Hiding Behind Her Superficiality novel Chapter 512
“What do you want? Just spit it out.” Callum broke free of his grasp and stared at Arthur without fear.
“Still stubborn as ever. I might just kill you, you know.” Arthur whipped a knife out and smacked it against Callum’s cheeks. His movement was slow and elegant. It was as if he was holding a handkerchief rather than wielding a dangerous weapon.
“I don’t care.” Callum was looking at him, but not really. Most of his attention was on Elspeth.
The woman was in the car, draped in Arthur’s coat. There was love and pain in her eyes.
“I expected nothing less. Well, if that’s what you want, then you shall die.” Arthur pressed the knife against Callum’s throat.
“Hold it. You promised you’d let him live.”
Arthur stopped pressing his knife deeper. He turned around, his eyes filled with annoyance. “I did promise you, but if you plead for him, I might just snap.”
The woman shook her head and pursed her lips. “You won’t. You hold up your promises. You won’t go back on your words. You don’t want to disappoint me, do you?”
Arthur smiled lovingly. Ah, she’s so smart. Using my weakness against me. He cared about his image whenever it came to Elspeth. He knew the type of men she liked, so he had been trying to become that kind of man. The reason he created Bluestone Corp was partly because of Elspeth’s love for Callum, but Arthur wouldn’t tell her that. “Very well. Since you have spoken, then he shall live.” He let go of his knife.
Elspeth heaved a sigh of relief. He’s fine now. She took the coat off and held the door with one hand while handing the coat to Arthur with the other. “You should cover him with this.”
Arthur’s smile froze. “I told you I don’t like it that you care about him.”
“That’s not what I mean. Just look at him. I’m only worried he might die at this rate. And all hell will break loose,” she said calmly. Arthur couldn’t refute that.
He reluctantly took the coat and tossed it on Callum. No point wasting more time here. He put one hand in his pocket and pointed at Callum with the other. “Now, tell him what we agreed on. Then, we can go home.”
Elspeth’s heart skipped a beat. He wants me to tell him that? I hope Callum won’t get angry.
“If you refuse, I might have to rethink our deal.”
Ugh, fine. Elspeth said, “I’ve agreed to be with Arthur. Let’s break up.”
However, Callum said nothing to that. Arthur got annoyed seeing him so calm. He kicked Callum, complaining, “Hey, she’s talking to you.”
Arthur wanted to see Callum fall into despair. He hated how calm Callum could be, no matter the situation. The angrier Callum was, the happier Arthur would be. It would feel like he was finally winning.
Callum ignored Arthur. “I know you have your reasons.”
“No. That’s the truth,” Elspeth responded, but there was love in her eyes.
Callum got the message. He wouldn’t believe a word of this, so he remained silent. That’ll annoy Arthur.
“Alright, now that it’s done, can we go home now?”
Arthur was annoyed, but at least he got what he wanted. He swung his arm, and someone came ahead. “Toss him in the trunk, and let’s leave this place.”
The trunk? Elspeth’s eyes went wide with fury. “He’s an adult man. You can’t just stick him in the trunk.” It’s raining, so the air is really stuffy. If Callum dies in the trunk, I’ll kill you.
“Alright, calm down. He can take the back seat.” Arthur didn’t want Elspeth to be upset. He didn’t trust her completely, but he still treasured her. He would spoil her, no matter what.
On their way back, Arthur huddled closer to Elspeth and pushed her hair back just to annoy Callum.
Callum looked on in silence, fury welling in his eyes.
She didn’t like it, but she remained seated stiffly and let Arthur do what he wanted. As long as he doesn’t cross the line.
Just then, a deafening explosion roared through the air, and Arthur immediately stepped on the brakes. Callum unraveled his bindings at that instant and grabbed Arthur by his throat.
However, Arthur wouldn’t sit by while Callum was choking him. He whipped out a knife from his chair and stabbed it backward. Then, he saw drops of blood falling onto his seat, and he froze.
He saw Elspeth holding the knife tightly. The pain was making her tremble, yet she refused to let go.
