Chapter 692:

Fear was evident on Elyse’s face; her voice quivered as she tried to stay calm. “Maybe we could talk this over,” she suggested.

Victoria looked at Elyse with a cold, detached expression. “You are Rickey’s daughter,” she stated simply. “What’s there to talk about?”

Taking a deep breath, Elyse asked gently, “Don’t you wonder what he thinks of you?”

Victoria’s grip on the gun tightened momentarily, pressing it more firmly against Elyse. Her voice held a hint of anger. “It’s not wise to lie. Your dad has been dead for years. How could you possibly know what he thinks?”

Fearful the gun might go off, Elyse controlled her fear and said, “I just know! If you want to hear, I can tell you, but first, you need to take the gun away and stop pointing it at me!”

Victoria hesitated for several seconds, then stepped back and said solemnly, “Enlighten me.”

Elyse unclenched her fists. “He always felt guilty about you,” she said. “He wished he could apologize to your face.”

Victoria scoffed. “That’s it? You must be making that up.”

Elyse paused, then suddenly dropped to her knees before Victoria.

Astonishment appeared in Victoria’s eyes. “What are you doing?”

“There’s something else my father once wanted to tell you,” Elyse said softly, enduring Victoria’s pressure. “‘Victoria, it’s my fault for not choosing you. You are like a rose in my heart—romantic, free-spirited, passionate, yet cheerful. You are so perfect. I’m just a piece of shit, never a good match for you.’”

At the mention of “rose,” Victoria hesitated, for Rickey had always called her that. As she got lost in these memories, Elyse said the phrase “a piece of shit.” Unable to help herself, a smile appeared on her face. Only one person had ever described himself so self-deprecatingly—Rickey.

Elyse noticed Victoria’s smile and sighed in relief. Her life had just been saved!

Victoria snapped back to the present and looked at Elyse. “Young lady, did your dad leave any other messages for me?”

Elyse nodded, then bowed her head and said with heartfelt sincerity, “I didn’t explain things to you properly before I left, and that was my mistake. It’s been so long, and every night I’ve thought about when I should come and apologize.”

She paused, giving a wry smile. “Ms. Bentley, my father regretted not giving you a proper explanation, leaving you to face criticism and ridicule. You asked why I was brave enough to come to this meeting. It was to honor my father’s wish and apologize on his behalf.”

After she spoke, Elyse nervously looked at Victoria. Was Victoria going to retaliate after her honest confession?

Victoria remained motionless for a while, then her eyes sparkled with curiosity. She asked, “Where is your father’s grave?”

Elyse felt uncomfortable. “My parents haven’t been buried yet.”

The remains of Rickey and Jazmine were still at Jayden’s place.

This thought made Elyse feel weary. She realized she should have taken care of her parents’ final arrangements before the divorce.

Victoria responded with a slight smile. “Is that so? Then if I want to visit his grave, you’ll have to show me the way, right?”

Elyse nodded, somewhat embarrassed. “Yes, that’s what I meant.”

Victoria then seemed to lose interest. She leaned back, placed the gun on the table, and poured herself a drink indifferently. “Leave. Stop bothering me.”