Tarquin felt cornered, but to put Elysiapletely at ease, he pulled out his phone and dialed Josiah, keeping it brief, "Some folks are spinning yarns about me breaking out of the precinct on my own. Mind clearing the air, Josiah?"


    As soon as Elysia heard it was a call from the police, she straightened up, "Hello, Josiah."


    Josiah, ever the smooth operator, quickly caught on and reassured with a chuckle, "Ms. Thorne, no need to worry. We''ve wrapped up the investigation. The deceased jumped on his own; it wasn''t your boyfriend who pushed him, nor did he coerce the jump. Your boyfriend''s in the clear, and we''ll be making a formal announcement shortly."


    With every mention of ''your boyfriend,'' Elysia seemed to grow ustomed to the reference, "Okay, thank you so much."


    After hanging up, Tarquin asked, "Believe me now?"


    Elysia nodded, "Yes."


    Just as Tarquin was about to change the subject, Elysia suddenly burst into tears again.


    Tarquin jumped, confused, "You believe me, so why the tears?"


    Crying her eyes out, Elysia said, "When they showed up today, it nearly scared me to death. They said you were going to die, and they wanted to take Elijah away... They brought so many people, looking so menacing. I was terrified, sob sob sob..."


    Unable to control herself, Elysia wept bitterly. She seemed like a girl who''d just survived a life-or-death ordeal, overwhelmed by fear and relief, yet also feeling wronged.


    Only now did Tarquin understand the reason for her tears. Seeing her so distressed, he pulled her into his embrace, offering his shoulder and chest for her to lean on.


    He thought she''d stop crying after a while, but she cried all the way to the hospital. The car had already pulled into the hospital parking lot, and she was still crying.


    Tarquin remembered the saying, "Tears are more plentiful than wisdom." And another, "Women are made of water." Hesitating for a moment, he gently patted her head, trying to soothe her like one would a child, "Stop crying now."


    Head pats were said to be universallyforting to girls. But this approach seemed ineffective on Elysia; she continued to cry.


    Realizing the car had stopped, Tarquin, out of options, said, "Let''s hold off on the tears. Think about the medical bills. Your injury might cost a pretty penny."


    At the mention of money, Elysia quickly wiped her tears and sat up straight to ask, "Since they''re the ones who hurt me, shouldn''t they cover the medical bills?"


    Tarquin rubbed his temple, realizing yet again that money was indeed a powerful motivator with her. "Yes."


    "Then let''s contact them! Make them pay up! But... you hurt some of them too. Could they turn this around on you?"


    Tarquin pursed his lips, "Did your mom take something to stunt your intelligence while pregnant with you? How can you be so naive?!"


    "You..."


    "Give them a chance to ckmail me? They wouldn''t dare. They attacked you, which is a crime. Me fighting back is self-defense, which is not against thew."


    "Right! We shouldn''t let them off easy. They must pay everyst dime for the medical bills."


    Elysia swung the car door open and strode towards the clinic. Her mind was solely focused on the medical bills, oblivious to the fact that she had been sitting on Tarquin''sp the entire ride, nor did she notice they had arrived in a luxury car.


    For Tarquin, the difference was palpable. The moment she left, his arms felt instantly empty, transitioning from aforting weight to a feather-light absence. Thest time she was drunk, he carried her, noting how light she felt-almost as if he was neglecting her, not providing enough for her to eat.