Chapter 26

"Wait… Mr. Harding actually carried Elsie on his back before? I thought they split up because their marriage was falling apart?" Someone in the know sighed, "You clearly missed the tea. Three years ago, Elsie was like William’s everything. Back in Capemont, there was even this saying: 'You can afford to mess with William, but you’d better not mess with his bottom line—Elsie.'" "Anyone who dared to cross her back then? Yeah, if he found out, losing everything and groveling for forgiveness was just the beginning." At that moment, Elsie’s mind jerked back to her 18th birthday. William had taken her to Five Springs Hill. She’d twisted her ankle there, and then a sudden downpour triggered a mudslide that trapped them on the mountain. William ended up carrying her to a cabin and took care of her the whole time. They were stuck for nearly half a month. She still remembered sneaking a kiss on him when he was asleep. Thinking about it now… that might’ve been the only time they were truly happy