Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Alex had been back home for a little over a month. He was transferred back from the Hartley Group's branch abroad.
He rented a pretty big place near his company. The rent was expensive, but he chose it thinking Elara would move in with him later. So he signed a one-year lease. Buying a home would take time with all the renovations.
When they were abroad, Elara almost came over to Alex's place every weekend. They stayed in separate rooms, but it was kind of like living together.
Therefore, he already bought all the things a couple would use, waiting for her to come back.
"It's not right for me to move in with you." Elara felt it would be weird, since they weren't a couple.
Alex paused for a few seconds. "Not right? You came over all the time when we were abroad."
Elara shook her head. "That was different. And now Nancy is there, too. I'd make her unhappy if I came."
She was drawing a boundary between them, and it made Alex's heart ache.
"Elara, I'm sorry. I was busy with my dad's case recently and ignored you." He explained, "Nancy and I aren't anything. I just asked her for some help, so we're a bit close."
Elara smiled quietly. "Alex, you should listen to your own voice when you say Nancy's name. You treat her just like you treat me and Ruby. You're nice to everyone."
She almost called him a player, but she kept it to herself.
"Ruby and I grew up with you, so it's normal you're nice to us. But Nancy—" Elara, who had always been a crybaby, was about to break again, so she turned away from him.
"Alex, if we can't be a couple, let's keep some distance from now on." She continued, "I'll still think of you as my best friend, but I'm putting away whatever else I felt."
"Go back. I need to get to the café soon." She dismissed him.
Alex stepped forward and raised his hand to touch her face, but Elara backed away.
He let his hand drop and said quietly, "I'm sorry I made you suffer. I'll keep my distance from Nancy."
"There's no need to say sorry." Elara said, "Whatever you and Nancy do from now on isn't my business."
Alex was always like this. Whenever Elara got close, he walked away. But when she kept her distance, he came back with softness.
His softness was like a dull knife—it wouldn't kill her immediately, but it kept cutting into her bit by bit, until the drops fell so slowly she thought there were no wounds at all.
So this time, Nancy made Elara realize it.
"Alex, you know how I feel, but you pretend you don't." Elara sighed. "I also have feelings. I get hurt just like you do."
"Elara—" Alex tried to explain.
Elara interrupted him. "I'm tired, Alex. I'm not going to chase you anymore. I already got an offer from Hartley Group, but thinking about seeing you there with Nancy made it impossible for me to stay.
"So I turned it down. From now on—"
Suddenly, Alex walked forward and gently held Elara in his arms. He raised his hand and pressed it against her hair. "Elara, please give me some time. After I clear up my dad's case, can you give me a chance?"
His embrace was light, like a feather touching her soul. His scent was faint, but it filled Elara's whole world.
"What?" Elara asked in disbelief.
Alex said, "This weekend we can start looking at houses we might live in together. Once I'm finished with the trial, we should be able to move in.
"I'll take all my vacation and travel with you for a whole month. Haven't you always wanted to ski in Kardic? Let's go there."
Alex wiped away the tears from the corner of her eye with his thumb. "Why are you crying again? Aren't you happy?"
Elara turned away, wiped her own tears, and said between sobs, "You always do this."
Alex smiled a little and asked, "Do what?"
"When I get close, you back away. When I move away, you come back and try to win me over." She paused. "This time I almost gave up on you... really."
Alex said, "Then I'm lucky I made it in time—before you gave up."
Her eyes glimmered with tears as she looked at him. "Alex, this is your last chance. I'll trust you once more. Just this last time."
"Okay." It was the bravest moment of his life.
Elara didn't move in with Alex after all. After all, he said it made more sense to wait until his dad Dylan's case was finished and their relationship was official.
Alex and Elara had dinner outside together. After dinner, Alex rushed back home to work on a financing PPT, while Elara went to the café.
"What?" Ruby nearly pressed her face against her phone in shock when Elara video-called her.
Elara's heart was still beating hard. She pressed her warm earlobe, and her pretty eyes narrowed in happiness.
"Elara, your coffee." Lily, a barista, noticed her expression and asked in curiosity, "Are you in love?"
Elara nodded, a little embarrassed.
"Wow, congrats!" Lily said with a smile.
"Thanks. I'm going to buy a gift for everyone in the group chat." Elara was excited.
"Thank you, Elara." Lily looked surprised.
There were sixteen people in the group chat, including Elara and Ruby. Elara spent $3,000 to buy a gift for everyone.
When the group members heard the news, they started sending their blessings.
[Thanks for the gift, Elara. Happy love life!]
[So glad you finally found your match.]
[So when's the wedding?]
[What's the baby's name going to be?]
The messages kept getting more ridiculous. Elara fell back laughing with her phone in hand.
Ruby couldn't help but tease her. "Well, well, well... you're just dating someone. Why all this fuss? It's not like you were desperate to find a man."
"Are you jealous?" Elara shot back.
"Think whatever you want," Ruby said with a smile.
Elara's eyes were curved in a happy smile. Her cheeks glowed red. She pressed her warm ears, looking pure and naïve—like a high school girl who hadn't been through much in the world.
Just then, Adrian's black McLaren drove into the small courtyard and parked in front of the café. Adrian looked through the window from the driver's seat and saw Elara smiling happily.
He had just finished work and was passing by, not really expecting much—but it seemed luck was on his side.
He lowered the window, stretched his arm out, and held a cigarette between his long fingers. The tiny red glow at the tip barely stood out in the dark.
The café wasn't busy; it had less than ten parking spaces. It was late, and there were only a few cars in the courtyard.
He turned his head and studied her face. She looked familiar, yet distant at the same time.
Veritasiton was a huge city. Running into someone once was a coincidence. The second time might be an accident. The third was fate. But the fourth—that might be on purpose.
He didn't get out of the car. He just sat quietly in it. The courtyard was peaceful; now and then, the coffee machine made a soft whirring, and the rich smell of coffee filled his car.
Elara glanced outside by chance and noticed Adrian's black McLaren sitting there. She could faintly see the glow of his cigarette and knew it was him in the car.
She didn't get how she kept running into Adrian for four days in a row, as if there was no avoiding him.
Adrian noticed Elara avoiding his gaze. He put out his cigarette, opened the car door, and got out.
Elara rushed to finish her last sip of coffee, grabbed her bag, and was about to leave. But Adrian suddenly appeared like a ghost and sat down across from her.
"One pour-over Mandheling, please." He said it directly to Elara.