?Chapter 862:
As Ruben imed his spot on the plush sofa, Taylor knelt beside him. His hands worked gentle circles against his grandfather’s tired legs while he poured out his wounded heart.
“Grandpa, you can’t imagine the torture I’ve endured!” Taylor yanked at his cor, exposing angry bruises that painted his chest in shades of purple and blue. “Look at this evidence! Cole and Jasonunched my phone at me like weapons. And the physical assault was nothingpared to their verbal attacks.”
His fingers raked through disheveled hair, revealing tender spots where hands had connected with his skull. “And here—Dad and Mom’s handiwork. My head still rings like a bell.”
His usatory finger swept toward the younger Evans family members scattered throughout the room. “Even these little troublemakers joined the assault, all attacking me verbally to curry favor with Cole and Jason.” Taylor’s voice cracked with manufactured anguish. “Grandpa, this family has be my personal nightmare!”
True to his reputation as a masterful performer, his acting reached Oscar-worthy heights. Within moments, crystalline tears traced silver paths down his cheeks, transforming the usual confident boy into a pitiful victim, crushed by the entire family.
Through him like thunder, the realization hit. He studied every pixel with the intensity of a schr deciphering ancient scripture, desperate to confirm whether this girl was indeed Eliana. Emmanuel and Louisa watched their son’s exaggerated disy with mounting fury, their palms itching to deliver fresh punishment. Yet, Ruben’s presence served as an invisible shield, forcing them to swallow their rage.
Ruben’s heart sang an entirely different tune—this sweet-tongued, devastatingly handsome grandson held a special sanctuary in his affections. And Taylor’s wounded expression melted his resolve like butter under the summer sun.
“My poor boy!” Ruben’s gentle fingers traced Taylor’s injuries while concern colored his voice. “What did you do to provoke Cole, Jason, and your parents into taking turns to hit you?”
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If it were merely Emmanuel and Louisa disciplining their son, Ruben would have risen as Taylor’s fierce champion without hesitation. But Cole’s and Jason’s involvement demanded a better grasp of the situation before he rendered judgment.<fn8795> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f?ndnovel</fn8795>
Both Cole and Jason possessed wisdom far beyond their years—they would never reprimand a cousin without substantial provocation.
Taylor’s tears flowed like a broken dam as he protested, “Grandpa, I’vemitted no heinous crimes! I’m twenty years old, dreaming of marriage and children. Surely, that’s not unreasonable, right?”
Ruben’s weathered palm settled against Taylor’s head with grandfatherly tenderness, his voice warm with approval. “Nothing unreasonable about that, my boy. I’m thrilled you have such thoughts.”
“I knew you were the most open-minded and understanding soul in this family, Grandpa,” Taylor crooned with calcted charm. “You’ve always yearned for great-grandchildren, so I’ve been paying attention to every eligible young woman, hoping to discover someone worthy of our family name. Today, destiny finally smiled upon me.”
Taylor’s phone materialized in his trembling hands, Lh’s photograph glowing on the screen like captured starlight. “Look, Grandpa—doesn’t she look like an angel? My taste isn’t off, right?”
Ruben’s gaze fell upon the digital image, and time seemed to crystallize around him. His entire world narrowed to that single, luminous face. Elliana? Could this truly be Elliana?
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