👼 MY ANGEL 👼
Lui took Elsa back to his mansion, holding her hand as he led her inside. Once they reached the living room, Elsa stopped in her tracks, causing Lui to stop as well. He turned around to face her, only to find Elsa looking at him.
"Thank you, Lui," she said sincerely. Where would she be if he hadn't come through for her?
"I told you I'd protect you. And I meant it," Lui replied. Elsa couldn't help but blush a little.
"But how did you know, though?" Elsa asked. Lui took a step closer to her and pushed her hair behind her ear, then gently touched her cheek. "I saw this coming a thousand miles away. I knew there was a plan against you, I knew it. I just didn't know what it was," he explained.
"I didn't allow you to bring the child here because I wanted her here. I agreed because, one, I am finding it hard to say no to you. And two, I wanted to see what exactly Victoria was up to." Elsa looked surprised. "Victoria?"
"Yes, Victoria," Lui confirmed. "What is Victoria's connection to Yuliana, or Amanda?"
"I don't know yet. But this was a trap set specially for you, and you had fallen right into it perfectly," he said in a low voice. His forehead wrinkled as he briefly closed his eyes, then looked at Elsa with eyes as deep as the April sea.
"Elsa, you could have gone to jail for kidnapping. Do you realize that?" he asked with a worried expression on his face. Elsa nodded. "I understand that, Lui, but-"
"No buts, pretty one..."
"Lui-"
"Listen to me, Elsa. You cannot just act anymore. You have to think very carefully before doing something. And that is because you are someone who someone else is trying to put down. Someone will benefit greatly by ruining you."
He held both of her cheeks while looking deep into her eyes. "You have to understand that, pretty one, you have to," he stressed those words.
Elsa saw the genuine concern for her in his eyes. She also felt the warmth in his hands. "I see what you mean. I should be more careful from now on. But Yuliana-"
"Yuliana is a problem that you do not need. She has been just fine all this time without you. She will be okay."
He knew Elsa cared for the child. Maybe worries about her well-being too. But that was not her child to care for.
Elsa felt a little reluctant. "Lui, she didn't want to go with her aunt. Maybe there is a reason for that. Maybe she isn't being well taken care of. She is just a toddler. If the aunt could just leave her alone in the park, maybe she doesn't take care of her well."
Lui shook his head. "Elsa... (sighs) That child was used to set a trap for you. We don't know how this was calculated or why. Maybe your passing by created this opportunity for them. Maybe the moment you picked up the child was when this was calculated. But Amanda knew what she was doing when she let you come home with that child."
Elsa lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yeah, you're right."
"I need you to promise me you won't try to look for that child. I don't want her to cause you any more trouble. Okay?... Promise me?"
Elsa raised her eyes to look at him and didn't know what to say. She had already felt a connection with Yuliana. Before she could answer, one of Lui's security men came into the living room and called him. "Sir!"
Lui turned to him and he handed him a phone. Looking at what was on the screen, Lui immediately let out a deep and frustrated sigh.
"What's wrong?" Elsa asked.
Lui gave the phone to Elsa to read. Elsa was trending over child abduction charges. Someone had told a big news outlet that Elsa was arrested that morning for stealing a child from the park and taking her to her friend's house to hide her.
Since Elsa was Jeremy's wife, a story about her would trend very quickly. And this one already did. And it already had millions of reads.
Elsa scrolled down to the comments and saw all kinds of names she was being called. Everyone called her evil and wicked. They even said Jeremy should divorce a woman like her before she ruins the Callahan name. This was another scandal she had brought. The Callahans never had scandals before this. Even others were telling her to kill herself and giving her ideas on how to do it.
Lui, seeing Elsa reading the hateful comments directed at her, immediately took the phone away. He then held her tightly in his arms after he saw her eyes looking glossy as if tears were coming. "I'll have someone take that article down, okay?"
"You can do that?" Elsa asked with a low voice.
"Yeah, I can. Don't worry, it will be fine. Everything will be fine."
***
Elsa didn't leave Lui's place that day despite Jeremy's warning. Mostly because Lui didn't allow her to leave. He spent the entire time asking her to stay at his home so that he could prevent something like that from happening. He did prevent Elsa from going to jail that day. But Elsa refused. She was fixed on leaving the next day. She just told him she could take care of herself and promised to never look for Yuliana, ever.
Lui couldn't force her to stay with him longer than the week, so he reluctantly agreed.
Elsa also didn't want a car from him. She refused. Not after he had spent so much money on a painting for her.
With the news trending, Alex called Elsa. They agreed to meet the next day instead, as Elsa was not in the mood to go anywhere.