Chapter 54

Eleanor returned to Coppersville. She wasn’t sure if Edward still had people watching her, but she made no effort to avoid meeting Samuel. They met at Quivo, a famous restaurant in Coppersville. When Eleanor arrived, Samuel was already there, sitting in a chair with one leg crossed over the other, shamelessly flirting with a waitress.

His gaze was predatory, and his words were crude. The young waitress, visibly uncomfortable, kept her head down while clutching the menu tightly. Even though Eleanor had mentally prepared herself for this encounter, the sight of Samuel still made her stomach churn. At that moment, Samuel noticed her. He immediately stood up and waved eagerly. "Eleanor!"

With clenched fists, Eleanor approached the table. The waitress, seeing her arrival, quickly set down the menu and fled as if she’d been granted a reprieve. Samuel’s gaze lingered on the waitress’ retreating figure for a moment before turning his attention back to Eleanor. "Long time no see, Eleanor! You’ve grown even more stunning!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab her hand, but Eleanor instantly pulled back and glared at him coldly. Samuel chuckled and said, "What’s with the attitude? I’m your father!"

"What do you want?" Eleanor asked bluntly.

"Oh, don’t be so cold, Eleanor. Regardless of what happened, I raised you for ten years. Now that you’ve hit the jackpot and become a Thompson, you’re just going to forget about me?"

Eleanor’s face remained impassive, but under the table, her hands were clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. This was the only way she could keep herself grounded, preventing herself from walking away on the spot.

Samuel continued, "Ah, you know I’m not good for much. And after being locked up for so many years, this world feels like a completely different place. I have no other children. I only have you to rely on to take care of me in my old age."

When he finished, Eleanor couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. "Are you asking me to give you money?"

"A little bit of money is nothing for you, right? Especially now that you’re..."

"Didn’t you already go to Edward? Didn’t he give you money?"

Samuel was caught off guard by the mention of Edward, her biological father. His lips curled in dissatisfaction. "That father of yours is a miser. I had to practically beg just to get a measly few hundred thousand dollars from him. That’s barely enough to buy a house!"

"I don’t have money," Eleanor said flatly.

Samuel’s eyes narrowed. "You’re lying."

"I came here today to tell you that we have no ties anymore. Don’t interfere in my life again from now on," Eleanor said, then stood up, ready to leave.

But Samuel let out a cold laugh. "You’re joking, right? Now that you’re all rich and fancy, you’re going to just abandon your father?"

"Eleanor... That’s your name now, isn’t it? Let me tell you something. To me, you’ll always be Eleanor Nelson. And if you don’t give me money, I’ll expose every dirty secret from back then. Let’s see how those people will treat the precious Thompson heiress after that."

Samuel’s voice was loud, causing other diners to look over curiously. Some seemed to recognize Eleanor, their gazes shifting between her and Samuel as they whispered among themselves.

Eleanor stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding. She knew Samuel was capable of anything, and the thought of him revealing her past filled her with dread. But she also knew she couldn’t let him control her life anymore.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "I’ll give you what you want. But this is the last time. After this, you stay out of my life. Forever."

Samuel smirked, clearly pleased with himself. "That’s more like it. I knew you’d come around."

Eleanor didn’t respond. She simply turned and walked out of the restaurant, her mind racing with thoughts of how to handle this situation without letting Samuel destroy everything she had worked so hard to build.