âWhat? Not that dam Sophia again!â Veronica exploded in anger at the mention of the name. She utterly despised Sophia. Hearing about Sophiaâs latest shenanigans made her want to rush over there and give her a piece of her mind.
Sophia was like a bad penny. She turned up everywhere. Three years ago, she was the reason Ellinor and her brother were forced apart. Now she was back, stirring up trouble again.
Unbelievable!
If only Veronica could get her hands on her.
Ellinor, on the other hand, was feeling exhausted. She didnât know why, but she felt particularly worn out today, more so than usual.
Perhaps it was because of Balfourâs odd behavior during their car ride home. His unusual attitude had kept her mind racing. She was wondering if he was hiding something.
Judging by Balfourâs reaction, she guessed that his conversation with the auction house didnât go well.
Otherwise, why would he look so troubled?
With Balfourâs status and influence, the auction house wouldnât dare disrespect him. Something was amiss.
Veronica noticed Ellinorâs troubled expression. She put down Layla and sat next to Ellinor.
âDonât worry about it. Itâs not the end of the world if we canât get that piece of land. Sophia and her familyâs stuff isnât all that special. Greenhaven is a big place. We can afford any piece of land we want.â
Veronica said, trying to console Ellinor.
Ellinor just gave a wry smile. âI have my reasons for wanting that land. But itâs not up to us anymore. In an auction, once the hammer falls, the deal is sealed. If thereâs no issue, we must pay. Otherwise, itâs against the law.â
Veronica frowned. âThatâs so unfair! Paying ten times the market value to Sophiaâs family would drive me crazy. Weâre not short on cash, but why should that woman profit off us? Sheâs disgusting!â
âDonât worry, Veronica. I wonât let her win so easily.â Ellinor reassured her.
Veronica nodded. âI believe in you. But you need to cheer up. Come on, letâs get something to eat.
Grandma made pot roast.ââ
Ellinor waved her off. âIâm not hungry yet. Can you take the kids to eat? Theyâve been snacking all day and havenât had a proper meal.â
âSure, leave it to me.â Veronica agreed.
As she was about to take the kids for their meal, she noticed Adrian sitting alone, drawing circles in the dirt.
Veronica was puzzled. Adrian seemed to have changed these past few days. He used to be a cheerful, even if somewhat mischievous, boy. But since getting scolded by Ellinor the day before, he had become unusually quiet and sullen.
She bent down and whispered to Ellinor. âHave you noticed Adrianâs change? Did your scolding traumatize him?â
Ellinor was taken aback. When did she ever scold him that harshly?
However, she had to admit that Adrian had been acting quite strange recently. He always seemed to wander off.
She glanced over at Adrian, who was still quietly drawing circles in the dirt. He seemed lost in thought.
On top of that, he suddenly couldnât use his fork properly and often got lost at home, as if he didnât know his way around anymore.
Veronica grew more concerned. âMaybe the scolding was too much for him? Should we get a psychologist to help him out? I heard kids these days are prone to withdrawal.â
Ellinor frowned, refusing to believe that her son could be so fragile. She stood up and walked over to Adrian, asking, âAdrian, what are you doing?â
Adrian looked up, his face full of worry. âMommy, Iâ¦â