Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 125: Chapter 125

Josie's words from the night before suddenly hit Elara. The three things Josie claimed were blocking her from Adrian: their different social classes, Adrian's engagement, and Sadie's power in the family.
Adrian broke off his engagement with Josie and got kicked out of Hartley Group. It looked like he'd knocked out two problems at once. But that just made Sadie even more powerful.
Anyway, a snake like Sadie wouldn't just let it go. Now that Adrian had ditched the engagement and was out of the family business, she wouldn't stop until she had him completely cornered.
So, by calling it quits with Josie, Adrian had basically just walked himself to the edge of a cliff.
The Hartley family might be the top of Veritasiton's four big families, but their empire was built on business. The Heaton family, on the other hand, had a web of connections woven deep into the political world.
What happened to Dylan was proof enough of how the Heaton family operated above the law.
Business and politics always went hand in hand. Adrian needed the Heaton family watching his back if he wanted to take Sadie down whenever she made a move.
By dragging out the engagement until he was thirty, Adrian had built himself a long-term shield. Whenever Sadie tried something, Adrian could marry Josie, bring in the Heaton's political muscle, and jump back into the fight.
Once Joseph's shares went to Adrian, nothing could have stopped Adrian from becoming the heir to the Hartley Group. But without that engagement, he'd just thrown away his only shield.
Elara replayed Josie's words in her mind. The games these rich families played were more complex than she could have imagined. What she saw as a power couple was actually just Adrian's chess game to keep everyone in check.
Elara had been way too naive. Now she understood why Adrian and Josie would rather cheat on each other and live separate lives, but still keep that engagement going.
The Heaton family wanted the Hartley family's money, and Adrian needed the Heaton family's political power. It was a dirty deal, and everyone knew exactly what they were trading.
"You want too much, Elara. I can't give you everything," Josie said. "But, listen, play it smart. Take the money, not the man. Otherwise, you're going to walk away with nothing."
Elara lowered her gaze slightly. "You don't think Adrian's already considered all this? He was the one who brought up ending the engagement. I'm sure he has a plan."
"And what happens when all Adrian has left to offer you is his heart?" Josie sneered. "A completely worthless heart. Is that really what you want?"
Elara laughed softly. "Isn't a real heart the one thing in this world that's actually priceless? He's offering me the most precious thing he has. Why wouldn't I take it?
"But I suppose you wouldn't get that, Ms. Heaton. Has anyone ever offered you a heart, worthless or otherwise?"
Josie said, "Think you're better than everyone else? You're making Adrian drop all his defenses and show his weak spots. Sadie's gonna eat him alive, and he won't even see it coming."
"Sadie clawed her way up from nothing. She won't let anyone threaten what she's built. Once Adrian loses that engagement that keeps Sadie in line, you can just watch her tear him apart."
Elara finished her coffee and casually waved Lily over for a refill. "Are you the only heiress in Veritasiton?" she asked. "Is it you or nobody?"
"Let's look at the four big families in Veritasiton," Josie scoffed. "I'm the only daughter in the Heaton family. The Montgomerys just have their one and only son, Victor.
"The Quinns? You know what a mess they are. They're barely hanging on. They've got a crippled oldest son, the two daughters married guys who had to take the family name, and Julian, just some bastard kid with no real power in the family.
"All the other little families? They're not even in the same league. So I'll ask you again. Who else can help him but me?
"Powerful families from other cities can't touch Veritasiton anyway. The only exception might be Nathan Kalmien, the richest man in Marisiton, and that's just because of his dad's old connections. Besides, he's only got one kid, Yann."
Just then, the roar of a black McLaren ripped through the quiet courtyard. Josie glanced out the picture window and knew she had to go.
She flipped open the lid of her black lighter and lit the cigarette she was holding, right there in the coffee shop. She took a long drag, the smoke drifting up to blur the "No Smoking" sign on the wall.
Josie leaned forward, a nasty little smile on her face. "Today's the anniversary of Adrian's mother's death. You know how she died? She was older when she got pregnant with him. It was a high-risk pregnancy.
"One day, Monica showed up at the Hartley residence with a seven-year-old Sadie to cause a scene. Joseph was overseas, and Adrian's mother was there alone. Sadie shoved Adrian's mom onto the couch.
"The fall sent her into early labor. She started bleeding, and they couldn't stop it. She died on the operating table.
