But this solution was incredibly unfair to Elissa.

She had just married Raphael and was expecting his child, yet she had to clean up his mess! The situation was downright heart-wrenching for her.

Raphael arrived home from work and parked his car in front of the villa.

It was already evening, and the light inside the house glowed with a warm and inviting ambiance.

A servant approached, opened the car door for him, and said, "Mrs. Jones hasn't left her room all day!"

Raphael's Adam's apple bobbed as he replied indifferently, “I see."

Stepping out of the car, he made his way straight to the villa's porch. The hall was silent, and the second floor was just as quiet.

Raphael ascended the staircase and pushed open the door to the master bedroom.

Although the light was off inside the room, the curtains were drawn.

A gentle glow filtered through the French window, casting a serene purple hue as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Elissa sat silently, leaning against the sofa and gazing out the window. Her thoughts were difficult to discern.

"Elissa."

As soon as Raphael opened his mouth, his voice cracked, betraying the weight of his emotions. He made his way over to the sofa, settling down beside Elissa. A fleeting impulse prompted him to reach for her shoulder, but he hesitated, retracting his hand before making contact.

Elissa turned around and looked at him silently when she heard his voice.

After a brief pause, she asked, "How is she doing?"

Raphael felt a rush of relief at her inquiry. Sinking into the plush cushions of the sofa, he ran a hand through his hair, weariness evident in his demeanor. "Not good. The doctors say she will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. And her mother is still causing a scene at the hospital. Elissa..."

"You want me to take the lead and speak on your behalf, right?"

In a voice laced with a touch of sarcasm, Elissa said, “Raphael, look at the mess you have made. Sure, you signed that agreement with her, but we wouldn't be in this predicament if you had bothered to sort things out before our wedding. However, you never gave it a second thought. You kept her around until I found out about her existence. For heaven's sake, Raphael, what were you even thinking? Perhaps someday, when you are tired of our marriage, you will conveniently schedule a business trip and make a detour to see her. And who knows, you might even whisk her back to the country without my knowledge. Is that your plan?"

"That's enough, Elissa!"

Raphael exclaimed, his tone edged with anger. Truth be told, such thoughts had never even crossed his mind.

Meanwhile, Elissa's smile faintly lingered before she resumed speaking.

"So, what makes you think I'll speak for you in public, Raphael? Just because we are a couple now? However, that doesn't mean it's my job to fix your mess."

After a moment's pause, she continued, “On the contrary, I think you brought this upon yourself, and that woman isn't blameless either."

There used to be mutual respect between them in the past.