Ellinor spoke with a lack of enthusiasm, âThanks for coming to see me, but I donât want to talk about this.â
With a smile, Bartlett asked, âIâm just wondering, if youâre willing to reconcile with Theo, where does that leave me?â
Ellinor looked at him with a sincere gaze through her thick, beautiful lashes and said, âBartlett, youâre my friend, and youâll always be my friend.â
Bartlettâs face fell. After a while, he chuckled self-deprecatingly. âForever? Ellinor, youâre not leaving me any hope at all.â
âThereâs no point in giving you false hope if I donât have feelings for you. Thatâs not who I am.â She said as she let out a yawn and stood up. âYou guys enjoy your meal. Iâm going to hit the sack.â
Belinda also got up. âEllinor, let me help you upstairs.â
Ellinor didnât refuse Belindaâs offer and let her assist her upstairs.
Bartlett looked somewhat lost; his eyes became seemingly unfocused.
After a while, he squinted his eyes, reaching for the glass of water Ellinor had left on the table, intending to take a sip.
However, Chase stopped him.
Smiling, Chase said, âMr. Rex, this water was sipped on by my boss.â
Bartlett smiled. âI donât mind.â
Still smiling, Chase said, âBut she does.â
Bartlett and Chase locked eyes in an unfriendly stare. Bartlett raised an eyebrow. âArenât you afraid Iâll become her husband and give you a hard time?â
Chase, still blocking the glass, smiled and said, âWeâll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, youâre not.â
Finding the situation uninteresting, Bartlett let go of the glass. âYou guys eat. Iâve got to bounce.â
He stood up gracefully with an air of nonchalance surrounding him. As he left, he waved at Balfour, who was still sitting by the window. âBalfour, Iâm off! Catch you later!â
Balfour nodded lightly. âAlright, I wonât see you out.â
Bartlett waved as he walked out. He tucked his hands into his pockets and strolled out of the Howard familyâs front door.
Theo couldnât get into the Howard familyâs house as easily as Bartlett did, but he didnât gain much pleasure from that fact.
However, now that he saw Ellinor was okay, he felt relieved.
Upstairs in Pearl Howardâs room.
Ellinor was freshening up in the bathroom while Belinda idled in the room. Soon, Ellinor came out in her pajamas, ready to hit the hay.
She raised an eyebrow after seeing that Belinda was still in her room. âArenât you going home?â
Instead of answering, Belinda asked, âEllinor, why are you staying at the Howardâs? This room doesnât look like a guest room or an adultâs room. It looks like a little girlâs room. Why are you sleeping here?â
Ellinor didnât want to answer that question. The fewer people knew about her relationship with the Howardâs, the better.
She pulled back the covers and got into bed.
âAlright, Iâm good here. Go downstairs and have Chase take you home,â she said