Chapter 44: You owe us.
Noah felt as though his skull had been blown off.
It was true. They were no longer legally married, but he had kept the fact hidden. He had never intended to let her go.
Elena would always belong to him. A piece of paper couldn’t possibly define their relationship.
How could she say that he was not her husband?
"You are going too far, Elena. Come to me." He extended his hand toward her. Outwardly, he was furious. But inwardly, he was panicking.
He had never seen her grow close to another man before. But now, she was worried about an outsider right in front of him as if that guy was important to her.
The thought that she had already tired of him and given her heart to someone else had made him restless.
Elias wrapped an arm around Elena’s waist. "She is not going anywhere with you."
Noah’s eyes instantly landed on the hand resting possessively on her waist.
Rage pulsed through every part of his being. He wished he could beat that man to death. But his hands remained at his sides, clenched into rigid fists.
"Elena..." This time, Tessa rushed over. "You can’t humiliate Noah like that. He is still your husband."
As she moved in closer, she held Noah’s arm. "To provoke him, you teamed up with a random guy. This is too much."
Elias chuckled. "The way you are standing so close to Noah, clinging to him – anyone will think you are his wife."
Noah immediately shook Tessa off and stepped away from her.
"Elena, come here," he demanded coldly.
Elena took a step toward him. "You want me to go back to you so you can blame me, use me as a shield whenever Tessa makes a mistake, or hurt me again to please her."
Noah’s expression changed. Something akin to guilt flashed beneath his eyes.
"You think I’ll go back and let you and your beloved humiliate me again and again?" Elena’s voice rose. "I am done being obedient and loyal to you. I am finally free."
"Free? What right do you have to say that?" Noah roared, losing the last bit of control.
Anger shone fiercely in his eyes.
"You have been in the Sinclair family for fifteen years. We raised you, fed you, paid for your education, and even covered your aunt’s medical expenses."
He jabbed a finger at her accusingly. "You owe us. Without paying us back, you don’t get to walk away and call yourself free."
Elena stood in a numb silence.
Since her father’s death, the Sinclair family had taken her in. She had always been grateful to them. She had loved them, trusted them, and treated them as her own family. But she had never imagined that the man she had loved for years would one day calculate her worth in money.
Her heart splintered into a thousand pieces.
So that was all he saw.
’He wants me to pay back the cost of raising me?’
What about her father’s sacrifice?
Without her father’s kidney donation, Noah’s father would have died fifteen years ago.
What about the years she had devoted to this family? What about the countless hours she spent helping the company grow?
Did they mean nothing to him?
She had loved him, given him her loyalty, and poured her heart into him without asking anything in return.
Did none of them matter?
Elena felt empty at that moment.
Fifteen years – she had dedicated fifteen years of her life to that family, believing she belonged there. But now, she realized that she had never truly belonged.
Her face crumpled as tears fell silently.
She wanted to question him, argue with him, and demand answers. She wanted to remind him of what he had done to her. But no word came out of her mouth.
"You want her to repay your family?" Elias spoke with a sneer, disgust filling his chest. He took out a black card and held it up.
"This card contains one billion."
He tossed it toward Noah. The card hit his chest and fell onto the gravel below.
Noah’s legs stumbled backward. Only then did he realize what he had said. Guilt instantly crashed into his chest.
"I didn’t mean it like that," he tried to explain. "I was just angry..."
"I don’t think your family spent a billion on her over the past fifteen years," Elias said before Noah could finish his sentence. "If you think it’s not enough, just let me know. I can give more to settle whatever debt my wife supposedly owes your family."
Wife
The word struck Noah like a thunderclap. "What did you call her just now?" he asked frantically. "She is my wife."
At the last sentence, his voice rose several octaves higher. The whole parking area seemed to reverberate.
"Still lying, Noah Sinclair?" Elias curled his lips slightly.
Noah’s face instantly drained color. The knowing look in Elias’s eyes made his stomach drop. His breathing turned erratic all of a sudden.
It seemed as though his long-buried secret had been exposed. He panicked.
"Elena, just come to me. This act has gone too far."
"This is not an act," Elena managed, wiping her tears away slowly. "I know everything, Noah. There is no point hiding it anymore."
Noah’s heart sank.
"No..."
He still refused to believe she knew the truth. Only he, Tessa, and Evan knew about it—no one else.
How had Elena found out?
"You must be mistaken," he said. "Come with me, and we will talk."
"There is nothing left to talk about," Elena said. Turning to Elias, she added weakly, "Take me away. I’m tired."
Elias’s gaze softened instantly. He lifted her in his arms and carried her away.
The sight nearly drove Noah mad.
His whole body moved on instinct. He took a step forward, intending to follow them.
Tessa instantly grabbed his arm. "No, don’t go."
"Get off me." He jerked his hand away violently and stormed after them.
The force sent her staggering backward. She lost her balance and crashed onto the ground.
A painful jolt shot through her belly.
"Noah," she cried after him.
Noah paused, his eyes following Elias’s car as it drove out of the parking area.
Every instinct urged him to chase after it. But when he looked back and saw Tessa curled up on the ground, his heart clenched.
Her face was pale.
Tessa extended her hand toward him. "Please, save my baby."
Noah had no time to think about anything. He rushed over and carried her in his arms.
"Hold on. I’m taking you to the hospital."
He hurried toward his car.