Chapter 14
Even after Eliana went upstairs, Lainey’s expression hadn’t eased. “So ungrateful. What’s so great about clinging to that blind freak Thordar t
Jayden, still bitter, chimed in, “If she doesn’t want to eat, then let her starve.”
Anthony, calm as ever, said, “Mom, Eliana just married into the family yesterday. There’s still a lot she doesn’t know about how things work here: [11 explain it to her bit by bit.”
From start to finish, Alice didn’t say a word. Her eyes, lowered the whole time, looked like they were veiled in a thin mist–impossible to read.
Upstairs on the second floor, Eliana walked into Theodore’s room with the takeout in hand and called out, “I’m back.”
Theodore let out a cold snort the moment he heard her voice.
Thinking he was starving by now, Eliana said quickly, “Sorry for the wait. I brought your food.”
Theodore mocked, “I thought you were enjoying yourself so much down there that you didn’t want to come back.”
Eliana’s lips twitched. ‘At this point, I’d be lucky if Lainey stops making things hard for me–what’s there to enjoy?‘ she thought.
“Don’t pin that on me. I came straight up after dinner. I didn’t even waste a second,” she said. Then something came to mind. “Oh right, did Wyatt bring
the first aid kit?”
Hearing that, Theodore nodded. “He did.”
“Okay.” Eliana looked around. “So where did he put it?”
Theodore said vaguely, “It’s with me. Come here.”
As Eliana walked over to him, she spotted a busted first aid box at his feet–bandages, antiseptic, and ointment all spilled across the floor.
She stared at the mess, annoyed. ‘How old is this guy? Why is he still acting like a brat who loves destroying things?‘
And yet Theodore looked completely justified. “Remember this–I don’t need
anyone’s charity.”
Eliana had been a little annoyed at first, but after hearing what he said, she began to feel something wasn’t right.
After all, when she left the room earlier, Theodore’s mood had already calmed down. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let her stick the bandage on his forehead without a fight.
After thinking it over, she tentatively asked, “Did Wyatt say something unpleasant when he came in?”
Theodore’s fingers, pressed against the edge of the bed, suddenly curled tight. “What, feeling guilty now?” he questioned.
Eliana looked at him, confused. “Guilty about what? I was the one who asked Wyatt for the first aid kit. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Theodore narrowed his eyes. “Oh really? Then why would Wyatt bother listening to you?”
Eliana didn’t have a comeback for that.
Theodore cut straight to the point. “It was Anthony who stepped in for you.”
Even though she knew he couldn’t see, the glare he threw in her direction was still intimidating.
Eliana had no choice but to tell the truth. “Yes, it was him. But I didn’t have a choice. Obviously, his word carries more weight than mine.”
- ค
Chapter 14
“Enough,” Theodore snapped like a volcano ready to erupt. “Eliana, listen to me. I don’t want anything that comes from him.
Seeing how deeply humiliated he seemed just by the idea of accepting help from Anthony, Eliana didn’t press the issue.
She said, “Fine. I respect your decision. But when the doctor comes tomorrow, please make it clear that I wasn’t refusing to help. You didn’t viant anything that came from Anthony.”
After saying that, she placed the takeout container on his nightstand. “This was paid for out of my own pocket. It has nothing to do with Anthony. You can accept that, right?”
Something about her steady, patient tone seemed to calm Theodore down, easing the storm that had been raging in his chest.
After all, everyone else in the house would always scold him at times like this–calling him ungrateful, blaming him for daring to reject Anthony’s kindness. But Eliana was the only one who didn’t.
