Chapter 291
Ryan, who had been silent until now, spoke up when he saw Ellans bite het lip. “You should respect her wishes.”
With Ryan’s quiet authority in the air, Donna and Mark dropped the subject.
As the group exited the government i
tbuilding, Ryan asked, “How did you all get here?”
“We took a cab,” Eliana replied. “We knew parking would be a nightmare here.”
Ryan’s gaze dropped to her left foot. “Your ankle is injured. Let me drive you to the hospital to get it checked out”
“That’s not necessary, Mr. Jenson. It’s really not a big deal,” Eliana said quickly.
Donna, however, disagreed. “Ellie, I really think you should see a doctor, Mark and I will take a cab back to the office to report our progress.”
“She’s right,” Mark chimed in. ” Mr. Hall or Mr. Russell finds out you got hurt and we didn’t make sure you were treated, they’ll blame us for not protecting you, Just do it for us, okay? Go see a doctor.”
“Then it’s settled,” Donna said with the authority of someone used to making the final call. She and Mark headed off together, leaving Eliana behind.
Eliana let out a resigned sigh. “Mr. Jenson, I can just call a cab to the hospital.”
“Stop living as if you’re walking on eggshells all the time,” Ryan said with quiet meaning. He stepped away and returned with a military jeep, his tone leaving no room for argument “Get in.”
At the same time, in Franco’s office…
The shrill ring of the phone broke the stillness. Franco picked up the receiver and spoke warmly. “Darling, you and Ryan really put on quite the show.”
“Did Ellie fall for it? Beverly asked, her tone curious but laced with concern.
“She did, but not willingly. Maybe she already has such a strong bond with her father that no one else could ever step into that role,” Franco said.
He even let out a low chuckle. People usually went to great lengths to curry favor with him, but the Russell family was the odd exception. He felt as though he was the one chasing after them.
Beverly’s voice, however, took a sharp turn. “Yout think Ellie is close to her father?”
Franco was puzzled. “Isn’t she?”
“Of course not!” Beverly’s voice softened with a tinge of sadness. “I dug deeper these past two days. Ellie’s had a rough life. When she was little, her parents sent her away to a psychological care facility for three years. Do you think normal parents would do that?”
Franco was stunned. “Three years?”
“And when she married Theodore, her father’s company was at rock bottom. The moment she wed, the company turned around. Do you really think that was a coincidence?”
As Beverly’s words sank in, Franco felt a wave of regret. “Oh no. I can’t believe what I said to her earlier…”
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Chapter 291
“That’s why agreed to you making her your goddaughter, Beverly explained gently. “She’s been through so much, and yet shembu to keep such a pure heart. That’s incredibly rare.”
Franco could not help but agree. “You’re right.”
“And listen, I know your initial motive was to strengthen your ties with Theodore. But after meeting Ellie, I realized Theodores possessiveness toward her is not normal”
“Isn’t that a good thing? It means he loves her,” Franco said.
Beverly gave a dry laugh. “Ryan merely helped Ellie wipe her hands at dinner once, and Theodore immediately dragged her into the bathroom, leaving two tables of clients unattended. You think that’s healthy?
“if Ellie weren’t his wife and was just a regular employee, she’d have been fired for ignoring clients like that.”
Franco rubbed the bridge of his nose. “When you put it that way, his control issues are a bit over the top.
“I want us making her our goddaughter to serve as a real support system for her,” Beverly said firmly.
“My love, I know you tend to lead with your heart, but
“Don’t bother finishing that sentence,” Beverly cut him off. “You go ahead and work on Theodore, I’ll be the one looking out for Ellie.”
Franco smiled helplessly. His wife had always been passionate about charity work, and now that she knew about Eliana’s childhood, her compassion and her motherly instincts had surged. “All right,” he said finally.
At the hospital…
Ryan was tense as he asked the doctor, “She didn’t break anything, did she?”
The doctor set the X–ray film aside and replied, “No, nothing’s broken. There’s no swelling in the joint either. This is minor.” He stopped just short of saying, “You’re wasting my time.”
Ryan frowned. “Then why is she limping when she walks?”
The doctor stared at him flatly. “Because a sprained ankle hurts, and walking on it makes it worse. Honestly, soldier, have you never been Injured during training? How do you not know something so basic?”
Ryan stood his ground. “She’s not like me. I just don’t want her to be in pain.”
The doctor decided he didn’t have the patience to argue. “Fine, I’ll prescribe an anti–inflammatory spray for her. If it doesn’t help, come
back.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Eliana said with a sigh of relief. She turned to Ryan. “And thank you as well!”
When Ryan met the soft, earnest look in her eyes, he had to fight the urge to ruffle her hair. “You don’t have to thank me. That’s what family’s for,” he said.
Eliana tilted her head, “What?”
Ryan immediately corrected himself. “I mean, you got hurt while working on something for my mom, so it’s my responsibility to make sure you heal quickly.”
Eliana’s confusion eased.
Chapter 291
Let’s go, Ryan said. “I’ll drive you home.”
Later that evening, at Russell Manor…
Theodore returned to the bedroom to find Eliana curled up on the sofa, spraying medicine on her ankle. “What happened!” he asked sharply
“Oh, I just twisted it,” she said lightly. “The doctor told me to use this spray.”
As she spoke, she saw Theodore turn and head toward the door. “Where are you going?”
“I’m calling Samuel in to check on you,” he said.
“That’s not necessary. Mr. Jenson already took me to the doctor. It’s nothing serious.”
“Mr. Jenson?” Theodore’s eyes narrowed.
“You mean Ryan?”
“Yes,” Eliana said. “I was at the government hall today on business, and I happened to run into him…”
riwas
After listening to her explanation, Theodore asked with a faint, knowing smile, “So, you agreed to call Mr. Jean your godfather?”
Eliana flushed. “Yes. I felt awkward, but he said that was the only way he’d be able to help me, and no one would dare question it.”
Theodore studied her quietly for a moment. “Cookie still has no idea she’s fallen right into Franco’s trap. But since France and his family clearly meant no harm, Theodore decided not to say anything
“Are you happy about it?” he asked instead.
“I don’t know if I’d call it happy,” Eliana admitted after a moment. Her lips curved slightly. “But it doesn’t feel bad either.”
The next morning, Saturday…
As Eliana came downstairs, she heard voices drifting up from the living room.
“Ms. Wren, you really shouldn’t have g
gone to all this trouble,” someone said with exaggerated warmth.
“It’s been years since I last came by,” a familiar female voice replied sweetly. “And these aren’t just for you, I brought gifts for Barbie and Jayden too. I’m sure they’ll love them.”
“If you’re the one who picked them out, of course they will,” the first volce gushed.
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