On the day that Elia finally got discharged, Cayenne visited her and apologized for getting her involved in this mess. She also apologized to her parents even though she didn't have to. Her attitude made Elia's parents happy. Cayenne wanted to take them to lunch but something unexpected happened.
Xian came but he didn't get the chance to speak because Elia's father punched him on the face. Cayenne was so shocked and turned speechless. Stefan pulled her behind him to make sure that she won't get caught in the middle of this argument. On the side, Elia was expressionless. She didn't even bother stopping her father.
"I think that's enough." Stefan commented after seeing the man has been beaten black and blue. It's obvious how repentant this man was because he didn't even defend himself against the punches. His nose was bleeding and he had several cuts on his lips. After Stefan's guards separated the two, Xian only looked at Elia who refused to meet his gaze.
"Lia, I found a lead already. I'll prove to you that it was never my intention for all of these to happen. I will leave for PH country. They have an island there which is known for witchcrafts and sorcery. I don't if what she said is true but I'm willing to take the risk and prove the truth to you. I'll be back after two weeks."
Elia didn't respond to his words. Xian was dejected but at the very least, he was thankful that she didn't push him away.
Cayenne watched this event to unfold in front of her but she didn't ask about it. She was not in the position to intrude someone else's privacy.
Stefan asked someone to tend Xian's wounds and left after helping the man pay for his medical bills. It was the least he can do to help him. As a man, he could relate to him but at the end of the day, the decision will still lie on Elia's hands just like how Cayenne decided to give him a second chance.
Elia and her parents left the hospital without looking back. Since Cayenne has one more subject to attend and Stefan has work to do, they decided to go to his company. When they arrived, Elena was busy working while Tristan dictated her what to do.
"They haven't reconciled up to this moment?" Cayenne whispered as they passed by them.
"No. Elena talks to him about work but nothing more than that. She avoids him during break time as well."
When she looked at Elena, she found the woman smiling faintly at her. Cayenne smiled back and waved her hand. "I'll be studying in his office today. Do you have time after two hours?"
"Alright. I'll come and find you after my class."
Cayenne attended her last class but her focus wasn't there. Thankfully, Stefan had set his laptop to record the class duration for her future reference. If it weren't because of him, she'd miss important notes again. She was curious about the man she met at the hospital and she was also wondering what she could do to help Elena and Tristan.
Cayenne likes to make everyone around her happy because their positive energy will also affect her. Whenever she finds out that someone's having a bad day, she will also worry for that person. She's that compassionate.
Two hours later, Cayenne and Elena walked to the rooftop where the small botanical garden can be seen. It has a great view of the city and you can have a sense of peace in this place. Cayenne and Elena sat on one of the benches and the bodyguards stood in different places to guard them but they also gave them enough distance for privacy.
From a distance, some of the employees who took their breaks at the rooftop were looking at Cayenne and Elena's way. Some of the women were envious of Elena's close relationship to their boss.
"You haven't talked to Tristan?" Cayenne questioned while looking into the distance and sighed. "I don't want to intrude and influence your decision but I just hope that your relationship with him won't affect your work."
"It's not. In fact, I am more efficient with the current situation."
"So, you wanted this to continue? Until when?"
"Until my mom is fine."
Elena explained the whole event to Cayenne on how she found Tristan and her father and how her mother found the death of her other daughter. Her mother also learned that Tristan was her other daughter's ex- fiancée. Seeing the resemblance that Elena has with her twin, her mother refused Elena to have a relationship with Tristan.
She didn't want her second daughter to become a replacement of the other. She didn't want Elena to suffer a loveless relationship like hers.
"Miss Yen, you know what, I once told myself that I'd thread through ice and fire for my love as long as he loves me and my mother approves it. I was really happy when I saw how much she liked Tristan for me. Now, it has come to the point where I have to choose between him and my mother. I don't know what to do anymore."
Cayenne also shrugged her shoulders because she was at loss. She can't just tell him to choose Tristan or choose her mother. She would lose one of the people she loves the most.
"Have you explained this to your mother?"
"I did but she was firm in her decision. I can't have them both. Tristan got hurt and I want to take care of him but if I get home later than half an hour, she will throw my things away and cut ties with me. I don't want it to happen. So, I decided not to communicate with Tristan. I don't want to give him another false hope."
"And what if he finds someone else? I'm not saying that he won't wait for you or won't understand your situation but just in case - "
"He can." Elena answered with tears streaming down her face. "If that happens, I can only wish for his happiness. What else can I do? I don't want to lose the only woman who cares for me. She's the only family I have. Miss Yen, I always wish to have a complete family but I accepted the fact that it won't come true no matter how strong I wish for it.
I just didn't expect that it would be my family who would also ruin my happiness. Why does he have to be my sister's ex- fiancée? Why did my father show up when we didn't need him anymore? Why must I fall in love with the man that I can't have?"
Cayenne pulled Elena and hugged her. Why? Cayenne can't answer any of those. She didn't know that this fight between the lovers had a deep reason that she couldn't fathom at all. What will she advise her; to give up on Tristan and to choose her mother? If that's the case, how long will it take her to move on?
Will she be able to endure seeing him with someone else? Cayenne closed her eyes and erased these thoughts. She didn't know what to say.
"Do you want to take a break? I'll ask Stefan to give you some time to think. How about two weeks?"
When Tristan heard that Elena will take some time off from work, he panicked. He didn't even get the chance to talk to her about their current status and now, she's leaving. What if she chooses to give up on him? What is he going to do? He didn't want to lose her and their future. He didn't want to spend his life with someone else.
Cayenne and Stefan were about to go home when he decided to stop by Tristan's office. He saw him staring at the blinking red dot which was going farther from the company's location. It was Elena's tracker. Stefan fiddled with his phone and questioned, "Do you think her love for you is enough for her to give up on her mom and choose you?"
Tristan turned his head and found his boss looking at him with his back leaning on the door frame. "I don't want her to choose between me and her mother. I want her to have both of us who loves her. If she wants me to wait until her mother gives her consent to our relationship, I can wait. I am just afraid that she'd give up on me."