sentence." As she spoke, Elliana looked imploringly at the uncles who had been talking with Shawn.
As expected, Shawn, who was most concerned about face, had no choice but to make the call to the housekeeper.
"You’re the best, Dad~" Elliana playfully blinked and said with a cheerful smile, "Dad, I’m going to help Sister Joy now."
The moment she turned around, Elliana put away her smile, and she even started to feel nauseous.
Like swallowing a dead fly.
Unable to spit it out, yet unwilling to simply swallow it down.
Soon, she successfully obtained her household registration book, and it was time for Phoebe Lyle’s engagement banquet to begin.
It was actually simple: just two people saying a few words on stage and the host livening up the atmosphere.
Elliana sat with her peers, while at the next table, her aunt had already started making sarcastic remarks towards her.
"I wonder, Elliana, why didn’t you come home for the New Year? After all, you and Norman Bennett aren’t married yet, so why were you in such a hurry to spend the New Year at someone else’s place?" Her aunt spoke very bluntly, and everyone at the table heard it.
"Mom, are you done yet? Can’t you say a little less?"
Christopher Lyle was already feeling impatient. Although he didn’t like Elliana and his two sisters, he also didn’t like hearing such snide remarks.
"You brat!"
If Grandma Lyle weren’t upstairs, Christopher probably wouldn’t dare to talk back to Belle King.
At this point, Ada Lee tried to smooth things over, calming the small storm, then turned to Elliana: "Elliana, how have things been with you and Norman Bennett lately?"
"We’ve been getting along especially well, thanks for your concern, cousin." With a few simple words, Elliana blocked Ada’s prepared speech.
Ada smiled gently, "That’s good. I was just worried you’d get bullied all alone out there."
"No chance, cousin. He’ll protect me well."
Elliana’s smile was so innocent that Ada could hardly maintain her composure.
After eating a few bites of food, she found an excuse to leave. She really didn’t want to dine with the Lyle Family any longer.
The longer she sat, the shorter her life would feel.
As she stepped out of the hotel for some air, she happened to bump into Luna parked by the roadside.
"How’s it going?" Elliana asked.
Luna’s face looked quite heavy, leaving Elliana unsure of whether the news was good or bad.
"Speak up."
"I’ll talk to you about it in the car."
Luna returned the phone to John Shaw, and Elliana said goodbye to Phoebe and Joy.
"Sister, I’ll drop by your place to hang out next time. You have to treat me well."
"Sure, as long as you come."
Phoebe had also noticed how her mother had mocked her sister at the dining table just now, but she couldn’t intervene to help Elliana, so she could only stand by and watch.
...
The car drove along the ring road, and Luna clearly stated, "I looked into it. John Shaw’s contact list labels that friend as ’Haizi,’ and it’s the same person who messed with me last time. You should know what that means, right?"
"But..." Perhaps because he was Sister Phoebe’s fiancé, Elliana instinctively wanted to defend him.
But she knew, more likely than not, it was true.
And Sister Phoebe had just gotten engaged to John Shaw, she couldn’t just confront them now.
However, if John Shaw really was the person behind the online loans—heartless and ruthless—then he had to be caught!
"Don’t worry, I asked Norman Bennett for some people to keep an eye on things. We’ll give your sister some face."
"Okay."
...
Halfway down the road, Luna’s car was intercepted by Norman Bennett, and the "target" was her.
Elliana held a bag and waved it at the man, "Norman Bennett, ta-da! Look, household registration book."
The man took the bag from her hands, "Hmm, I also finished matters early."
At 5 PM.
Sitting in the car, Elliana repeatedly looked at the two red booklets. She had them in her past life too, but these ones felt scorching hot.
This belonged to her and Norman Bennett, she had become his wife, his legal wife.
She flipped through them countless times, still feeling like she was dreaming.
She turned her head to look at the man driving, whose expression was filled with unprecedented warmth, like a piece of warm jade.
So handsome that she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
"Norman Bennett, did I marry you?"
"It was I who married you."
These two sentences were very familiar...
She remembered the lotus pool in full bloom, remembered the little girl in a white gauze dress, and remembered the gentle young boy.
The young boy placed a ring made of flowers onto the little girl’s finger, and she asked with a bright smile, "Brother Norman, am I considered married to you?"
"Yes, it was I who married you."