At the preschool, the teachers were all atwitter, their curiosity piqued as they surrounded Elliot.


    "Hey Elliot, how did youe to know Ms. ter is expecting?" they asked, eyes wide with wonder.


    Elliot, shrouded in an air of mystery, simply replied, "Can''t say."


    "Is she... is she really pregnant?"


    "Secret."


    The teachers were left speechless, their minds buzzing with questions.


    Word quickly got around, and soon enough, Elysia heard about it through Blossom.


    Elysia was taken aback. She was clueless about the ongoing saga between herself and N, let alone the fact that N had sought out Tarquin the night before. So, it baffled her why her son would suddenly make such a im about someone''s pregnancy.


    For a celebrity of her stature, such news was monumental, with potential to significantly impact her reputation.


    Anxious, Elysia decided to head to the preschool to have a word with Elliot. She called Tarquin to see if he could look after Elijah. If he was unavable, she nned to take Elijah with her.


    At that moment, Tarquin was at a bar. He wasn''t drinking but was incessantly smoking, the ashtray before him overflowing with cigarette butts. His phoney on the low table, buzzing with Elysia''s call. He frowned, hesitating to pick up right away.


    Keaton squinted his eyes, trying to make light of the situation, "Even though it turned out she isn''t the one you were looking for, Elijah likes her. You can''t just ignore them."


    Tarquin tapped the ash from his cigarette, his expression dark as thunder.


    Keaton internally sighed. They all had been so sure Elysia was the woman Tarquin sought, but it turned out she wasn''t! The twist was unexpected and caught them off guard! Tarquin had personally overseen the verification process in theb until noon today, ensuring there was no mistake inst night''s results. Indeed, Elysia was not the one he was looking for.


    Keaton tried to offer some advice, "Regardless of whether she''s the one or not, since Elijah is ying matchmaker, it shows he likes her. If you have feelings for her..."


    "I don''t," Tarquin cut in coldly.


    "But you don''t hate her, right? If there''s no hatred, there''s a chance to grow fond of her. I suggest you give it a try with Elysia, for Elijah''s sake. Forget the past, life moves forward. It''s been years; whether she''s alive or has her own family now, who knows? Waiting blindly is foolish! Life is too short. Live in the moment and appreciate what''s in front of you!"


    Tarquin, his brow furrowed in thought, finished hisst cigarette, stubbed it out in the ashtray, and picked up his phone to leave. Keaton sighed heavily, wondering how much of his advice had actually been heard.


    Meanwhile, as soon as N got back into her car, her manager was on the phone trying to squash the rumor before it spread online. It was crucial to prevent it from reaching the public eye!


    After the call, her manager asked, "N, do you know those kids?"


    It was clear to her that those kids harbored no goodwill towards N.


    N, however, countered, "You saw him too, right? Doesn''t he look just like Elijah?"


    Her manager was taken aback, "I haven''t seen Elijah."


    N was frantic, "He looks exactly like Elijah. He must be Tarquin''s illegitimate child!"


    "That can''t be. The Bradfords have always had just one male heir per generation. Mr. Bradford already has Elijah. It''s impossible for there to be another son."


    "Exactly, I knew those kids couldn''t possibly be that lucky to be Tarquin''s. But why does he look so much like Elijah?"


    After a moment of contemtion, N gasped in realization, "I''ve got it! Elysia must have had her son undergo stic surgery to make him look like Elijah! That woman is up to something sinister! I need to tell Tarquin about this!"


    With gritted teeth, N dialed Tarquin''s number...