His Hidden Family My Ruined Marriage (Liana) novel Chapter 68

His Hidden Family, My Ruined Marriage

Chapter 68 The Mask Slips

Towering buildings blocked the night sky, leaving only the glittering grid of city lights.

Divorce…

Just then, a knock sounded at the private room door.

“Elian.”

Anya entered, holding Theo’s hand, with Nathan following behind.

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Liana’s words echoed again in his mind-it was this woman who used his name to give Liana abortion pills.

Perfect. This woman planned to wreck his whole life.

“Ran into Anya downstairs,” Nathan explained quietly, reading the tense atmosphere.

Anya looked at him, curious. “Brat, what-am I not allowed to be there?”

Elian ignored her. Xander, however, studied Anya more closely.

“Daddy!” Theo broke free and ran to Elian, climbing onto his knee.

A weary movement, and Elian lifted the boy onto his lap. “Hey, buddy.”

“Theo misses you so much. But don’t think that means I’m not his favorite. He’s our child, after all,” Anya cooed, sitting beside him, her tone a playful reminder.

Elian responded with only a faint, cold smile, staring at Theo’s face. An unbidden image flashed -Liana holding this same boy.

Nathan poured drinks silently.

Anya watched Elian intently. After a calculated pause, she gently touched his wrist and explained, “Elian, about that night, I had no idea Grandpa had people bring Liana home. But 1 was there having coffee with them. I can swear Grandpa and Grandma meant well.”

“What ‘well’?” Elian’s tone was flat.

“He really didn’t mean to hurt her. He just thought… with her mother gone, she should come home to the family. But Liana was so stubborn. Grandpa got angry, hit her once, and made her kneel in the courtyard to reflect. But he worried she’d catch a chill and had ginger tea made for her to warm up. You have to believe me.”

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12:06 Thu, Feb 12

Chapter 68 The Mask Slips

Listening, both Xander and Nathan sensed something deeply wrong with the story.

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“And which part of that should I not believe you about?” Elian asked, his voice deceptively calm.

But when his eyes finally met Anya’s, the look in them made her blood run cold.

“Elian, what do you mean? We’ve known each other since we were kids. Why wouldn’t we trust each other?” Anya forced a laugh.

Nathan was starting to see it. Anya didn’t seem to truly fit with Elian.

Beneath her gentle, polished exterior was an unknown quantity.

“True. We’ve known each other a long time.”

Elian picked up an orange, peeled it slowly, and fed a segment to Theo.

Anya sensed a dangerous, suppressed violence beneath Elian’s controlled demeanor. Her heart raced. She couldn’t pinpoint which transgression had angered him now.

“I swear, I’ve always been completely honest with you. Elian, why are you upset? Did Liana blame you for what happened at the Forrest Villa? I can explain it to her.”

Elian only gave a quiet, humorless chuckle.

“Wait-Liana is a Forrest? A… by-blow?” Nathan finally connected the dots, which explained the resemblance to Anya.

A lethal glare from Elian made Nathan’s throat tighten. “The child is innocent! I meant no disrespect to Liana!” he amended quickly.

“To be precise, Liana is my father’s daughter from his first marriage. His first child. It was a whirlwind thing. He didn’t even know about her until years later,” Anya explained patiently.

Nathan absorbed this. “So your father wants her back in the family too?”

“Of course. He feels he owes her,” Anya said earnestly.

Xander glanced at Elian, but he was focused on Theo, ignoring Anya completely.

Since the day Anya came for the divorce papers, Nathan had begun to understand. People and situations were multifaceted.

Observing closely now, he realized Elian showed no real intimacy toward Anya.

He’d seen Elian unravel over the divorce, but never display any particular emotion regarding Anya herself.

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