“Elspeth!” Shocked, Arthur let go of the knife. He didn’t expect her to hold the knife. He was heartbroken, but he also got even more furious at Callum.
“Don’t you dare hurt him,” Elspeth uttered calmly. Her lips were getting pale.
“Why’d you do that for him? You could’ve gotten yourself killed!” barked Arthur, his voice trembling out of fury.
“I told you he’s important to me.” She peered at him. “And I will not let anyone hurt him.”
He was disappointed. Elspeth just twisted the knife of despair even deeper into his heart. However, before he could say anything else, he started choking on himself. Callum was tightening his grip on Arthur’s throat, blocking his windpipe.
The explosion was done by Callum’s men to distract Arthur. They finally caught up to Arthur’s car and smashed the door open. They were relieved to see Arthur pinned down. The man in the lead dragged the driver out of the other car and tossed him over to Callum.
“Got him, sir.”
“Don’t kill me. I did nothing, I swear!” Thinking that he might die that night, the driver almost pissed his pants.
“I won’t kill you.” Thinking that it was inconvenient to keep his hold on Arthur’s neck, Callum swiftly took the knife and held it against his throat. “You’re worthless, anyway.” Callum looked at the driver.
“Yes, yes. Please spare me.” The driver knelt on the ground, shivering in fear.
Angered by his driver’s cowardly performance, Arthur shot him a venomous glare. “You useless oaf.”
The driver kept his mouth shut, though he wouldn’t stop trembling.
Callum pushed Arthur over to his men and told them to keep an eye on him. He quickly pulled some tissues and tried to stop Elspeth’s bleeding, but no matter what he did, the blood wouldn’t stop. Her lips were getting paler by the second. There’s no time to lose. Callum ordered, “Strip the driver bare and toss him somewhere crowded. As for Mr. Winthrop here… Well, he’s the president of Bluestone Corp. Can’t humiliate him too much. Strip him bare and step on him. Then, toss him somewhere really crowded.” Then, Callum added, “Also, toss them into different places. Don’t want anyone to recognize them, after all.”
The man in the lead chuckled and rubbed his hand. “No problem, sir. I know what to do.”
“I know you do.” Callum nodded and took Elspeth to his car. Then, he drove her to the hospital.
Once Callum was gone, the leader of the gang turned his attention to the stubborn Arthur and slapped the man. It wasn’t a hard slap, though Arthur felt humiliated. “What are you looking at, punk? Do you really think you’re high and mighty? You’re just a nobody.”
Callum had received the same treatment half an hour ago. And now, it’s my turn. Arthur hated this, but he couldn’t do anything about it. If he tried anything stupid, the men would humiliate him even more. Thus, he smirked politely. “What’s so good about him? You’re wasting your talent working for Callum. Why don’t you work with me? I promise—”
Before Arthur could even finish his sentence, the man punched him in the face. “Shut it. Do you think I care about money?”
Arthur staggered backward before standing firmly. He wiped the blood off his lips and continued, “I’m just trying to be nice. Working for him has no future. But if you work for me, I can give you riches and power. A job. A great job.”
“Oh, shut it. Your promises mean nothing. I don’t care about your money. Money and fame aren’t my dreams. And besides, Mr. Winthrop is way better than you. You might scapegoat us one day. Getting backstabbed isn’t exactly a good job in my eyes. Now, shut it.”
He gave his men a look, and they pinned Arthur and the driver down.
“You’ll regret this! Everyone who crosses me will!” Arthur yelled.
“Come at me, sonny. Daddy’s waiting,” the leader mocked.
And his men burst into laughter.
Arthur looked at the men. Guess there’s no escaping this. He could only watch helplessly as the men stripped the driver bare. Then, they stepped on Arthur like he was trash. His coat was creased, and his collar was torn. Arthur looked like he had just gotten beaten up.
In the end, the men tossed Arthur and the driver into east and south Damoria. Even though there weren’t many people out due to the rain, there were still some who noticed Arthur. They huddled closer and whispered among themselves, wondering who Arthur was.
