Chapter 7

Meanwhile, Evan had made amends with Elysia.

Elysia was clueless about the chaos at the airport, nor did she know about the hot water her little Evan

hadnded himself in. As she watched him dash back breathlessly, her face etched with concern.

“Evan, where on earth have you been? Mommy’s been searching high and low for you.”

Evan, reading his mom’s attitude, knew the big goof was still in the dark about the whole ordeal.

His eyes crinkled with mischief, and he grinned cheekily, “No worries, Mom. It’s my first time. here, and

I got curious, so I went out for a peek. It’s so buzzing here!”

“Of course, it is! This is one of the biggest cities in the country! But with crowdse dangers, my boy.

You can’t go running off like that again. What if some creepy kidnapper snatched you up? What would

your brothers and I do then?”

Puffing his chest, Evan reassured her, “Chill, Mom. If a kidnapper ever bumped into me, they’d be the

ones in trouble! Haven’t you seen who my mom is? How smart am? No way I’d get taken!”

“Oh, you and your tall tales,” Elysia scolded, but her face was devoid of any sternness. It was filled

instead with sheer adoration.

Evan cajoled, “Alright, Mom, no more frétting. Look, I’m back safe and sound, right? Let’s go grab

some dinner. I’m starving, and I bet Elliot and Emmett are too.”

Evan was concerned that the nasty woman from before might show up and upset his mom.

Elysia chuckled, “Okay, honey. I’ll take you boys out for a treat right now.”

“Yay!” The three little ones nodded in unison.

Elliot, seizing the opportunity, took the rolling suitcase from Elysia’s hand, “Let me, Mom.”

Evan quickly snatched her backpack, “Ady should just look pretty. Let us men handle the heavy

lifting.”

Emmett also reached out his little hand, “Mommy, I will hold your hand as you walk.”

Elysia, treated like a cherished princess, wore a smile radiant with happiness as she took. Emmett’s

tiny hand and led them out of the train station.

2

No one noticed that a pair of eyes were watching them intently from a distance.

The figure was smiling, yet the smile was as eerie and chilling as a specter’s.

Dragging luggage around was impractical for dining out, so Elysia checked them into a small

motel near the station.

She hadn’t started working, so her funds were tight, and a fancy hotel was out of the question.

Her n was to finalize her divorce from Tarquin, get the kids settled, and then move away from

Jindale City to a quaint town with good weather. There, she’d find work.

“Mom, are we staying here tonight?” Elliot inquired.

Knowing her boy’s penchant for cleanliness, Elysiaforted him, “My funds are tight and we can’t

afford a nicer ce right now, so it’s a bit rough for you and your brothers. But don’t worry, I’ll clean up,

put on our own linens, and we won’t be here long. Once I sort everything out, we’ll move.”

Elliot thought about the billions to his name with a hint of helplessness. His mom was wonderful in

every way, just a tad naive.

Two years ago, when he brought his first big earnings to her, she was stunned by the $100,000. She

couldn’t fathom a kid making that much so easily, figured it was a new scam by kidnappers, using the

money as bait to lure children.

It cost her nights of sleep and worry, dimming her usual smile.

Then he earned his second fortune, a cool million! But he hesitated for ages before deciding not to tell

Mom, afraid she’d jump to wild conclusions. As his earnings grew, the money just piled up in the bank,

unused.

When they came down the mountain and saw Mom’s empty pockets, he secretly had Evan give her

$5,000, iming it was a lucky supermarket raffle win!.