Chapter 28: A Very Complicated Cover-Up

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: A Very Complicated Cover-Up

Henry lowered the phone with a soft exhale. Elisha scrambled up from the floor, running a hand through his messy hair in sheer exasperation. Before Henry could say anything, Elisha snatched his own phone off the nightstand, quickly pulled up Jasmine’s contact, and hit dial.

The call rang before going straight to voicemail. He tried again, his jaw tightening with every unanswered ring, until he finally lowered the phone in defeat.

"There’s no point wearing yourself out trying to reach her right now," Henry said reasonably. "Since your mother said she invited her over, the best thing to do is just show up, look perfectly alive and well, and put her ridiculous lies to rest."

"How could she do something so vicious?" Elisha growled, pacing across the bedroom floor. "Calling my mother behind my back to spread absolute garbage just because she couldn’t take a breakup? There is zero chance I could ever feel an ounce of regret for walking away from her."

"Just take it easy," Henry murmured, getting to his feet and smoothing down his pajamas. "Let’s get some breakfast in us first. Then we’ll head over to your mother’s place so you can clear the air."

Elisha stopped pacing, his eyes locking onto Henry with a sudden, pleading look. "You’re coming with me, right?"

"Of course I am," Henry replied with a soft, reassuring smile. "She practically begged me to drag you there myself."

"Alright," Elisha breathed, the heavy knot in his chest loosening just a little.

"Go on and freshen up so we can head downstairs," Henry said. "Jasmine is just being desperate. Love can’t be forced, and it’s pathetic that she still hasn’t figured that out."

Elisha let out a long, exhausted sigh and nodded in agreement. "Good thing I finally broke up with her when I did."

"Go ahead. I’ll freshen up after you," Henry added, gesturing toward the bathroom.

Elisha nodded and headed into the en-suite bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Henry waited in the bedroom until Elisha was finished. Then he freshened up himself. Once they were both ready, they headed downstairs together for breakfast.

They ate quietly, with Elisha still visibly troubled by everything that had happened that morning. After breakfast, they moved into the expansive living room and settled onto the plush velvet sofas for a few minutes before getting ready to leave for the Edmund Estate.

Elisha rubbed the back of his neck, his expression tight with dread. "I just really hope my mother hasn’t told the entire family yet. I’ll die of sheer embarrassment if my father and siblings already know."

"It definitely wouldn’t be good," Henry agreed. He stood and smoothed the front of his shirt. "Honestly, sitting here worrying isn’t going to change anything. We might as well get dressed and head over now. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we can put this nonsense to rest."

"You’re right," Elisha sighed, standing alongside him. "Let’s go get ready."

They went back upstairs to Henry’s bedroom. While they both changed, Henry picked up his phone and called his driver, asking him to get the car ready because they would be leaving soon.

Within a quarter of an hour, both men were fully dressed and making their way back downstairs. They stepped through the front doors into the crisp morning air and walked side by side down the stone pathway toward Henry’s luxury car, already waiting by the curb.

The driver stepped out, opened the back door, and greeted them both. They returned his greeting before sliding into the spacious back seat together. The driver closed the door, returned to his seat, and started the car.

"Edmund Estate, please," Henry instructed.

"Right away, sir," the driver replied, shifting the car into drive.

The car hummed quietly through the morning traffic. Halfway through the long drive, Henry pulled out his phone and made good on his promise, calling Elisha’s mother to let her know they were on their way. She acknowledged the call with a brief, tense "Alright," before hanging up. Henry slipped his phone back into his pocket and settled into his seat.

Though the journey felt long, the city streets eventually gave way to the sprawling iron gates of the Edmund Estate. The driver eased the car to a smooth stop in front of the grand entrance.

Elisha and Henry stepped out into the courtyard and walked side by side up the stone steps. Elisha pushed the heavy front door open, and they stepped into the opulent foyer.

Two housemaids stationed near the entrance immediately bowed. "Welcome home, young master. Welcome, Mr. Griffin."

Elisha nodded curtly without stopping. "Where is my mother?"

"She is waiting in the main living room, sir," one of the maids replied.

Without another word, Elisha and Henry walked down the familiar hallway toward the expansive living room. Inside, Elisha’s mother sat rigidly on the velvet settee, with Elisha’s older sister, Victoria, beside her, looking thoroughly uncomfortable.

