Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1805

"Once he's back, I'm forcing him to take an extended vacation. He needs time to properly court Blossom and build something real with her."

If this old vendetta was finally settled, the crushing weight that had suffocated Axel for years would vanish.

He would finally be able to let his guard down.

Freed from that immense pressure and darkness, perhaps he would finally let some light into his life.

Elysia nodded thoughtfully.

"Lancelot is a good man, so I'm certainly not going to speak ill of him. But when the opportunity arises, I'll definitely advocate for Axel with Folly and Hollis."

A slow, devastating smile curved Tarquin's lips. He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.

"On Axel's behalf, thank you."

A short while later, the sleek luxury car pulled up to the entrance of the Blissful Pub. Tarquin bid Elysia goodbye and stepped out into the night.

Elysia remained in the car, watching over the sleeping children as they continued their journey home.

They hadn't gone far when her phone buzzed. It was Diane Han.

Diane was Mrs. Murphy's niece, making her Booker Murphy's younger cousin.

Elysia barely knew the girl. They had only just met at the party today.

Diane had eagerly sought them out to introduce herself and swap contact info.

Moving in the same elite circles and wanting to save face for Booker, Elysia, Winona, and Blossom had all politely obliged when Diane asked for their numbers.

Staring at the caller ID, Elysia felt a flicker of confusion.

Why would Diane be calling her?

She swiped to answer. "Hello?"

Diane's sickly-sweet voice chirped through the speaker. "Elysia! It's Diane. Booker's cousin?"

"I remember," Elysia replied politely. "Is something the matter?"

Diane sounded breathless with excitement.

"I just spotted your car! I'm driving right behind you. Could you pull over for a second? I have a little gift for you."

Caught off guard, Elysia glanced out the rear window.

The road was packed with traffic, making it impossible to single out Diane's car.

Diane practically glowed.

"Thank you so much! Enjoy the treats, and next time, I'll make sure to bring you wedding favors!"

"I look forward to it."

As Elysia took the box, Diane continued, her tone turning slightly conspiratorial.

"You know, my boyfriend just moved here, and he doesn't really know anyone yet. It would mean the world to me if you and Tarquin could look out for him and help him get established."

Diane was barely in her twenties—young, naive, and completely blinded by love.

She had been dating Jae-hyun Kim for exactly one day, yet she was already using her family's social capital to pave the way for his business.

After all, breaking into the Jindale City elite as a foreigner required serious connections.

Before Elysia could formulate a diplomatic response, the passenger door of the sports car swung open, and Jae-hyun Kim stepped out into the streetlights.

He offered a lazy wave, a perfectly charming, practiced smile curving his lips.

As Elysia's eyes met his, her heart slammed painfully against her ribs, and a sudden, visceral wave of dread washed over her.