Chapter 782
Fred, the butler of the Howard family, led all the servants to wait at the entrance for an important guest, just as his boss had instructed.
The moment the car pulled up, before Ellinor could even open the door herself, Fred had already gotten there first, opening the car door for her. Bowing slightly, he said, “Ms. Mendoza, it’s an honor to have you here. Dean Howard has been expecting you.”
Ellinor was at a loss for words.
She felt a tad uncomfortable with such a grand welcome.
Following Fred, Ellinor walked into the Howard family’s living room. Dean, who was enjoying a cup of coffee, immediately set down his cup and greeted her with a broad smile, “Ellinor’s here! Come! Come, take a seat!”
Ellinor walked over and politely said, “Grandpa Dean, you really didn’t have to have people waiting for me at the door. I was just coming to visit.”
Dean was very kind, but he also had that certain stubbornness characteristic of older people, “My savior is here, how could I not make a big deal of it? Of course I had to send people to greet you! Stop being so formal, Ellinor. Have a seat! Fred, serve our guest some coffee.”
“Sure.” Fred nodded in response, then turned to order the servants to bring coffee.
Ellinor took a seat on the sofa next to Dean, politely thanking the servant who served her coffee.
With a cheerful turn of his head, Dean shouted towards the study on the second floor, “Alyssa, our savior is here! Come out and meet her!”
After a short while, an elderly lady slowly walked out of the study, “Our savior is here? Where is she?”
Dean gestured towards Ellinor, “Just arrived, right here!”
Alyssa Howard was dignified and gracious, with a kind face. But when she saw Ellinor, it was as if her expression had frozen, she didn’t even blink.
Out of courtesy, Ellinor stood up to greet her, “Hello, Grandma Alyssa
Alyssa still stared motionless at Ellinor, taking some time to collect herself.
Ellinor’s polite smile faded, and she started to feel uncomfortable under the intense gaze.
Dean noticed his wife’s unusual behavior and found it quite inappropriate. He cleared his throat to remind her, “Alyssa, what’s with the daze? The guest is saying hello to you.”
Alyssa finally snapped out of it and gave an apologetic smile, “Um, hello, you must be Ellinor, right? My husband talks about you a lot.”
Ellinor gave a small smile, “Hello, Grandma Alyssa. Yes, I’m Ellinor.”
Alyssa came over and naturally took a seat next to Dean, “Ellinor, please sit, there’s no need to be so formal.”
As Ellinor took her seat again and sipped her coffee, she kept an eye on Alyssa from the corner of her eye.
Despite her greying hair, Alyssa’s features were exquisite. It was clear she must have been a beauty in her youth.
Dean treated his wife with gentleness and respect, and they seemed to share a deep bond.
While Ellinor was observing Alyssa, Alyssa was also observing her.
But while Ellinor was subtle about her observation, Alyssa was quite open about hers, scrutinizing her from head to toe and focusing on her face for a while before finally saying, “Ellinor, thank you for helping my husband when he was bullied. Most young people these days avoid getting involved in such matters. It’s not often you come across a young woman as courageous as you.”
