The Kiss that Sparked it All (Ellinor and Theo) novel Chapter 1110

Ellinor stayed silent, thinking to herself, “Is this for real?”
The man pulled her into a tight embrace, his chin resting lightly on top of her head, brushing against her hair, "I finally made it back, and you won't even give me a peck? Do you have any idea how hard it's been for me to hold back?"
The sincerity in the man's voice made Ellinor's heart waver, and she chose to believe him.
"Next time you go out, can you give me a heads up? I worry about you too, okay?"
With that, she lifted her head, yanked at his tie, and stood on her toes, leaning in for a kiss.
Caught off guard by her sudden move, the man was speechless for a moment, a smirk forming on his lips. He cradled the back of her head with his hand, greedily reciprocating her kiss.
Feeling light-headed from the passionate kiss, Ellinor found herself being led by the man, a stark contrast to her initial assertiveness!
Unbeknownst to the two lovebirds, someone was watching them from a distance.
Howard Mountain Villa was home to a variety of plants, most notably the pink trumpet trees.
Dean was fond of those trees, so there was at least one in every garden as a decorative piece.
Balfour and Bartlett were standing by one of the pink trumpet trees nearby, observing the intimate scene between the couple, each with their own thoughts and expressions.
Balfour had never liked the Blanchet family, let alone Theo, his business rival. But seeing his sisters head over heels for the man, he was both frustrated and helpless.
He watched the scene unfold, a surge of protectiveness welling up within him, and the urge to intervene almost overwhelming.
But he knew he had no right to interfere; his sisters didn't even recognize him as their brother!
Bartlett was watching the scene intently—the sight of Ellinor standing on her toes to wrap her arms around Theo's neck. His eyes were filled with a hazy darkness and a tinge of jealousy he had never felt before.
He had never been interested in any woman as much as he was in Ellinor. From the moment he met her, he was drawn to her and made a move.
It turned out that she was involved with Theo.
He knew he shouldn't get any closer to her, but he couldn't help himself. Every time he saw her, he couldn't help but want to strike up a conversation.
Even knowing that Ellinor didn't like him, even being repulsed by him, he couldn't help himself.
He thought that a girl like Ellinor wouldn't be very fond of Theo either. But the scene in front of him made him realize that Ellinor was in love with Theo.
A girl who loved her freedom like Ellinor wouldn't stay with a man unless she was in love with him.
Just like a bird who wanted to fly, no tree could keep it grounded.
Bartlett had always been the apple of girls' eyes; he was never short of female companions, and he had ample dating experience. But he had never experienced the feeling of being genuinely in love with someone.