Now You Want Me? Too Late

Tessa panicked instantly.

Noah had no idea what had happened to Elena. If Elena revealed anything about the kidnapping, he would investigate it thoroughly. And Tessa was afraid she would be exposed.

"What are you talking about?" Tessa spoke before Elena could say another word. "How would I know what happened to you? I have been at the hospital these past three days. I just got discharged."

"And he brought you right here," Elena scoffed with a bitter smile. She turned to Noah, her eyes cold. "During these days, you never looked for me. You didn’t even care whether I lived or died. Your whole attention was on Tessa."

"You are blaming me?" Noah snapped, irritation rising. "I called you..."

Elena raised a hand and stopped him in mid-sentence. "I am not here to argue with you. I’ll take my things and leave. You can stay with anyone you want. I have no issues."

She turned and started walking away. She had just taken a few steps when she was yanked back.

"What did you say just now?" Noah’s imposing figure hovered over her overwhelmingly. "Where do you think you can leave?"

"My life. My choice." She jerked her arm free. "You no longer have any rights to control me."

It was the first time she had ever spoken to him like this.

The Elena Noah knew had always been obedient, gentle, and willing to compromise for him no matter what happened. But now, the woman standing before him was defiant, distant, and completely unafraid of him.

It unsettled him. Above all, it enraged him further.

"You are my wife. I have every right over you." His fingers clasped around her wrist and pulled her in closer.

Elena looked straight into his eyes. Suddenly, she wanted to laugh.

’He still believes I know nothing,’ she scoffed inwardly.

She twisted her wrist, only to make him tighten his grip.

"Do you really think you still have any claim over me?" she asked, her tone calm yet cold.

Something in her eyes made Noah’s chest tremble strangely.

"You said I am your wife. But you stayed beside another woman. You believed everyone but me. You didn’t even try to find the truth and started blaming me."

Disappointment burned her chest. "And you still expect me to crawl back to you obediently."

She pushed him away. "That obedient Elena is dead. The woman standing before you is no longer meek, foolish, and gullible. I tolerated everything silently. But not anymore."

She spun on her heels and headed straight to her room.

Noah stood rooted in place, unable to react immediately. Every word she had spoken, the unfamiliar sharpness in her gaze, and the way she looked at him—it all stirred unease inside him.

A terrifying thought suddenly crossed his mind. ’Does she know something about Tessa and me?’

He panicked instantly and went after her.

"Noah..." Tessa pulled him from behind. "Don’t go. She is mad at you. If you talk to her now, things will only get worse."

Noah ran a hand through his hair, clearly agitated.

"Let me try," she added. "I’ll talk to her. I’ll explain to her properly. She will understand."

Noah was hesitant, but he still nodded.

Tessa walked up the stairs, a malicious glint in her eyes.

Inside the room...

The moment Elena entered, she headed to the cupboard and checked the box she had prepared for Noah. She opened it.

A soft smile touched her lips.

Everything inside was intact. Then she took out a USB drive from her bag and held it up.

"The final piece."

She placed it inside the box. "The gift is finally ready."

After putting the box inside her bag, she headed to the closet. She reached into the drawer and took out the wooden chest. But the moment she opened it, her breathing stopped.

The pendant wasn’t there.

"Where is it?"

Panic gripped her chest instantly.

"I remember keeping it here. Where could it go?"

She put the box aside and checked the drawer. But she couldn’t find it.

"How could it disappear? It was right here."

She rummaged through the drawers frantically. Sweat dripped down her forehead. Her pulse rate quickened.

That pendant was the last thing her father had given her. It was the only memory she had left of him. She couldn’t lose it.

"Did I misplace it?"

She checked the whole wardrobe tirelessly. "Where could it disappear?"

"Are you looking for this?" Tessa’s voice from behind startled her.

She whipped around and saw Tessa casually dangling the blue diamond pendant from her finger. Her heart sank.

"Give it back to me." She reached out to snatch it.

Tessa instantly pulled her hand back and smirked.

Elena scowled. "That’s mine. Give it back."

Tessa’s smirk widened. "Noah gave this to me. And now it’s mine. I’m not giving it back to you."

Elena’s fury surged. "That’s mine. He has no right to give it away. Return it."

She lunged forward again.

Tessa quickly stepped back and moved near the window, deliberately dangling the pendant outside.

Elena gasped, terror flooding her face.

"Don’t..." She faltered. "It’s my father’s gift to me. It’s precious. Please... give it back."

"I know how precious it is for you," Tessa said mockingly. "And I enjoy snatching everything you treasure."

"Why?" Elena snarled. "You already have everything. You have Noah. You destroyed our marriage. You framed me. You even hired people to kill me. What else do you want?"

Tessa’s gaze turned viciously cold. "I want you to disappear from his life forever."

Elena watched her in a stunned silence.

"Noah was mine, always mine," Tessa hissed dangerously. "We loved each other. You came between us. You were the reason I lost him back then."

Elena clenched her fists.

"Now I am back," Tessa said. "And I’ll not let you stay beside him anymore."

"You know what... I no longer want that trash. Take him. I don’t care."

"What did you say?" Tessa couldn’t believe Elena would give up on Noah so easily. "You are ready to give up on him?"

She shook her head. "Don’t play games with me."

"I am not playing any games," Elena said sternly. "I am tired already—with these lies, manipulations, and deceptions. Trash belongs with trash. You both are perfect. I’m not coming between you two."

She stretched her hand toward her. "Now give it back to me."

But Tessa had never intended to return it.

"I actually planned to," she said mockingly. "But after you called me trash, I changed my mind. I’m not giving it."

Elena lost her temper. "I am warning you one last time. Give it. Or I’ll make you regret it."

Tessa laughed softly. "Threatening me? Even after all this?"

She took a step closer to her. "You are still so naïve, Elena. You saw he prefers me over you. Yet, you dare to threaten me."

The vicious smile on her face terrified Elena. "Tessa, I am leaving him. I don’t want anything from him. But that pendant is mine. Please give it back."

Tessa sneered. "I suffered because of you for years. You took away the man I loved most. And I want you to lose everything you cherish."

And then, right in front of Elena’s eyes, Tessa deliberately tossed the pendant onto the floor and crushed the diamond beneath her heel.

The gemstone snapped free from the chain.

"No..." Elena lunged forward and pushed her away.

"Uh..." Tessa staggered and fell dramatically.

Hearing the commotion, Noah rushed in. The moment he saw Tessa curled up on the ground, clutching herself and trembling, his expression changed instantly.

"Tessa..." He rushed over to her, pushing Elena away.