?<strong>Chapter 964:</strong>


    “Elma!” Jake’s voice, usually suffused with warmth, now cut through the air with unexpected severity.


    “It’s one thing to dislike someone, but it’s entirely another to forsake manners. You owe Lacey an apology.”


    Stubbornly, Elma set her jaw and shot back, her voice tinged with defiance.


    “No! I’d apologize to anyone else under the sun, but I will not apologize to her.”


    A shadow of disappointment crossed Jake’s features as his brow furrowed deeply.


    Elma’s eyes brimmed with tears, her voice cracking as she used Jake of undue harshness.


    Pretending to try to ease the growing strain, Lacey chimed in tactfully, “Perhaps Elma could take a moment to herself in the back car? A little space might help.”


    Elma, her tone dripping with irritation, said, “Sure, I’ll head to the back car. Anything to get away from you!”


    The suggestion felt like a dagger to Jake’s heart, revealing the raw pain beneath his stern facade. Was his child truly that distant from him?


    “Stop the car!” Jakemanded as he lifted Elma from the car and shifted her to another.


    Returning to his seat, Jake’s eyes simmered with rage, emitting an intense aura of dominance.


    Lacey, far from intimidated, appeared almost delighted. Elma’s naivety had quickly soured Jake’s mood. If this trend persisted, Jake’s patience with Elma could eventually wear thin. Once he grew weary of Elma, his affection for Kallie’s other kids would also wane. And if he harbored no fondness for the kids, how could he possibly cherish their mother?


    g?lnσν????s holds stories for every mood


    Observing Jake’s furrowed brow, Lacey said meaningfully, “Perhaps Elma didn’t intend it, Jake. Try not to hold a grudge. Moreover, I don’t believe the me lies with the child. They’re like sponges, absorbing everything from their environment. Take Jete, for instance. She mirrors my own disposition.”


    Jake’s mood deted slightly.


    “Is it possible that Elma’s disdain for me is a reflection of what she’s absorbed from those around her?”


    Lacey seemed to overlook the subtlety of the situation, merely nodding her agreement as she said, “It’s not unthinkable, which is precisely why Elma should stay with you.”


    Jake, visibly frustrated, pinched the bridge of his nose and said sharply, “Enough already.”


    Lacey ceased speaking and edged closer to Jake, drawn by an unspoken tension.


    They had scarcely shared a moment of solitude before Jake broke the silence with a worried tone.


    “I’m still uneasy about Elma alone in the back car. Go and check on her, will you?”


    A shadow crossed Lacey’s face, erasing her smile. She mustered a strained smile and replied, “Jake, it’s clear Elma doesn’t take well to me. If I show up now, it might just upset her more. Let’s drop it, please.”


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