him. Classic. So here's Elvano, stuck between ticking off his own flesh and blood or stabbin
est felt like a washing machine on spin cycle. Marry some stranger? Like his mom wants? Yeah, right
n a peep. Just silence, thick and suffocating. He let out a guttural noise, kicked at nothing, and stormed off. Honestly
*
ready sitting there, looking way too serious, holding a pho
luation. Turns out, the land's worth a lot more than what you
en trying to hide her shock. She started
a said, watch
hen she hit the number she'd been hunting, it was like someone sucker-punched her right in the gut. She jus
d? Land costs this much now?" Elena mumbled,
ena. To her, it just meant more headaches trying to find someone dumb or rich enough to
orta. She'd been going off prices from, what, three years ago? Didn't even bot
.. m
Narima,
n the land?" Elena asked, voice all flat and
was basically radiating panic and frustration. Looked like she might
e all of it, just, like, 2,000 or 3,000 square feet. Seriously, that'd mean everyth
her hand. "I'll buy it at today's pric
looding back in. But just as she was about to really
n-you become my
ed. Like someone had pulled the plug on her, seriously. She blinked
, praying she'd misheard and this
er-in-law." Her tone? Calm as a monk, but there was this stubborn edge underneath. "I know it's
to just trample over her own heart-or the person who'd been by her side all this time. "Look, Narima, I do need t
. "I get it. I do. But I want you as my daughter-in-law more than yo
ly talked to this woman! "We hardly know each other," she said, half-laughing, trying to lighten things up. "You don't even know if I'm
s that. She reached across, took Elena's hand, gentle but weirdly insistent. H
eah, my son's got a girlfriend. But she's all wrong for him. I can see right through her little act-she's bad news, trust me. I'm terrified he'
. lingered. Like thick fog you c
now," she said, voice tightening up. "I get it-you're strapped for cash. You need help with the land, your
a nerve. She needed the money, that was no secret. But could she act
d herself for saying them. "But I'll admit it-I am being selfish. I have to be. Tha
No fake smiles, no scheming-just straight-up
g everything. Her eyes-dark, kinda haunted-locked with Narima's.
you hate her?" Elena shot back, voice trem
warm, wordless thing, like she was saying, "
ut her thoughts out there. Most people around Narima were all about sugar-coating or dodging the truth,
like she'd swallowed a brick. Ugh, she was about to say something that cou
ound the edges. "Honestly, I already thought you were something special-just from t
? They dropped li
r face went beet red, eyes burning holes through N
voice shaky but sharp enough to cut gl
to her feet. "Ele
up, knuckles white, whole body trembling with barely-contained rage. "I reall
hen she looked up again, her eyes were col
yes, you'd already
ust the stupid clock ticking
d at the door. Didn't look back, just
aughter-in-law... maybe your
h.
contin