Chapter 30: I Might Need to Wife You

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: I Might Need to Wife You

Mrs. Edmund flinched, her face draining of color before flushing a furious red.

"Never," she hissed. The word came out with immediate disgust. "Do not ever utter such a vile thing in this house. That will never, ever happen."

She quickly turned toward Elisha, her panicked eyes locking onto him.

"Don’t you listen to a word your sister says, Elisha! Look at Henry—he’s engaged and getting married soon like a proper, respectable man. Once you bring that blonde girl home and I confirm that you’re perfectly fine, you’ll find yourself a beautiful, traditional woman to marry. You will never, ever entertain such a disgraceful thought unless you want to send me to an early grave!"

She pressed a hand to her chest, her breathing becoming shallow.

"More than that, think of your grandfather. Do not follow these modern, reckless trends, my son. Think about where our family name came from and what we stand for!"

Victoria scoffed, throwing her hands up in disbelief. "Mother, when you were my age, did anyone tell you who you had to marry or who you had to be with? You asked me if I would marry a man who couldn’t perform. Well, have I even expressed a desire to get married, let alone chosen a man? If Grandpa is too old-fashioned to accept the reality of the modern world, that’s his choice, not mine!"

She stood up from the sofa, the cushion rustling beneath her.

"I didn’t say Elisha is gay, Mother. I was only trying to show you how absurd your pressure is," Victoria continued, her voice trembling slightly with anger. "I know you act this way because he’s your only son, but you need to stop putting so much pressure on him and allow him to live his own life. I’m done with this conversation. I’m leaving."

"Victoria!" her mother shouted.

"I have actual things to take care of, Mom," Victoria said, refusing to sit back down. "Love you. See you later. Bye."

Without waiting for a response, Victoria turned and walked out of the room, leaving Mrs. Edmund sitting on the sofa. She turned to Elisha.

"Don’t listen to her, okay? Follow Henry’s lead. The two of you have been best friends for years. Don’t disappoint me, alright?"

Elisha sighed softly. "Don’t worry yourself, Mom. Whatever tomorrow brings, we’ll deal with it when it comes. I’ll try my best, okay?"

His mother nodded. "Alright, son. I trust you."

Henry and Elisha offered her a respectful nod before turning away. Side by side, they walked out of the living room, through the grand foyer, and toward the front doors of the Edmund Estate. Neither of them spoke until they were safely inside the car.

The moment they settled into the plush leather seats, Elisha exhaled a long breath and immediately told the driver to pull away.

For several minutes, the car moved in silence. Henry sat beside him, staring out through the tinted window at the passing scenery, lost in thought.

Elisha glanced at him, assuming the silence was because of his mother’s old-fashioned views about marriage, heirs, and family tradition. He cleared his throat softly and shifted a little closer.

"Henry... are you okay? You’ve been silent since we left."

Henry turned to him, blinking as he pulled himself out of his thoughts. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"I was just wondering who we could possibly find to play the part of your imaginary blonde girlfriend."

Elisha shook his head, leaning back against the seat. "You shouldn’t bother yourself about that for even a second, Henry."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Elisha sighed, his expression turning thoughtful. "I honestly thought Mom was worried because she believed something was wrong with me. I thought she was concerned about how it might affect my marriage. But after listening to her back there, I realized her real concern was the family name, the legacy, and whether I can give her an heir. So, let her believe whatever she wants."

"So what are you going to do?" Henry asked softly, studying his face.

"I’m going to focus on earning your forgiveness first, then I’ll figure out what I want to do next," Elisha replied, turning to face him. "You told me to live my life for myself, Henry. That’s exactly what I intend to do. If all they care about is the family name, the legacy, and what I can provide for them, then I have every right to choose my own happiness. It’s my life."

Henry opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, his phone suddenly buzzed against his thigh.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. A text notification lit up the screen with a message from Raphael.

Elisha immediately craned his neck, shamelessly trying to peek over Henry’s shoulder.

Henry noticed and couldn’t help smiling as he unlocked the chat. Elisha’s eyes narrowed with curiosity as he followed the messages on the screen.

Prince Raphael: I have some good news. I have a boyfriend now.

Henry:Well, that didn’t take long.

Prince Raphael:There’s no point dragging things out, Henry. We like each other, so we decided to make things official.

Henry:You’re right. I’m happy for you. So, what’s next? How do you two plan to handle the distance between you?

Prince Raphael:For now, we’ll just have to manage the distance. But soon, I’ll have him move to Northway City so we can be together.

Henry typed back with a grin: Ohh, I’m actually jealous.

Beside him, Elisha leaned closer, trying to read the glowing screen.

Prince Raphael:Don’t worry, Henry. Yours will come soon too. By the way, how is it going between you and Elisha?

Henry glanced at Elisha, then subtly turned his phone away so he couldn’t see the screen before typing his reply.

Henry:Before, it was complicated... but right now, it’s complicated pro max.

Prince Raphael:🤭🤣 You’re funny, Henry. Does he like you that way too?

Henry: I guess he does... or maybe he’s just slow. He’s probably still confused.

Prince Raphael:Then if you want things to move faster, don’t just wait for him to do all the chasing, Henry. Be open with him. Frank was very open with me from the start, and that made things so much easier.

Henry paused, glancing sideways to find Elisha watching him intently. He tapped out a final reply.

Henry:Thank you for the advice.

Prince Raphael:I have to go now. My man needs me, and he’s traveling back tomorrow.

Henry smiled softly and typed one last message.

Henry:Alright. Give him my regards.

As the chat ended, Henry locked his phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

Elisha immediately turned to him, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Who were you chatting with?"

Henry blinked innocently, fighting back a laugh. "Excuse me? How is my business any of yours?"

"I need to know," Elisha said, his expression turning serious. "You can’t be sitting here talking and laughing with someone who isn’t me like that."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "And who are you, mister? Besides, it’s a friend who needed my help with something."

"What did they want?" Elisha asked, narrowing his eyes as he leaned closer. "You should let them know right now that you’re taken."

Henry tilted his head, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh, really? And who, exactly, am I taken by?"

Elisha didn’t hesitate. He slipped an arm around Henry’s waist and pulled him closer against his side. "By me," he said softly, his gaze fixed on Henry.

Henry let out a soft, teasing laugh and leaned slightly closer. "Aww. That’s cute, Eli. But don’t forget, you still need to find a blonde girl to convince your mother that your erectile dysfunction is completely fictional."

A low chuckle escaped Elisha. His hand slid from Henry’s waist to the back of his neck, his thumb brushing lightly beneath his ear. "How about I prove it to you right here in the back of this car?"

Henry’s breath caught, and a warm flush spread across his cheeks. He opened his mouth to come up with a clever reply, but before he could say anything, his phone suddenly rang.

Henry pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen.

Lawrence.

Before Henry could answer, Elisha noticed the name. His expression immediately darkened.

"What the fuck is that motherfucker calling you for?" Elisha asked, reaching over and stopping Henry from answering.

Henry raised an eyebrow. "We’re business partners, Elisha. Remember?"

"Fuck him," Elisha muttered. Then, without missing a beat, he added, "I might need to wife you soon."

Henry’s eyes widened.

He slowly turned toward Elisha, staring at him in disbelief.

"What did you just say?"