Thanks to his face covered in mud, nobody recognized him, yet the crowd was amused nonetheless. They laughed at Arthur as he slowly got back up. This isn’t the first time.
Last time, Callum told his men to strip Arthur bare and toss him into a crowded spot. He was humiliated back then. And now, the same thing happened again. This is annoyingly familiar. Hatred welled in his heart, and Arthur roared, “F*ck off!”
Thinking that Arthur might be mad, the crowd quickly went away, and only Arthur was left. He was shivering in fury. Never have I ever been humiliated like this. And it happened twice, no less. Damn you, Callum. I’ll kill you! And I’ll make you pay, Elspeth!
…
Callum watched silently as Elspeth was getting bandaged up.
Noticing his dour mood, the woman said, “I know you’re down because of what happened. We’ll make Arthur pay for what he did to you.”
He shook his head and held her hand. “That’s not the only thing I’m bothered about. You didn’t have to do as he told you. You could’ve refused. He wouldn’t have hurt you. You don’t have to care about me.” Callum didn’t like that Elspeth played along with Arthur’s plan just for him.
“What? Do you expect me to watch as his men insult, abuse, and even kill you?”
He smiled bitterly. “But seeing you doing something against your will hurts me more. I don’t want you to do that to yourself.”
Callum looked at her bandaged hand and could feel something squeeze his heart. The sight of her injured hand felt more painful than getting hurt himself. “Don’t do this next time. You know I would be fine.” Arthur was hurling his knife backward, so it was nearly impossible for him to land a blow on Callum. Besides, Callum could fight well and had good reflexes. There was no way Arthur could hurt him.
“But I don’t want anything to happen to you. If you were hit, the knife would’ve gone straight through your heart. I’d rather hurt my own hand to stop that.”
Her wound isn’t exactly shallow, either. If the knife were to cut a bit deeper, her hand would be done for. Callum took a deep breath and said, “Your safety matters most. No matter what.”
Elspeth paused for a moment. Then, she smiled. “What’s the second most important thing, then?”
The man blurted, “Our child.”
She was surprised he’d say that. “You want a child that much, huh?”
“No. Don’t let that weigh on your mind. What I mean is if we have a child, then…”
Elspeth pounced into his embrace and rubbed her head against his chest. Softly, she said, “In that case, we’ll have our own child.”
Surprised, Callum said, “What did you say?”
“Don’t you want a child?”
“I do.”
He was telling the truth. Most of his subordinates had gotten married and started raising their own families. He saw a few of their children, and they were adorable. He, too, wanted his own child. Most importantly, he wanted a child with Elspeth, the woman he loved. It would be their bundle of joy. Yet, when Elspeth brought it up, his heart still raced a little.
Callum held her unhurt hand. Slowly, he said, “Do you actually want a child with me, or do you just want to make me happy? I’d be delighted if it’s the former, but if it’s the latter, then it’s best you think things through. I’m fine if we don’t have kids. It’s not—”
“I’ve known you for four years, Callum.” Elspeth rested her head against his chest. “I know you too well. Yes, part of the reason is that I want to make you happy.” He’s always been the one to make me happy. I don’t mind doing something for him.
“You won’t regret this?”
“Of course not. I never regret anything.” She thumped him playfully. You don’t believe me? Though, she used the wrong hand to hit him. Her good hand was held by Callum, and now her injured hand was hurt again. She gasped in pain and almost cried.
Callum wanted to laugh, but he held it back. Worried, he said, “Alright, stop moving now. Let’s get this over with so we can go home.”
Elspeth was reminded of something. She asked, “Did you really strip him bare?” It’s raining outside. Arthur’s going to get a fever, and he’s going to get back at Callum real soon. He’s petty as f*ck. Not like we’re scared of him, but he can be a nuisance.
“No. I only ordered my men to strip his driver bare. As for Arthur, my men would toss him onto a crowded street with his clothes intact. But that would be embarrassing enough for him.”
