After lunch, Ida went out to take a call again, leaving her alone in the hospital room.
Knock, knock!
The sound echoed through the quiet hospital room.
Ellinor knew that Ida wouldnât knock when entering. Her eyes lit up with anticipation as she called out, âCome in!â
Bartlett came in, carrying a basket full of fine food delicacies. His handsome face was adorned with a warm smile. âEllinor, itâs been a while. Congratulations on the birth of your twins.â
Seeing that it was Bartlett who came in, the light in Ellinorâs eyes dimmed a little, and she forced a small smile. âUm, thank you.â
Bartlett set the basket of food aside and walked over to her bedside.
âIâve been quite busy recently, and I thought you still had some time before your due date, so I didnât want to disturb you. As soon as I had some free time, I gave Balfour a call, only to hear that you had already given birth, so I rushed over to see you.â
Despite it all, Bartlett had always been considerate towards her, so Ellinor nodded appreciatively.
âYouâve gone through a lot of trouble. You didnât have to come and see me, let alone bring such valuable gifts.â
âHow could I come emptyâhanded?â Bartlett chuckled, then looked around and asked, âWhereâs Theo?
Why isnât he here with you?â
Ellinor fell silent.
After seeing her silence/Bartlett seemed to have guessed something. âAhem⦠I must say, itâs not like Theo to miss something as important as the birth of his children. No matter how busy he is, he should have prioritized this.â
Ellinor didnât want to talk about that man now. It would just ruin her mood.
âMr. Rex, thereâs some bottled water over there. Feel free to help yourself. Iâm not in a position to entertain you at the moment.â
Bartlett laughed. âItâs fine. Iâm not thirsty.â
With nothing else to say, Ellinor turned her gaze towards the window, watching as a plane trailed a long white line across the blue sky.
âEllinor, do you regret it?â
Bartlettâs gentle voice carried a hint of probing.
Ellinor was slightly taken aback and looked at him in surprise. âRegret what?â
Bartlett looked deeply into her eyes. âDo you regret choosing a man who doesnât value you? A man who didnât even show up at such a crucial moment as the birth of his children.â
Ellinorâs brow furrowed. âHeâs not as bad as you make him out to be! But yes, I am angry with him, and when he gets back, Iâm going to give him a piece of my mind!â
Bartlett gave a sarcastic smile. âAnd what if Theo doesnât come back?â
Not come back? Ellinor raised an eyebrow. âWhy wouldnât he come back? This is his home; even if not for me, he would definitely return.â
Bartlett looked at her meaningfully. âEllinor, Iâm not going to comment on whether you were right or wrong in choosing Theo, but I want you to know that Iâll always be here for you. You always have a solid backup in me, and youâre always welcome in my arms.â
Ellinor was speechless. She forced a smile. âDonât you think itâs a bit inappropriate to be saying all this to a woman whoâs just given birth?â
Bartlett smiled. âI donât think so. Iâm just trying to seize every opportunity to win myself a chance.â
Ellinor fell silent.
Bartlett was indeed strange. Most men would mind a womanâs past relationships, but Bartlett preferred women like her, who had already had children. What a weird man.
What kind of unique preference was this?
At this moment, Ida returned from her phone call. She saw Bartlett in the room, gave him a nod in acknowledgement, greeted him, and then turned to Ellinor. âBoss, the doctor said youâre recovering well. You can be discharged tomorrow.â
Ellinor nodded as a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
She was about to be discharged, yet the man who promised to be with her in the delivery room hadnât returned yet.