âDad, whatâs up? You seem preoccupied.â Adrian observed astutely, blinking his large eyes at the man.
Marcus snapped back to reality, shaking his head slightly. âNothing, kiddo. Go wash up; itâs time for bed.â
âOkay.â Adrian nodded, obediently turning towards the bathroom. As he pushed open the door, his eyes widened in surprise.
The little guy was stunned.
Marcus, noticing Adrianâs unusual behavior, quickly maneuvered his wheelchair to investigate.
He too froze when he saw Ellinor in the bathroom, sitting on the closed toilet lid. Her hands were propping up her face in a clear display of displeasure.
Marcus blinked, instinctively glancing towards the room door to ensure it was closed. He then wheeled himself and Adrian into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them.
âYou shouldnât be here at this time.â He said firmly.
Unfazed, Ellinor remained in her pouting pose and shot back. âDid you read the message I sent you?â
Marcus hesitated for a moment before responding, âYes, I saw it.â
:
His response seemed to aggravate her further. âWhy didnât you reply?â
âIt wasnât convenient.â Marcus answered.
A hint of anger shone in Ellinorâs eyes as she retorted, âI find it hard to believe you couldnât find a single moment in the last few hours to send me a message!â
Marcus remained silent, unable to deny the truth in her words.
Ellinor gritted her teeth. âAdrian, go stand guard at the door for me.â
Adrian, seeming to understand, quickly replied, âOkay, Mommy!â
The little guy then hurried out to keep watch.
Once their son left the room, Ellinor stood up, slowly stepping towards Marcus.
Marcus didnât move away, only looking at her with a serious expression as he said, âYou know this is risky, donât you? Sophia could come looking for me at any moment. She could find you here.â
Ellinor scoffed. âSo what? She loves you too much to hurt you. If she found out, sheâd only want to get rid of me, right?â
Marcus could tell she was different this time. She was seemingly carrying a heavy ernotional burden.
He asked calmly. âWhatâs going on? Have you been drinking?â
Ellinor replied, âNo, I donât drink.â
Marcus was puzzled. âThen whatâs wrong? Why are you behaving like this?â
Ellinor approached him while looking down at him sternly as she cupped his chin. âWhy didnât you reply to my message?â
Was this why she had come? Marcus looked at her, his frown deepening. âYou were out with another man this afternoon. I didnât think it was appropriate to interrupt.â
Ellinorâs brows furrowed. âWho told you I was out with another man?â
A hint of sarcasm tugged at the corners of Marcusâ mouth. âDidnât your photo clearly show that man with you? Are you still denying it?â
Ellinor paused, released his chin, and pulled out her phone to check the photo she had taken during dinner. Only then did she realize that Bartlettâs hand and clothes were indeed in the photo.
She hadnât thought much of it at the time and hadnât paid it any attention.
Besides, she wasnât secretly dating. There was no reason for her to be so cautious.