Chapter 5

Elise looked up after hearing what Shannon said. Her lashes fluttered slightly as she stared at the pieces on display.

Shannon arched a brow. "Steele Group has been pouring money into developments and partnerships on modern remakes of the classical arts, from jewelry to clothing. That's exactly what you're good at. Come back, Liss."

Elise was no stranger to the Steele Group Shannon mentioned. The company had grown fast over the past two years, especially in manufacturing. Their head, Jeremiah Steele, was young but notoriously ruthless and had long-term vision.

It didn't surprise her that Shannon wanted to hitch Primero to Steele Group and blaze a trail in modernizing the classical arts. It was just that… could she really go back?

She was still thinking it over when a cool, arrogant voice rang out not far away. "Elise? Why are you here instead of taking care of Mom?"

The speaker was Candace Fulton, Calvin's younger sister and one of the city's golden girls. Ever since Elise married into the Fulton family, Candace had been cold to her. She'd always looked down on women like Elise—women who, in her eyes, relied on men, busied themselves with housework, and were otherwise utterly useless.

Running into Candace here was the last thing Elise expected. Instead of explaining, she simply said, "I came to have a look."

"The pieces in this exhibition have real artistic value. Even the most basic designs are beyond your understanding. Calvin, Rowan, and Regina are about to come back. You should be putting your energy into them instead." Candace's tone was indifferent.

She'd heard that before marrying into the Fulton family, Elise was pretty highly educated and had some talent for design. However, in her eyes, at the end of the day, Elise was still a nobody. How capable could a woman who only knew how to rely on a man be?

Elise froze where she stood. Calvin was coming back?

Her fingers curled in slightly as a bitter pang slid through her chest. Even if they were about to get divorced, couldn't he have just informed her that he and the kids were coming back? In his heart, she, as the former Mrs. Fulton, really didn't amount to anything.

As far as Candace was concerned, she and Elise had nothing to talk about. She was about to leave when she suddenly remembered the fish terrine Helen had been craving.

"One more thing—make some fish terrines and bring them over when you have time. It's not like you have anything better to do, and your cooking is barely passable." She tossed out the order without a thought.

In the past, Elise would've agreed without hesitation. She'd done everything she could to win the Fulton family's approval. No matter how troublesome a dish was, as long as Helen asked for it, she would say yes.

But now, she no longer cared.

"Sorry, but I have my own things to take care of. Let the chef handle the food," Elise said coolly.

A faint frown tugged at Candace's brows, and annoyance flickered in her eyes. This was the first time Elise had ever refused her. And how dare she claim she was busy? What could she possibly have to do?

Just then, someone came up beside Candace. They'd seen the whole exchange between her and Elise. "Candace, who's that lady?"

Candace's brows drew together slightly. She threw out casually, "Just an acquaintance. You don't need to bother with her."

A trace of mockery brushed past Elise's heart. On paper, she was still Candace's sister-in-law, but whether it was Candace or Calvin, neither of them had ever really seen her as anything.

She'd given her everything into serving the Fulton family all these years, erasing herself completely. But in the end, she wasn't even worth as much as a hired maid.

Once Candace walked away, Elise turned back to Shannon. "I'll think about what you said. It's just that I've been out of the design world for such a long time. I hope I won't let you down."

Only then did Shannon finally relax. She teased, "What are you talking about? You were once the legendary 'Smile' everyone in the industry talked about."

For the first time in a long while, a hint of a smile softened Elise's eyes. She'd kept herself buried for so long—perhaps the time had truly come to return to the life that was hers.

…

That night, Calvin flew back to Halston with the kids. Sabrina traveled with them. After landing, he took the children back to the Fulton family's estate in Halston, Tranquility Estate.

Helen couldn't help grumbling as soon as she saw them. "It's been a whole week, and she still hasn't come to see me once. I haven't been eating or sleeping well. Even my skin looks terrible."

She was used to being pampered by Elise. Back when Elise was around, even her pillows were specially scented and prepared by Elise to help her sleep. And that was on top of the carefully prepared meals.

But this time, Elise hadn't set foot in Tranquility Estate even once since coming back to Halston.

Calvin didn't take Helen's complaints to heart, only assuaging her gently, "I'll hire a few people to attend to those things. It'll be just the same."

The same?

Helen frowned, clearly displeased. How could it possibly be the same?

In her mind, all Elise was good for was waiting on people, yet she wasn't even putting in the effort to please her mother-in-law.

In the end, however, Helen suppressed her temper. She decided against rejecting Calvin's offer and nodded.

After that, they all went back to the marital home together. Just as David had said, Elise had already taken all her things. Even the kids' rooms weren't the cozy, warm spaces she used to keep them. Now, they were left stark and cold.

Calvin didn't think much of it. If Elise wanted to throw a tantrum, she could go ahead. Did she really expect him to lower himself to coax her?

Rowan, on the other hand, looked a little disappointed. He hadn't seen Elise in a long time. Was she mad at him? Ever since Regina had blocked Elise's number, she hadn't tried calling them from a new phone even once.

As he was lost in thought, Regina excitedly grabbed Sabrina's hand and tugged on Calvin's sleeve. "Daddy, let Sabrina stay in Mommy's room. Her health isn't great, and she needs a room with sunlight. Mommy already moved out, anyway."

Aside from the master bedroom and the kids' rooms, the only other sunny room left was the secondary bedroom that used to belong to Elise.