Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 146: Chapter 146

"Daddy." Elara threw her arms around Adrian's neck, nuzzling into him. "Daddy, you came to pick me up from school."
Adrian ruffled her hair. "So I just got a daughter for free?"
Justin grinned. "Daddy!"
Adrian shot him a cold glare. "I don't have a son like you, you know. I told you to keep an eye on her, and look what happened. I'll deal with you when you're sober."
Adrian picked Elara up, but remembering the cold in Veritasiton and her thin dress, he put her down, wrapped his suit jacket around her, and then lifted her up again.
Jade asked, "What did your brother say?"
Adrian glanced at the grinning Justin. "Tell the bodyguards to carry him to my car."
With a nod from Jade, a few burly men stepped forward to untie Justin, but Adrian added, "Don't bother untying him. Just take him as he is."
Justin grinned. "Thanks, Daddy!"
Jade couldn't help but laugh. "He's your own cousin. Do you really have to treat him like a prisoner of war?" She teased.
"He let my girl get mushroom poisoning. Honestly, tying him up is already letting him off easy." Adrian shot back.
Outside the plane, a sleek black Rolls-Royce Phantom was parked. The moment the driver saw people coming down, he hurried out and opened the back door.
Adrian strode out of the cabin with Elara in his arms, taking the steps down with ease. Behind him, two bodyguards hauled the still-tied-up Justin between them, and at the rear, Jade and her friend followed.
The driver didn't dare to even think too much about the scene. He simply bowed respectfully and raised his hand to shield the car roof, making sure Adrian wouldn't bump his head getting in.
Justin was put in the front passenger seat. Jade tapped on the window. "Do you need me to go with you to the hospital? Are you sure you can handle these two kids by yourself?"
"You should head back to Lucas' place. I'll have my friend come over," Adrian replied. Jade nodded.
The car pulled away from the private airport and made its way toward Veritasiton General Hospital. Inside the car, Adrian still didn't let Elara go. He kept her firmly on his lap, wrapping his arms around her to keep her from wriggling.
The mushroom's effects were really lingering. Even after a few hours, Elara was still bouncing off the walls and totally out of it. She pointed at Justin up front, who was tied up and grinning goofily. "Daddy, this is my puppy."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you've adopted a puppy now, sweetheart?"
Elara nodded, then called out to Justin. "Puppy Hartley, this is my daddy."
Justin giggled. "Daddy!"
Elara and Justin giggled together.
Adrian fell silent. He squeezed Elara's cheeks in exasperation. "Puppy Hartley?"
Elara nodded sweetly. "Mm-hmm, Puppy Hartley."
Adrian brushed her messy bangs aside, his laugh carrying a chilly undertone. "So, what's the relationship between Puppy Hartley and Adrian?"
"Adrian is Puppy Hartley," Elara declared.
Adrian fell silent. The driver had to stifle a laugh, thinking, 'Man, this girl's got guts, messing with the boss like that.'
Adrian's smile faded. "Elara, bet you've been calling me names in your head all day, huh? Finally got a chance to do it to my face, didn't you?"
Elara, feeling extra bold, wrapped her arms around Adrian's neck like a little kid, kicking her legs playfully. "Puppy Adrian is so clingy, always sticking to me. He just can't get enough of me."
Adrian couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. "Oh? I'm the clingy one, am I?"
"Daddy, how come you're free to pick me up today?" Elara asked, her voice full of curiosity.
Adrian was exasperated, but he still coaxed her patiently. "I finished my work, so I came to get you."
"Wow, your lab actually lets you off sometimes? Well, it's my birthday today, so you have to make me pretzel for dinner, Daddy," Elara demanded, grinning.
Adrian went along with her, asking, "Today's your birthday?"
Elara frowned, pouting, "Daddy, today's the ninth day of January. You forgot my birthday again."
Adrian rubbed his temples and gave a dry laugh. "Fine, I'll make pretzel."
