âGot some company, huh?â Marissa turned to look behind Ellinor, only then noticing Haillie, the Knotts familyâs kid, who looked a bit uneasy following behind Ellinor.
Haillie was no stranger to the elder Blanchets. It was just that Theo was currently running around looking for her, making her a bit antsy around the Blanchet family elders.
âPutnam, Marissa, long time no see. How you guys doing?â
âWeâre all good.â Marissa replied with a smile, then told Ellinor, âYou guys head on upstairs. Iâll have some food sent up for you.â
âThanks, grandma.â Ellinor said with a smile, and then she led Haillie upstairs.
As soon as the girls were upstairs, Putnam grumbled, âSheâs got some nerve, inviting a friend over and heading straight upstairs. Why canât they sit down and eat with us? Whatâs so secret they gotta eat and talk in their room?â
Marissa shot Putnam a stern look and said, âEllinor is Theoâs wife. This is her home. Why should she act all formal in her own house? Girls chatting is normal. They donât need you listening in. Ellinorâs already proven her innocence at the press conference this morning, and you need to quit stirring up trouble.â
Putnam closed his mouth after being scolded by Marissa. He just grunted unhappily and ate his food.
Veronica watched Ellinor and Haillie go upstairs, a bit baffled, and muttered to herself, âWeirdâ¦â
âWhatâs on your mind, Veronica? Whatâs so weird?â Marissa asked, hearing Veronicaâs mutterings.
Veronica answered, âI just find it weird that Ellinor and Haillie are friends. Haillie didnât use to like Ellinor, and sheâs Patriciaâs best friend. Patricia has always been at odds with Ellinor because of my brother, so I find it strange how Haillie became friends with Ellinor.â
At the mention of Patricia, Marissa frowned, âDonât talk nonsense. The Howard familyâs girl is not Ellinorâs rival. Your brother never had anything with her.â
Veronica just rolled her eyes.
âFocus on your food. Stop daydreaming!â Marissa added.
âOkayâ¦â Veronica answered.
Upstairs.
After Ellinor brought Haillie into the room, she told her to make herself comfortable and then went to change into something more comfortable.
By the time she came out of the bathroom in her new outfit, the lunch Marissa had promised was already set up on a small table in the bedroom.
Feeling hungry, Ellinor sat down and started eating and said to Haillie, who was sitting next to her, âHaillie, donât be shy. Youâre here now, have something to eat.â
Haillie wasnât here for the food. She frowned unhappily and said, âEllinor, did you bring me to this room to show me that you and Theo are living here together, that youâre living happily together?â
Ellinor, who was in the middle of eating, laughed, âHaillie, why would you think that?â
Haillie glared at her and said, âThen why would anyone bring a guest directly into their bedroom?â
Ellinor replied, âYouâre overthinking it. I brought you to this room because.