The woman shook her head. “He cares about his image and reputation. He’s going to get back at you.”
“Let him. I don’t care. It’s already bad enough that he wants to take you. I’ll drill the fact that you’re mine into his head. Nobody can take you away.” Murder filled his eyes.
“I just want you to be safe. Arthur’s not terrifying or dangerous, but he’s still a hassle to deal with. Be careful. He’s going to take revenge.”
“Let him come.” Callum cocked his eyebrow.
“I know you’re not afraid of him, but be careful, okay?”
He nodded, smiling. “Of course, Mrs. Winthrop. I’ll be sure to look out.”
It was amusing to hear the head of the Winthrops talking to her like that. He can be such a comedian sometimes, she thought with a smile.
A few days went by, but Arthur did nothing. For once, Elspeth thought she might have been too harsh on him. Callum thought it was weird as well, but then Arthur could hold back his rage well, so he knew a storm was coming. And a few days later, a piece of news went viral on the Internet.
Elspeth was annoyed when she saw the photo. It was the one where she and Callum were locked up in the warehouse. Arthur must be the one behind this. Just when she thought it was a scandal directed at her and Callum, she noticed a familiar name.
Jasmine? The article talked about how Jasmine locked the couple up and left. The photo had been captured very clearly. It was as if the whole incident was a set-up from the start. Elspeth read further and saw that the article made her and Callum out to be the victims. Pure victims.
It was surprising, to say the least. But he’s not doing anything bad. Elspeth heaved a sigh of relief. She wondered why Arthur went after Jasmine, though. He knows she’s part of the McGraths. Going against Old Mr. McGrath is going to be bad for him.
The comments were all cursing Jasmine. Some even went as far as to attack the McGraths for raising an evil daughter. Thanks to that article, the McGraths were now facing a wave of bad publicity.
Just when Elspeth was thinking that Arthur had made a wrong move, someone flung her office door open. Before she could even see who it was, Elspeth heard the person scream, “Elspeth Lynwood! Old Mr. McGraths has told you not to go after Jasmine! What are you doing? You guys baited her and framed her, didn’t you? I can’t believe you’d go so far! Have a heart, will you?”
Elspeth didn’t panic, though. She picked her teacup up and took a sip. She didn’t even bother with the intruder. There was nothing to be worried about since she wasn’t the one who did this.
Bobby had been the one who stormed into the office. He couldn’t stand the sight of Elspeth.
“Mr. McGrath, next time you want to accuse me of something, show your evidence. I don’t have time to play with you.” The woman initially thought it was Haris, but to her surprise, it was Bobby—Jasmine’s father. After saying that, Elspeth extended her arm. “If you’re here to demand an explanation, I must ask you to leave.” She smiled. “I have work to do.”
Bobby was surprised that Elspeth wasn’t even showing him an ounce of courtesy. And it was surprising that she didn’t look nervous at all. Is there more to this news? But if Elspeth didn’t do it, then who? Could it be Callum? They’re the only ones who have a grudge against Jasmine.
When Elspeth saw him deep in thought, she knew right away that Bobby had been tricked by someone into coming after her.
“I have no concrete proof, but I will find it someday. You’re not getting away.”
“Come at me whenever you please.” She smiled. Her carefree attitude was starting to make Bobby second-guess himself that he actually got the wrong person. “And you should look before you leap, Mr. McGrath. Do you think Old Mr. McGrath doesn’t know about this? He knows more than you think, yet he’s not the one who came. Try to figure out why.”
Bobby had no answer for that. Hey, I’m the older man here. Show me some respect, young lady. Elspeth’s attitude didn’t sit well with him, but he was in the wrong here, so he said nothing.
“I see you’re beginning to understand where you went wrong. I trust you’ll figure things out soon enough.” She smiled. “If nothing else, escort him out, Lily.”
Lily tugged on her hem and extended her arm. “If you may, Mr. McGrath.”
Bobby took a deep breath and straightened his collar out before he left.
