The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 840

At this point, Patricia had no choice but to toss her mom's dignity under the bus to keep her own innocent image intact.

Otherwise, they'd have no place in the Howard family.

While Patricia wasn't sure what was going on in Ellinor's head, the story she'd just spun was the most plausible one that could get Patricia off the hook. So she agreed with Ellinor's version for now.

Ellinor reached out with a sympathetic hand, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Patricia's ear, "Yeah, I think so too. Ms. Howard's such a sweet and kind person. She nearly gave her life to save Theo and ended up being unable to have children. I can't believe someone as selfless as her would get involved in something so harmful."

After hearing Ellinor's veiled praises, Patricia felt a chill running down her spine. Ellinor's sudden defense felt a bit off.

Ellinor frowned deeply, looking worried, "Ms. Howard, I just remembered! You also chugged a big glass of pomegranate juice spiked with way too much saffron without knowing it. Are you okay? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"

Patricia hadn't let her guard down around Ellinor, but for now, she had to play along. She shook her head innocently, "I'm sorry to worry you, Ellinor, but I'm fine. I don't feel unwell."

But Ellinor still looked unconvinced, "You can't be too careful! After hearing about the side effects of saffron from the doctor, I did some googling. Turns out, even girls who aren't pregnant can get seriously harmed from too much saffron! Ms. Howard, I suggest you get yourself checked out to see if your body's been affected."

Patricia knew full well that Ellinor wasn't genuinely concerned for her. She politely declined, "Thank you for your concern, Ellinor. But I'm really okay; there’s no need for a check-up."

Ellinor shook her head, "How can you not get checked? You drank a whole glass, not just a sip! Look at your brother, Byran. He only had half a glass, and he started bleeding from his stomach! For safety's sake, I think you should get checked."

Patricia instinctively didn't want to get checked. She refused again, "No need! I'm really okay! Actually, I didn't drink much; I threw up..."