Chapter 9 As Tarquin’s gaze lingered on Elysia, there was a flicker of unplaceable light in his eyes. It wasn’t that she was excessively beautiful, but something about this woman stirred a sense of familiarity within him–a nagging feeling that he had seen her somewhere before. Yet, after scrutinizing her features, no recollection surfaced. Maintaining a stoic expression, Tarquin strode over to the conference table and took his seat. He noticed Elysia staring him down with an intensity that bordered on hostility, and he furrowed his brow in response. Her kid had wrecked his car, and here she was, not begging for forgiveness, but daring to look at him with such defiance. The woman had guts just like her son, he’d give her that. “Why did you let your kid trash my car?” Tarquin accused the moment he spoke, pinning the blame squarely on Elysia. sia, fists clenched and shaking with emotion, frowned upon hearing his words. It seemed that he didn’t recognize her. Was it that he hadn’t seen her clearly that night, or was he feigning ignorance? Uncertain whether this man was the brute from before, Elysia held back from any action. rash Struggling to keep her emotions in check, she probed cautiously, “You… you don’t know who I am?” “Nope.” 55 2 2 5 ū “Not at all?” “Should I?” Elysia was at a loss for words. What was going on? He bore a striking resemblance to Elliot and Evan–not identical, but to a large extent. Yet, he claimed not to know her, and he didn’t seem to be lying. Even his voice was different from the man that night. Elysia studied Tarquin a moment longer, suppressing the urge to lash out. After all, in a world of people with a nose and a pair of eyes, similar faces were not uncommon. She steadied her nerves and focused on the immediate issue at hand, “If you don’t know me, why did you drag me here? Kidnapping is a crime!” Tarquin’s face darkened as Lowell chimed in, “The boss already told you–because your kid destroyed his car.” “What?” Elysia couldn’t believe it. “Is there some mistake? We’ve just arrived in Jindale City from out of town today. How could my son have had the time to damage your car?” *Just show her the surveillance footage,” Tarquin snapped impatiently. And with that, the events that had unfolded at the train station began to play on the large screen in the conference room. Although the boy in the video wore a mask, Elysia recognized him instantly. She couldn’t explain how the tires had been destroyed, but the scratches on the car were indeed the work of her son, Evan. “Um…I…I’m so sorry, I didn’t know about this… The child in the mask is indeed my son, but he’s a good kid. He wouldn’t have scratched your car without a reason. There must be an explanation.” Tarquin watched her reactions closely, sensing she wasn’t lying. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Do you know that your kid plays with explosives?” “Explosives? Impossible! He’s too young to be messing with something so dangerous.” out these tires were blown off by expertly–made explosives he used.” Elysia’s eyes widened in shock before she quickly furrowed her brow, rushing to explain, “I understand now! You’ve got it all wrong; it wasn’t explosives, it was just small fireworks. My family makes them; it’s a tradition. Evan loves helping his great–grandfather make fireworks, and he brought some with us to Jindale City as a gift from him. I apologize–I had no idea they could be so powerful. If I had known, I never would have let him bring them along.” Elysia spoke with genuine candor, showing no signs of deceit. Tarquin kept his eyes on Elysia for a long moment, and eventually, he believed her. Fireworks operated on the same principle as explosives, and it was true that in some rural areas, the older craftsmen had formidable skills. Chapter 10