Publishedat 18th of August 2019 03:04:58 PMChapter 91
Strangely instead of saying exactly what Ellie had said, Henry reconsidered . He felt in the pit of his stomach that this was something she would appreciate if he kept her true feelings private . So instead, Henry spoke up . "Ellie is not in the hospital anymore, Nolan . You cannot continue to make decisions for her now that she is nearing full recovery . She is your older sister so you need to respect her decisions . "
Advertis.e.m.e.nt Nolan"s anger reared its ugly head at Henry as his words grew harsher . "You"re just betting on that she won"t survive this so you can get the money you need to sustain your lifestyle . You would be nothing without her . "
Henry was about to open with a retort when Michael strolled into the room offering a calming tray of refreshments and sodas . He had a spectacular ability of turning the subject from hostility to cordiality in a simple smile . Michael seemed oblivious to the two lions getting ready to rip out each other"s manes .
Henry"s knuckles were white as he held his Pepsi bottle tightly . He could see the bottle"s gla.s.s beginning to crack under the strain of his fingers . Henry knew it wouldn"t end well so he had made an excuse by saying his colleague had texted him about urgent business before disappearing to a floor Nolan wouldn"t have access to .
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It was strange to come home to an empty house . Henry was so used to Michael chatting him up, even at odd hours of the night when he would come home drunk or with a woman in tow . Michael had deservingly taken tonight off to care for his ailing wife . The other serving staff had also astonishingly listened to his requests to be alone . It was nice one in a while to realize that a house full of thirty people . . . no wait . . . thirty two . . . if he counted his annoying brother-in-law . . . was still his home .
He reached his wing of the manor and began to wait past the huge framed portrait of his happier parents in the early days of their marriage . Henry was imagining the soft bed that awaited him when he realized that the shadow underneath the painting was much longer than when he last remembered it . His heart stopped in his chest for a minute as Henry imagined that he was in a horror movie and a killer had come up to finish him off .
He strained his eyes to see and realized with a jolt to jumpstart his heart that it was not that . It was an emanc.i.p.ated body that belonged to the woman who had been the center of his life for the past few weeks . Ellie Chen was leaning against the wall, her hands finding support as she moved along the wall . There was a gallery below them where there was a railing to have a view of a chandelier that Henry"s mom had designed out of love for his father . The gallery was a full two stories below them so it was very small as someone viewed it from above .