Chapter 26
Theodore froze for a second, then let out a short, mocking laugh. He thought, ‘Hold my hand the whole time? Please. A woman once promised to stay with me forever too, and she changed her mind just like that.
Just then, his phone suddenly started ringing.
“Hey, your phone’s ringing. It’s from a number starting with 1350-” Eliana, thinking it would help since he couldn’t see, began reading out the number.
But before she could finish, Theodore cut in, “Get out.”
“Okay.” Eliana gathered the plates and utensils, and then turned toward the door.
As she was leaving, she heard him say in a sharp, bitter tone, “Why are you still calling me?”
Eliana couldn’t help glancing back. His expression was laced with hate and resentment. For a split second, Eliana saw a part of herself in him.
She remembered that same look on her face the day Luke broke up with her for Hannah.
The door clicked shut. At the same time, Theodore heard the woman’s voice on the other end of the line say, “Theodore, I’m getting engaged.”
Theodore thought, ‘She’s getting engaged. She’s really going through with it.‘
Eliana came back upstairs after dinner and went back into their room, planning to keep persuading Theodore to go out for a walk. Then she heard him say in a low, flat voice, “Leave. I want to be alone.”
Half–joking, she asked, “The house may be big, but where am I supposed to go?”
Now, everyone in Russell Manor treated her like she was firmly on Theodore’s side. Only Anthony showed her any warmth. If even her own husband kicked her out now, it’d just give more ammo to the people waiting to see her fall.
But Theodore suddenly stood up with a cold energy, like he might throw her out himself. “Anywhere you want.”
Hearing that, Eliana couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth. She thought of the way he looked when she glanced back before leaving the room and clicked her tongue silently, then opened the door and walked out.
She hadn’t expected to run smack into Jayden the moment she stepped out. To be precise, Jayden had been leaning against the door, eavesdropping, and got caught red–handed when Eliana opened it.
He quickly clutched his head and played the victim. “Ouch! You ran into me.”
Eliana didn’t say anything–she just looked at him coldly.
The next second, Jayden lit up like he’d made a huge discovery. “Ow! You’re so done, you idiot.”
And with that, he turned and bolted, yelling as he ran like a walking megaphone, “Eliana’s crying. Eliana’s crying.” He was loud enough for the whole house to hear.
Eliana thought, I wasn’t crying
She blinked her slightly sore eyes and wandered around the hallway for a bit, only to realize that every room on the second
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Chapter 26
floor besides Theodore’s was locked. She couldn’t get into any of them. So she went to find Wyatt for a key.
“Mrs. Russell, are you trying to sleep in a different room from Mr. Russell?” Wyatt asked, his tone clearly laced with malice.
Hearing that, Eliana lowered her gaze and said, trying to look calm, “Just for one night.”
Wyatt shook his head with exaggerated pity. “Really, what’s the point? No matter how good you are to Mr. Russell, he won’t appreciate it, will he?”
Eliana stayed quiet.
Wyatt went on, trying to persuade her. “If you’re upset, you could always talk to Mrs. Lainey Russell. She’d speak up for you.”
Eliana came back to herself and replied calmly, “I’m not upset. I just caught a bit of a cold. I don’t want to pass it to him.”
Wyatt looked a bit disappointed. “Is that so? Alright. Just wait here. I’ll go grab a key for you.”
Meanwhile, downstairs in the living room, Lainey was staring straight into Jayden’s eyes and asking seriously, “Jayden, are you sure you saw Eliana come out of Theodore’s room crying?”
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