“You’re awesome, Miss Lynwood. You made him leave just like that.” Lily was grinning happily. She was delighted to see Bobby lose the fight.
“I didn’t actually do anything. He just got the wrong person. There was nothing I had to do.”
Lily nodded. “True. You’re not the culprit here. But honestly, I can’t believe Jasmine. She tried to kill you, and now that she’s exposed, she expects you to give her an explanation instead. Unbelievable!”
“Not like the first time she’s done this. Just ignore her.” Elspeth stretched her arms. “If nothing else, you can leave now.”
Lily nodded. “Of course, Miss Lynwood.”
Before Lily left, Elspeth said, “Lily, call Edmund and help me arrange a meetup with him.”
“Of course.”
Elspeth was sure Arthur was behind this scandal. He wanted to push all the blame onto her. And here I thought he had forgotten about it. So, this is his plan.
At lunch break, she went to the third floor’s cafeteria and got a bowl of oyakodon. After she took a seat, she noticed someone taking up the seat across from her. She thought the person was just trying to share a table, but they weren’t moving for a long time. Then, she raised her head. The first thing she saw was an arrogant smile. “It’s been a while, Elspeth.”
“It’s only been a week. So, have you healed up, Mr. Winthrop?” Elspeth scooped up a spoonful of rice and popped it into her mouth, ignoring the upset Arthur.
Arthur had to stay at home for a few days to heal up. His arm was sprained after he got tossed out of the car. And the fact that Elspeth was using it to mock him annoyed him.
“So, to what do I owe the pleasure? Or are you just here so I can laugh at you?”
Arthur stroked his chin as he looked around. When he saw no one was around, he said, “I heard Bobby came to you this morning.”
“Ah, your sources are fast. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought there were spies in my company.”
“What? No. I just sent my men to tail the McGraths.”
Surprised, Elspeth put her spoon down. “Why?” To watch them start another drama with me?
“Because I was worried about you.”
As if, she thought. However, when she looked at him closely, she realized he was being serious. “Yeah, right. You should be hating me after I helped Callum out last time.”
“Why would I? I was sad and jealous that you helped him, but I still like you. So, I still want to take you back.” Agitated, Arthur held her hand. It was cold. As cold as a corpse’s hand.
Elspeth didn’t break free right away. Instead, she looked at him coldly. “Snap out of it, Arthur.”
With that, the fanatical fire in Arthur’s eyes died out a little. “I am more awake than ever. My goal is simple—it is to have you.”
Elspeth backed off and pulled her hand out. “Your goal is to take Callum and his company down. Drop the Romeo act.” She never thought Arthur liked her one bit. He only came after her to annoy Callum. And as time passed, he muddied his feelings for her.
“I am sure I like you.” He gnashed his teeth.
“Stop. You’re being disgusting again,” she snapped. “Are you still going to stay around? Callum’s coming soon. You don’t want to see him right now, do you?”
Arthur hesitated for a moment before letting go of her hand reluctantly. He still didn’t want to run into Callum for now.
“Good. Now, piss off,” Elspeth snapped. She had lost all appetite, so she left, holding the tray in her hands.
That little… Elspeth massaged her forehead in irritation. “I see. You may leave now. I’ll call him later.”
There’s nothing I can do here now. Lily left soon after.
Thinking it would be hard to explain things over a phone call, Elspeth decided to visit him instead. He’s not a patient person, after all, she thought.
It was 3.00PM when someone knocked on Edmund’s door. He took the door, wearing nothing but a pair of pants. His upper body was revealed.
Elspeth shoved him out of the way and entered the room like it was her house. She came to the couch and saw a bra hanging on it. A frown formed on her face. “Looking intense.”
“Why did you come here?”
“To see you, duh.” She glanced at the bedroom and saw the silhouette of a woman inside.
“What happened? You’re no womanizer.”
Edmund plopped down impatiently and cracked a bottle of soda open. “None of your business,” he responded, looking at her.
“Anyway, I’m not here to talk about that.” She looked into the bedroom again. “But you should tell her to leave.”
