Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 111: Chapter 111

Julian texted, [I wasn't just blowing smoke back then. I said I'd build the best racing club around, and I meant it.]
Elara responded, [Isn't the racing scene kind of dying out? Why are you still throwing money at it?]
[Alex said there's a big opportunity coming up next year. He told me to go for it.]
Elara's fingers paused mid-type. [You two are still in touch?]
[No, that was something Alex told me before. We've already cut ties, so there's no way we're still talking.]
[So now that you're without your strategist, can you really handle it?]
[I'll hold up. Just winging it, honestly.]
[How did your idol, Noah, end up agreeing to sell you the club? After all, he poured years of hard work into it.]
[Honestly, I was doing Noah a favor. Ever since what happened that year, they've been running at a loss. Now that I bought it, he at least got a decent payout.]
[How much did it cost you?]
[Six million. Oh, and turns out, when I bought it, I only found out the club wasn't just his.]
Elara was confused. [What?]
[FIGHT Racing Club was actually started by Noah and Josie together.]
Elara wasn't too surprised. [I found out from Adrian yesterday that Noah is Josie's current boyfriend.]
[No wonder. So they're an item.]
[Your world is so messed up.]
Julian didn't reply right away, and something else popped into Elara's mind. [So, did you meet Noah?]
[Yeah, I did.]
[Is he really that good-looking in real life? Like, is he as handsome as he looks in the videos?]
Julian didn't reply until half an hour later. [Not really.]
At noon, Elara took a two-hour nap in the break room. When she woke up and got back to her little office, she found a new bag sitting on her desk. She pulled open the top of the bag and saw sliced fruit inside.
She was still wondering about it when her phone screen lit up. Justin texted her, [I got you some fruit as an apology.]
Elara snapped back, clearly annoyed. [I'm not eating it.] She knocked on the office door and went in, planning to make Adrian's afternoon coffee.
Elara didn't see Adrian outside, so he must have been resting in the lounge inside. She decided to wait until he woke up.
Just as she was about to leave, Adrian's voice came from the lounge. "Elara, come in."
Elara stopped in her tracks, turned on her heel, and headed toward the lounge. She opened the door and saw Adrian lying face down on the bed, still dressed in his white shirt and black pants. "Mr. Hartley, is there something you need?"
His head was buried in the pillow, and his voice came out muffled. "I'm in pain."
It took Elara a second to catch on. "Mr. Hartley, is your shoulder hurting again? Do you want me to give you some massage therapy now?"
"Yeah," he replied.
Elara walked over and sat down at the edge of the bed. She placed her soft hands over his white shirt, letting them rest gently on his back. Starting at the top, she massaged down his back, gradually increasing the pressure as she went.
After a while, the tightness in Adrian's body finally started to melt away. "Do you feel better now?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied.
Elara kept massaging, but eased up a little. "With how advanced medicine is these days, isn't there any way to get your shoulder fixed up? Even if it can't be done here, you could always try getting it treated overseas."
Massage therapy might help, but it couldn't really cure the root of the problem in the long run. "I've been in touch with some hospitals overseas," he said.
Elara nodded. "That's good to hear. Mr. Hartley, how did you get your shoulder injury?"
Adrian slowly rolled over, and she had to stop what she was doing. Their eyes met for a moment before quickly looking away. "Racing," he said.
Elara hadn't expected him to go so hardcore with racing. "So, I was right to tell you to cut back last time. It's just too dangerous."
At some point, Adrian's shirt buttons had come undone, his white shirt hanging open, exposing a line of bare skin running down the center of his torso.
From his Adam's apple, down over his chest and abs, his body was faintly visible, which was tempting and impossibly alluring. Even if she tried, Elara couldn't look away.
"And you like it too, don't you?" he said.
Elara's lashes fluttered nervously. "Like what?" She definitely liked those abs. But there was no way she could admit that.
Adrian caught the way she'd just been eyeing him, and now her gaze was darting everywhere but at him, like she was trying to play it cool. He chuckled. "Racing. What else could I mean?"
Realizing where her mind had gone, Elara quickly looked down, refusing to meet his gaze. "I gave up racing a long time ago. These days, I just like to relax in the sun, sip coffee, and enjoy a peaceful life."
Adrian got up from the bed and leisurely buttoned his shirt. "But didn't you say yesterday that you like a bit of thrill?"
Elara suddenly remembered what she'd said about her type. "Just because I like something doesn't mean I have to live that way."
Adrian finished buttoning up and leaned in a little closer. "What about your boyfriend? Planning to find someone to settle down and live a quiet life with?"
Elara was caught off guard by his question. She thought for a moment. "I mean, it's not like I couldn't. Just living through the seasons and having three meals a day sounds nice and steady."
Adrian didn't push the topic any further. "Tonight, there's a welcome dinner for Logan. I'll take you to meet someone there."
Elara was momentarily thrown off. She wasn't planning to go to Logan's dinner in the first place. And Adrian wasn't taking her to meet Logan but someone else, which made Logan a prop again. "I'm not going."
"Didn't sleep well last night?" he asked.
She'd actually slept just fine, but if she could leave work early, she wouldn't stick around and work overtime on purpose. "I didn't sleep well, and I need to get an early night tonight."
"I can take you home early," he offered. Adrian grabbed his tie from the couch and raised his arm, wincing slightly as his shoulder pulled.
Elara noticed the look on his face and walked over, taking the tie from his hand. "Let me do it." She'd practiced tying ties a bunch of times before starting this job, so it wasn't a big deal for her now.
Adrian lowered his gaze, watching her as she focused on tying his tie. He was tall, and even with her heels on, Elara still had to stand on her tiptoes.
Adrian leaned down a bit, just enough so she didn't have to struggle. In no time, she had tied an immaculate tie for him. Elara smiled, clearly satisfied with her handiwork.
She turned to leave, but Adrian reached out, wrapped his arm around her, and gently pulled her back into his arms. "Come with me tonight, hmm?" Adrian murmured.
Elara shook her head. "No."
Adrian put on his boss face. "Elara, how could you say no when your boss asks you to come along after work?"
"It's your private dinner, you don't really need me there," she replied.
"Private or business, isn't that up to me? I've got some business to take care of tonight, so I'm going to need you to work overtime with me," he said.
Elara fell silent.