Chapter 177
Tina dared not look Elspeth in the eye, and her body shrunk back into her corner when she heard those
words. “I really didn’t—”
“This room is filled with a strong scent. While most people wouldn’t be able to identify it at the get-go, I
know what that is. It’s an ointment for bruises.”
Elspeth knew that the truth behind Tina being covered with countless bruises and that she was going
out of her way to avoid exposure would be revealed soon enough.
“Miss Fowler, I’ll keep it a secret. I won’t tell anyone.” Elspeth promised in a gentle tone. “Believe me,
Tina, alright?”
Tina’s eyes reddened upon hearing Elspeth’s reassurances, making her look like a porcin doll close
to shattering.
“Don’t cry. Tell me. I’ll help you.”
Tina took in a deep breath before slowly recounting her story, “My mom divorced my dad and remarried
Alex Fowler a few yearster when I was four.”
Elspeth listened attentively to Tina, but she could already guess what had happened in her mind.
“Unfortunately, Alex showed his true colors just a couple of yearster and started abusing me. He
would beat me up whenever my mom wasn’t around. My mom really liked him. So, despite all the
violence he had hurled at me, I kept my silence. I kept it a secret and didn’t even tell Spencer. Alex’s
abuse worsened because of myck of reaction.”
Tears rolled off Tina’s cheeks as she told her tale. It was agonizing to bare her story to another after
keeping it a secret for so many heartrending years.
“Then, the heliophobia…”
? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.
Pain shed across Tina’s eyes as she muttered bitterly, “I don’t have heliophobia. I just didn’t want to
see people. The beating was frequent, and I was constantly covered with bruises. I was afraid people
might notice. So, I came up with an excuse to avoid ever leaving.”
Only Spencer, her childhood friend, didn’t distance himself from her and often came over to apany
her.
“Why didn’t you fight back?”
Elspeth couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Why would Tina be willing to suffer the beating for such a
long time?
“I’ll tell you only because your eyes were… It was filled with such strength despite being gentle. You
make me feel safe. But you’re also a young girl. You may be able to treat me, but it’s probably
impossible for you to save me from this hell.”
Tina knew very well that her mother liked Alex. She didn’t have the heart to destroy her mother’s
dream.
“My mom likes him. I don’t want to disappoint her.”
Elspeth listened to her, and her gaze turned sharp at thatment. “How do you know that your mom
wouldn’t feel disappointed instead? You saw how she looked at you just now. Do you really think this is
good for her? Her daughter suffering in silence for her happiness? Any mother would be miserable if
they knew what you’ve hidden. You should talk to her about this. Maybe the happiness you thought
was right for her was only a fa?ade.”
Tina opened her mouth to defend herself, but no words came to mind. She couldn’t find the words to
refute Elspeth’s remarks.
Elspeth gazed right into Tina’s frightened eyes, then turned to walk out of the room where she saw
Spencer and Mrs. Fowler. Then, she asked Mrs. Fowler, “Mrs. Fowler, pleasee in.”
Just when she was about to leave, she nced at Spencer. “You too.”
Spencer nodded and hastily followed her in.
“Mrs. Fowler, Tina isn’t sick.”
Mrs. Fowler was in disbelief, “How is that possible?”
“You’ll understand when you see the wounds on her body.”
Mrs. Fowler gingerly moved forward and lifted Tina’s long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Sure enough,
all sorts of wounds covered her body. Some looked like knife cuts, whipshes, and even pinch
marks…
It was a scary sight to behold, and Mrs. Fowler immediately burst into tears when she saw all the
wounds covering her baby daughter’s body.
“Your husband, Alex Fowler, abused her. That’s why she pretended to be sick because she didn’t want
to see people.”
Tina also started crying silently as she saw her mother’s remorseful face.
Mrs. Fowler carefully embraced Tina in a bear hug. This was the first time she had hugged Tina in six
months. She never knew that Tina had been suffering all this while!
“Thank you, Miss Lynwood. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know what else that beast would do to Tina.”
Her heart felt constricted as she delicately caressed Tina’s hair, treating her daughter with utmost care.
“What do you n to do now, Mrs. Fowler?”
A ferocious glint shed across Mrs. Fowler’s eyes. “Divorce. Ours was a casual rtionship, to begin
with. I married him only because I wanted Tina to have a better life. I always thought that a father figure
was important to a child’s development. Who knew… I was so blind to have made such a huge
mistake.”
Elspeth scanned the wounds on Tina as a thought popped into her mind. “But Tina’s injuries can’t be in
vain. We need to make Alex pay for this.”
As Mrs. Fowler’s mind was filled with thoughts of leaving this dumpster fire behind, she didn’t think of
that.
“But… the Fowler Family is considered a prestigious family in ydal. I’m a mere citizen. I can’t go up
against him.”
Spencer, who was standing by the side, sneered when he heard that. “The Fowler Family is nobody.
They can’t evenpare to the White Family. Tina is my friend, and I will make him pay for making her
suffer!”
At the same time, Tina thought of something and murmured with a slight waver in her tone, “There was
once he beat me up when he was drunk. He kept muttering about working with the Alphascape Group
and evading tax worth a total of 200 million. Maybe this could be strong evidence to bring him down?”
The Alphascape Group?
Elspeth recalled that the Alphascape Group headquarters was in ydal. So, maybe she could kill two
birds with one stone this time and bring down the Fowlers as well as the Alphascape Group in one fell
swoop.
“Don’t worry. Bringing him down is like child’s y.” Spencer gave her aforting look. “Pack up your
stuff, all your precious items and such. You’re noting back here ever again. Once the divorce is
finalized, you can both stay in one of my vis, and no, I won’t be taking no for an answer.”
A trace of sunlight shone into the room, showing Tina’s tears flowing down her face like precious
diamonds. “Thank you, Spencer.”
Elspeth and Spencer quietly left the Fowler Residence as if nothing was out of the ordinary. This way,
they wouldn’t startle their prey and let him live for a while longer.
After that debacle, Elspeth returned straight to the Joneson Residence and saw Callum was reading in
the study. So, she told him what she had learned from Tina.
“You’re saying that the Alphascape Group evaded a few hundred million in taxes?”
“Yea. If we can find evidence that they worked with Alex to evade tax, they’re done.”
It didn’t matter how powerful the Alphascape Group was. They would still be under the mercy of the
law.
“I’ve never thought of that. Since he would go as far to evade tax, he’s probably involved in several
shady dealings.” Callum lowered his eyes as he was deep in thought. “Leave this to me. I’ll make sure
to catch them both red-handed.”
Elspeth nodded in agreement as she canceled any mental ns in asking Harper for help to
investigate this matter.
“Old Mr. Joneson came by just now.”
Elspeth’s heart leaped to her throat as she forced herself to speak, “What did he want?”
“He asked how I was recovering. He said that if I’m well, I should leave the Joneson Residence as
soon as possible.”
She knew that it was just another excuse, so she wasn’t worried about it. “It’s fine. Take the time you
need to heal. You can leave once you feel better. You don’t need to be bothered by him.”
The corners of Callum’s lips curled into a smile. “Are you saying that you want to sleep with me?”
“What?” Elspeth had not considered this issue. A better way to put it would be that she utterly forgot
about this issue.
“There’s only one bed in this room. So, doesn’t that mean that you want to share the bed with me by
asking me to stay?”