“You!” Belinda jabbed a finger at her face and snapped, “Don’t you dare forget it was Theodore who caused your sister’s suffering! How can you still take sides with an outsider over your own family?”
A sharp pang pierced Eliana’s heart. She thought, ‘Does she think I have it easy maneuvering between two families?”
“Mom, I really can’t talk about this with your calmly right now. Where’s Dad?” If there was anyone else in this family she still wanted to talk to besides Isaac, it would have to be Hudson.
“He went to play chess with his friend,” Belinda replied.
Eliana asked, “Wait, it’s Thursday. Isn’t Dad supposed to be at the office today?”
“His position as the CEO is just a figurehead now anyway. He might as well not even bother with it,” Belinda said with resentment.
Eliana pressed her lips together before saying, “I’ll work this out with Mr. Russell.” With that, she opened the door and stepped out into the living room.
In the living room, Hannah made a polite gesture, inviting Theodore to sit. Theodore then picked up a cup and took a measured sip.
Not a single word passed between them the entire time, nor did they share a glance. Theodore just couldn’t be bothered, while Hannah was burning with unwilling resignation.
Every time Hannah glanced at Theodore, memories of that humiliating night would come crashing back like a tidal wave, making her entire body ache. Just then, Eliana approached him and said, “Mr. Russell.”
Theodore looked up at her and asked softly, “Done talking?”
Even though she was the one who cut the conversation short, Eliana still gave a quiet nod.
“Let’s go then,” said Theodore as he set down his cup and stood up. Throughout it all, he only had eyes for Eliana. But his dismissive arrogance left no room for criticism. He was the Theodore, after all.
Eliana had considered asking him to show more respect to her family, but just one look at Belinda and Hannah’s behavior made her realize she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Yet, it was clear he judged people by their actions. While he treated most of the Burke family members with indifference, he showed genuine kindness to
Isaac.
“Ellie, Theo.” Seeing they were about to leave, Isaac asked, “Mom, can’t we ask them to stay for dinner?”
Belinda held him back firmly and said softly, “Isaac, behave. Our humble dinner falls short of their standards. Don’t embarrass yourself by chasing after
them.”
Once Theodore and Eliana were out of sight, Belinda finally let go of Isaac’s hand and said in exasperation, “You! Anyone would think they’ve been the ones raising you all these years.”
Isaac pouted and turned his head away, refusing to acknowledge her. The next moment, Hannah suddenly beamed at and it’s in your room. Want to go check it out together?”
saac, I got you a present,
Isaac eyed her suspiciously. “Really? You’re that nice?” After all, Hannah never bought him any gifts. On the other hand, Eliana would buy him one the moment she received her pay.
Hannah gestured and said, “Of course. If you don’t believe me, come and see for yourself. With that, she turned and led the way. Isaac, torn between suspicion and curiosity, hesitated for a moment before trailing after her.
As soon as they entered the room, Isaac saw Hannah standing with her back to him. He eagerly moved closer and asked, “Hannah, where’s my gift?”
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Hannah turned around, but with a lighter in her hand. With a flick of her finger, a sudden burst of flame leaped up. Instantly, Isaac’s breathing grew ragged, and his face visibly contorted with terror. “Hannah, drop that now. It’s dangerous.”
“It’s nothing, Isaac. Just a lighter,” Hannah said, her tone careless. Not only did she refuse to put it down, but she deliberately brought the flame closer to his face. In the flickering firelight, the raw terror buried deep in his eyes was illuminated.
“Fire!” Isaac recoiled violently, scrambling into the corner and crouching with his hands over his head. He screamed in terror, “I don’t want to die. Ellie. save me!”
Hannah watched his over–the–top reaction, surprised that the fire incident left him traumatized. Moments later, Belinda called from outside the door, “Hannah, what’s Isaac screaming about in there?”
Hannah’s eyes flickered with calculation. She quickly retrieved the “gift” she’d prepared in advance from Isaac’s desk. Opening the door, she smiled at Belinda and said, “Oh, it’s nothing. Mom. I was just about to light some scented candles for Isaac to freshen up the air in his room.”
Seeing Belinda eyeing the scented candle in her hand, Hannah flashed a practiced smile and asked, “Mom, isn’t it pretty? I picked it out myself at the
store.”
“Lovely. That’s so thoughtful of you,” Belinda said warmly.
Hannah lit the scented candle with the lighter, then smiled sweetly and said, “It smells wonderful, doesn’t it?”
Belinda thought Hannah was here to give Isaac a present, but when she saw him huddled in the corner, muttering to himself, she couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong with Isaac? He looks like he’s seen a ghost.”
Before Hannah could speak, Isaac suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Belinda’s hand, shouting hysterically, “Firefighter! You’ve come to save me?”
Belinda blinked in confusion. But in a flash, Isaac wrenched his hand free from Belinda’s and bolted away like a man fleeing for his life. Seeing this, Belinda asked in confusion, “Hannah, are you two playing some kind of make–believe game?”
Hannah said with feigned innocence, “Yeah, we’re playing rescue. I’m the firefighter, and he’s the trapped victim.”
Belinda didn’t press further. After all, Isaac had always been a strange kid.
But Hannah’s mind was already spinning with schemes. She wondered, ‘What would happen if Mom found out that Eliana, while supposedly looking after Isaac, had actually let him get burned in that fire?‘
On their way back to Russell Manor, Theodore broke the silence. “Mrs. Russell, she didn’t make things difficult for you, did she?”
Seeing that he brought it up himself, Eliana seized the chance to ask, “Tell me the truth. Has my Dad already been completely sidelined at the company? Does he have any real authority left at all?”
Theodore scoffed. “Just as I thought. Nothing ever comes out of meeting her. “After a brief pause, he produced a document from his briefcase and handed it to her. “See for yourself.”
“What’s this?” Eliana took the document, looking puzzled. Theodore went on, “This is Russell Group’s financial repor comparative analysis of the previous month’s data.”
the past month. It includes a
Eliana flipped through the pages, and her eyes widened in shock. Russell Group’s profits had tripled in just the past month compared to the previous one. And it was just in the past month that Theodore became the majority shareholder of Russell Group.
Seeing her surprised look, Theodore said, “Since I returned from Gerwulf, I haven’t asked anyone to limit your father’s authority at the company
“He’s free to run the company however he pleases. However, interestingly, since he reviewed the financial reports, his presence at the office has noticeably declined.”
‘So what Theodore means is,‘ she wondered, ‘Dad didn’t stop going to the company because he was sidelined and lost motivation, but because the
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business took off so well that he’s now thinking of reaping the benefits without doing anything?”
Theodore said, “Why don’t you call him and find out the truth for yourself?”
“Got it,” Eliana murmured. After everything that happened, she wouldn’t just take anyone’s word for it anymore. So, she decided to call Hudson to clarify the situation.
AD