Hearing that, Eliana was so stunned she actually laughed.
10 vouchers
“Listen, Logan, I called you because Ms. Todd called me first,” she fought back. “Whether you send Samuel to school or call in to ask for leave, that’s your responsibility. I don’t want to be involved. Just handle it properly and stop dragging me in.”
Hearing her words, Logan frowned hard. “I already gave you a chance. If you’re still going to keep posturing like this, don’t expect me to keep humoring you. Once this window closes, it’s gone.”
Eliana almost rolled her eyes. She took a slow breath before answering, “I’ve made things clear. You’ve signed the divorce agreement. We’re in the cooling–off period now. One month from today, we’ll have nothing to do with each other anymore. So from now on…”
Before she could finish, the line went dead. He’d hung up on her.
Eliana let out a bitter laugh. She remembered Logan had always been like this. From the very start of their marriage, he’d held absolute control. The moment a conversation turned uncomfortable, he shut it down. Then came the endless cold
treatment.
Every time before, she’d been the one to break first. And every compromise only stripped her of more ground. Even now, even after everything, being cut off mid–sentence still hurt.
She sat there quietly for a moment, forcing herself to calm down. Just as she was about to get up and head to the Lyons Group office, her phone rang. It was Brenda again.
“Mrs. Eliot, I’m sorry,” Brenda’s voice was tight with pressure, “I don’t know what kind of disagreement you’re having with Mr. Eliot, but… I really need you to come in as soon as possible. Please.”
Eliana frowned. “Did something happen?”
Brenda hesitated, then explained, “Samuel said you usually help him with his homework, but yesterday’s work was a mess. Every single answer for the new stuff was wrong, though he remembers the old ones just fine.”
She then sighed softly. “We finished grading, and when he saw the results, he just blew up. I’ve got a lot going on here. Could you please come over right away?”
Eliana understood immediately. Samuel’s preschool was full of wealthy, influential families. Brenda always avoided bothering parents unless absolutely necessary, so calling repeatedly meant she’d hit a wall.
With no way to keep dodging it, Eliana grabbed her bag and headed to the school.
Inside the office, Logan sat on the sofa with tense expression. Isabella stood nearby, trying to explain to the teachers and smooth things over.
Besides them, several others were present. Samuel’s classmates, Melvin Webster, Maya Marquez, Carl Harris, and their parents were all there. Eliana recognized them all.
She knocked lightly on the door. “Ms. Todd.”
“Mrs. Eliot, you’re here. Please come in,” Brenda welcomed her immediately, standing up in relief.
The moment Eliana stepped inside, Melvin’s mother, Darla Ruiz, shot her a displeased look.
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2:23 am P
Chapter 13
10 vouchers
She never liked Eliana. In her eyes, the Lyons family had been declining for years. Compared to the other elite families. here. Eliana simply didn’t measure up.
She’d always believed she was just lucky, that even with the Lyons family in its state, the Eliots had still honored the old engagement and married her in.
If Logan hadn’t been there, Darla would’ve already started tearing into her. Even so, she didn’t hold back much.
“Mrs. Eliot,” she said stiffly, lips pressed thin, “I know Samuel has always been raised by you. But elite education is something you probably never experienced growing up. That’s not entirely your fault. It’s a matter of background.”
She glanced at Eliana before adding, “But if you don’t know how to teach him, you can ask someone who does. Or have Mr. Eliot hire professional tutors. When Samuel got marked wrong, he threw a tantrum and even tried to snatch Melvin’s first- place medal. Don’t you think that’s going too far?”
At the Eliot household, Logan’s father, Jack Eliot judged everything by results. Age didn’t matter. Only first place counted. Only first place meant spending the New Year at the Eliot Mansion. Only first place meant rewards.
Samuel cared about that ranking more than anything. The school curriculum was far beyond what kids his age could reasonably handle. Every day after class, Eliana patiently broke down the abstract material. She turned it into stories and trades between animals, concepts Samuel could actually understand.
She’d tried hiring tutors, but none lasted. They couldn’t handle Samuel’s temper, just like no one could ever handle Logan’s pickiness.
Hannah didn’t raise the child, but she spoiled him effortlessly. Habits Eliana spent months building disappeared after a single visit to Hannah’s place.
Yet whenever something went wrong, no one blamed Hannah. The blame always landed on Eliana.
Ignoring Darla completely, Eliana turned to look at Logan.
Logan was already watching her with cold and distant gaze. He wasn’t surprised she’d shown up. He’d always known that no matter what she said, she would eventually cave.
But this time, he believed she’d gone too far. Hannah was right, thought Logan. He needed to freeze her out longer. Otherwise, she’d just keep pulling stunts like this whenever something didn’t go her way.
“Look, Logan, the divorce agreement clearly states that Samuel’s custody goes to you. I’ll pay child support on time, every month,” Eliana finally spoke up. “But before that, there’s one thing I need to be sure of. Can you really raise him properly?”
The moment the words fell, the entire office went silent.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