'Whatever, it's just a dream. Anything goes here anyway,' Adrian thought to himself.
"Is Mommy coming today?" Elara asked, her eyes full of hope.
Adrian met her expectant gaze, and his mind flashed back to the stories she'd told on stage that day. Every year on her birthday, her parents would start fighting before the cake was even cut, storming off and leaving her behind.
Adrian had never celebrated a birthday himself, and he couldn't really imagine what it felt like to have divorced parents, but he knew her childhood must've been rough.
"Mommy will come later," he said softly. Just those words were enough to settle her down.
She lay quietly in Adrian's arms, eyes wide open, her little hands still wrapped tightly around his neck, like she was scared he'd run away if she let go.
Adrian suddenly asked, "How old are you this year, sweetheart?"
"Daddy, after my birthday, I'm nine," Elara replied.
Her eyes were so clear and innocent that Adrian's heart melted. If only he could go back to when she was really nine years old.
His deep eyes lingered on her face, his voice husky. "Then happy ninth birthday, my precious girl."
Eventually, she dozed off, still half out of it. Adrian finally had a free hand to text Victor, but as soon as he did, the girl in his arms frowned in her sleep.
He set his phone aside again and gently patted her back. "Go to sleep, sweetheart."
She mumbled softly in her sleep, "Daddy, Puppy Adrian is my boyfriend."
Then she added, "When you meet him for the first time, but you have to give him a gift, okay?"
At the entrance of Veritasiton General Hospital, Ruby and Victor were already waiting. As soon as they spotted Adrian's car with its distinctive license plate pulling up, they rushed over.
Adrian got out of the car with Elara in his arms. "Victor, haul Justin inside."
Victor opened the passenger door and was a bit dumbfounded to see Justin all trussed up. He hoisted Justin over his shoulder and had just carried him to the hospital entrance when Paige arrived.
Paige got out of her car, and the moment she saw her precious son all tied up like that, her eyes nearly popped out.
She rushed over and complained to Adrian, "What did Justin do, crash your car or steal your woman? Why the hell did you have to tie him up like this?"
Adrian let out a cold laugh. "Your precious son just tried to jump off the plane. I was the one who saved him." Paige was speechless.
Justin grinned. "Baby Elara."
Adrian stopped in his tracks, shooting Justin a piercing look. "What did you just call her?"
"Baby Elara, give me a kiss," Justin said, still grinning like an idiot.
Paige finally realized what was going on and quickly clamped a hand over Justin's mouth. "Just look at the state he's in. Get him inside for treatment, quick!"
Victor, worried Justin might not survive this, rushed him straight into the hospital lobby. They checked Justin into the ER and got him on an IV drip. Elara was woken up by all the commotion.
"Justin, are you still harboring feelings for Elara? Didn't you say you'd step aside for Adrian?" Paige scolded.
"It's not easy for your cousin to find a girl he actually likes. Why can't you just be a little more mature about this?" she continued.
"If you dare go after Elara again, do you believe I won't freeze your cards?" she threatened.
Justin had just woken up, still groggy, and Paige didn't even ask how he was feeling. She just kept nagging him.
Justin was totally lost. "What do you mean, I'm after Elara or something?"
"If you're not, then why did you kiss her? And why were you calling her Baby Elara?" Paige shot back.
"You should count yourself lucky your cousin didn't toss you off the plane," she added.
Justin confused. Elara, lying in the next hospital bed, overheard everything and her jaw almost hit the floor. 'He kissed me?' she thought, stunned. She quickly opened her eyes, trying to figure out where she was.
"Elara, you're awake," Ruby said. Her voice was a little breathless with excitement when she saw Elara open her eyes.
"Ruby, why are you here?" Elara glanced around, a bit confused, and realized she must be in a hospital room.
Justin heard the commotion and yanked open the curtain. There they were—two little foodies, both hooked up to IV drips, sprawled out on their hospital beds, staring right at each other.
Their eyes locked. They both blurted out at the same time. "What are you doing here?"