The moment Elisha and Henry walked through the archway, Mrs. Edmund stood, her face filled with profound sympathy. She threw her hands up and gasped softly. "Oh, poor you..."

Before Elisha could even react, his mother rushed over and nodded at Henry. "Good morning, Henry. Thank you for bringing him."

Then her gaze dropped, her eyes locking straight onto the front of Elisha’s trousers with the intense concern of a woman inspecting a faulty appliance.

Henry choked on his own breath, quickly looking away and retreating toward the nearest armchair. He sat down and bit the inside of his cheek, desperately trying not to laugh.

Elisha flushed bright red and threw his hands up. "Mom, I am completely fine! Stop staring at me!"

Mrs. Edmund sighed heavily and waved a hand dismissively. "I understand the shame, Elisha. Denial is a natural trauma response. But why did you wait this long? Why didn’t you seek medical attention immediately?"

Victoria sat quietly on the sofa, looking from Elisha to their mother and back again, completely confused. She had no idea what to say.

"Mom, I am telling you the truth! Nothing is wrong with me!" Elisha said, running a hand through his hair. "I am fully, one-hundred-percent functional!"

"Who can testify to that?" his mother demanded, crossing her arms. "Who can possibly vouch for you right now?"

"Henry can!" Elisha blurted out, pointing frantically across the room. "Henry can testify to it!"

Henry froze in his seat, his eyes widening in pure panic. What the hell, you idiot? You actually called my name? He stared at Elisha in disbelief, utterly betrayed.

Victoria immediately looked at Henry, confused.

Elisha’s mother stared at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Elisha quickly realized he had said too much and scrambled to cover himself. "I—I mean! You’ve seen me with other people! You know how I am!"

"Sure, I’ve seen him with other... partners, Mrs. Edmund," Henry stammered, scrambling to invent a plausible cover story on the spot. "He’s entirely normal. Absolutely fine."

Mrs. Edmund shook her head, unconvinced. "Henry, you don’t have to cover up for him out of loyalty. The specialist will be here soon anyway. Just tell the truth so we can get my son the treatment he desperately needs."

"No, Mom, I’m telling you the exact truth!" Henry insisted, leaning forward with a completely straight, deadpan face. "In fact, I’ve seen him with a gorgeous blonde woman twice. And she was more than satisfied, she even told me afterward that Elisha was phenomenal in bed and that she still wanted him."

Elisha whipped his head around, staring at Henry in sheer disbelief. He knew damn well Henry was talking about himself, minus the woman part.

Mrs. Edmund blinked, her fierce maternal certainty wavering just a little. "Did she tell you all of this herself?"

"Yes, Mrs. Edmund," Henry pressed on, playing the role of the devoted, protective friend to absolute perfection. "Jasmine is just a bitter, desperate liar. She couldn’t handle the breakup, so she made up a grotesque story out of spite. Elisha told her repeatedly that he didn’t love her, but she refused to accept the truth. That’s why she ran to you with lies."

Mrs. Edmund narrowed her eyes, studying Henry’s unblinking, earnest expression. "Henry... are you entirely sure?"

"Positive, Mom. He’s a completely healthy, fully functional man," Henry swore, putting a hand over his heart.

Elisha’s mother let out a long, conflicted breath and massaged her temples. "Well... if that’s true, how about you help me contact this blonde woman and bring her here? I simply can’t sit here and do nothing. I trust you, Henry, but a mother needs peace of mind. Bring the girl to me so I can speak with her myself."

Elisha went completely still. He looked at Henry, then slowly turned back to his mother, trying to keep his face straight.

Sorry, Mom, he thought helplessly. There is no blonde woman anywhere. There is only one blonde, devastatingly handsome billionaire sitting right in front of you.

Henry caught Elisha staring at him and suddenly realized he had made the situation even worse. I was only trying to help settle everything, and now look what I’ve done. There’s no blonde woman anywhere. There’s only me.

Across the room, Victoria slowly raised her head, looking between Henry’s tense expression and Elisha’s increasingly panicked face. Something about their reactions told her there was much more to this story than either of them was saying.

Mrs. Edmund turned to Henry, completely unaware of the tension in the room. "Henry, will you bring the blonde girl to me?" she asked.