Chapter 80
Chapter 80
In the hospital room, Alice lay in bed with her bandaged left leg propped up. She craned her neck to look at Theodore by the window and reached out, but he stood just out of arm’s reach.
Her shoulders slumped. Before she could say a word, Anthony strode in. She flinched and quickly looked away.
Despite the crazy chaos that had just unfolded, Anthony sauntered over like nothing happened. “Theodore, your eyes are back?” he asked.
Theodore turned, his expression icy. “She’s all yours now.”
Anthony tugged at his tie, a fake smile plastered on his face. “Hold on. Don’t you think you owe me an explanation for taking my girl away at our engagement party?”
Theodore stepped closer. “You were right next to her. You should’ve saved her first.”
Anthony rubbed his forehead dramatically. “I froze up, okay? It shocked me.”
“You can’t even protect your own fiancée. Pathetic.”
“Look who’s talking. You ditched Eliana,” Anthony shot back, his voice carrying across the room. “Did you even check if she got hurt too?”
Alice’s jaw tightened. “Stop it, Anthony. I need quiet.” She took a breath and looked at Theodore’s aloof figure. “Thank you. Mrs. Russell probably needs you more right now.”
Theodore glared coldly at Anthony one last time before leaving.
Anthony leaned over Alice’s bed, seeing that she immediately closed her eyes. With his face just inches from hers, he asked with a half–smile. “So, now that Theodore’s eyes are healed, you’re crawling back to him?”
Alice opened her eyes and replied weakly, “I’m exhausted, that’s all. Don’t read so much into it, please.”
“I’m just joking.” Anthony dug into his pocket, pulled out a diamond ring, and flashed it in front of her. “Slip this on, babe.”
Alice’s eyes locked on the bling, but her whole body was shaking. With Anthony watching her like a hawk, she finally held out her hand and let him slide the ring on.
After that, he cupped the back of her head and planted a kiss between her eyes. “Thanks to you, I found Theodore could see again. Marry me and keep being my good luck charm, yeah?”
Meanwhile, Eliana and Nolan stepped out of the orthopedics clinic. “Thank god it’s just a sprain,” Nolan said. “A fracture would’ve been a nightmare.”
Eliana rubbed her bandaged right hand, tugged down her sleeve, and looked up. “Thanks, Mr. Hall. And I’m such a screw–up.”
Nolan studied her face–those eyes that reminded him so much of Hannah–and his voice softened. “We still don’t know what really happened. First things first, get that hand fixed up.”
But Eliana could barely think about her injury. Her client got struck by a chandelier, her husband suddenly got his sight back and took another woman away, and she’d only found out Theodore’s first love was Alice because of all the gossip flying around.
Noticing how lost she looked, Nolan figured out what she was thinking and said with sympathy, “Let me drive you home.”
“Oh, it’s okay, Mr. Hall.” The shock had turned her into a zombie.
Nolan wasn’t taking no for an answer. “That’s an order from your boss. Get in the car.”
1/3
Chapter 80
She gave in.
On the drive back to Russell Manor, Eliana’s phone buzzed. She checked the screen and saw Theodore’s name lighting up, but her hand froze. She couldn’t bring herself to answer.
Finally, Nolan pulled over. “We’re here, Ellie,” he said.
She nodded. thanked him, grabbed her prescription, and stepped out of the car.
As she drifted through the front door, a chorus of voices hit her.
“Welcome home, Mrs. Russell.”
“You must be exhausted. Do you want coffee or cookies?”
Eliana stared, confused. Sure, the servants had been nicer since she saved Jayden, but this over–the–top welcome was new.
It clicked–they knew Theodore could see again. They were terrified of getting on his bad side, so they were buttering her up.
Too bad it was a waste. Theodore didn’t give a damn about her.
Thinking of Alice moving in, Eliana almost laughed. She shook her head at the servants, turned down their offers, and headed upstairs.
At Theodore’s door, she hesitated. Instead of barging in like usual, that new distance between them made her knock.
Seconds later, the door swung open. The person on the other side wasn’t who she expected.
For a split second, she stared blankly. Then she recognized him–Merlin, the guy who’d wheeled Theodore around earlier. Even Lainey seemed to treat him with respect.
Strangely enough, the second Merlin saw her, the frost in his eyes melted. “Mrs. Russell, thanks for looking after Mr. Russell all this time,” he said, all polite.
Eliana blinked, still dazed, and waved him off. “It’s what I ought to do.”
“You did good.” After giving her another nod of approval, Merlin said, “I’ll leave you two to talk. See
you around.”
“Take care.” Eliana sidestepped to let him pass. As soon as he was gone, she turned her head and locked eyes with Theodore, who was inside the room.
His gaze pinned her in place. Those eyes were as deep as the deepest ocean, impossible to fathom.
Eliana tried to smile and act happy for him. But her lips refused to cooperate.
Theodore didn’t look away. “I’m sure you’ve got questions,” he said. “Ask away. I’ll answer.”
If you listened closely, you could hear the unease in his voice. But to Eliana, it just sounded like pity. Especially when she met that self–assured stare, it made her chest ache.
She’d been nothing but a pawn to him, letting him pull her strings. And she’d never even mattered enough for him to be honest with her.
Alice was the one who made him come alive. Alice was the one who could make him drop all his defenses and risk everything.
