Chapter 616


    At eight in the evening, a ck Rolls Royce slowly pulled into Silverleaf Ridge.


    Upon hearing the noise, Mike stepped out of the vi.


    "Elijah, what brings you here at this hour?" Mike teased with a cold smirk. "Didn''t you say you''d be


    here in the afternoon? It''s pitch ck now, is your afternoon different from everyone else''s?"


    Elijah lifted his dark gaze. "What difference does it make whether Ie in the afternoon or now?"


    "Of course, there''s a difference. If you''de in the afternoon, Violette would be home. Now that


    you''re here, Violette is not." Mike stood in his yard, toozy to open the gate. "I won''t bother inviting


    you in."


    Elijah''s heartstrings tightened. "Where did she go?"


    "First, tell me what you were up to this afternoon. Why did you say you''de in the afternoon and


    then didn''t?" Mike retorted confidently.


    Elijah swallowed hard, his voice deep. "Nora insisted on being discharged this afternoon. I took her


    home, and her family insisted I stay for dinner. I couldn''t exactly refuse."


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Mike chuckled coldly. "So if her family asked you to spend the night, you couldn''t refuse that


    either?"


    Elijah shot back, "So what if I stayed over? It''s not up to you to pass judgment on me! Where''s


    Violette?!"


    "I don''t know," Mike responded quickly. "Staring at me won''t help. She said she was going out to


    eat, but she didn''t specify with whom." Fearful of his anger, Mike turned and walked back into his


    vi right after speaking.


    Elijah''s gaze darkened, he pulled out his phone, found Violette''s number, and dialed.


    Violette saw his call and chose not to answer or hang up, afraid he would keep on calling. She


    silenced her phone and put it in her bag.


    She wanted to act unbothered, but deep down, she was honestly upset. He said he''de to see


    her in the afternoon, but by evening, he still hadn''t shown up. She didn''t think much of it until Odette


    sent her a photo.


    The photo showed Elijah and Nora sitting together, surrounded by others, enjoying a dinner


    together. The dinner seemed abundant, and aside from Elijah, everyone around the table wore


    joyful smiles. The scene was so harmonious; it could''ve been a Thanksgiving celebration.


    Odette told her it was a photo that Melinda had posted on her social media. So, it must''ve been


    Melinda who took the picture.


    Elijah had postponed his visit to her for Nora.


    Unable to reach Violette, Elijah dialed Odette. Violette’s friends were few. She was either with


    Odette or Adrian.


    "Violette isn''t with me, you know!" Odette answered the call teasingly. "Aren''t you with the Violette


    lookalike? Is your party over? Do you remember the real Violette now?"


    Elijah listened to her mockery, unwilling to argue, and then he ended the call. He dialed Adrian''s


    number, which was answered after a few seconds.


    "Adrian, is Violette with you?" He asked, standing by his car, staring into the endless night, and his


    expression grave.


    He had visited Nora''s house that day, and her family showed him her old photos. At a nce, Nora


    did bear some resemnce to Violette. So, it was possible that Nora just happened to look like


    Violette and hadn''t undergone stic surgery to look like her. But Violette''s friends had already


    labeled Nora as a fake.


    "No, what''s up?" Adrian hesitated before responding.


    Elijah''s frown deepened. "She went out to eat, I thought she was with her friends. Since she''s not


    with you, I''ll hang up."


    "Alright," Adrian replied, ended the call, then turned to Violette. "How long do you n to hide from


    him like this?"


    Violette, eyes cast down and eating her meal in small bites, replied, "I don''t want to talk to him right


    now. It''s best not to let emotions explode when you''re upset. Once I''ve calmed down, maybe I won''t


    be so mad about him anymore."


    Adrian spoke, "Even though I''ve never met that woman who looks remarkably like you, I believe no


    matter how simr someone tries to look like you, they can''t be the real you. Your knowledge,


    and your abilities can''t be replicated. I''m sure Elijah realizes this, too."


    Violette responded, "Adrian, as long as I don''t see him, I won’t be angry at all."