Chapter 271
Chapter 271
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Jayden looked up at her and begged, “You can’t really stand to see me go to the parent–teacher conference all alone, can you?”
Just then, Theodore said behind Eliana, “Why couldn’t she?”
Jayden’s eyes widened in surprise. He thought, ‘When did Theodore get back?‘
Theodore then used his leg to nudge Jayden aside. “Say that to your mom and Anthony.”
Jayden, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, jumped up and shouted, “It’s all your fault. If you hadn’t put Dad in jail, people wouldn’t laugh behind my back about having no dad, and Mom wouldn’t–”
Seeing Theodore’s displeasing gaze, Eliana quickly reached out to cover Jayden’s mouth and warned, “That’s enough. Go back to your room and do your homework first.”
The moment Eliana touched him, Jayden forgot to resist. Eliana took the chance to lead him to the elevator and gently pushed him inside.
As the elevator rose, Eliana let out a breath and turned back to look at Theodore. “Theodore, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. He was telling the truth.” With that, Theodore walked into the house first.
Eliana poured him a glass of water and handed it to him. Theodore loosened his tie, took the glass, and said in a deep voice, “Thank you.”
Noticing his bad mood, Eliana didn’t press further. But after putting down the glass, Theodore brought it up himself. “Do you think I’m cruel for sending my own father to jail like Jayden?”
Eliana noticed a hint of depression in his expression and shook her head. “I don’t know the truth, so I can’t judge. But if you’re willing to tell
me, I’d be happy to listen.”
At her words, Theodore’s furrowed brow smoothed. The world called him cold–blooded for sending his father to jail, but hearing Eliana say
that, he couldn’t help but pull her into his arms and share his story.
Theodore said, “When my father ran Russell Group, he made a foolish decision. I didn’t want that decision to end up ruining the company, so I gave the evidence to the police, and they arrested him.”
“But Jayden was little back then, so the family kept how his dad got locked up from him. That’s one reason he’s hated me since he was a kid,”
he added.
Eliana looked at him sympathetically. “If you could get the police to arrest him, he must have done something illegal. But people still blame
you?”
Theodore let out a self–deprecating laugh.
“They say I chose justice over family. That’s how people are–when it comes to their family, they can rarely tell right from wrong,” said
Theodore.
He continued, “They all think i should’ve covered for Dad instead of reporting him. Only Grandpa supported my decision and helped me
become the new Mr. Russell.”
Eliana couldn’t help but comfort him. “Theodore, don’t lose heart.”
“Do I look like I’ve lost heart?” Theodore let her go, turned to the floor–to–ceiling window, and pressed his hands firmly on the windowsill. “I don’t care what they think. They’re all just outsiders anyway.”
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Chapter 271
Eliana looked at his stiff back. If he really saw Lainey and her three children as outsiders, he wouldn’t have helped Jayden turn over a new leaf and Barbara find her way back.
No matter how unruly they were, they were his younger siblings.
Meanwhile, back in his room, Jayden was being scolded by Barbara.
She said. “You idiot. I told your misery to Eliana to make her feel sorry for you, so she’d agree to go to your parent–teacher conference tomorrow. Why did you just have to offend Theodore? Great, now you can only get Anthony’s assistant for it.”
Jayden was stunned by her scolding. “You were helping me? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I thought you were deliberately putting me down in front of Eliana.”
“Why would I bring up Dad being in jail for no reason? I was trying to tell Eliana you’re a poor little thing with no dad to love you,” Barbara said.
Barbara looked at him, annoyed at his slowness. “Before, you were too immature, so I thought words were useless. Now you’re finally starting to be a real man, so listen carefully—don’t blame Theodore for Dad being in jail. He had no choice.”
Jayden still wasn’t convinced. “What do you mean no choice? Mom said Theodore sent Dad to jail because after his own mom died, Ded married our mom right away, so Theodore held a grudge and got back at him on purpose.”
Barbara scoffed. “How exactly did Theodore get back at him on purpose by convincing the police, who are supposed to be just?”
Jayden’s voice weakened, lacking confidence. “M–maybe he framed Dad?”
Barbara asked again, “Wouldn’t the police have investigated if it was a frame–up? Back then, Dad was the powerful Mr. Russell. Who would dare touch him?”
Jayden was silent for a long time before saying, “I don’t believe Mom would lie to me. Not unless you tell me what Dad did to get arrested.”
Seeing his look of crumbling conviction, Barbara felt a twinge of pity. “You’d probably be scared to death if I told you, so forget it.”
Jayden’s face flushed with urgency. “That’s not fair. You asked me why Alice left our house, and I told you. Now I’m asking you, and you won’t tell me anything.”
Barbara said, “Why don’t you ask Dad yourself when you visit him in jail next time? Ask him what he really did back then.”
Jayden instinctively glanced at the calendar on his desk and murmured, “The first of next month is our yearly visit to see him.”
“Yeah.” Barbara’s face turned serious. She wondered how Dad would react after hearing that Theodore’s eyesight had recovered.
The next second, Jayden looked at her for help. “Barbie, you’re so smart. Can you tell me what I can do to get Eliana to agree to go to my parent–teacher conference?”
Barbara said, “Straight up. Go apologize to Theodore. Maybe he’ll let Eliana go then.”
Jayden looked shocked. “Huh? You want me to apologize to him?”
Barbara patted his shoulder and said in an over–mature voice, “What’s the big deal? I apologized to Eliana yesterday. I’ve come around–isn’t it better for the family to get along? No need to fight tooth and nail.”
After dinner, noticing Jayden following them, Theodore stopped and asked in a deep voice, “What do you want now?”
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“–” Jayden glanced awkwardly at Eliana.
Then, she said to Theodore, “I’ll go back to my room first. You two talk.”
Theodore thought, ‘She must be telling me not to pick on Jayden.‘
After Eliana left. Theodore had braced himself for Jayden to question him about the past. Instead, Jayden suddenly closed his eyes, looking like he was facing death, and said, “I’m sorry. Can you let Eliana go to my parent–teacher conference tomorrow?”
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