Chapter 54: The Truth at the Dinner Table

Lani sat on the couch, watching Elias scroll through his phone again. She had been noticing his behavior for weeks now—the exhaustion, the long hours away, the way he always seemed lost in thought.

Tonight, she finally decided to confront him.

She walked over and sat beside him. "Elias, are you looking for a job?"

Elias stiffened slightly but quickly relaxed his expression. "No," he said casually, locking his phone and setting it down. "It just popped up."

Lani narrowed her eyes. "Popped up?"

He nodded, leaning back against the couch. "Yeah. You know how the internet is—random job postings and emails. Nothing serious."

Lani studied him for a moment, trying to read his expression. He was lying. She knew he was lying.

But she also knew Elias. If he didn't want to talk about something, pushing him too hard would only make him shut down more.

She sighed, deciding to let it go—for now.

"Alright," she said softly, resting her head against his shoulder. "Just… don't overwork yourself, okay?"

Elias kissed her forehead. "I won't."

But deep down, he knew he already was.

---

A week later, after countless applications and interviews, Elias finally got a job.

Assistant to the CEO of a mid-sized tech firm. It wasn't glamorous, but it was stable, and more importantly, it paid well.

He would finally be able to contribute.

That Saturday, he decided it was time to tell everyone.

---

The smell of Lani's cooking filled the house as everyone gathered around the dining table. Olivia and Leo had joined them, and the atmosphere was warm, filled with light chatter and laughter.

Lily and Luca were talking about school, Olivia looked happier than she had in weeks—having finally resolved things with her husband—and Leo, as usual, was making sarcastic remarks about everything.

As they ate, Elias cleared his throat, setting down his fork.

"I have something to say," he announced.

Everyone turned to him.

Lani looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

Elias took a deep breath. "I got a job."

Silence.

Then—

"Wait, what?" Lani blinked.

"You what?" Olivia's eyes widened.

Luca's fork clattered against his plate. "You got a job?"

Elias nodded, bracing himself. "Yeah. I'm going to be an assistant to a CEO."

Leo let out a low whistle. "Damn, you actually did it."

Lily clapped her hands excitedly. "Yay, Daddy!"

Lani, however, was still staring at him. "Elias… when did this happen?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I've been looking for a while. I just didn't want to say anything until I actually got something."

Lani's eyes softened. "That's why you've been so tired lately…"

He nodded. "Yeah. I just… I wanted to help. I didn't want to keep relying on you."

Lani reached for his hand, squeezing it. "Elias, you were never a burden. You didn't have to push yourself like this."

"I did," he said firmly. "I needed to prove that I could do more. That I was more."

Leo leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "So, basically, James got in your head, huh?"

Elias exhaled, looking down. "…Yeah."

Olivia, who had been quiet, finally spoke. "Elias, listen to me. You are not a nobody. You never were."

Leo nodded. "She's right. You've done more for this family than that old man ever could."

Lily hugged his arm. "You're my Daddy! That's the most important job ever!"

Elias chuckled, his chest feeling lighter for the first time in weeks.

Lani squeezed his hand again. "We're proud of you, Elias. I just wish you had told us sooner."

"I know," he admitted. "I just wanted to do this on my own."

Leo smirked. "Well, you did. Now, don't screw it up."

Everyone laughed.

For the first time in a long time, Elias felt like he was finally moving forward.

And this time, he wasn't alone.

To be continued…