Chapter 55
Held tightly in his embrace, feeling the strong beat of his heart, stening to his flustered concern, and breathing in his scent… Ellie felt like she was in a dream.
Gradually regaining her senses, Ellie broke free from Alex’s grip When she looked up into his complex eyes, she turned and walked away, acting as if nothing had happened.
Alex stood frozen, watching Ellie’s slender figure fade into the dance, his chest still heaving. Frustrated, he tugged at his collar and turned to head across the street to his car, only to spo Aaron waiting there.
“You’re already with Haley. I hope you can keep your distance from my sister,” Aaron said,
Alex let out a sarcastic snort, locking eyes with Aaron in a challenging way. “Aaron, I’m really curious. Did you break up with Haley because you finally realized the gap between you two? Or are you just afraid of what I might actually do to your sister?”
“A bit of both, honestly. But regardless, my sister has lived with your family for over ten years. Your parents treat her like their own daughter. I doubt they’d want to see you hurt her like that,” Aaron replied, his tone serious.
“Are you using my parents to threaten me?!” Alex shot back, incredulous.
“Think what you want,” Aaron said dismissively.
The conversation felt tense and unpleasant, so Aaron didn’t press further. At the corner ahead, he caught up to Ellie.
The siblings exchanged glances, both recognizing the struggles reflected in each other’s eyes. They shared a bittersweet smile, filled with unspoken sorrow.
“Losing one crooked tree doesn’t mean you’ve lost the whole forest,” Ellie tried to sound casual. She wanted to reassure Aaron, but also herself.
Aaron gave her a comforting look, relieved. “From today onward there will be a long stretch where you’ll have to work even harder than I do. If it gets too tough, you have to come to me,” he said, with all sincerity.
Ellie nodded fiercely, her eyes watery. “Don’t worry, I can handle it!”
Aaron’s dream had always been to become a prosecutor, and now he was an assistant prosecutor. With his role as a public servant, he couldn’t take on more work. The burden of the family now rested heavily on Ellie’s shoulders.
For Aaron’s dream, for her parents‘ better lives, and for herself, she was determined to work fiercely hard.
Right now, they were both at the bottom. No matter which way they moved, they could only go up. There was nothing to fear!
Once people get busy, time flies by. Without Alex around, Ellie slowly became more cheerful, her face brightening with smiles.
Before she knew it, September rolled around, and Ellie got her desired promotion. Aaron had good news too: he became a full–fledged prosecutor.
Taking a break, Ellie went shopping for some seasonal clothes and picked up a jacket for Aaron. Walking out of the mall, she caught sight of Alex’s car parked just not far away.
12:19 Mon, Jan 27
Chapter 55
Seeing Alex approach her, Ellie quietly stood still. It had been awhile since they last met, and she realized she didn’t even feel like greeting him anymore.
Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed from behind, and she had to stop in her tracks.
In an unusually calm tone, Alex said, “Ellie, go talk to Haley. Tell her you’re not mad at her.”
AD
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