The Marvelous Elijah’s Return

His parents are dead

The Subaru Forester sped through the huge open gate, and drove through the yard, into the garage, and then Melina hit the brake pedal hard.

Her little interaction with Elijah had her in all her feelings, and her mood was a mess as she pushed the car door open and stepped out onto the concrete of the front walk. In front of her was a two-stories, enormous fancy mansion with glass panes and a white wraparound porch. Palm trees were lining the driveway and an immaculate flower bed along the side.

The frown she had on didn’t leave her face even after she got to the front door of the mansion and hit the doorbell.

As she was about to ring it for the second time, someone opened the door, and she was met by a tall man in his late sixties with graying hair that wore a light black three-piece suit with a tie that matched his neatly brushed hair perfectly. “Miss Melina, how lovely for you to visit… Good morning.” The butler spoke quietly, a smile plastered on his face.

With a sour expression on her face, she pushed past him, entering the house as she asked,” Where is my grandmother?!”

Butler Gary shook his head at her rudeness, even though it wasn’t the first of its kind, and he closed the door before facing her.

“Madam Jewel is inside the living room, Miss Melina.” He replied politely. “And my parents?” Melinda raised her voice a bit at that last question.

“Your father has left for work, I believe, and your mother… Well, I haven’t seen her this morning, to be honest.”

“Well, take me to my grandmother!”

Melina’s aggressive and demanding ways were nothing strange to Grey because he had served the Hayes family, long before Melina or any of the grandchildren were born… long before Mr. Hayes betrayed his wife.

“Sure, Miss Melina. Please follow me.” Butler Gary responded calmly as he walked past her.

It didn’t take long for them to get to the all-white, marble living room, and when Melina saw her grandmother, sitting on a chaise lounge in the middle of the room with one leg crossed over the other, a book in her lap, she rushed past Butler Grey. “Melina,” Madam Jewel looked up, eyes narrowed and mouth pressed into a thin line.

She set down the book and stood from her seat, her eyes never left Melina’s figure as she asked, “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in the office… at work.”

“Grey, leave us!” Melina ordered without looking away from her grandmother. After bowing slightly to Madam Jewel, Grey turned away from both of them and walked out of the living room.

that she looked displeased with her,

women stood there awkwardly,

Madam Jewel sighed deeply and sat back down on the couch,

whatever lecture Madam Jewel was going to

grandmother’s gaze.

told you when you decided to marry that lowlife because of some stupid bet with Jessica that it was going to end badly, and yet here we are.” Madam Jewel

she remained quiet

expected anything different from you…” She continued. “You’ve always been like this… stubbornly refusing everything I tell you to do. Is

you are so stubborn,

it was a couple of million dollars bet. Of course, you didn’t expect me to not agree to marry that guy. And I’m sorry that it ended like this, but I

her grandmother furrowed her brows, Melina pouted and said, “Also, Jessica’s father is the chairman of TMX incorporation… Their family is not just wealthy, they have an extremely high reputation. Of course, I was going to marry some

how ugly the situation had been getting recently, she knew Melina was right, and how

wouldn’t kill you, would it? To let this thing fade in the background. Did you have to make a spectacle out of a terrible decision on your part!” Madam Jewel scolded her, her

surprised by

married to still have his name attached to our family and

just me you should be getting mad at! Peach is now seeing him… She and her mother are

madam Jewel stiffen, and

soon after, Melina heard Madam Jewel whisper, “Why are Grace and her daughter suddenly getting

again?

to prove something to us or something else. But what I don’t understand is why choose my no-good ex-husband! Are they trying to join forces…” Melina paused, noticing that her Grandmother looked less than pleased and more troubled than she usually

“Huh?”

thick with tension between them, and Melina nervously scratched her neck, feeling uncomfortable being

as she asked,” Who is your ex-husband, Melina?! Like…

life, or anything important about him… And she sure as hell wasn’t planning on ever asking about it. “His parents are dead.” Melina lied with a bold face, forcing a smirk across her face. She knew that if she told the truth, her grandmother’s wrath would be doubled… and maybe even tripled if she found out that she knew

he’s just a nobody with no backing and no

the one thing she did ask

means he’s truly unknown. What makes you think he could be useful to Grace