Rather than erupting on the spot, he asked her to step outside to resolve the issue. To Eloise, this seemed like a sign of Isidore's progress, making her feel both uneasy and, in some strange way, a little relieved.
She stood in the corner like a schoolgirl, rushing to explain the whole situation clearly before Isidore could get any closer. "At first, I thought I was just coming for a holiday..." Then, she detailed how her parents had deceived her, how Mrs. Brown had trapped her, speaking with genuine emotion as she recounted everything.
Isidore lowered his head, pressing his fingers to his temples, holding back the harsh words that threatened to slip out. "Why didn't you contact me when you couldn't find anyone to help in the South?" Eloise muttered, "Such a small matter, how could I trouble you with it?"
She didn't dare bring up the past—back then, she had fiercely kicked him where it hurt and escaped. She had been dissatisfied with the world, hiding to avoid being chased, let alone daring to contact him first.
"Eloise!" Seeing Isidore about to lose his temper, she quickly pouted and leaned in, only to be pushed away by his hand covering her mouth. He sneered, "Using the same trick over and over gets boring. Besides, am I not your cousin?"
"Then forget it!" She, furious and embarrassed, turned her head, only to have her chin firmly gripped and turned back. She bit her lip hard, the tension palpable. It hurt a little, but Eloise felt a little more at ease inside—at least Isidore wouldn't get too angry after she kissed him.
A good trick, and she could get away with anything!
Sure enough, once their lips parted, Isidore's expression softened and no longer seemed so terrifying. Eloise seized the opportunity to explain everything, including the incident where she had pretended to "be in love" with Lysander. A hint of hidden anger flickered in his eyes, as if silently reproaching her for being so childish and reckless in her actions.
Having given her space, he hadn't sent anyone to check on her during her more than a month away from the city, and yet so many things had happened, and she'd been bullied to this extent.
Eloise thought to herself, thankfully, she hadn't told him about jumping from the third floor that night and wandering outside all night. She stubbornly said, "Not all problems need to be solved with violence."
His voice immediately grew deeper. "I think you have a very deep misunderstanding about me." Eloise shrank her shoulders. "Ah, anyway—if I just perform the last act of breaking up, Lysander's identity won't be exposed, and then I can go back."
"You..." Isidore shot her a glance, his frustration evident, before he turned and walked ahead. Eloise, anxious, hurried to catch up. "Hey, what are you going to do?" Without looking back, he said, "You're going to meet your own chosen blind date—" He finished with a sly smile, calling, "--my cousin Elly."
"Aren't you supposed to be at a business dinner?" Eloise asked urgently, but no one answered her.
Isidore sat down in her original spot with an air of superiority, signaling for Eloise to sit in the farthest corner from Lysander. He then stared at Lysander for a while before smiling and saying, "If you have any issues with our Elly, speak up."
He got into character so quickly... Eloise muttered under her breath as she glanced at him. Lysander met his gaze without fear, smiling slightly. "I don't want the other party's family to be too overbearing, especially with such a self-important cousin."
The tension in the air was so thick that even Mrs. Brown could smell it, but seeing Isidore's expression, she dared not speak.
Isidore's face showed contempt as he tapped his fingers on the table. "Men who have such concerns usually want to live off a woman." The words, tinged with a hint of insult, caused Lysander's smile to falter for a moment.
"You're right," Lysander shook his head, leaned across the table, and took Eloise's hand. "I suddenly think Elly is the best girl in the world. With her, what more could I want?"
Eloise was so creep out by his deliberately affectionate gaze that she got goosebumps, wondering what was going on in his head.
Isidore watched the scene, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the armrest of the wooden chair. Yet his face remained calm as he slowly spoke. "Let go." Lysander ignored him, and Eloise quickly pulled her hand back before he could kiss her fingers.
Lysander glanced at Isidore and gave a faint smile. In this invisible clash, he held the upper hand, even if only slightly.
"Mrs. Brown, right?" After returning his gaze, Isidore turned to her and said pointedly, "Introducing this kind of person to my cousin—do you look down on her, or do you look down on me?"
Mrs. Brown looked confused. Even Eloise thought he was going too far, and seeing Lysander's expression change, she clutched her stomach in exaggerated pain. "Oh no, I ate too much, my stomach hurts. Let's end this here, everyone go home!"
After Mrs. Brown meddled so much, the dinner ended without any clear conclusion. Eloise thought that the "breakup" hadn't been successful and she would need to spend more energy dealing with Mrs. Brown. However, when she returned home after dinner, Mrs. Brown disappeared, never to be seen again.
For the next two days, Lysander didn't come to find her. Eloise, both puzzled and busy packing her bags for home, heard the sound of a car pulling up at the villa entrance. She went downstairs, only to find that instead of Mrs. Brown, it was the familiar group of people who often appeared around Isidore.
