Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Ruby grinned and said, "Sorry, Elara and I are fully booked. Want to see us? Better make an appointment next time." With that, Ruby grabbed Elara's arm and pulled her away.
Just as they reached the door, they came face-to-face with a tall, striking woman.
The woman was in her thirties, sporting a sharp shoulder-length bob and dressed in a sleek black power suit, professional and efficient. Trailing behind her were a man and a woman, presumably her assistant and secretary.
With just one glance, Elara was fairly certain this was Sadie.
Sadie called from outside, "Nancy, let's go. The owner of the penthouse restaurant is hosting us for dinner. Alex, you're coming too."
Nancy tugged Alex's hand and ran out excitedly, calling, "Coming, Sadie."
Alex didn't refuse. As he stepped out, he nodded at Sadie with a smile and echoed, "Hi, Sadie."
Though she had moved on, Elara couldn't help but feel a pang when she saw him being so intimate with Nancy. It hurt even more when she heard him talking with Sadie.
Elara tried to steer clear of the group, but with the elevator right next to the store, she couldn't help overhearing bits of their conversation.
"Alex is here on business with me. Mind your boundaries. If you want to be clingy, save it for home," Sadie said.
Nancy pouted and reluctantly let go of Alex's hand.
Sadie and her group headed to the elevator. She caught sight of Elara, studied her for a moment, and then turned to Nancy. "Know her?"
Sadie had just seen them greet each other inside the store, but now they were acting like strangers. That piqued her curiosity.
Nancy jabbed a finger at them and complained, "Sadie, these are those annoying tagalongs I've been telling you about, always hanging around Alex."
"Nancy, you're already twenty-six. How can you still be so out of line when you talk? Is that what Mom taught you at home?" Sadie scolded.
Nancy whined, "Sadie, they're the ones clinging to my boyfriend, so what's wrong with calling them tagalongs?"
Ruby and Elara couldn't be bothered to argue with Nancy anymore and headed for the stairs, but Sadie's words stopped them in their tracks.
Sadie said, "Sorry, ladies. Nancy was being rude. She's been spoiled by our parents since childhood. As the baby of the family, everyone indulges her, so honestly, she still acts like a child."
Elara thought to herself, 'If she still acts like a child, you should just keep her at home. What's the idea of letting her loose to cause trouble?'
Elara and Ruby offered polite smiles without a word, turning to leave. They were stopped again.
With a polished smile, Sadie said, "Since you're all Alex's friends, there's a newly opened restaurant upstairs. The owner's treating. Why don't we dine together?"
"Thanks, but no need," Elara said bluntly. "We've got plans, and honestly, we're practically strangers. Having dinner together would just be awkward."
Sadie smiled and said, "How could it be awkward? Aren't you Alex's friends since childhood? Since Alex is Nancy's boyfriend and you're his friends, that makes us friends too, doesn't it?"
After all, Sadie was now the head of the Hartley Group. While her words appeared gracious and polite, there was an undeniable authority in her presence that commanded attention.
But Elara had been a rebel since childhood. Even her mother, a titan in the finance world, could barely control her. As for Nancy's sister standing before her now? Elara didn't even take her seriously.
"Sorry, but that's not how friendships work. By that logic, my entire extended family would count as your friends too, Ms. Hartley. So when I bring them all to your mall next time, do we get the friends-and-family discount?" Elara sneered.
Sadie paused, momentarily caught off guard by the young girl's sharp retort.
Nancy, seeing Sadie stunned by Elara's retort, immediately jumped in. "Elara, do you have any manners at all? No one talks to people so rudely."
Elara smirked, "First off, it was your sister who called you rude, not me. Second, since Ms. Hartley claims we're friends, is there anything friends can't say to each other? Right, Ruby?"
Ruby had been barely containing her laughter on the sidelines, now nodding vigorously in agreement.
Though Sadie appeared approachable, she was no pushover. Her sharp eyes glinted with a faint smile as she turned her head to glance at Alex.
