Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 116: Chapter 116

Elara had never expected to live in the same neighborhood as Noah. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't respond right away, and that made Noah think she wasn't cool with him hitching a ride.
"If it's not a good time, it's no big deal. I'll just ask Victor to lend me a car later," he said, trying to play it off.
"No, it's not that. It's just funny, I live in Flowery Apartments too," Elara finally replied, still a little flustered.
Noah's eyes flashed with surprise, then he smirked, his lips curling into a teasing smile. "What a small world."
"Yeah, it really is," Elara said, laughing softly.
Noah grinned, his tone playful as he asked, "So, can I catch a ride with you?"
Elara nodded. She led Noah toward the open-air parking lot. Just a few steps away, the headlights of a sleek black Bugatti lit up. Noah spotted the car and raised an eyebrow. "Your car?"
Elara handed him the keys. "It's Adrian's."
They both got in and buckled up.
"Do you need navigation?" Elara asked.
"Nah, I'm good," Noah started the car, his slender fingers wrapping around the steering wheel as he turned it with ease, and the Bugatti quickly merged onto Veritasiton Avenue.
Elara couldn't believe she was actually sitting in the passenger seat next to Noah. She felt like her head was in the clouds. She turned to look at him, a little starstruck, and couldn't help but sneak a photo with her phone.
"Noah, can I post you on my Twitter?" she asked, her voice full of excitement.
Noah's lips curled into a teasing smile. "Shouldn't we take a selfie?"
Elara grinned even wider. "If you're up for it, that'd be perfect!"
"Honestly, I'm way past my prime. Haven't been famous for years, and I even sold FIGHT Racing Club. Never thought I'd still have a loyal fan like you," Noah said, a hint of self-mockery in his voice.
Elara's fingers paused over her phone as she suddenly remembered that it was Julian who bought FIGHT Racing Club. "So... do you ever regret it?" she asked softly.
Noah's eyes clouded with an unreadable emotion. "Maybe."
Elara didn't press him further. Instead, she offered a gentle smile and said, "Sometimes you have to let things break before you can rebuild. It's better to start over than to drag something out that's already falling apart."
The black Bugatti rolled to a stop by the side of the road. Elara turned to Noah. "Why are we stopping?"
Noah turned to face her, his eyes searching hers. "Do you know something?"
"What?" Elara looked at him.
"You said, 'better to start over than to drag things out,'" Noah echoed, his tone probing.
FIGHT Racing Club had been struggling for years, always running at a loss. But with Kalmien Group constantly pumping in money, it still looked like a respectable brand to outsiders.
Only a handful of insiders and Quinn Group, who bought FIGHT Racing Club, knew what was really going on behind the scenes.
Elara suddenly understood. "Oh, Julian, the one who bought FIGHT, is actually a good friend of mine."
Noah's eyes went a little cold, and he let out a self-mocking laugh. "Seems like you have quite a few powerful friends." He rolled down the window, lit a cigarette, and leaned back lazily, saying nothing more.
Elara could read the look in his eyes. Years of hard work and dedication, and he had to let it all go because of all the pressure from reality. To others, it was a number. To him, it was the thing he valued most.
"If I told you that both Julian and I are your fans, would that make you feel a little better?" Elara asked softly.
Noah's fingers paused around his cigarette. "Even Julian is a fan of mine?"
Elara smiled. "Yeah, he's actually the one who got me into racing back then. He's a fan of your driving, and I'm a fan of your looks."
Elara thought maybe knowing that FIGHT Racing Club was bought by someone who truly loved racing would untie that knot in his heart.
Noah's eyes softened ever so slightly. He stubbed out his cigarette, then reached his hand out to Elara.
Elara looked at him, puzzled. "What's that for?"
"Your phone. Didn't you want a selfie?" Noah asked, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.
Elara hesitated for a second, and then quickly opened the camera app and handed her phone over to him.
Noah lifted the phone, aiming the front camera at the two of them. His lips curled into a wickedly charming smile. Noticing Elara was still sitting a bit far, he teased, "Hey, why are you so far away for a selfie?"
Elara scooted closer, propping her elbow on the center console.
Noah leaned in as well, their arms pressed together. He snapped the photo with a click.
Elara took her phone back, glanced at the picture, and grinned. "Not bad. You've actually got some skills."
