The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 601

At this point, Patricia's gloom had lifted.

It seemed Haillie wasn't as helpless as she thought. When push came to shove, this friend could be quite handy.

Patricia felt at ease and smiled, "Haillie, thanks for defending me in front of Grandpa."

Haillie replied, "Ah, it's nothing! Patricia, we're best buds. How could I just sit back and watch Ellinor bully you and steal your limelight?

I swear, she was totally out to get you today, pushing you down the stairs on purpose so she could hog the spotlight!

But don't you worry, I've got someone keeping tabs on her backstage. There's no way she'll get a chance to speak in front of old Mr. Bagley!"

Patricia chuckled and put on her innocent act, pretending to be clueless, "Haillie, don't be so hard on Ellinor. I don't think she did it on purpose."

"As if! Patricia, you're just too kind-hearted. You’re giving her too much credit!" Haillie genuinely thought her friend was too nice and easily bullied. She felt a strong protective instinct for Patricia, who was also going to be her relative in the future and was determined to look out for her.

"Patricia, let's drop the subject of Ellinor! Come on; I’ve got a wheelchair for you. Your foot is hurt, and it's hard for you to walk. I'll push you to see old Mr. Bagley, see what he has to say?"

Patricia nodded and said, "All right."

Balfour had just left a few servants to look after her, then left.

Without Balfour, the remaining servants were easier to persuade. Seeing the wheelchair, they didn't stop them from going out.

And so, Haillie pushed Patricia in front of old Mr. and Mrs. Bagley.

Haillie said, "Old Mr. Bagley, I've brought Patricia!"

Old Mr. Bagley's stern eyes fell on Patricia, who was still in her stage makeup and sitting in the wheelchair. He squinted his sharp, though aged eyes, quickly noticing something was off, and asked in a deep voice:

"Why have you changed your clothes? Why are you in a wheelchair? What's going on?"

Patricia explained, looking a bit embarrassed, "Grandpa, I'm sorry I can't stand up to talk to you. It’s very rude of me. I just changed out of my costume in a hurry after my performance and didn't see the steps, so I accidentally twisted my ankle."

Old Mr. Bagley looked at her pitiful appearance for a moment, then, his doubts vanished. He began to feel some pity and respect for Ms. Howard, whom he had never liked, and a kind smile appeared on his face. He said gently, "All right, your sincerity is clear to both your grandma and me. You did a splendid job in your performance just now, and it’s clear you've prepared for a long time. I really enjoyed your performance, and so did the other guests. Now that your foot is injured, you should rest. Don't move around too much, and you'll have another chance to perform for us later."