Con

CHAPTER 20.

Elijah’s POV

I shook my head, not wanting to delve into any more details about Sabrina or Julia, The rest of the night, my conversation with Trevis was distracted.

“Hey, man, you seem really off tonight. Everything okay?” Trevis asked with concern.

1 sighed, swirling the drink in my glass. “I don’t know, Trevis. Just a lot of stuff on my mind.”

“Emotional stuff?” he probed, raising an eyebrow. “Something to do with that slap mark on your cheek, perhaps?”

He was making it light, but I knew that he was becoming greatly concerned because I’d never been like this around him.

“Because I don’t think it’s work–related,” Trevis added. He was really quite perceptive. “You’re never like this when it’s about business. You would have tackled it head–on

already.”

I

I shrugged, finishing my drink again and signaling to the bartender for a refill. I denied any issues but found myself drinking glass after glass, trying to numb everything that was bothering me.

As Trevis pulled out his cell phone and began typing, a suspicion crept into my mind. Was he messaging Connor? It wouldn’t be out of character for him to seek information through my assistant, who seemed to know more about my life than I did.

sometimes.

“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

Trevis looked up, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “Nothing, just checking something.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Checking what? Are you texting Connor?”

Trevis hesitated, then shrugged. “Maybe. Just curious about what’s been going on with you.”

I shook my head, feeling a pang of annoyance. “Don’t bother. Connor doesn’t know anything. He has no clue whatsoever.”

Trevis looked intrigued. “Oh? And why is that?” I could sense that he was trying to

+25 BONUS

CHAPTER 20

fish out any information he could from me.

“Because even I don’t know what’s going on with me,” I muttered, taking another sip of yet another drink.

Trevis stared at me for a while in silence, probably not knowing what to make of it. Eventually, I gave out a sarcastic chuckle, raised my glass, and said, “Cheers” without any enthusiasm in my voice.

He shook his head, looking helpless, and asked the bartender to give him what I was having. “Let’s drink to that, whatever it is,” he told me, clinking his glass with mine before gulping it all down.

“Now that’s more like it,” I said, following his lead and finishing my current drink quickly too.

As the night wore on and the drinks kept coming, Trevis began to loosen up, his words slurring slightly as he leaned in closer.

“You know, Elijah,” he began, his tone more serious now, “you’re always like this. You never say anything, never communicate with anyone. If I were your wife, I’d be angry.

I

every single day.”

I listened to his words, the alcohol dulling the sting of his criticism. But his words hit home, stirring up thoughts I had long suppressed. I never realized that my reticence could hurt those who cared for me. Was I really so closed off, so distant?

Trevis continued to ramble, but his words became a distant buzz in my ears as I delved into my thoughts, contemplating the impact of my actions–or lack thereof- on those around me.

From a young age, I learned to rely on myself to solve problems. It seemed natural to deal with issues quietly, without seeking help from anyone. This self–reliance was my shield, protecting me from vulnerability.

But I seemed to have overlooked a crucial truth those who cared about me needed

my care in return.

It was a revelation, a realization that hit me hard in that moment. I had unintentionally distanced myself from the people who wanted to support me, failing to see that my stoicism had left them feeling shut out.

“Hey, man!” Trevis suddenly said with a grin, interrupting my thoughts. “Why so quiet again? Are you thinking about Sabrina? Ohhh… No, no, no… I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned it at all. I mean, she’s been missing for decades, and it’s not good for

2

gohết, xng with that thought pieving in my mind, saat back as