Most of those who caught up in the heated discussion were women, including Aâlist celebs, influencers, and some highâborn ladies from wellâknown families.
Their murmuring made Bartlett uncomfortable. He shot a disgruntled glance at the chattering crowd before turning to Ellinor with a softened voice.
âEllinor, itâs a madhouse down here. Letâs go upstairs. Iâll grab a towel for you to dry your hair.â
âAlright, thanks.â
Ellinor accepted Bartlettâs offer, as she too didnât fancy being the topic of gossip. The noise was giving her a headache, so she followed Bartlett up the stairs On their way up, Bartlett gave Ellinor a side glance. His eyes, always filled with a smile, seemed to bear a thought. âEllinor, whereâs Theo? Whyâd he let you come in alone?â
Ellinor replied with a calm face, âHeâs outside, probably still fussing over his lifeâsaver, Ms. Howard.â
Bartlett detected a hint of bitterness in her seemingly nonchalant tone. âOh? Are you two having issues over Ms. Howard?â
Ellinor remained stoic, âNo, I understand Theoâs concern for his lifeâsaver. Iâm not mad about that.â
Bartlett found her rationality surprising, yet he wasnât completely convinced she was unperturbed. He scrutinized her for a moment before saying, âTheoâs always been kind to Ms. Howard. In fact, before you came along, I thought theyâd end up together.â
Ellinor raised an eyebrow. End up together?
That was something lovers do. So, in Bartlettâs view, was there an emotional history between Theo and Ms. Howard?
âI know Theo.â Bartlett continued, âHe might seem cold, but heâs very upright. He surely appreciates Ms. Howard for saving his life. These years, his care, protection, and tolerance towards Ms. Howard have been beyond reproach; even I find it touching. But this may not bode well for his wife. After all, no woman wants her husband to care for another woman. Ellinor, itâs normal if youâre jealous.â
Ellinor kept quiet. She wasnât in the mood for explanations.
She wasnât jealous; she was mad!
Mad that Theo had questioned her in such a distrustful tone.
His attitude clearly meant he suspected sheâd done something displeasing to Ms. Howard.
She thought Theo understood her, but now it seemed he didnât really know her and even thought the worst of her.
Though she wasnât too fond of Patricia, she wouldnât stoop so low as to mistreat her Truth be told, she had no interest in wasting her time and energy on somebody like Patricia.
It was Patricia who kept stirring up trouble with her.
It was really annoying!
Bartlett led her to an empty guest room. After they entered, he promptly fetched a towel from the bathroom and handed it to her.
âHere, dry off a bit. This is the master suite of Jonahâs villa. He doesnât usually stay here, and all the items in the rooms are regularly replaced, so you can use them without worry. This towel is new.â
Bartlett was very meticulous, even going to the extent of explaining these little details to her.