?Chapter 206:


    In the living room, Javier lounged on the sofa, engrossed in his phone, fingers tapping as he yed a game. Hearing his mother’s voice, he looked up, curiosity piqued. “Who are you talking about?” he asked.


    Samira snapped, “Who else could it be? That girl from next door!”


    Javier’s game screen flickered before going dark, signaling his defeat. He scowled in frustration and said, “Mom, please, can you stop? Elena hasn’t done anything wrong.”


    Elyse fixed him with a stern look, her eyes shadowed with disapproval. After a tense silence, she finally broke it. “Javier, why defend her all of a sudden? I thought you didn’t like her?”


    Caught off guard, Javier’s mouth twitched uneasily, and a flush of embarrassment spread across his cheeks. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find the right way to say it. He just couldn’t bear to hear anyone badmouth Elena anymore.


    Elyse observed his turmoil, her voice softening as she probed, “It seems you’ve been getting on quite well with Elena recently. I’m d, of course… But it’s been a long time since you’ve had dinner with me.” She lowered her head, her voice dripping with feigned sorrow—a calcted move to gauge his reaction.


    As she had anticipated, Javier took the bait. Setting his phone aside, he straightened up. “Elyse, it’s not like that at all! I—I’ve just been tied up with basketball practice, that’s all.”


    Elyse’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, her mock vulnerability palpable. “I see. Elena is indeed more remarkable, being Alexander’s own daughter. It’s natural you’d prefer herpany over mine. I guess I’m just not good enough.”


    “Elyse!” Javier immediately said, his voice tinged with frustration. “You’re just as good as Elena is—she’s just lucky enough to be Alexander’s daughter! No one elsees close to you. From now on, I’ll have dinner with you at home, alright?”


    Elyse’s response was a palpable silence.


    Observing the tension, Samira, unable to contain herself, snatched up a cushion and yfully smacked Javier with it. “You just can’t help yourself, huh? What did you do to upset Elyse this time?”


    Javier, feeling utterly wronged, spread his hands in a gesture of innocence. He hadn’t done anything wrong. A sudden realization dawned on him—why was it that every time Elyse was upset, it seemed to be someone else’s fault?


    Ignoring the flurry of angry messages popping up from his gaming buddies, Javier abruptly quit the game and stood up, a determined look on his face as he made his way to the backyard.


    There, he spotted Elena, who was diligently watering the patch of grass she had tended to.


    The grass, in and unremarkable, baffled him. He couldn’t fathom why Elena, known for her unique tastes, would choose to grow such a mundane nt instead of vibrant, beautiful flowers.


    Curiosity piqued despite his initial reluctance, Javier found himself drawn toward her. “Hey, what are you up to over there?” he called out, his voiceced with interest.


    Elena, absorbed in her task, simply continued, ignoring his presence.


    Javier seethed with difort, the awkward tension palpable in the air between them. He couldn’t understand why Elena disregarded him sopletely. Did she seriously find watering grass more important than him?


    Determined not to back down, he questioned, his voice tinged with a hint of disdain, “What’s so fascinating about that piece of grass?”


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