With a deceptively pleasant tone, Sadie said, "At least for Alex's sake, have a meal with us. Alex, why don't you tell your two friends to join us?" There was no mistaking it; this was an order.
Alex naturally didn't want them to stay. He said, "Ms. Hartley, since they already have other plans, perhaps it's best to let them go. They've always been quite independent, straightforward, and sometimes a bit childlike. Please don't take it personally."
"Why would I take it to heart?" Sadie said smoothly. "It's just that I've noticed how much Nancy is bothered by those two girls, especially Elara.
"As Nancy's boyfriend, you should manage this relationship properly, instead of constantly shielding them. That only makes Nancy feel worse. As her big sister, of course I have to back her up."
Elara lowered her gaze, realizing that Sadie was clearly determined to stand up for Nancy today. She thought, 'If I don't play along today, she'll just make things difficult for Alex.'
Elara met her gaze with a faint smile. "Fine, Ms. Hartley. Ruby and I could use a meal anyway."
With that, Elara and Ruby followed them up to the penthouse. On the way, Elara snapped a photo of Sadie and Nancy, both facing the camera, and posted it to Instagram, set to be visible only to Adrian.
The caption read: [A setup?] Then Elara put her phone away.
When they arrived at the restaurant, to their surprise, the entire place had been privately reserved.
They were seated at a long table by the window. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped around the restaurant, framing a breathtaking view of Veritasiton's dazzling nightscape. Thus, the restaurant was aptly named Sky Garden.
After making a phone call outside for a while, Sadie walked in and, without hesitation, took the seat at the head of the table. Naturally, Alex sat beside Nancy, playing the role of the dutiful boyfriend.
Even though Elara had mentally prepared to let go, seeing their intimate gestures still made her heart ache.
Elara took a sip of lemon water, forcing herself not to think, not to imagine what Alex and Nancy might be doing in private.
While waiting for their food, Nancy draped herself over Alex all on purpose.
Seeing Elara was having a hard time, Ruby whipped out her phone and started a game with her to help distract her.
Soon, the two were huddled over the same phone, totally absorbed and having a blast, completely at ease, as if they weren't guests at all.
'After all, it was Sadie who insisted on having us here. If we started acting all prim and proper now, we would just look spineless,' they wondered.
Seeing the two girls engrossed in their phones with no intention of starting a conversation, Sadie had no choice but to break the ice. "One of you is Elara, and the other Ruby, correct?"
"Yes," Elara responded, not even looking up from her phone.
Noticing the lack of respect, Sadie deliberately swirled her wine glass before taking a sip. She said, "Elara, actually, we've met before."
Elara looked momentarily surprised. She set down her phone and met Sadie's gaze squarely, unfazed. "Really? Can't say I remember you."
Sadie looked at Elara and said, "One night, I went to Anchor Law Firm to see Adrian. I happened to spot you two in the garage.
"You got into his car and stayed there for a good forty minutes. When you finally came out, your clothes were rather rumpled. That was you, wasn't it, Elara?"
Alex stiffened for a moment, but quickly masked his reaction and took a calm sip of lemon water.
Hearing that, Elara thought back, 'Anchor Law Firm, the underground parking lot, getting into the car, clothes all rumpled? Oh, that must've been when I brought him that Mandheling coffee. We did linger in the car for a while and even kissed.'
Elara knew exactly what Sadie was up to, making a point of mentioning her rumpled clothes just to imply she was a loose woman.
Elara smirked indifferently, "What's the matter? Is the underground parking garage at Anchor Law Firm part of the Hartley family property too? So I'm not allowed to set foot there or something?"
"Not really," Sadie replied. "I'm just curious. How did you get to know Adrian? You two seem quite close. As his elder sister, it's only natural for me to take an interest in his personal life."
Alex cast a furtive glance at Elara, his knuckles whitening around the water glass.
"Oh, me and Adrian?" Elara arched her alluring eyes and put on an exaggerated smile, her tone dripping with mock nonchalance. "We've slept together a few times, so what?"