Ellinor looked at Balfour coolly but politely. âMr Howard, remember I worked for the Howard Group for a hot minute and then you sacked me?
Balfour squirmed at the reminder, his face cringed with a hint of embarrassment. He stammered, âYou can come back to the Howard Group anytime and take any position you want.â
Ellinor smirked. âMr Howard, youâve got it wrong. I was hoping to get paid for those few days! Iâm not a fan of working for freeâ
Balfour blinked, then looked at her It was not about the money, Ellinor was clearly hinting that she wanted to cut ties with him. She didnât want anything to do with him anymore.
Ellinor arched her eyebrows, âWhat? Mr. Howard, youâre not willing to pay me?â
Balfour snapped back to reality, âNo, thatâs not it. I can pay whatever you want.â
He pulled out his wallet from his suit jacket, scribbling down an amount on his checkbook.
After seeing his move, Ellinor snorted, âMr. Howard, are you going to handle this with a check again?â
Balfour paused, recalling his past dealings with Ellinor via check and feeling a pang of shame.
He hesitated, then put away his checkbook, âYou donât like checks; how about a transfer?â
Ellinor replied, âI want cash. I only worked for the Howard Group for a few days; the pay isnât much, and you donât need to write a check or do a transferâ
Balfour was quiet for a moment, âI donât carry much cash on me; Iâll have Quinton deliver it to you later.â
Ellinor raised an eyebrow, âNot much; how much exactly?â
Balfour looked at the cash in his wallet, âAround a few hundred dollars.â
âThatâll do Ellinor got up, took his wallet, and pulled out some bills, âBased on market rate, these will cover a few days of work, but I did close a big deal for the Howard Group, the extra should be my deserved commission. No objections, Mr. Howard?â
He watched Ellinor eamestly, hoping she wouldnât act this way, âPearlâ¦â
âIm Ellinor.â She cut him off; she didnât like her old name.
Balfour had to change his words, âEllinor, I know you might find it hard to accept me as your brother, and itâs hard to forgive my past attitude towards you. Iâll try not to bother or trouble you.
But if youâre wronged in the Blanchet family, or if Theo dares bully you, come find me, Iâll always be here.â
Ellinor smiled, âMr. Howard, youâre overthinking this. Iâm not your sister, Patricia. Iâm not fragile, I donât have many grievances to bear, and I wonât let anyone take advantage of me Balfour was speechless, he just looked at her bitterly, his eyes filled with weary red lines, as if he had a lot more to say.
Just then, Devin stepped forward, respectfully and politely saying his goodbyes, âMr. Howard, Ellinor needs to rest now, please leave.â
Balfour sighed heavily, gave Devin a glance, and left.
After leaving the Blanchet familyâs villa, Balfour saw his car still parked outside, Quinton hadnât driven away.