“Leave me alone then. I am the granddaughter of the Joneson Family, not a death row inmate,” Elspeth retorted.
It was not the first time she found him annoying, but she had completely lost control this time.
“Miss, please don’t make things hard for me. I am just a butler in the family. I only wish to do my job and support my family. Your actions are really pushing beyond my limits…”
She did not expect a man in his fifties would burst into tears in public.
Although his cries were not that loud, it was extremely embarrassing for her.
“Alright,” she said. “Enough. I won’t go. Stop crying. How can you cry in front of so many people when you’re at this age?”
Mr. Wordsworth finally heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing her comply. “Very well, Miss. I’ll send you home first.”
Home?
“Grandfather said I can go anywhere I want as long as I stay in Blaydal, right?” Elspeth deliberately asked as she stroked her chin.
Not comprehending what she was trying to say, he blankly nodded in response.
“That means he won’t do anything no matter how late I stay out, right?”
As if her words had completely blindsided him, he nodded once more.
“All right,” Elspeth said, standing up and tearing apart the ticket in her hand. “The ticket is destroyed. I won’t be going anywhere, so stop following me.”
Evidently, he was hesitant to believe her sudden change of heart. “You’re not lying, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Her biggest priority right now was calming him down. She could not directly bicker with him, and there was no way she would win in a fight against the many people he brought with him.
“Very well, Miss. If that is all, I’ll be heading back first.” There was a look of appreciation on his face like she was his daughter who had finally grown up.
To him, it seemed like she was an obedient girl.
Later that day, when he was busy searching everywhere for her, he felt like slapping himself in the face for having that train of thought.
He should have dragged her back to the Joneson Residence!
When she returned to the hospital, she found Frank in his bed, watching a soccer match. “Were you the one who tattled, Frank?” she coldly asked, standing in the doorway.
Frank had not expected to be accused of a crime like that by name. “Tattle?” he exclaimed as he shot up straight. “Tattle about what?”
“Oh? Are you admitting to your crime?” she asked.
“I say.” Frank sighed, exasperated. “Why are you throwing a tantrum now? You want to borrow my private helicopter?” he asked, confused.
He squinted at her. “Why do you want a helicopter? Let me guess; you were going to Damoria to look for Callum, but old Mr. Joneson’s men stopped you.”
Elspeth chuckled. “You’re smart.”
“You’re quite the brave soul, Elspeth. You know just how close of an eye he’s keeping on you, yet you insist on going to Damoria right now.”
Naturally, he disapproved of her action. It was too dangerous and would likely infuriate old Mr. Joneson.
“I’ve made up my mind. No one can change it,” she declared.
“I wonder who on earth you took after,” he said, sighing. “You’re so stubborn, always committing to whatever you decide on.”
Her heart skipped. Her father, Davion Lynwood, was a kind and gentle soul who was often the mediator of the town. She likely inherited her temper from her mother.
“However, if you borrow my private helicopter, would…”
“I have it all planned out,” she interrupted with a smile. “Grandfather forbade me from going back to Damoria, but I’m not always supervised. When asked about the helicopter, just say that Spencer borrowed it. If Grandfather asks about me, tell him I’ve been staying with you this whole time.”
Only Elspeth could have thought up that plan.
For some reason, that plan did not sit easily with him. “What if he comes here? How do you plan to explain yourself?”
“If worse comes to worst, just tell him I went out to have some fun,” she answered. “You don’t know where I am, but you know I’ll be back in the evening. I’ll try to get back as soon as possible to avoid giving you extra trouble.”
This would be considered Frank’s first time telling such a big lie to old Mr. Joneson, but he was not really nervous. Instead, weirdly enough, he was more excited than scared about doing something forbidden.
He nodded in agreement.
Coincidentally, Frank’s private helicopter was parked at Spencer’s place. Thus, she headed over to Spencer’s home.
Spencer’s eyes flashed when he saw Elspeth walking into his home. “Frank told me everything over the phone just now. You’re going to sneak over to Damoria using his helicopter, yeah?”
“That’s right,” she replied. “It’s been a long time since I was there. I miss the people there.”
“No need to explain yourself,” he said with a chuckle. “I know you’re doing this for Callum.”
Since he said that, there was nothing she needed to hide. “That’s right,” she replied, smiling. “After all, a day apart as lovers would feel as long as three years.”
Hearing that made his eyes darken in sadness. However, because he was looking down at the leaves on the ground the entire time, she merely thought there was something else bothering him.
With her borrowed helicopter, she got ready to leave the city.
“Elspeth.”
Suddenly, Spencer called out to her. As her head snapped around to look at him, he was enthralled by the sight of her beautiful face shining in the sun.
The question he wanted to ask stuck to the back of his throat, unwilling to leave his lips no matter how hard he tried. Elspeth, would you have fallen in love with me if I met you first?
In the end, he said, “Let me know if you need anything. Stay safe.”
They were better off as friends. Then, he could at least be there whenever she needed help.
“Okay. I’m off!” Elspeth called back.
Oblivious to his emotions, she did not notice how his bright and sunny personality abruptly vanished, replaced by the demeanor of a melancholic young girl.
A few hours later, she landed in Azure Corporation’s headquarters without incident.
She acquired a pilot license during her time overseas, and she was quite a good pilot.
Harper knew she was on her way and insisted on a welcome party, but she did not care for that at all. She immediately drove off to Winthrop Group instead while thinking of ways to surprise Callum.
When she pushed open his office door, the sight of two people in the office rendered her speechless.
She recalled her first reaction was to shout, “You have given me quite the surprise, Callum!”
She had not expected the woman she was worried about to be here.
Emma, Callum’s first love, was sitting right there beside Callum. She was coyly flirting with him while tugging at his arm.
As for the man featured in Elspeth’s dreams, he looked really annoyed and upset.
When Callum saw her bursting into the room, joy and surprise flashed across his face. “You’re back.”
However, with Emma’s presence beside him, Elspeth thought he was in the middle of betraying her.
She soon snapped out of her anger.
He did not react as if he had been planning to get back together with Emma.
Hence, she took a deep breath to calm herself down before teasingly saying, “Yes. I’m back to see what nonsense you’ll be up to behind my back with some young thing.”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me