Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Elara huddled in the tub, feeling like she was about to burst. She was just doing what any woman would do, so she was furious that Adrian was making a fuss over it. She snapped, her voice trembling with anger, "Get out!"
But Adrian didn't budge. He stood there, unimpressed. "This is my place. Why should I leave?"
Naked and exposed, Elara felt her anger bubble over. The humiliation of being caught, the frustration of being overruled, and the fact that he was still there—her chest tightened. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her cool.
After what felt like forever, he still hadn't moved. Elara closed her eyes, took a steadying breath, and softened her tone. "Sir, have you seen enough? Could you please step out so I can get dressed? And maybe put some clothes on yourself?"
Adrian snapped out of a daze and didn't want any argument with her now. He turned and walked out of the bathroom without another word.
As soon as she heard the door click shut, Elara leaped out of the tub. She grabbed the black silk nightgown, pulled it on, and then tiptoed out.
Right then, Adrian was now sitting on the couch, wrapped in a hotel robe, a cigarette between his fingers.
Before they could even think about another showdown, the doorbell rang.
Adrian stood up, his tall frame looming over her. As he walked past, she felt a strange sense of intimidation wash over her.
Elara crossed her arms, her eyes still flashing with anger. "Pervert! Where are you going?" she snapped.
Without turning around, Adrian replied coldly, "Who's the pervert here is still up for debate. Since we can't seem to sort this out, let the hotel handle it."
He opened the door to reveal a woman in a grey pantsuit, her makeup flawless and her smile professional. She was the hotel's VIP manager. "Mr. Hartley, you mentioned someone broke into your room?" she asked.
Adrian's expression was grim as he stepped aside to let her in. He pointed to Elara, who was standing by the couch. "That's her. She broke into my room at night and sexually harassed me."
Elara froze. 'What? Broke into his room? Sexually harassed him? Me?'
Already seething, she exploded. "Do you have some narcissistic problem? Think you're Brad Pitt or something? Why would I even want to harass you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Adrian retorted. "Who was naked in my bathtub, enjoying—"
Elara cut him off sharply, her voice rising in panic. "Shut up!"
Adrian didn't continue, but he didn't want to let her go. He said, his tone biting, "So this isn't harassment?"
Elara knew she was no match for this silver-tongued man. Her face burning with frustration, she marched to the entryway, grabbed her key card and ID from her suitcase, and thrust them at the manager.
She said, "Here's my key card and ID. I used it to get in here, just like anyone else."
Her face was now flushed with anger, her delicate features twisted into a scowl that somehow made her look more exasperated than intimidating.
She pointed a slender finger at Adrian and snapped, "The real creep here is him! He sneaked into my room in the middle of the night to spy on me while I was bathing. I'm calling the police."
The manager glanced at the right key card and frowned. Hearing Elara's threat to call the police, she started to panic. That was the last thing the hotel needed.
"Ms. Langton," she said quickly, "there must be some misunderstanding. Maybe the hotel system glitched and gave you the wrong room, or the front desk handed you the wrong key card.
"It's late now. Let me arrange a new room for you. I'll give you a full explanation in the morning, okay?"
Elara was exhausted, but Adrian's harsh words still rankled her. She retorted, "Why don't you check him first? Did he check in under his own name? Does he even have a key for this room?"
"Ms. Langton," the manager explained, "Mr. Hartley is a close friend of our boss. This room is reserved for him permanently and isn't available for rent. Technically, he can't be considered an intruder."