Exasperated, he stood up and pulled the bedroom door open, revealing a delicate woman inside. She looked at Edmund with love in her eyes, but there was a hint of fear in her gaze.
“Out.”
The woman quickly picked up her clothes and hastily changed into them. She then took her bag and darted out of the room.
Elspeth pointed at the couch as she called out to the woman, “You missed something.”
The pink bra was still hanging on the couch. Sheepishly, the woman came forward and grabbed her bra. She tucked it into her bag and ran away.
“Aww, you scared her,” Elspeth teased.
Edmund was in no mood to play. He leaned on the doorframe and asked, “What is it this time?”
“Patience. I’m getting to it.” She took a report out of her bag and tossed it onto the table before the man.
“What is this?” he asked, but he didn’t pick it up.
“You can just read it. Won’t take a minute.”
A frown furrowed his forehead. “Can you skip the guessing segment?”
“Alright, fine. It’s the report of the inspection of Max’s race car.”
Edmund’s face fell instantly. “What?” He picked the report up and skimmed through it.
Elspeth clicked her tongue. “Thought you didn’t care.”
It didn’t take long for Edmund to finish the report, and he looked grim. “Someone tampered with it, didn’t they?”
“Yes. If you are smart enough to suspect something’s wrong with the car, there’s no way we will be oblivious to it.”
“I don’t believe you.” He calmed down and tossed the report back onto the table. Then, he said coldly, “This is probably an act you and Callum came up with. I won’t fall for it.”
“And why would we do that?”
He closed his eyes, trying to hold his emotions back. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
“Wait a minute. All the web novels got into your head, didn’t they?” Elspeth almost laughed. “You think Callum killed Max so he could get more inheritance?”
How does she know that? Edmund looked a little awkward.
“My goodness, Edmund. You’re an adult. There’s no way things can be so dramatic in real life. You need to get your head checked.”
Cold fury glinted in his eyes. He thought this was Callum’s conspiracy, all because of Callum’s unusual actions. If he had told everyone about the potential saboteur hiding in the shadows, he wouldn’t have suspected anything. Yet, he first said it was an accident, but now he claimed that the car was sabotaged. Edmund had to suspect something.
“I still can’t believe you.” He still thought things were more complex than they appeared to be. “I need to find out the truth for myself.”
Fine. If he’s that stubborn, then I have nothing to say. “Very well. If that’s how you want to treat your brothers, then go ahead.”
Welp, that’s it, then. Someone’s going to use this to bring the Winthrops down. Or worse. Elspeth couldn’t help but sigh internally.
“I can barely call him my brother. I share no fraternity with him. He has always been a selfish man. He doesn’t care about anyone, and certainly not us.”
The woman stopped in her tracks. “What did you say?”
“Tell Callum to drop his act. It’s disgusting,” Edmund spat. He seemed to have been holding it in for a long time.
“Didn’t think you’d be this dramatic.” Elspeth crossed her arms. “Guess I’ve got to clear up this misunderstanding before I leave.”
He crushed his bottle of soda and slammed it on the ground. “No need for that. Leave.”
Elspeth huddled closer and purred, “Do you not like me?”
The man said nothing as he refused to answer.
“Look, this is a misunderstanding.” Elspeth sat back down and crossed her legs, waiting for Edmund to speak.
“There is no misunderstanding. At least not from the attitude he’s showing right now. If he thinks I’ve misunderstood him, then tell him to speak to me himself.”
No longer desiring to talk, Edmund opened his bedroom door and went inside. He then slammed the door shut, declining all visitations. Elspeth might’ve been refused, but she wasn’t about to give up just yet.
She went ahead and knocked on the door, refusing to leave until she had an answer. “Come out, Edmund. We need to talk.”
“For the last time, we have nothing to talk about. If you keep doing this, then don’t blame me for taking extreme measures.” There was anger in his voice, but he was keeping it in.
“You still hate me, huh?” Elspeth blurted out for some reason.
And silence ensued. A moment later, Edmund opened the door, a conflicted look filling his eyes. “What do you want?”