"Well, I was pretty famous back in the day," Noah said with a self-deprecating smile.
Elara laughed. "I posted it on Twitter."
Noah pulled out his phone and checked Twitter. There was Elara's post, [Photo with my idol. Such an honor! @Noah]
She'd attached two pictures, one from the passenger seat showing Noah turning the steering wheel with one hand, and the other of the two of them together.
Noah gave a lazy grin. "Wow, didn't peg you for a social media star. You've even got more followers than me."
Elara's eyes curved into crescents as she laughed. "It's not a big deal. Most of them are just here for my face anyway."
Noah couldn't help but laugh and casually hit follow. He didn't even have time to lock his phone before a call came in. Noah glanced at the caller ID, his gaze dropping for a moment. He hesitated for a few seconds before picking up.
His voice softened a few notches as he answered, "Josie, what's up?"
"Where are you? Do you need me to come pick you up?" Josie asked.
Noah's tone was gentle, not a hint of complaint, just understanding. "No need, I've already got a ride."
"Alright, then I'll just head straight back home," Josie said.
"Okay. Let me know when you get home safe," Noah replied.
"Yeah," Josie replied.
When the call ended, Noah's expression faded a bit, growing more neutral. He started the car again and headed toward the outer ring.
"Why do you live in Flowery Apartments?" Elara asked, genuinely curious.
"Is that so strange?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, kind of. I mean, rich guys like you are supposed to live downtown, right?" Elara teased.
Noah gave a wry smile. "Being a rich kid? That hasn't been me for a long time."
Elara glanced at him, curious. "Huh?"
Noah didn't go into details. "I've been living at Flowery Apartments for more than a decade."
"Okay," Elara said.
At the intersection, instead of turning right onto Glory Street, Noah kept driving straight toward a more out-of-the-way area. Elara asked curiously, "Where are we going?"
"I just flew in from Marisiton tonight and haven't had a bite to eat since noon. Want to join me for some pasta?" Noah asked.
Elara nodded in agreement.
They drove for about ten minutes. The restaurant was hidden away in one of Veritasiton's authentic little alleys, so they had to park the car at the corner since it couldn't get through.
The two of them walked side by side into the alley. The street was almost empty at this hour. The restaurant was tiny, but even this late, business was still good.
There weren't any open seats, and since Elara was worried about gaining weight and didn't want to eat, Noah felt bad about making her wait, so he just ordered the pasta to go.
On the way back, Noah picked up the speed a bit, and Elara actually found it pretty exciting.
When they pulled into the underground garage at Flowery Apartments, Elara joked, "Who would've thought my first experience of your driving would be just because you didn't want the pasta to get soggy?"
Noah handed her the car keys, a big smile on his handsome face. "Next time, I'll take you somewhere you can really feel it. Get some rest, okay?"
Elara smiled and said goodbye before heading straight for the nearby elevator.
When she reached her door, she unlocked it with her fingerprint. As soon as she pushed it open, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of her. Before she could even see who it was, a strong force pushed her inside.
The light from the hallway lasted only a split second before Adrian stepped in, the door swinging shut behind him and plunging the room into darkness.
A wave of strong tobacco hit her. Adrian was so close she could feel his breath, his voice low and clearly annoyed. "Back this late? Some girlfriend you are."
She shoved him away, annoyed, and took a few steps inside, but Adrian caught her and pinned her against the wall. The motion sensor light in the entryway came on for a second.
The light was faint, just enough to catch the way Adrian's long lashes lowered a bit, emotion flickering in his dark eyes, gone was the icy sharpness from when they first met.
"Adrian, you followed me into my apartment. Don't think I won't report you for harassment," Elara snapped.
Adrian was indifferent. "Go ahead. Do it."
"You—"
"Before you go reporting me, shouldn't you at least do your duties first?" Adrian said, his voice low and teasing.
"Girlfriend? I told you, I'm only doing this for two hours," Elara shot back.
Adrian lifted his wrist and held his watch right up to her face. "It's 11:48 PM. That means I've still got twelve minutes left."
Elara frowned. "And what exactly are you planning to do with twelve minutes?"
"Twelve minutes is more than enough to get up to all sorts of things," Adrian replied, his tone dropping to a suggestive drawl.