Now You Want Me? Too Late

Elena turned to him with astonishment. "One of your estates?" she repeated, bewildered. "How many estates like this do you have?"

"A few," he replied flatly, as if owning multiple estates like this was the most ordinary thing in the world.

Her jaw fell apart, her surprise deepening. She had thought he was just the CEO of a rising finance company.

But this....

This was on an entirely different level. It seemed that he was wealthier than she had ever imagined.

"This place..." Elias looked around. "It’s Grandpa’s favorite. It’s peaceful here. The air is clean. He likes to be here."

He looked back at her. "The doctor said that with his heart condition, he should stay somewhere quiet with clean air."

Elena nodded. A warm smile appeared on her face.

"I can understand why he likes it here." She glanced around again. "This place is beautiful."

"Then we will come here often."

He smiled.

Their eyes met. Neither of them looked away.

At that moment, the world around them seemed to disappear.

Elias’s gaze darkened, desire flickering in his eyes. He moved in closer. Slowly, he reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered lightly against her cheek.

The simple touch sent a faint shiver through Elena. She turned her head aside, heat flooding her face.

"Grandpa must be waiting for us. We should get in."

Elias released a slow breath, swallowing the rising heat inside him. He nodded.

"You are right. We should head in."

He led her inside, his hand resting on the small of her back.

The old man was already waiting for them. The moment he saw them enter, he pushed himself to his feet with the support of his walking stick.

"You have arrived."

Warmth flooded Elena’s chest.

It had been months since she had last seen him.

The old man looked much healthier than before. He was no longer the frail and pale man she remembered. There was color in his face, and his eyes seemed brighter.

"Grandpa..." Elias strode over and hugged him.

Arthur hugged him back, relief washing over him. Then his gaze shifted to Elena.

"Why are you standing there all by yourself?" he asked with a smile. "Come here."

Elena’s legs already moved toward him.

Arthur wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

Holding both of them beside him, his chest tightened with emotion. Tears welled up in his old, weary eyes. Yet a satisfied smile lingered on his face.

His grandson, who had never shown interest in any woman, was finally married. The sight filled him with immense happiness.

"Come and sit." He gestured to the sofa.

They all sat down.

"Grandpa, how is your health now?" Elena asked.

"Well, you can see." Arthur stretched his arms wide dramatically. "I am doing absolutely fine."

"That’s great." Elena grinned. "You should rest more and take better care of your health. And you shouldn’t wander around alone."

Arthur turned his gaze to Elias, his fingers rolling over the walking stick. "After that incident, my freedom has been completely stolen."

His tone was full of complaint. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Uh?" Elena turned to Elias, stunned. "What does that mean?"

Elias shrugged. "Don’t look at me like that." He waved his hands dismissively. Then he flicked his gaze to his grandfather. "I didn’t snatch your freedom. I only assured your safety."

"Safety?" Arthur scoffed. "I call it imprisonment. I can’t go anywhere without a group of bodyguards following me around."

His expression became increasingly aggrieved. "Whenever I go out, people look at me strangely. It’s disturbing. So I stopped going out altogether. I stay at the estate all day now."

Elena watched him quietly and then looked at Elias. She was still too surprised to understand what to say.

"You are important to me, Grandpa," Elias said, his voice turning serious. "I can’t lose you."

At that, Arthur’s expression changed. His complaints immediately disappeared. For a moment, he stared at his grandson and then lowered his head, a hint of sadness clouding his eyes.

Elena also remained silent. Her eyes moved between them.

She remembered Elias telling her about the traumatic incident that had changed his life completely. She could understand why he was so careful about his grandfather.

After losing her father, she had become extremely protective of her aunt. The mere thought of losing her terrified her.

She could understand his fear. Her expression softened.

In the meantime, Elias’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. A shadow crossed his face.

Although his expression remained calm, Elena caught the subtle change.

"I need to take this call." He stood up and walked out of the house.

Elena watched him leave. For some reason, she felt uneasy.

’Is something wrong?’ she wondered in her mind.

"Elias has suffered a lot." Arthur’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "He was only ten when his parents had been killed."

Elena stiffened slightly. She couldn’t imagine what kind of nightmare a child would endure after witnessing something like that.

"I remember everything about that night," the old man recounted. "Every evening after dinner, I used to go for a walk. Elias always accompanied me. But that night, he had a slight fever. So he stayed home. Instead, his twin sister accompanied me."

’Elias’s twin sister?’

This was the first time she had heard about her.

The old man’s face fell, sadness etching in his voice. "While we were outside, some burglars barged into the house and slaughtered my son and daughter-in-law."

Arthur closed his eyes briefly. His fingers tightened around the walking stick. "Elias hid inside a cupboard. So those men didn’t find him. If not, they would have killed him, too."

Elena’s chest tightened painfully.

"That incident changed him," Arthur continued. He stared ahead blankly.

"He suffered severe emotional trauma. He became withdrawn and rarely spoke. Every night, he woke up, screaming from nightmares."

He sighed heavily. "It took years before he started acting normal again."

Elena moved in closer to him and put a comforting hand on his arm.

Arthur turned his head toward her, his eyes turning watery. "But I know the wound never truly healed. He still carries it deep down. He is terrified of losing his loved ones. He is afraid I’ll also leave him one day."

"Grandpa... Don’t say that. You will live a long life."

Arthur chuckled softly. But that smile didn’t reach his eyes. "I am getting old. My heart is weak."

His voice grew quieter. "I’ve already survived a heart attack. And I won’t survive another."

The room fell silent.

Neither of them spoke for a while. Then Arthur started slowly again. "I am afraid he will break down after I am gone. Elena..."

He squeezed her hand. "He needs someone who truly loves him, someone who will stay by his side, someone who will take care of him."

His gaze turned pleading. "Promise me you will never leave him, that you will love him and won’t let him face the world alone."

Elena’s fingers clasped around his. "I promise... I’ll never leave him."

The sincerity in her words brought relief to Arthur’s eyes.

As for Elena, she had already made up her mind.

Elias had already done so much for her. He had protected her when she was helpless.

From this day forward, she would give this marriage her whole heart. And she would do everything in her power to make it work.