"Sadie was just a kid, so she never faced any criminal charges. So if that's what she was like at seven, imagine what she'll do to you now."
Something about the story made Elara's stomach turn, but she couldn't figure out exactly why.
Josie got up. "Elara, people like you don't get our world. My advice? Cash in on your youth and looks and get out. If you're thinking of getting involved in the real game, you need to kill that fantasy right now. Seriously. Think about it."
The door swung open, and Adrian walked in. He stopped for a beat, surprised to see Josie, but the surprise vanished as quickly as it came. 'Right. Elara would never call me for help,' he thought.
He walked straight to their table, his eyes fixed on Josie, his jaw tight. "What are you doing here?"
"Just grabbing a coffee," Josie said with a shrug.
"Calling off the engagement was my call. Leave her out of it," Adrian said.
"I'm not doing anything to her. Just giving her some friendly advice." With that, she turned and walked out.
Adrian dropped into the seat beside Elara. His eyes scanned her face, searching for any sign that Josie's words had hurt her.
"Did she mess with you?" he asked.
Elara shook her head. "Hardly."
"What were you talking about?" he asked.
Elara tilted her head slightly, looking up at Adrian. His handsome face was right there.
She dodged the question entirely. "You know, Adrian," she said softly, "you're incredibly handsome."
His heart skipped a beat at her words. "Just figuring that out now?" he teased.
"No," she said. "But you look extra handsome today."
The worry on Adrian's face melted into a faint smile. "What happened? You have one chat with Josie, and suddenly you're sweet-talking me? Now I'm really curious what she said."
Elara said casually, "She offered me 15 million dollars to leave you."
"And you said?"
"That I'd have to think about it."
He scoffed, but the smile was still there. He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap. "You'd think about it for just 15 million dollars? The car I bought you is worth more than that."
"That's what I told her. But hey, I guess that's all she could afford," Elara said.
"Alright, new offer. I'll give you 30 million dollars to stay," Adrian teased.
Elara grinned. "Okay. I'd have to think about it."
"How did the shoot go today? When are you posting this stuff on Twitter?" he asked.
"We got everything we needed for the cafe's promo," Elara replied. "The big launch is on Thanksgiving Day. I'll start dropping teasers on my personal account in the next day or two."
Adrian nodded. "Good."
"Wait," Elara said. "Why did you come over?"
Adrian looked offended. "Are you serious? You called me, remember?"
"Oh right," Elara said, remembering.
Elara couldn't help but recall what Josie had said earlier, and a wave of unease settled in her chest.
She thought, 'Maybe Adrian shouldn't rush into breaking off the engagement. And Sadie... What she did at seven years old is beyond twisted. How can someone be like that? Doesn't she worry about what goes around comes around?'
"What's going on in that head of yours?" Adrian asked.
'A million things,' Elara thought to herself.
"Adrian," she said, her voice soft. "This can't be an easy day for you."
He looked down at her, his expression shuttered. He said nothing.
"It's the anniversary of your mother's death," she whispered.
"Yeah," he confirmed, his voice flat.
"This has to be hard," Elara said.
Adrian's eyes looked empty somehow. "I don't feel anything."
'Liar,' she thought instantly. 'Yesterday, he told me he'd only ever been disappointed in two people: himself, and his mom. There's no way he feels nothing.'
Then, another piece of Josie's story slammed into her. Shen thought, 'Wait a second. Josie said his mom died the day he was born. No, that's not right. If I remember, his birthday should be at the start of the month.'
He reached up and gently smoothed the crease between her brows with his thumb. "What's on your mind now?"
Cradled in his arms, Elara looked up at his strong jawline, so close she could touch it just by tilting her head. "Josie said your mother died the day you were born. So... shouldn't today be your birthday?"
He pulled her a little closer. "My Aunt Paige thought it would be too painful, celebrating on a day like this. So she picked a different date for me."
'Oh,' Elara thought. 'Of course, she would.'
"It's pointless, really," Adrian added. "Separating the dates doesn't make a difference. I don't celebrate my birthday anyway."
Somehow, a wave of sadness washed over her. "Adrian, I—"
Her words were cut off by the sharp ring of Adrian's phone. He pulled it from his pocket. "Victor, what's wrong?"
As he listened, his face went still for a second. "Got it. We're on our way."
Adrian hung up and turned to Elara. "There's a problem," he said. "Victor's mom just hit Ruby."