Chapter 1542
Still single?
What did that mean?
How could Elwood have always been single when he already had a grown daughter like Zaria? That didn’t make any sense.
Was it possible that Zaria’s birth mother had simply given him a child without ever stepping into the Wright family as his wife?
Belinda turned her eyes to Lucas, silently asking the question that hung in the air.
Lucas met her searching gaze and offered a small shake of his head. He was just as much in the dark.
Belinda pressed her lips together and looked away, the question lingering but unspoken.
Elwood gave a soft chuckle, his expression calm. “Mr. Clark, with a daughter already grown and the years catching up to me, I’ve no desire to get married.”
Tamara interjected, her voice laced with a gentle urgency, “A daughter eventually marries and joins her husband’s family. Zaria won’t stay at your side forever. When that day comes, won’t you be left all alone? I truly believe you should consider finding someone you love and getting married.”
Her gaze sparkled with subtle meaning. “Tasha is a perfect choice for you. She’s stood by you faithfully for more than two decades, and she’s cared for me as if I were her family.”
Tamara’s words were carefully chosen. By raising Tasha’s name in front of the Clark family, she hoped Harold might try to convince Elwood with her.
But the moment Tasha’s name was spoken, Zaria’s expression clouded.
“Mom, please don’t bring this up again,” Elwood said evenly, his tone firm but not harsh.
Seeing Elwood’s unwavering stance, Harold, being a guest and not one to meddle, wisely held his tongue.
But Tamara wasn’t ready to give up. She said, “But Tasha—”
Before the sentence could take flight, Zaria interjected, “Grandma, let’s just enjoy the meal. We still have guests here.”
“Zaria’s right, Mom. Let’s eat,” Nalani added smoothly.
The topic was brought to an abrupt halt. Tamara’s face soured, but after a moment’s brooding, she chose silence.
Yet, as Zaria nibbled on her food, she found herself increasingly anxious.
Tamara’s insistence on Tasha was growing by the day. She was clearly eager to see her wed to Elwood, while Elwood stood his ground time and again. But how long could he hold the line? What if Tamara decided to resort to underhanded tactics to make him marry Tasha?
Zaria felt she needed to act quickly before that could happen.
That realization weighed heavily on her.