Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Victor picked up a trick from Elara. He yanked out the IV before the saline drip was even finished. 'Damn, that actually hurts more than I thought,' he muttered to himself.
Victor grabbed his jacket and rushed out after Ruby. "Ruby, wait up."
Ruby stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him with a frown. "Mr. Montgomery? Are you done with the IV already?"
Victor grinned. "The IV's almost done anyway. Mind giving me a ride home?"
Ruby couldn't be bothered. "No ride. I'm beat."
"Come on, Ruby, after all we've been through, are you going to be so heartless?" Victor pleaded.
Ruby said, "Want me to call you a cab, Mr. Montgomery?"
Victor said, "Hey, you drove here, right? It'd be no trouble at all to give me a lift. Where do you live?"
Ruby chuckled, "You want me to drive you home, yet you're asking where I live?"
Victor grinned and said, "No, I mean, I could just crash at a hotel near your place."
Ruby couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly, wondering, 'I almost forgot this guy is from a wealthy family. The Montgomery family pretty much owns most of the hotels in Veritasiton.'
In the end, Victor still managed to squeeze himself into Ruby's pink BMW.
Victor reached into her bag and grabbed the sandwich without asking. "Perfect timing, I'm starving. You brought this for me, right?"
Ruby sighed but managed to say nothing.
Noticing her cold shoulder, Victor pressed on undeterred, flashing a grin. "Hey, how about catching a movie together tomorrow?"
Ruby shook her head. "No."
She had been on edge all night because of Nancy, tossing and turning after she got home. She kept messaging Elara, but got nothing back.
Honestly, if Victor hadn't sent her that photo of Elara hooked up to an IV, there was no way Ruby would've come to see him.
Seeing her cold demeanor now, Victor sighed, "Ruby, if I recall correctly, you shamelessly chased after me back then, begging to take me out to dinner and pestering me to go to the movies."
Ruby shot back, "Oh, so what? You only bothered with me back then because of my connection with Elara, didn't you? So what gives you the right to reason with me now?"
Victor scoffed, "That's why they say women can be even more cold-hearted than men."
"We're even, aren't we?" Ruby retorted.
"So just because Adrian messed with your bestie, you're going to cut me off too?" Victor asked.
Ruby smiled, "Nope. The boundaries between us have always been crystal clear. No need to draw any lines."
Victor was left speechless for a moment. "You two are really two of a kind. Once you get mad, you're as stubborn as mules."
Ruby said, "Victor, I'm really not in the mood today. If you want to get home in one piece, shut up right now."
Victor was completely at a loss for words.
'I'm the Montgomery family's heir, left alone to get an IV, fine, whatever. But getting attitude from three different people in one night? Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment,' he thought with a wry smile.
Still good-natured, Victor asked gently, "Trouble in paradise? Need a hand?"
Ruby didn't feel like responding, but still muttered, "There's nothing you can do."
Victor stood there stunned for a second, then continued, "How do you know I can't help if you don't tell me? Go on, try me."
"Can you actually get Adrian to take on Alex's dad's case?" Ruby challenged him.
'Oh well, that's, yeah, definitely beyond me,' wondered Victor. He explained, "Can't promise miracles, but I could whisper in his ear for you."
"Thanks," Ruby replied, showing little interest.
Victor said, "Actually, if you really want Adrian's help, your best bet is to get Elara to step in."
Ruby asked, "What do you mean?"
Victor grinned and said, "Well, Adrian's got his eye on her."
Ruby slammed on the brakes, sending Victor, who was still talking, crashing hard against the seat. Victor's night was turning into a survival game. He frowned and said, "Ruby, could you drive more steadily—"
"Wait? He's really into Elara?" Ruby blurted out, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Victor gave a lazy shrug. "Yes."
Ruby exclaimed, "That bastard already has a fiancée, and now he's lusting after Elara?"
Victor thought, 'Huh? They already know about this?'
"Adrian's fiancée? She hasn't been around for years—basically out of the picture," Victor said.
Elara collapsed into bed and fell asleep the moment she got home. She turned off her phone, burrowed under the covers, and shut the world out completely. She drifted in and out of sleep, waking and dozing off again and again.
When she finally couldn't sleep anymore, she mindlessly scrolled through Amazon on her tablet, indulging in an online shopping spree.
So, over the next few days, the doorbell rang constantly with delivery after delivery.
Elara didn't even bother to open the packages and just let them pile up, filling every corner of her large apartment.
When Ruby stepped inside, there was hardly anywhere to step. "Oh my word, sweetheart. Did you turn your place into an Amazon warehouse or something?"
