Chapter 26
“Drinksome warm water, Sophia said, handing him up
Jacob took it from her “okay.”
“Do you want me to stay with you?”
“No need
“Alright, then I’ll head upstairs to sleep.” Sophia yawned and went backupstairs
jacob held the cup of warm water. It was warm to the touch but did nothing to beat the cold wold in his heart. He forced down a sip, but it went down the wrong way, sending a sharp pain through his stomach that made him groan.
He searched for the medicine box, practically tuming the living room upside down before he finally found it,
Inside were neatly arranged common medicines, with the stomach pills conveniently on top. He noticed they were only three months away from expiring
Farquent drinking from socializing had given him chronic gastric issues. Elutar had always taken care of him, preparing nourishing meals, encouraging him to telax with warm soaks for his feet each evening, and even leaming basic massage techniques to ease his discomfort,
Under hermeticulous care, his condition had improved significantly, and his stomach problems rarely flared up.
But now, no one was cooking for him, no one reminded him to take care of himself, and no one massaged his stomach. His condition had worsened considerably.
After taking the medicine, he collapsed onto the couch and fell asleep. In the middle of the night, he woke up freezing. Half–conscious, he muttered, “Eloise, bring me a blanket.”
The words startled him awake, and he groaned, smacking his forehead.
The next moming, Binise started her day with a jo–minute rum before coordinating with the driver delivering her flooring materials and the workers Installing them. Afterward, she made her way to Jacob’uvilla
to open the d
door
She pressed the doorbell for a good ten minutes before jacob, looking irritated, came to o
“What are you doing here?” he snapped.
“Well, I’ve been hired as your housekeeper, haven’t I? I’m here to make breakfast,” Eloise said with a mischievous smile.
Jacob frowned. “The door code is still the same. Let yourself in next time to avoid disturbing Sophia and me while we’re testing.”
“You might want to change the code. It anything goes missing, I wouldn’t want to be blamed ”
Eloise brushed past him and headed straight to the kitchen.
A layer of dust had settled over everything, a clear sign that the kitchen hadn’t been used since she moved out
Once breakfast was ready, Jacob and Sophia came downstairs after freshening up
Sophia smiled smugly at the sight of Eloise. “Eloise, it’s great that you’re here to help us Really”
Eloise returned her smile. “What can I do? I lost my job at the hospital and have no savings or income. I have to work to make ends meet.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll make you well–compensated.” Sophia said.
come later.”
“I’m counting on that. Oh, by the way, the worcestershire sauce in the kitchen is almost out. Could you transter a few bucks to me, Jacob? I’ll go buy some
Hertone was casual yet deliberately grating, and Jacob shot her aglate.
Breakfast was tomato beef stroganoff–adish Jacob liked. Sophia tasted it and commented, “It’s a bit salty. Next time, go easy on the salt.”
“Have you eaten? Would you like to join us? Sophia asked.
“I’ll pass. Three people eating together feels awkward.”
Sophia chuckled. “You can eat in the lotchen. That’s how housekeepers usually do it”
“Oh, how silly of me to think I could sit at the table,” Eloise said mockingly.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”
The two exchanged thinly veiled jabs as Eloise returned to the kitchen to deal with the leftover food
“What’s this?” Eloise said loudly, fishing out a large piece of something coated in tomato sauce. Her exaggerated tone drew both Jacob’s and Sophia’s attention.
“Oh no, could it be a cleaning rag?” Eloise exclaimed.
be moment they heard “cleaning rag“, both Jacob and Sophia spat out the food in their mouths.
“It really is,” Eloisecontinued. “I used it to wipe the sink earlier”
Sophia immediately gagged and bolted to the downstairs bathroom, while Jacob’s expression darkened as he glared at Eloise
“Did you do that on purpose?” he demanded.
Eloise feigned innocence. “How could you accuse me of that? I’m just an inexperienced housekeeper beaming on the job.” Of course, the real show was just getting started.
