“Who do you think you are? Why do I have to see you just because you said so?”
Eloise frowned. “I mean it when I say I have something important to discuss with you. Are you coming?”
“Heh!” Bonnie scoffed.
“Why, you little-” Eloise felt almost suffocated. ‘She’s such a bitch. How is she even worse than Ivor?’
“If you’re trying to pick a fight, you should direct your efforts at someone else. I can’t afford to waste time on you. Ciao.”
Bonnie was about to hang up the phone when she heard Eloise speaking hastily. “D-Don’t hang up! I’m trying to talk to you about Ivor.”
“Ivor?” Bonnie raised her eyebrows. “If I want to know something about him, I can always ask him. I don’t need you to give me any input.”
Eloise almost screamed into her phone when she heard what Bonnie said. However, she had no choice but to swallow her anger.
“Aren’t you concerned or curious about what I have to tell you?”
“Not at all.” Bonnie’s voice carried a hint of nonchalance. “Didn’t you hear me? I’ll ask Ivor myself if I have any questions for him. I don’t need you to tell me anything.”
Eloise clenched her fists so hard that she could hear them crackling.
“A-Alright. Tell me! What’s it going to take for you to come here and talk to me?”
Bonnie’s lips curled. A hint of cockiness flashed in her eyes. “If you want me to go there, then you’re going to have to beg for it. Make it sound convincing while you’re at it, too.” Eloise couldn’t hold herself back anymore. She ended up screaming into her phone, “You’re over the line, Bonnie!”
Bonnie spoke slowly in an indifferent tone. “Is that a no? Well. I won’t push for it. You can forget about talking to me.”
“Hey!”
‘I need her help to execute my plan. She’s being impossible right now, but I simply have no choice but to do as she said.’
She chose to comply with Bonnie’s request.
“Please, Bonnie! I’m begging you. Is this good enough for you?”
Bonnie’s raised her eyebrows and asked, “Huh? What are you begging me for? Can you be more specific?”
Eloise gnashed her teeth and took a deep breath. Then, she roared at her phone, “I’m begging you to come over here so we can talk about Ivor. This has got to be good enough!”
“Hmm… You sure seem serious about it. I guess I can free myself from my packed schedule and meet up with you for a while.”
Bonnie smirked, took her car keys, and walked out of the research institute.
Eloise stared at her phone and gnashed her teeth so hard that she could grind them to dust. ‘What a bitch! What a shameless bitch!’
Half an hour later, Bonnie walked into the coffee shop and saw Eloise by the window.
She walked over, sat across the table, and asked dryly, “Out with it. What is it you wanted to talk about?”
Eloise proceeded to give her a brief rundown about Ivor’s painting. “Now, his painting is irreparably damaged. Not even the painting conservators could restore it. There’s only one more of Master Kieran’s paintings left in the world, and I have it.
“Sigmund is going to be out of the hospital soon. I’m sure he’s going to go into a fit of rage when he finds the painting missing. I’m willing to do you a favor and give you the painting, but I have a term.”