“There’s nothing worth mending,” Edmund retorted stiffly.
“I know you’re still affected by the fact that I ran away from the altar. Even though you act as if you’re completely fine about it, I know it made you upset. I just never found the time to talk to you about it.”
Edmund was a little flustered at the mention of this incident. His hostility dissipated and was replaced by evasiveness. It was as if he wanted to avoid this topic.
“Actually, I—”
“Actually, I know that you begrudge the way things played out, so I want to give you a proper apology. I’m truly sorry for hurting you. I’m sorry that I couldn’t return your feelings. I’m sure you’ll meet someone else who’s better than me, but the woman earlier is certainly not her.”
While listening to Elspeth, Edmund’s feelings were complicated.
It went without saying that he had indeed been affected by the whole situation.
When she ran away from the altar, he didn’t pursue the matter. Instead, he scrounged up an excuse on her behalf and protected her reputation.
That was because he knew that she was never in love with him. Even if he did marry her, he couldn’t change that.
Thus, he hoped she would find happiness, even if he weren’t the one for her.
His expression became a little awkward when Elspeth mentioned the woman. “Stop talking about her.”
“But this isn’t like you.”
At the end of the day, Elspeth never truly detested Edmund. She could accept his sharp tongue as him simply being a blunt and straightforward person, but she was caught off guard by what she saw today.
To numb oneself was also a form of reckless abandon.
“I know. I won’t do it again.” Yet, after answering her, Edmund realized that he seemed like an errant child who’d just been reprimanded by a parent, and his expression soured. “Why are you treating me like a kid?”
Elspeth almost burst out in laughter, but for the sake of avoiding an outburst from him, she cleared her throat and refuted, “I’m not. We’re the same age, so why would I treat you like a kid? You’re being too sensitive.”
“Fine. Are you done?”
“Of course not. Since you’re willing to crack a joke with me, it means you’ve more or less made peace with things.”
She cleared her throat again and stated, “Now, it’s time to talk about you and Callum.”
“Can you stop bringing him up? It’s good enough that I’m not engaging in any form of conflict with him. Don’t get yourself involved in this mess.” Edmund eyed her coolly, but his gaze slowly hardened. “I had feelings for you once, but it doesn’t mean I’d listen to everything you say.”
Elspeth cocked her eyebrows. “You know I’m Callum’s wife, right? I’m part of the Winthrop Family now. This counts as a family matter of mine as well.”
“So, this situation must be resolved. You misunderstand Callum.”
Edmund snorted in ridicule. “What misunderstanding? I know you love him, so you see him through rose-tinted glasses, but that’s no excuse for you to try and absolve him of all the things he did.”
“Rose-tinted glasses and an attempt to absolve him, huh? Edmund, you’re running the Cole Family’s business, right?”
Elspeth tackled the situation from a different angle and brought up the Coles.
Edmund was startled by the abrupt change in topic. He looked a little confused.
“Do you really think you were able to stand firm and allow the business to grow so rapidly because of your unparalleled excellence? Or perhaps because Master Philip favors you a lot?”
She didn’t come right out and say what was the truth, but the insinuation was clear.
Edmund only had to pause in thought for a few moments before he figured out the unseen events that happened behind his back.
“If Callum didn’t help you out in secret, you’d probably still be having a hard time surviving in the Cole Family right now. You certainly won’t have the time to investigate the cause of Max’s death.”
From his expression, she could tell that he had been completely unaware of all this. She couldn’t help but curse his foolishness on the inside.
Edmund never thought that something like this had been happening in secret. He turned red at the thought of what he had said earlier.
“You don’t need to feel embarrassed by this. Callum’s your brother and he willingly did all those things for you. You don’t need to feel like you owe him anything, either.” Elspeth stared at the man with flashing eyes. “But I don’t want to see you harboring misunderstandings about him when he has done so much for all of you in secret. I don’t want him to be so unfortunate as to have such an ungrateful brother.”
