Sophia, leaning on the staircase railing, eyed Ellinor below. âI feel like Ellinor is pretty cold to everyone except for Bartlett. They seem to have a lot to chat about.â Theoâs slender hand was tightly gripping his wine glass. It seemed that with just a little more pressure, the glass would shatter.
Sophia wanted to say more, but Theo suddenly turned and strode downstairs, which silenced her.
âWhere are you going. Theo?â Sophia asked hastily.
âDo your thing, Iâve got stuff to doâ Theo shoved his hands in his pockets, walking away with a cool determination that was downright intimidating.
Sophia didnât follow. She just watched his retreating figure as her smile gradually faded.
After making a round in the banquet hall, Ellinor failed to find her motherâs portrait, which left her feeling a tad irritated.
Not only was she frustrated at not finding the painting, but the loud rock music and dazzling lights were also getting on her nerves.
âWhatâs up? Canât find the painting you fancy? Youâre not in a good mood?â Bartlett, noticing her discomfort, softly inquired.
Ellinor sighed. âItâs too noisy here, and Iâm a bit thirsty. Could you get me a glass of juice from over there? Thanks.â
She looked at the bar area, which seemed even noisier, making her feel dizzy. She didnât want to go there.
Bartlett chuckled. âWait a second; Iâll get you a bottle of mineral water.â
Though the bar did serve juice, it might be mixed with alcohol. Given that Ellinor was pregnant and couldnât drink, it was safer to get her a bottle of water from the hotel front desk.
8 6 2 £ 2 8 2 ± 3 Ellinor nodded and obediently waited on the spot.
Maybe it was because of the pregnancy, but the noisy environment made her feel like she was struggling to breathe.
Her vision blurred, and she rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her head.
Suddenly, everything went black. She felt like she was falling backwards; she thought she was going to hit the ground.
She didnât want to hurt her belly. She hoped the baby would be okay.
Ellinor tried to control her body, but she felt too weak. Just when she was certain she was going to fall, a pair of warm hands caught her by the shoulders.
Then she felt dizzy and was lifted up; she felt like she was being carried somewhere.
When she woke up, she was looking at a ceiling within reach, smelling the faint scent of tobacco and a hint of alcohol in the air.
Where was she?
She was a bit more lucid now; she looked around and realized she was in a car, lying in the backseat.
And she wasnât alone. Her head was resting on a manâs thigh.
The car was dimly lit, and the manâs silhouette looked ghostly. Ellinor jolted upright, asking, âWhoâs there?â After seeing her scared reaction, Theo didnât know what to feel.