Chapter 1773
Lea cocked her head to one side. “Ellinor is a woman of steel. She should be able to handle this. My only worry is if our assumption turns out to be incorrect. It would be quite anticlimactic for both Ellinor and Ms. Marlinie.”
Bertha cradled her coffee mug and took a sip, not responding to her daughter’s comment.
She was almost entirely certain that the girl named Ellinor was her friend Marlinie’s long-lost daughter, Pearl Howard.
The resemblance was not just physical. Their mannerisms and temperaments were also similar.
In fact, Ellinor’s features bore more similarity to those of that man from the Howard family, yet the aura she exuded was the spitting image of a young Marlinie.
The odds of such a coincidence were incredibly low.
Ellinor was undoubtedly Marlinie’s daughter, Pearl. Bertha was now just contemplating how to break the news to her and where to begin.
This revelation would be a shock to anyone.
While she was mulling over what to say, Ellinor appeared at the entrance of the coffee shop.
She walked in slowly; her expression was as calm and composed as it ever was. After scanning the room, she headed towards Bertha and Lea.
After pulling out a chair for herself, she greeted them. “Good to see you again, ma’am.”
Her politeness was evident, but so was the distance she maintained.
Bertha understood that Ellinor’s caution was due to her association with Thaddeus.
Lea’s eyes lit up upon seeing Ellinor. It was as if she were looking at her idol. “Ellinor, you’re here! We’ve been waiting for you!”
Ellinor glanced at Lea and smiled before looking at her watch. “We’re still within our scheduled time. I don’t seem to be late, am I?”
Bertha quickly clarified. “No, not at all, Ellinor. What she meant was that she just couldn’t wait to see you. As soon as we got your message, she insisted on leaving immediately, so we came here ahead of time.”
Ellinor nodded in understanding. “I apologize for keeping you waiting. I had some errands to run with a friend, which is why I had to push our meeting a bit.”
Bertha waved it off. “We didn’t wait long. We’ve been enjoying the coffee here. It’s quite relaxing. Speaking of which, Ellinor, what would you like to drink? Let’s order something.”
Ellinor smiled and beckoned a waiter over, ordering an iced latte before getting straight to the point.
“Ma’am, your daughter mentioned you had something important to discuss with me. What is it?”
Bertha was still organizing her thoughts when Lea blurted out, “Ellinor, did you get separated from your mother when you were young, never to see her again?”
Ellinor’s calm demeanor changed. She looked at Lea, then turned her piercing gaze towards Bertha. “Ma’am, have you been investigating me?”
Bertha looked flustered and quickly waved her hands. “No, no… Ellinor, you’ve got it all wrong! We haven’t been investigating you, and I don’t have the means to do so. Even though Thaddeus and I are still married, I don’t interfere in his affairs with Sophia. Don’t overthink this; we mean you no harm.”