Edmund picked up on the words she used and asked, “What do you mean ‘all of you?’”
“Blake hides his relationship from his fans, and whenever the paparazzi take photos of him on a date, Callum pays them off.”
Elspeth continued, “As for Max’s invitation to train in Wohler, Callum paid to get him a slot, too.”
…
Edmund quietly listened to Elspeth as she listed out the things Callum had done for his brothers. His eyes flickered strangely.
Although his expression was largely the same, he was in turmoil on the inside.
Callum never mentioned these things to any of us.
All of the brothers thought that Callum was a selfish man through and through—a cunning businessman willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted.
Arthur hated him, Blake respected him, Max feared him, and as for Edmund, he felt nothing but disgust and repulsion.
Thus, now that the truth had come to light, Edmund was entirely unprepared for it.
He couldn’t describe what he was feeling. It was a little bittersweet, and he also felt ashamed.
I’d misunderstood Callum for so many years.
“Therefore, if you still think Callum is a heartless man who doesn’t care about his brothers, then you’re nothing more than a joke.”
Elspeth paused for a moment before asking, “Do you believe that what we found in our investigation is real now?”
His gaze had lost all its hardened hostility. He looked somehow dejected as he replied, “I do.”
“That makes things a lot easier, then. As long as you believe this, there won’t be any issues.”
She could finally exhale in relief.
“Why did you… come and tell me these things?”
Elspeth’s eyes flashed plaintively. “I didn’t want to come all the way here to ruin your fun either, but I had to tell you about this. I’m sure you know that Arthur’s trying to stick his foot into this mess. If he manages to instigate you by sowing more discord between you and Callum, it’ll only make things even more challenging. Furthermore, it’s one thing for you to be suspicious, but you’re even trying to convince Blake to join you in your muddleheaded ideas…”
Edmund recalled his declarations at Winthrop Residence a few days ago. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him.
“I won’t. I’ll clear things up with Blake. I won’t drag him along in any foolishness.”
Elspeth smiled. “In that case, I can rest easier now. Anyway, I’m heading off now if there’s nothing else.”
Just then, Edmund’s phone started ringing. The name ‘Arthur Winthrop’ appeared on the screen.
Elspeth let out a long exhale. Thank goodness I came over just in time, or else, Arthur would’ve gotten to Edmund first.
“Should I answer?”
Edmund looked up and waved his phone at Elspeth.
She nodded. “Go ahead. Let’s see what he’s up to.”
With her assent, Edmund answered the call. “Hello? What do you want?”
“I heard that you and Callum had a falling out.”
Arthur’s probing voice rang out.
“Nope. Didn’t happen. Where did you hear that?” Edmund put the call on speakerphone to let Elspeth listen in on the conversation.
“Now that things have come to this, you needn’t bother hiding it from me. If you’re willing to join me now, I’ll make sure it’ll be worth your while.”
Arthur chuckled lightly in full confidence.
Edmund pretended to scratch his head in frustration before responding impatiently, “I told you. I didn’t have a falling out with him. I don’t know whom you heard that from. Go and get them to join you instead.”
He hung up on Arthur.
Elspeth gave him an approving look. “Not bad. I didn’t expect you to be this good at it.”
Arthur’s probably incredibly frustrated right now. His news was accurate, but he still got rejected anyway.
“In the first place, I wouldn’t sink to that level and join him, so I was just telling the truth.” Edmund waved his phone. “You can relax now, right? I won’t join him in his dirty deeds.”
“Yes, I’m totally relaxed now. I guess the trip was worth it after all.”
Elspeth moved to pat Edmund on the shoulder with a grin, but he just narrowly avoided her.
“Alright now. If there’s nothing else, you should hurry up and leave. Callum would probably skin me alive if he found out that you’re here.”
Elspeth glanced at the disheveled room and the lingering signs of an intense bout of passion that happened earlier. She couldn’t help but blush.
After noticing Elspeth’s bashful reaction, a strange thought popped up in Edmund’s mind. “Don’t tell me that you and Callum haven’t—”
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