Chapter 201
Isaac sat up at their words and immediately hit his head with a loud thank on the low frame above. He winced, pouting slightly from the pain
The round faced teacher couldn’t help but laugh. “Told you, you’re way too tall for that thing. Get down already.”
“But…” Isaac rubbed his head and looked at them with a bit of hesitation. “You’re both girls,”
The teachers exchanged glances, amused. With his striking features and that innocent, almost boyish demeanor, it was hard not to be fond of him. None of them took it the wrong way.
Just then, Eliana walked in. “Isaac.”
“Elie! You’re back!” Isaac jumped off the bed and hurried to her side, visibly relieved.
The round–faced teacher seized the opportunity. “Perfect timing, Elie. We were trying to get your brother to sleep elsewhere, but he’s too shy. Think you
could talk him into it?”
“Elie…” Isaac tugged on her hand and looked up at her with big, pleading eyes, the very picture of wounded innocence. “Can you stay with me tonight?
Please?
“You have no idea how scary Mom was earlier. I just asked if Hannah was hurt and she hit me. But Hannah really was covered in…”
Before he could finish, Eliana quickly covered his mouth with her hand.
Isaac blinked in confusion, not understanding why she’d suddenly stopped him.
“Elie? What’s going on?” one of the teachers asked, puzzled.
“Nothing,” Eliana replied with a light smile. “I’ll take Isaac to my room. He can sleep there.” She shot him a look, silently signaling him to follow.
Once they were alone, she began making the bed while speaking softly. “Isaac, you can’t talk to anyone about Hannah’s injuries. Do you understand?”
“Why not?” he asked, genuinely confused.
“Because she still needs to get married someday.”
Isaac tilted his head, baffled. “And if I talk about it, she can’t?”
“More or less.”
“Oh… okay then. I won’t say anything.” He mimed zipping his lips shut and tossing away the key.
But a beat later, he slipped again. “So that’s why Mom hit me. I didn’t know I’d ruin Hannah’s chances at getting married…”
Eliana finished straightening the sheets and turned to him. “Alright, you’ll sleep here tonight.”
Isaac looked at her anxiously. “But what about you, Elie? You’re not leaving, right? I get scared of new places, the dark… and ghosts.”
“I’ll sleep in that chair,” Eliana said, pointing to a folding chair in the corner. “I promise, the moment you open your eyes, I’ll be right there.”
Isaac glanced at the chair, still unsure. “But… it’s so small.”
With a smile, Eliana walked over and unfolded it completely. The chair doubled in size. “Still too small?”
Isaac shook his head.
“Alright then, lie down and get some rest.” But just as she finished speaking, there came a soft knock at the door.
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Chapter 201
She opened the door to find the round faced teacher standing outside, holding a small bowl with a freshly boiled egg
“Elle your brother bumped his head just now. I made this for him,” she said, offering the bowl. “You can use it to ease the swelling, Irit help prevent bruising
Eliana hadn’t even realized isaac had hit his head, but she accepted the bowl with a polite nod. “Thank you.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” the teacher added as Eliana turned to place the bowl on the table.
She gestured for her to come out into the hallway, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. “So, um… this is actually a question from the others… Does your brother have a girlfriend?”
Caught off guard, Eliana paused for a second, then replied truthfully, “No, he doesn’t.”
Belinda had never really cared about Isaac’s happiness. As far as she was concerned, only Hannah’s future mattered.
In her mind, no girl from a decent family would ever give Isaac a second glance.
“Seriously?” the teacher huffed, feigning outrage. “A guy that cute, and still single? That just defies logic.” Her eyes, however, sparkled with amusement, the faint smile on her lips betraying her interest.
Eliana offered a smile in return. “Maybe it’s because he doesn’t really get out and meet people. This might be a good chance for him to make some new connections.”
The teacher nodded eagerly. “He’s way nicer than your sister. That’s for sure. Everyone here really likes him.” Her cheeks flushed a little as she gave a
& quick wave. “Alright, I’ll stop bothering you now. Sleep well. Goodnight!”
“Goodnight.” Eliana closed the door, only to turn around and catch Isaac mid–bite, shoving half the egg into his mouth. She rushed over, exasperated. “Isaac! That wasn’t meant to be eaten!”
It was supposed to be for his bump, not his stomach.
Still chewing, Isaac looked at her innocently. “Huh? I saved… half… for you.”
Eliana glanced at the lonely half–egg left in the bowl, then at his smug expression. She sighed. “Fine. Go ahead and finish it. I’ll get your toothbrush.”
“Okay,” he replied with a mouthful.
By the time she came back from the bathroom, Isaac was already sound asleep on the folding chair.
She immediately crouched down beside him and shook his shoulder gently. “Isaac, wake up. Come on, you should sleep in the bed.”
But he didn’t stir. He was out cold.
With a quiet sigh, Eliana tucked the blanket around him, making sure he was warm enough not to catch a chill.
Before heading to bed herself, she pulled out her phone. After a moment of hesitation, she typed a brief message to Theodore.
[I’m staying at the Therapy Center tonight. Don’t worry about me.]
At Russell Manor, Theodore sat alone at the table. His eyes were fixed on his phone, its screen suddenly lit by her message.
Across from him sat an untouched birthday cake, slowly growing stale in the silence. After a long pause, he closed his eyes, heavy, and without expression.
15:35 Sun, 22 Jun G
Chapter 201
The next morning, just before Eliana left the Therapy Center, she tried to leave some money with Bernice.
“Bernie, this is for Isaac. Just enough to cover his expenses for the next little while.”
But Bernice shook her head firmly. “No need. I think of you both as part of the family.”
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Eliana hesitated, then relented with a quiet smile. “Alright then. Just… Isaac tends to be a bit absent–minded. I hope he won’t be too much of a handful.”
Bernice laughed gently. “From what I can tell, the girls here are more than happy to fuss over your brother.”
Eliana glanced back. Isaac was gathering his things, getting ready to head to class with the children. Watching him, she felt a sudden wave of peace. Maybe this place really was better for him.
By the end of the lesson, Isaac had already become fast friends with the girl sitting next to him.
She turned toward him with a grin, her pigtails swinging as she spoke. “Hey, wanna play a game?”
Isaac nodded without hesitation. “Sure. What kind of game?”
The little girl popped open her pencil case and carefully took out a brightly wrapped lollipop. “This,” she said solemnly, “is a starry lollipop. I begged the teacher forever just to get this one. Everyone else got a bunch. I only got one.”
Isaac didn’t even hesitate. “That’s because you’ve got cavities.”
“Exactly!” she huffed, clearly frustrated. “But I still really want to eat it. So here’s the deal. You get to decide.”
“Me?”
“Yep.” She pushed the lollipop toward him like it was some sacred artifact.
“Let’s play hide and seek. You hide it somewhere in the classroom. If I can’t find it before class starts again, it’s yours. But if I do find it… I don’t care what anyone says, I’m eating it.”
