Chapter 183


    Elysia wasn’t bringing Elijah meals for the cash, but who in their right mind would pass up easy money?


    Ton grand a day, even just to break even, made the future seem a bit bughter.


    “Did he eat all ofst night’s dinner?” Elysia asked, taking the initiative.


    “Yep, licked the te clean. He really dug the dishes.”


    “Alright, I whip up another batch for lunch.”


    Under the spell of potential prosperity, Elysia found herself growing softer


    Another gust of cold wind swept by, and she couldn’t help but sniffle, her nose turning a rosy red from


    the chill.


    Tarquin watched her for a few seconds, his brow furrowed. “Come in with me”


    He tumed and headed towards the apartment building entrance.


    Elysia humed to rify, “I’d rather not go in, just in case Elijah wakes up and throws a fit seeing me


    “He won’t be up till six thirty


    It was just past six


    Still, Elysia hesitated to enter. With


    Elijah asleep, it would be just the two of them alone in that room – it just didn’t seem proper.


    Tarquin, already at the entrance, nced back to see her standing still, his expression growing more


    stem..


    “Come in and grab some stuff.”


    “What stuff?” she asked, puzzled.


    Without responding, Tarquin strode up the stairs with long steps.


    Elysia hesitated for a moment before following with the thermos in her arms


    As they ascended the stairs, the elderly couple from the neighboring apartment descended, greeting


    them warmly.


    “My, my, is this your wife? What a beauty!”


    Elysia felt awkward.


    Tarquin replied politely to the seniors, “She’s not.”


    “Oh? Not your wife, then who might she be?


    “The housekeeper.”


    The old couple seemed a bit embarrassed and chuckled as they continued down the stairs.


    Elysia could still hear their banter.


    “Why aren’t they a couple? They look perfect together, a match made in heaven.”


    “Matches made in heaven are a dime a dozen, doat


    they’re all meant to be.”


    “What do you know? They’re destined to be together, inse


    by fate itself.”


    “Come in.” Tarquin was already at the doorstep, unlocking the door


    Elysia climbed the stairs, muttering under her breath, “I’m not your housekeeper:


    “Don’t want to be the housekeeper? Want to be my wife instead?”


    Elysia blushed. “What nonsense are you spouting?”


    Tarquin’s face remained impassive. “Good, because you’re not my type.”


    He stepped into the apartment after that deration.


    Elysia pursed her lips, tempted to dump the contents of the thermos over his head. But then she


    thought of the money and restrained


    herself.


    Inside, she slipped off her shoes and ced the thermos on the dining table, her coat still on a clear


    sign she wasn’t nning to stay long.


    She hade to pick something up, but once inside, she couldn’t resist peeking into Elijah’s room


    “Can L… take a look at Elijah?”


    She hadn’t seen him in a while and found herself missing him.


    09:58


    “Sure”


    With permission granted, Elysia rushed to Elijali’s room, her hand on the doorknob. She paused to ask


    over her shoulder, “Elijah’s still asleep, right?”


    Her main concem was not to agitate him. If she did and he refused to eat her cooking, she’d lose any


    chance to get close to him again.


    Tarquin nced at the clock on the wall and said, “He has another fifteen minutes.”


    Hearing that, Elysia quickly pushed open the door and stepped inside.


    The room was dark, and she tiptoed towards the bed. Just one look at Elijah’s face made her heart skip


    a beat. He looked so much like


    Elliot and Evan!: