To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 254

When they arrived at Celestial River Estates, Rose’s expression tightened the moment she opened the door.

“Why are your clothes soaked?”

Elara set down a bag of snacks. “It’s nothing, just got caught in the rain getting out of the car. Don’t worry about it. What’s going on with you and Ryan?”

A little rain? Outside, the storm was raging.

Still shaken by what had happened at the mall, Rose didn’t press Elara any further about the rain.

“Ryan wanted to know what Grandpa said before he passed. Jason was around during the funeral, and I barely had the chance to talk to my own son, so today we…” She sneaked a glance at Elara’s face, searching for her reaction. “We were being as careful as possible, picked a busy shopping mall for cover, but Mrs. Lawrence still managed to spot us. We’re not sure if she recognized us, though.”

Elara frowned. “What do you mean, not sure?”

Rose hesitated. “She only saw us from behind, nothing more.”

But for those who know you well, even a glimpse from behind can be damning.

Thinking it over, Elara walked to the window and called Ryan. “How’s the situation?”

Ryan’s voice on the other end was tinged with frustration. “I had someone erase the security footage from the mall and the surrounding area. For now, she shouldn’t be able to tell if it was me or Jason.”

The two brothers were nearly identical in height and build, both taking after their father.

Elara lowered her eyes. “Why not just come clean to your mom? Then you could see her openly, without all this sneaking around.”

Ryan grew anxious. “That’s impossible. You don’t understand what kind of woman Mrs. Lawrence is. All these years, Victor’s never had a single scandal—do you think that’s because he never wanted to? No, it’s because any woman he got close to was quietly dealt with by Mrs. Lawrence.”

“And you still went along with her, meeting up whenever she wanted?”

Ryan fell silent.

Elara’s voice was calm but unyielding. “You chose this path. Sometimes you have to let go. Your mother will be fine without you. If you both go your separate ways, it’ll be better for everyone—including me.”

She hung up. When she looked at Rose again, her gaze was icy.

“Do you still blame me for not telling you?”

Rose’s eyes reddened as she clutched Elara’s hand. “Elara, please, I’m begging you. Help Ryan this once, and I promise I’ll never see him again.”

“Fourteen years ago,” the woman replied.

The timeline fit.

“Why didn’t you try to find her family before now?” Zane asked.

“She was only twelve then. What could a child know? My husband asked her all sorts of questions, but she couldn’t answer any of them.” The woman sounded matter-of-fact, almost rehearsed. “Our village is way out in the sticks. We didn’t even get a phone line until ten years ago.”

Zane’s face betrayed nothing. “How did she end up with you?”

Without missing a beat, the woman continued, “My husband was working in Breezewood at the time. She fell in the river, someone pulled her out, and when he saw no one wanted her, he felt sorry for the kid and took her back to our hometown.”

“Why isn’t she here herself?” Zane pressed.

A shadow fell across the woman’s face. “She died of illness a month ago. Her last wish was to know about her past, so I came to ask on her behalf.”

The office fell silent, not a single sound to be heard.