Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Adrian had taken off his suit jacket, wearing only a plain white dress shirt. He leaned lazily against the car, smoking.
The shirt fit perfectly, not too tight or loose, outlining the smooth muscles of his upper body.
His broad shoulders, slim waist, and long legs under dark-patterned trousers made him stand out. At 6'2", with that cold and refined air, Adrian was hard to ignore.
Elara kept a straight face, but deep down, she thought his body looked incredibly attractive. She couldn't help imagining what he looked like without clothes.
Realizing where her thoughts were going, she quickly snapped out of it.
The lowered McLaren came up barely to his chest. In the dark, it looked like a black panther lying in wait—but Adrian's presence was even more powerful.
Elara pulled her gaze away, walked around the car, and headed back inside.
"Ms. Langton," Adrian said. "Not even a hello?"
Elara stopped, turned around, and forced a faint, polite smile. "Sir, do we know each other?"
Then she turned again and walked away, leaving him with nothing but her fading back.
"Huh. How cold," he muttered, stubbing out his cigarette. He opened the car door, got in, and the McLaren roared to life, speeding off into the night.
By the time Adrian got home, it was already 1 a.m. He took a shower, changed into gray silk pajamas, and sank onto the couch.
He didn't sleep well. Most nights, he needed alcohol to fall asleep.
He opened a bottle, poured some whiskey into a glass, and leaned back against the expensive leather sofa.
Drops of water slid down from his still-damp hair. Under the warm light, his sharp features looked a little softer.
That feeling—his body tired and heavy, but his mind wide awake—had haunted him for years. When it got too bad, he just drank more and worked harder. Eventually, sleep would come without him noticing.
Just then, the doorbell snapped him out of a strange dream. He frowned—who would show up this late?
Adrian got up from the couch and opened the door. His deep eyes went blank for a second.
Elara stood there, arms crossed, her big teary eyes glaring at him like she was about to yell at him for breaking into her room again.
She wore a black silk slip dress that showed off her bare shoulders. The low neckline hugged her chest, and the short hem left her long, toned legs completely exposed.
She pushed Adrian back into the room. He reached out to grab her wrist, but she kicked at him. He easily caught her ankle. Off balance, she fell right into his arms.
"Pervert." Her voice was soft and sweet—so sweet it almost drove him crazy.
"Yeah, I'm a pervert," Adrian said in a low voice.
"What?" Elara looked shocked. Her pretty eyes locked on his, the corners red and a little hurt. She struggled to get away.
Adrian wasn't about to let her go. He scooped her up and tossed her onto the bed. He pressed her down with his tall frame, his raspy voice full of desire. "Wanna see if I can make you cry?"
Tears glimmered on her cheeks. Her voice was soft and gentle. "Adrian, you're so mean."
"I am mean to you, Elara," he said. "I want to be mean to you. I wanna make you cry."
The night stretched on, sleepless and wild. She was pulled into his hunger, lost in it, unable to pull away.
In the middle of it all, Adrian's breathing turned heavy. He stared into her eyes. "Who's Alex?" he asked.
Elara said nothing.
"Childhood sweetheart? Huh?" he asked again. "The boy next door?"
And for that, he punished her again and again. By the time they were done, she lay weak in his arms, complaining about how rough he had been.
"Elara..." he whispered. "Didn't you like it?"
Just then, a shrill phone rang.
It was already morning. Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, climbing across the room and lighting up Adrian's bare chest.
The phone stopped ringing, then started again. It dragged Adrian out of the dream. He opened his eyes and stared up at the fancy chandelier above, lying there without moving.
The dream kept playing in his head on repeat. It took several minutes before he could tell what was real and what wasn't.
He cursed under his breath and headed to the bathroom. A while later, the sound of the shower filled the air. Cold water ran through his hair, soaking his whole face.
His body had calmed down, but his mind was still stuck in that endless hunger. The words he had said in the dream—"Elara, didn't you like it?"—looped in his ears like a broken record.
A little after 10 a.m., Adrian arrived at Anchor Law Firm. As he passed the outer office, Susan noticed him and quickly got up to follow him in.
Normally, Adrian showed up at exactly nine, rain or shine. So every day at 8:59, Susan had his coffee ready. Now, it had long gone cold.
Susan went in, picked up the mug on the desk, poured the coffee out, and grabbed a clean cup.
The coffee beans were ground fresh and pressed through the high-pressure filter, slowly blending with boiling water. In moments, the rich aroma of coffee filled the whole office.
Adrian liked that. His gloomy mood lightened a little.
Susan placed a cup of 185°F Mandheling on Adrian's desk. He took a sip and gave an approving nod.
"Susan, you'd better teach that temp how to make coffee," he said. "Otherwise, I won't get used to it."
"Don't worry," Susan said. "I've tried her coffee—total disaster."
"Did that Alex Keating I mentioned yesterday get back to you?" Adrian asked.
Susan placed his laptop bag on the shelf. "I reached out this morning, but he politely declined."
Adrian put on his gold-rimmed glasses. He didn't need them for vision, but the lenses were blue light blockers—he used them for screen time.
His sharp features and deep-set eyes were softened a bit by the glasses. They made him look more approachable.
Still, his tone and manner stayed as decisive as ever. "Then forget it."
Susan was a little curious. Anyone Adrian took the time to reach out to had to be someone unusual.
"Mr. Hartley, is he a friend of one of the partners or something? You seem unusually interested. Want me to try again?" she asked.
Adrian picked up a stack of case files from the left side of his desk. "Just repaying a favor. He said no, so leave it."
"Got it," Susan said. "You've got a meeting at 10:30, in Conference Room One."
"Okay," Adrian replied.
Susan walked out of the office, still smiling a little. Just then, a WhatsApp message popped up on her phone.
Elara: [Sorry, Susan. I can't help you with this one.]
Susan froze.