Chapter 52: Soren kept his promise.

Valora fell silent, while Tahlia stiffened.

"When my father died, you thought the Vale family was finished. You assumed the company would collapse, and I’d be left with nothing but a ruined family name."

Tahlia was so shocked that she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. She sat there numbly.

Those had been her exact thoughts.

After Soren’s father died, she had feared that the Vale family would go bankrupt. She had not wanted to tie herself to a man whose future seemed uncertain.

After all, she was the Blackwood heiress.

She had ended their relationship under the excuse of studying abroad and being unable to maintain a long-distance relationship.

But she had never admitted the real reason to anyone. It was the secret she had buried for years.

’How does he know?’

Before she could make sense of it, Soren added, "But I managed to resolve the crisis in the company. I rebuilt the business and became a successful businessman in a few years. I took Vale Corporation to heights my father could have dreamed of."

A cold snort escaped his mouth. "When the Vale family thrived again, you suddenly remembered you loved me. You came back, expecting me to welcome you with open arms and take you back as if nothing had happened."

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "But that’s not how life works. I already told you we could never go back to the way things were."

"Soren, I..." Tahlia tried to explain, but Soren didn’t give her the time to speak.

"It doesn’t matter how I married Elowen. The fact remains that she is my wife. And nothing you say or do will change."

He turned his sharp glare to his mother. "Not even you."

Dropping that chilling warning, Soren turned and stormed out.

"Soren," Valora shouted after him, her voice shaking in rage.

But Soren didn’t stop. He strode to his car, jumped into the driver’s seat, and drove away.

Inside the room...

Valora muttered a series of curses. "How dare he speak to me like that? He thinks he can dismiss me whenever he pleases? I am his mother. He has to listen to me."

"Aunt, it must be Elowen. It has to be."

Valora turned toward her.

"Think about it," Tahlia continued desperately. "Back then, she drugged him. She manipulated Grandfather into making Soren stay in this marriage. Now that she knows Grandpa is gone, she has found a new excuse to keep him trapped."

She wiped her fake tears. "She is cunning. She doesn’t want to lose her position as his wife. Aunt..."

Tahlia grabbed her hand. "She knows how successful and wealthy Soren is. She is not going to divorce him."

Her words only fueled Valora’s temper.

"That woman thinks she can do whatever she wants." Her mouth twisted in contempt.

"I’m the head of this family. My decision is final."

She squeezed Tahlia’s hand.

"I’ve decided that you will be my daughter-in-law, and I’ll make it happen. Don’t worry about Soren. I’ll find a way to make him accept you. And Elowen..."

Her face darkened further with hatred and resentment.

"That woman needs to know her place."

Tahlia hugged her. "Thank you, Aunt. Thank you for supporting me always."

She hid her malicious smile. As long as Valora was by her side, she believed she could still win. She had no intention of surrendering Soren to Elowen, not after waiting for so many years.

On the other end, Elowen was becoming increasingly restless. She had finished preparing dinner and set the table. But Soren had not returned yet.

He had promised they would eat together.

Elowen wanted to believe him. But she was not sure whether he would come and keep his promise.

Two hours earlier, shortly after Soren had left, Elowen had received a provocative message from Tahlia.

The message had been short, but every word had cut deeply.

’Elowen, no matter how hard you try, Soren will never be yours. He is mine. One phone call, and he comes running to me.

See? He has agreed to have dinner with me. He left you behind again.

And do you know what else? His mother is planning our marriage. Sooner or later, he will divorce you and marry me.

Instead of shamelessly clinging to him, why don’t you leave him already?’

Elowen’s fingers curled slightly against the dining table.

She had read that message several times. And every time, she felt a knife twisting deeper into her chest.

’One phone call, and he comes running to me.’

Elowen couldn’t get those words out of her head.

It had always been like that.

Soren would abandon everything and rush to Tahlia’s side whenever she called.

Elowen had spent seven years watching him prioritize another woman while treating his own wife as though she barely existed. Even after promising to change, he had left her and their daughter behind just to spend time with Tahlia.

"Nothing has changed," she muttered, smiling bitterly. "It’s the same as before."

She believed the phone call was from Tahlia. And the thought that his mother was already planning his marriage to Tahlia while he was already legally married to her made Elowen’s heart clench further.

"You said you had changed. You said you were serious about this marriage. But you couldn’t stop running back to Tahlia."

Tears burned her eyes. "If you love her so much, why did you give me hope? Why did you ask me to give you another chance? Do you enjoy playing with my feelings?"

She didn’t want to cry. But the tears still fell. She wiped them away, angry with herself for crying over him.

She had promised herself she wouldn’t let him hurt her again. Yet, somehow, he had found another way to make her heart ache.

She took a shaky breath and glanced at the clock.

It was half past eight in the evening.

"You promised you would come. I’m going to wait for you. But this is your last chance. If you don’t show up, you won’t find Sera and me here tomorrow. I’ll leave, Soren. And this time, I won’t come back."

Her expression gradually hardened.

"Another half an hour. If you don’t return by nine, we are done for good."

She wanted to trust him. She wanted to believe that he would keep his promise. But she couldn’t keep waiting forever.

Her fingers fidgeted with each other as the minutes crawled by agonizingly.

Fifteen minutes passed.

Seraphina came down to the dining hall. "Mommy, I am hungry. Where is Daddy? Why isn’t he home yet?"

Elowen looked at the door, her heart twisting painfully. She struggled to find an answer that wouldn’t hurt her daughter. But she didn’t want to comfort Seraphina with lies.

"Is he coming tonight?" Seraphina asked. "Or will he be late like before?"

"Sera..." Before Elowen could say anything further, the door opened.

"I am home." Soren’s loud voice echoed inside the hall.

Both Seraphina and Elowen turned.

Soren walked over to them.

"Daddy! You are back." Seraphina ran toward him.

"My baby girl." Soren swept her into his arms effortlessly. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes. I am starving," Seraphina sighed dramatically. "Big, big mice are running around inside my tummy."

Soren laughed. "Then we have to deal with the mice first."

Elowen stood frozen by the dining table.

’He came. He actually came home.’

Her dying hope reignited. She quickly wiped the tears away before he could notice.

Soren strode straight toward her. Without warning, he wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned down.

"Did you miss me?"

Elowen’s throat was so tight with emotion that she couldn’t speak. She only managed to give a small nod.

"Sera, close your eyes."

Seraphina giggled as she covered her eyes with her tiny hands.

"No peeking."

"I won’t."

He lowered his head further and pecked Elowen’s lips. "I missed you too," he whispered against her mouth.