Ellinorâs eyes darkened, and her voice was as frosty as a winterâs chill. âSo you think that just because I discovered the truth through others, I can accept it now?â
âBoss⦠weâve been trying to find that child for the past three years. We planned to tell you only after we found him. We know we messed up, and weâll accept any punishment you see fit.â
Ellinor didnât summon Ida here to blame or punish her. She was afraid that if something else were to happen in the future, they would hide it from her again, fearing she couldnât handle it.
âFrom now on,â she said solemnly, âthereâs nothing I canât handle. You must report everything to me immediately. Understood?â
Ida bowed respectfully. âYes, Boss!â
Ellinor looked up at the moon, now a pearl in the night sky, as her eyes narrowed. âAlso, whatâs going on between you and that kid, Byran?â
Upon mentioning Byran, Idaâs expression flickered to something akin to a headache. âThat boy probably harbors a grudge from three years ago. Heâs probably looking for payback.â
Ellinor stared at Ida with a questioning gaze. âYou donât like him?â
Ida adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses. âItâs not like that.â
âIf you really donât like him, then ignore him.â Ellinor advised, âIâm not trying to meddle, but I donât want to see you get hurt.â
Ida nodded. âDonât worry, Boss. I know what Iâm doing.â
Ellinor didnât press the matter. She had once thought she knew what she was doing, certain she wouldnât get hurt by a man. But here she was, stuck in a place she couldnât escape. She didnât want to see Ida follow in her footsteps.
âAll right, off you go. Get some rest.â
Ida acknowledged her dismissal and then prepared to leave, not wanting to disturb her boss any further.
âOh, and Ida,â Ellinor called, âon your way out, could you let Veronica know to put the kids to bed tonight? Iâm feeling a bit worn out and would like some quiet time alone.â
Ida looked at her boss sympathetically before agreeing and exiting the room.
Ellinor really had it tough, managing Blanchet Corporation by day and taking care of three children by night. Exhausting was an understatement.
Deep into the night.
Marcus felt a chill in his sleep. He was sure he had closed the window before bed, and the hotelâs central heating was always on.
This cold was peculiar.
He wasnât concerned about himself, but he worried about his son catching a cold.
Slowly, he opened his eyes and sat up, glancing at the window to see if it was sealed properly.
The window was indeed open, allowing the cold wind to enter. The curtains swayed gently in the moonlight.
No wonder it was cold. The window hadnât been shut properly, and the wind had blown it open.
Instinctively, he found this strange. He was sure he had closed the window tightly. Unless there was a storm, it wouldnât have opened.
There was certainly no storm outside.
The room was dark, only lit by the faint white glow of the moon. Everything was shadowy.
But he could distinctly smell a scent that didnât belong to him or his son.;