Chapter 204
Hearing this, Belinda was both surprised and puzzled. “Hannah, you really don’t need them anymore?”
“Nope.” Hannah smiled. Tonight, she already had the best sleep aid.
“Well. Tum the TV volume down. I could hear it from the hallway.” Then, Belinda added, afraid Hannah might misunderstand, “Honey, I’m not trying to control you. It’s just that too loud might hurt your ears.”
“Sure.” Hannah had cranked up the volume while talking to Alice, not wanting anyone to overhear. “Mom, did you help me book a hospital appointment?”
Belinda nodded. “Yeah, it’s in Yseult. I’ll take you once you’re feeling better.” To cover up the fact that Hannah wasn’t a virgin, Belinda had arranged for her to undergo hymen reconstruction surgery. Maybe then, Hannah could still secure a good marriage.
At Russell Manor, as Alice set down her phone and turned to the bedroom, Anthony emerged from the bathroom.
Spotting the phone in her hand, he asked, “You called someone this late?”
Alice smiled, clearly in a good mood, “Hannah.”
Anthony paused. “Hannah?”
Alice’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “You know, the older sister of your little sweetheart.”
His expression darkened. “Since when do you know Hannah?”
“You forgot? After I got hurt by that falling chandelier at the engagement party, Hannah came here to visit me on behalf of Starlight Media.” Alice let out a bitter laugh. “You’ve never cared about anything involving me, so naturally, you wouldn’t remember that.”
Upon hearing this, Anthony remembered that woman who had dressed provocatively in winter, her words dripping with innuendo. Truth be told, Hannah’s behavior back then had been even more shameless than Alice’s.
Anthony sneered, “What did you chat with her?”
Alice smiled as she crooked a finger at him, “Come closer, and I’ll tell you.”
“Just say it outright,” Anthony replied flatly.
Alice scoffed, scanning the room. “How do I know you haven’t bugged this place? Suit yourself.”
Anthony’s expression darkened as he stepped toward her. “Go ahead.”
Rising on her toes, Alice whispered into his ear, revealing everything she and Hannah had orchestrated tonight.
When Anthony heard the words “burned down the Therapy Center,” he murmured tonelessly, “You’re really ruthless.”
Alice snorted, “Compared to what you’ve done to Isaac and your grandmother, this is nothing.”
She had lost the Russell family’s favor and her child because of Eliana. Today, she had merely made Eliana pay a small price. She hadn’t even laid a finger
on her.
Then, as if struck by a thought, Alice added, “Oh, Eliana must need comfort right now. With Isaac away on a business trip, the opportunity is yours now.”
Anthony narrowed his eyes. “How thoughtful of you.”
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Alice mened counting money “Don’t mention it. You’ve been pretty satisfying lately. Consider this my recignoration?
Anthony’s voice turned grim. “Seems you’re trying to drag me into this mess “
Alice gave a mocking clap. “Darling, nothing gets past you. Exactly, you’re the one who taught me this move
Anthony studied this venomous beauty he had molded himself, his gaze inscrutable.
Outside the operating room at the hospital, Eliana suddenly grabbed the arm of a harried female doctor rushing past. “Doctor, how are they going?”
The doctor had stepped out to catch her breath before prepping for another surgery. Now, stopped by Eliana, she rubbed her temples. “This is the second time you’ve asked me. You’ve stopped every nurse and doctor walking by. We’ve all told you we’re doing everything we can.”
Eliana snarled, “How are they?” Her voice was fraying, her grip on rationality long gone.
The doctor took in her bloodshot eyes and pale face, mustering one last shred of patience. “The kids only have smoke inhalation, no external injuries. But the adults all sustained burns, some severe. They all need surgery. Understood?” With that, she hurried off.
Eliana collapsed into a chair. Clad only in a nightgown, she looked brittle. Medical staff wove through the corridor, their gazes sliding past her.
Adrift, she thought of Theodore, but it was already 2 a.m. He must have been asleep by now.
Just then, a young male doctor approached, clutching a stack of receipts. “Eliana Burke?”
“Yeah, it’s me.” Eliana shot to her feet.
“These itemized bills need reviewing.” Noticing she was alone and the wedding band on her finger, he frowned. “Is your husband here?”
“He…”
“You don’t look well. Don’t try to shoulder this alone.”
The final words shattered Eliana’s last remaining defenses. After the male doctor left with the receipts, she pulled out her phone and dialed Theodore.
The call connected almost instantly. Before Eliana could even utter a word, she heard a feminine voice. “Hello?”
For a moment, Eliana thought she had dialed the wrong number. She pulled the phone away to check, and the number was correct.
Penelope Carter, the woman on the other end, spoke again, “Is this Mrs. Russell?”
Eliana’s breath hitched. “Yes. Where’s Theodore?”
Penelope replied, “He is in the shower.”
Eliana thought, ‘Showering at this hour? Theodore, a man so meticulous with his privacy, actually left his phone unattended with someone else?‘
A cold edge crept into Eliana’s voice. “Who are you?”
“I’m Mr. Russell’s traveling secretary, assigned by Gerwulf’s branch office,” Penelope explained. “I’ve been accompanying him these past few days to assist with any unexpected needs.”
Traveling secretary, accompanying him, meeting his unexpected needs… The implications of those words struck Eliana like a blade. The memory of Theodore spending a night at The Gilded Ford suddenly resurfaced, cutting deeper than she could bear.
Penelope continued, “Mrs. Russell, would you like me to pass along a message?”
Eliana had wanted to, but now, she didn’t. She let out a bitter laugh. When her husband traveled, she had imagined him buried in work, too busy for late-
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Chapter 204
night calls. It had never crossed her mind that he might be occupied in another woman’s arms.
AD
