Chapter 45: Gratefulness Rather Then Rage
Yelena raised an eyebrow at him. She was silent for a moment, and Mika fully expected her to scold him, to glare, to finally lose her calm and let him have it.
But then...Yelena’s lips curved into a serene smile, and she shook her head slowly.
"No...Not at all."
"Hmm?" Mika lips twitched, caught off guard for the first time.
"No." Yelena repeated, stepping forward. "I’m not angry, Mika. Not even a little bit."
"How...is that even possible?" Mika blinked, genuinely confused now. "Any parent would be furious seeing their daughter being played like this. Shouldn’t you be yelling at me right now?"
Yelena chuckled softly as she stopped just a few steps away from him. "You think I’d be angry because you’re flirting with someone else in front of Charlotte? Or because you’re treating her like a lovesick puppy? Mika..."
She gazed at him, her expression calm and composed but carrying a faint sharpness.
"You don’t understand me very well, do you? When it comes to Charlotte’s love life, who she wants to date, who she wants to marry, how she wants to handle her feelings, that’s her business, not mine."
"You’re saying you don’t care?" Mika asked cautiously.
Yelena’s smile widened slightly.
"I care enough to raise my daughter properly, to teach her strength, values, and principles. But when it comes to her love affairs? That’s not my place."