Ophelia Gets Thrown Out (Ophelia) novel Chapter 69

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Chapter 69

“Do you think I might have a crush on Alaric?” Ophelia retorted, a playful smile dancing on her lips.

Internally, she couldn’t help but scoff, wondering, ‘What in the world made this kid come up with such a ludicrous notion?’

Owen blinked in genuine confusion, his youthful face scrunching up in thought. “Well, Mr. Caldwell got hurt trying to protect you last night, and you looked really concerned. You even went to the hospital with him!”

From his innocent viewpoint, it was clear that Ophelia cared more deeply than she was willing to admit.

Yet, Ophelia remained resolute in her dismissal. “He got hurt because of me. Naturally, I couldn’t just abandon him. It’s a matter of basic human decency. Don’t read too much into it,” she insisted, her tone firm, though a flicker of uncertainty crossed her mind.

A cheeky grin broke out on Owen’s face, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Just basic decency? Come on, Ophelia! Every socialite in town would give anything to be with Mr. Caldwell. You can’t honestly tell me you’re completely immune to his charms?”

Despite being just a kid, Owen had a knack for picking up on the subtleties in Ophelia’s demeanor when Alaric was around.

“Stop making things up!” Ophelia shot back, flicking his forehead lightly, though there was a hint of affection in her gesture. “What other girls feel for him is irrelevant to me. I have no interest in him whatsoever.”

To her, Alaric was merely a self-absorbed flirt, a playboy seeking attention wherever he could find it.

“Ouch! That actually stung. You’ve got a pretty strong right hand,” Owen exclaimed, rubbing his forehead with exaggerated drama. His brothers had teased him in similar ways before, but Ophelia’s flick had an unexpected force behind it—enough to leave a faint mark.

Realizing she might have been a bit too rough, Ophelia’s expression softened momentarily. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you that hard,” she offered, her voice gentler.

But just as quickly, her demeanor hardened again. “Still, you kind of had it coming. I would never fall for someone so over-the-top. He just irritates me,” she added, crossing her arms defiantly.

Rubbing his forehead, Owen pressed on, his curiosity unwavering. “But he did save you! Do you really dislike him that much?”

“Absolutely,” Ophelia replied, nodding with conviction, yet as she met Owen’s earnest gaze, her confidence wavered slightly. “Well, maybe ‘dislike’ is a strong word,” she admitted, her tone softening. “He’s not terrible when he’s not being so pushy.”

“See? I knew it!” Owen’s eyes sparkled with excitement, as if he had just uncovered a great secret. “Nobody can genuinely dislike Mr. Caldwell. And you know what? If you don’t dislike someone, it probably means you like them!”