The abrupt shift in conversation caught Elise completely off guard.

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about leaving?" Patrick's voice held a teasing lilt.

"Of course I want to leave," Elise responded honestly. "But I don't want to create more complications for you. I can barely sit up in bed right now, let alone go anywhere."

"Just joking with you," Patrick chuckled. "Even if I showed up, I couldn't take you with me. Besides, I have no clue where John's hidden you. He's definitely gone to great lengths to keep your location secret from me. Which actually works in your favor—you can recover peacefully at his place without worrying about interruptions."

Elise felt a complex mix of emotions swirling within her after Patrick's words.

Another call suddenly came through on William's phone. "I need to go," she said quickly. "Victoria is calling William's phone."

"Make sure you get William to buy you a new phone," Patrick reminded her. "Keep your old number so we can stay in contact."

"I'll handle it."

After ending the call, she called out toward the door, "William!"

The door opened immediately, revealing William who had been waiting just outside.

He had respected her privacy during the entire conversation with Patrick.

"Victoria is calling you," Elise said, extending his phone toward him.

William gave her a brief, unreadable look before taking the device and stepping out again. He returned a few minutes later, his expression neutral.

Elise didn't ask about the nature of Victoria's call, and William didn't offer any explanation.

They had reached an unspoken agreement to avoid discussing Victoria altogether.

"Could you help me get a new phone with my old number?" Elise asked.

"Already taken care of," William replied. "Someone will deliver it later today."

"Thank you."

"Do you need more rest?"

"Yes."

Elise settled back into the bed while William quietly exited the room.

Silence enveloped the space once more, but sleep remained elusive for Elise. After three days of forced bed rest, her body refused to surrender to slumber, though she welcomed the quiet.

She needed this time to think, to plan her next moves carefully.

Three more days passed at William's private estate in Rockville before Elise could finally leave her bed.

She still required a crutch to move around and could only manage short distances.

It was only when she ventured beyond her room that she grasped the sheer scale of William's residence.

The mansion spanned five impressive floors, set within sprawling gardens covering eighteen thousand square feet, complete with an expansive outdoor swimming pool.

Despite her increased mobility, Elise remained within the mansion's confines. She had no knowledge of her surroundings beyond these walls or how far she was from Rockville's city center.

All she knew was the profound peace and quiet that enveloped the property.

Seated on a bench in the back garden, Elise basked in the winter sunlight while scrolling through her new phone.

Even after a full week, media coverage of the Stuart charity gala continued to dominate headlines.

The annual event always generated significant buzz, but this year's edition featured extra drama—the official announcement of William and Victoria's wedding date, coupled with speculation about Elise's alleged affair with Patrick, ensuring the gala remained trending.

Bored, Elise skimmed through articles filled with media praise for William and Victoria's "perfect match," alongside endless speculation about her relationship with Patrick.

Public opinion seemed to have already paired her with Patrick, treating their relationship as established fact despite no official confirmation.

She scrolled through the comments section beneath one particularly popular article.

[So Elise Scott and Patrick Montgomery are an item? Guess the elite really do stick together.]

[A rising political star paired with a famous fashion designer turned business prodigy? Now that's what I call a power couple.]

[But seriously...is Elise-Patrick really a better match than William-Victoria?]

[Speaking of which, things aren't looking good for Sophia Mitchell. She was photographed leaving with that older gentleman after the gala too...are the rumors true?]

Elise's brow furrowed slightly at that last comment.

Sophia...with an older man?

She exited the article about herself and searched for information about Sophia. After some digging, she found a less prominent article featuring a photo of Sophia clinging to a man's arm as they left the charity event.

The man appeared to be the same one who had bid for Sophia's first dance at the gala.

Had her stepsister truly fallen so far from grace?!

Elise felt no particular emotion about Sophia's situation—neither satisfaction nor pity.