Elara, her hair a mess and eyes puffy from crying, looked up and mumbled, "Did you bring me any food?"
Ruby shook her head and sighed, "You've been radio silent for over a week, and now you're treating me like your personal Uber Eats driver."
Four hours earlier, Ruby got a WhatsApp message from Elara craving cupcakes from the south side of the city and brownies from the west. Then, just an hour ago, Elara announced she wanted seafood stew at home and told Ruby to bring some groceries.
Now, loaded down with bags, Ruby stood at the doorway, barely finding her footing in the cluttered entryway.
Elara shoved a few boxes aside, finally making just enough space for Ruby to squeeze through with all her packages.
Naturally, Elara took charge of cooking.
Ruby sat on a high stool by the kitchen island, watching Elara, her hair casually pulled up in a messy bun, washing veggies for the seafood stew.
She teased, "Living like a recluse lately? Haven't replied to my texts or picked up my calls."
Elara's delicate fingers worked through the broccoli, her whole demeanor seeming much more at ease. "Huh?"
"How are you feeling now?" Ruby asked.
Elara loaded the freshly washed veggies into her new sectioned tray and placed it on the table. "Guess what? I broke up with Alex. Unbelievable, right?"
"Holy crap, seriously? That's amazing," Ruby exclaimed, munching on some tangerines from the basket she'd just bought. She peeled one and popped a segment into Elara's mouth.
Elara opened her mouth, her beautiful eyes crinkling with delight. "Mmm, so sweet."
Ruby teased, "So, have you been nursing your heartbreak at home all this time? Feeling better now? You're not going to take Alex back if he comes crawling back, are you?"
Elara shook her head. "We're really done this time."
"So, are you okay? Was it because of Nancy?" Ruby was curious.
Elara just shrugged. "Maybe," she replied, offering no further explanation.
Whether Elara was happy or not was hard to say, but Ruby was absolutely over the moon. "Out with the old, in with the new, girl. I've got some news that's guaranteed to put a smile on your face."
Elara mixed the sauce, a faint smile playing on her lips. "So, what's this good news?"
"Guess what? Word on the street is that Adrian is totally into you," Ruby exclaimed.
Elara rolled her eyes and shook her head in exasperation, but since she was in a good mood today, she still replied with a playful smile, "Well, hate to break it to you, but I already knew about your so-called good news."
"Huh? You already knew?" Ruby blurted out. "Did Adrian actually confess his feelings to you?"
Elara rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Seriously, what kind of logic is that? Can't I figure things out myself? Last week, when I was getting an IV at the hospital, there were plenty of empty seats, but he just had to sit right next to me.
"Then he started giving me this roundabout lecture, and when I got annoyed and left, he actually followed me out to offer me a ride home. I've studied psychology for years.
"If I couldn't read these signs, what kind of psychologist would that make me?"
"Wait? He's that upfront?" Ruby's eyes were wide in surprise.
Elara continued, "Yes. After dropping me off, he actually waited downstairs for over an hour before leaving. And get this. He even texted me goodnight on WhatsApp."
Ruby practically bounced with excitement as she asked eagerly, "So did he comfort you? Did he say anything sweet to you?"
Elara shook her head. "No, he's still as sharp-tongued as ever, like I owe him a million bucks."
"So, does that mean you actually stand a chance of getting Adrian to help with Dylan's case?" Ruby asked.
Elara added the sauce to the pot and poured in boiling water. She shook her head. "It's not that simple. Guys like Adrian, just because they're rich and show interest in a woman, doesn't mean much.
"At best, it's just a superficial attraction. Sure, they might buy you a designer bag or some fancy gifts, but getting them to meddle in their private affairs? That's a whole different story. If we want Adrian to help with Dylan's case, we'll need a long-term strategy."
Ruby frowned. "Long-term strategy? How exactly?"
Elara added a few shrimps to the pot, then cracked open a cold beer and handed it to Ruby. She said coolly, as if she'd planned it all, "From a passing fancy to undying devotion."
Ruby's lips curled into a mischievous grin, her sparkling eyes brimming with playful anticipation. "So, what's your next move? Is our psychology expert finally going to flirt with the super CEO?"
"Remember the favor my mom asked me to do last time?" Elara mentioned it.
"Yeah, Susan's going on maternity leave and wants you to fill in as Adrian's secretary?" Ruby said.
"Yes. I've made up my mind. I'm joining Anchor Law Firm as Adrian's secretary," Elara smiled.