Aurelia was coaxing Nova when a familiar figure caught her eye.
It was Elowen! After Leopold married Megan, Elowen, who was heartbroken, had left the country.
Hearing Leopold had been poisoned, she'd rushed back from abroad.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtSeeing Aurelia cheerfully chatting with Lisa, Elowen's brow furrowed.
"Leopold's fighting for his life in the ICU, and you're here gabbing away. Don't you care about him?" "I'm his ex-wife, not his current squeeze. Besides, Lana's his girlfriend now, not me. She's the one who should be worried about him," Aurelia said expressionlessly.
Elowen suspected that Aurelia's calm demeanor was rooted in a love that turned bitter after Leopold had discarded her.
Amidst her thoughts, Aurelia smiled slightly. "You rushed back from overseas because Leopold's sick, right?" She'd always believed Elowen's love for Leopold was the real deal.
No matter how badly Leopold treated her, Elowen's love was as passionate as a first love.
Elowen scoffed. "Life abroad can be a drag, so | cback for a change of scenery. Imagine my surprise finding out Leopold's hooked up with Lana and will tie the knot with her. You must feel pretty lousy, huh? You went from being the belle of the ball to yesterday's news." Aurelia shrugged indifferently. "I'd rather not be anyone's belle. Being single suitsjust fine. Freedom's the life for me." Convinced Aurelia was consoling herself, Elowen changed the subject, "How's Leopold doing? Why won't his mom let anyone visit him?" Right off the plane, Elowen had wanted to see Leopold at the hospital, but her mom told her no one could see him except for Jessica.
Aurelia explained slowly, "Leopold's immune system got hit by the poisoning. He must stay in a sterile room until he's stronger. Normal folks carry germs and viruses, so visits are off-limits to avoid any risk of infection." "Oh, | see," Elowen sighed. "I've heard all sorts of rumors. Ssay Megan poisoned Leopold because the child isn't Leopold's. They say she had an affair and tried to pass the kid off as his. When Leopold found out and wanted a divorce, she went berserk and poisoned him." Rumors about Leopold's poisoning had spawned countless versions, each more intricate and bizarre than the last, which was enough for a whole series of .
Aurelia spoke gravely, "The police are still investigating. As for Megan's child, we don't know whose it is. She never got a paternity test." Elowen snorted. "I'm sure that child is not Leopold's. If it were, she would have paraded it for a test by now.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmSomething fishy is going on." Aurelia patted Nova in her arms. "This is Arnold and Lisa's daughter, Nova. You haven't met her yet, have you?" Elowen glanced at the child. "I thought maybe she was yours and Elvis'." Aurelia was at a loss for words to hear that. "That's a bit over the line for a joke." "Just pulling your leg," Elowen made a face at her. "If you'd had a kid with Elvis, the Stirling family would have never let you through the door." Aurelia noted that Elowen hadn't changed a bit. She was still as irreverent and outspoken as ever.
"Are you going to join the knitting contest later?" Elowen shrugged. "Not interested. | never do those things." However, a prayer for a perfect match might be worth a shot.
Ideally, one that would bring Leopold back to her.
As twilight descended, the girls set up an altar, offering cakes, flowers, and coffee as tributes, burning scented candles to pay homage to Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
The knitting contest was about to begin.
The first challenge was threading knitting needles. Participants were supposed to thread through nine needles, with the quickest hand taking the prize.