CHAPTER 87: CHAPTER 87: I CAN’T PROTECT HER?

Eleanor’s words were full of sarcasm, and for a moment, the room fell silent.

Adrian Grant, however, didn’t get angry. Instead, he chuckled softly, a chuckle filled with a sense of pride and shamelessness as if to say ’what can you do about it’.

Jude Winslow thought he must have been out of his mind, it was an illusion; how could Young Master Grant react this way?

He glanced again at Eleanor.

Eleanor let out a cold laugh, as if Adrian’s reaction was entirely within her expectations.

Jude felt that he shouldn’t be there, that he just wasn’t smart enough.

When Eugene Winslow and Yvonne Vance came in, Adrian Grant had just gone to the bathroom.

"Now that you’re married to Adrian Grant, your status is indeed different, with bodyguards even outside the hospital room." Yvonne’s face was extremely unpleasant, almost wearing her sarcasm on her face, "What, are you worried we’ll call the police and have you arrested?"

After waiting for Yvonne to finish her tirade, Eleanor quietly inquired, "How is Mia Winslow?"

"How dare you ask? Eleanor, if Mia’s hand really... really..." Yvonne couldn’t finish speaking, glaring daggers at Eleanor, "I will see you ruined, see you in jail!"

"I said, I didn’t push her."

Before Eleanor could finish, a furious Yvonne stormed toward her.

"You still claim you didn’t! Adrian Grant is about to kick you out, let’s see who can protect you!" As she spoke, she raised her hand, ready to slap Eleanor.

Eleanor’s hands were injured and bandaged up tightly, unable to muster the strength to block Yvonne’s slap, and she didn’t have enough strength in her arms to react in time.

Seeing the slap coming closer, Eleanor stiffened her neck and closed her eyes.

Once she took the slap, she’d waited for her hands to heal to take her revenge!

"Mom!"

Jude, who had been playing games nearby, suddenly snapped back to reality, dropped his phone, and lunged forward.

At the same time, the bodyguards outside the door rushed in upon hearing the commotion—

Eleanor didn’t feel the expected pain; instead, she heard Eugene’s worried voice: "My dear son-in-law..."

Upon opening her eyes, she saw Yvonne’s hand being blocked in mid-air by Adrian Grant.

Jude rushed over, blocking the front of her hospital bed.

"Miss Winslow?" one of the bodyguards asked.

Eleanor returned to her senses, feeling warm inside, and told the bodyguard, "I’m fine, you can go out."

These messy affairs, she didn’t have the face to let others witness them.

"Adrian, when... when did you arrive... were you in the bathroom?" Yvonne looked utterly stunned and panicked, trying to smile, but it was more like a grimace.

"I can’t protect her?" Adrian’s voice was calm, but his eyes were particularly cold, sending chills down one’s spine.

Adrian had just been about to open the bathroom door when he’d heard Yvonne storm in, making her hostile declaration.

Eleanor looked at Adrian in astonishment.

Adrian looked at Eugene, "President Winslow, I thought you were not here."

—Otherwise, how could you watch as your step-wife bullied your daughter?

Eugene heard the veiled satire in Adrian’s words, cold sweat breaking out, cursing Yvonne in his heart, forcing a smile to say, "Adrian, it’s all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding... Your aunt was just too worried about Mia’s injured hand!"

Eugene was somewhat afraid of Adrian, not daring to boldly refer to Yvonne as Adrian’s mother-in-law.

Not wanting to offend Adrian, Yvonne immediately said, "Yes, Adrian, it was Eleanor who hurt Mia, you didn’t know that after you left, Mia cried uncontrollably from the pain. It was all because of Eleanor!"

Yvonne looked at Eleanor, with eyes full of venomous hatred: "Eleanor, why do you bully Mia so much? You ruined her piano career before; do you now want to take her hand away too?"

"Mom!" Jude wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, but he didn’t believe Eleanor would intentionally harm Mia.

"Shut up!" Yvonne scolded her son who was siding with an outsider.

Eleanor said nothing, leaning against the bed, leisurely watching Adrian, as if she were watching a show, as if she weren’t the one being condemned, as if the affair being discussed had nothing to do with her.

She was simply curious about how Adrian would react.

Eugene sighed, "My dear son-in-law, Eleanor hurt Mia. It’s my fault, I didn’t teach her—"

The word ’well’ hadn’t even left his lips when Adrian asked, "Are you sure it was Eleanor who hurt her?"

The tense atmosphere in the room stalled.

Eleanor looked at Adrian in astonishment.

Eugene and the others were all shocked.

Adrian sat down next to Eleanor; even while sitting, his presence was no less than that of the standing Eugene and Yvonne.

He said, "Eleanor says she didn’t push Mia Winslow."

Eleanor stared at Adrian unblinkingly, as if she didn’t recognize him.

Was he actually speaking up for her?

Yvonne’s face turned somewhat ugly, "Adrian, we all saw it with our own eyes! Eleanor intentionally hurt her, of course she won’t admit it!"

Adrian asked Eugene, "Did you also see it with your own eyes? Are you sure you saw Eleanor push Mia Winslow?"

Eugene opened his mouth, but under Adrian’s intensely pressuring gaze, he didn’t dare to assert it directly.

"I... I didn’t see Eleanor pushing Mia, but at that time, only Eleanor was right beside Mia; she couldn’t have done it to herself..." Eugene reflexively defended Mia, "She wouldn’t joke around with her own hand."

—At that time, only Eleanor stood beside Mia; there was no way Mia could have harmed herself. This was exactly like before!

Adrian glanced at Eleanor’s hands, "So, Eleanor would joke around with her hand?"

Yvonne scoffed dismissively, "It’s just a minor injury. What’s the big deal!"

"No big deal?" Jude was infuriated by these words, "Mom, Eleanor almost died at our villa!"

Yvonne was slightly surprised, then regretted it: why hadn’t she just died directly!

Eugene looked at his daughter in shock, "Eleanor..."

Eleanor couldn’t be bothered to even glance at him, thinking it was all so unlucky.

"But Mia’s hand is truly seriously hurt, does she deserve this?" Yvonne relentlessly pursued, "Back then, Eleanor was let off once, which is why she dared to strike Mia again! Eleanor, back then you hurt Mia, you shouldn’t have been put into a mental institution, you should have gone straight to jail!"

"Is that so?" The mention of being forced into a mental institution back then changed Eleanor’s expression to one of gloom.

Adrian sensed Eleanor’s mood, reminded Yvonne, "Mrs. Winslow, I am now Eleanor’s guardian."

Yvonne rarely interacted with Adrian; even when they did, it was with respect and reverence. This time, for the sake of her daughter, she spoke to Adrian in such a manner for the first time, rashly saying, "Adrian, don’t you think of Mia even a bit?"

Adrian reacted like he’d heard a joke, "What do you expect me to think?"

Yvonne said, "Naturally, it’s for Mia—"

"To denounce me for Mia?" Eleanor laughed, "Aunt, I’m still here, yet you scheme as you do. If this gets out, the Winslow family will be known for two women serving one man, unafraid of becoming a laughingstock."

Eleanor looked at Adrian, "Young Master Grant, don’t you agree?"