Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 47: Chapter 47

"Isn't Alex coming?" Fabian asked as he brought the last dish to the table.
Elara got up from the couch and headed to get some water. "No, he's at the company. He's super busy, even working weekends."
Fabian nodded. "It's good to work as hard as you can while you're young."
Elara sat down, only to find all her childhood favorites were served. Her composure cracked unexpectedly, and she somehow felt like crying.
She thought, 'Had it really been four years since I last visited him?'
Elara and Fabian were both quiet while eating, so Ruby kept talking to break the awkward silence. "Fabian, I missed the food you cook. Honestly, you do way better than some famous chefs.
"Well, my cousin just returned from studying physics abroad. He had heard a lot about you and asked me to find out what it takes to join Veritasiton University's lab. What qualifications does he need?
"And hey, those plants you're growing look really nice."
This was exactly why Elara invited Ruby over. She knew that if it were just her and Fabian, they would probably keep quiet the whole time.
Seeing that Elara and Fabian had gradually warmed up to each other over the meal, Ruby volunteered to do the dishes to give them some private time.
The weather was great. Elara sat on a chair on the balcony, soaking up the sun with a cup of freshly brewed coffee in her hands.
Fabian went to his bedroom for a while. Soon, he came out and took a seat beside Elara, handing her a bank card. He said gently, "I guess you and Alex are getting married soon. Here's a gift I got for you."
Elara's hand froze around the cup. A silent storm surged within her. Elara steadied herself and replied calmly, "Alex and I are just friends.
"We never really dated each other, let alone get married. You don't have to give me this. Just keep it to yourself."
Fabian was taken aback but didn't press further. He just quietly slipped the card into Elara's pocket. "Just take it. You might need it anyway."
Elara chuckled and joked, "Aren't you afraid I will blow all your money?"
Fabian took her words seriously and replied, "Just use it for whatever you think is worth it. It's for you."
Fabian's funny yet sincere words amused Elara. She thought, 'If Dad hadn't met someone like Mom, would he have been much happier?'
"Dad, maybe you should think about getting yourself a new wife," she suggested.
Hearing that, Fabian adjusted his glasses and said, "Elara, pouring myself into research just makes my life full and meaningful enough."
Though it seemed like he hadn't answered Elara's question directly, his response spoke volumes.
She thought, 'Never mind. Dad is so devoted to his work that gave up his personal life. Urging him to pursue romance at his age would be unnecessary.'
However, Elara felt sorry for him. She felt that if he could find someone to spend the rest of his life with, she would feel much more relieved.
Given how busy Fabian was, Elara didn't linger. Before leaving, she slipped the bank card back into his pocket, saying, "Take care."
Fabian smiled, saying nothing.
"Dad, I'll be staying in Veritasiton from now on, so I'll visit you more frequently—provided you aren't too busy," Elara said.
Fabian smiled and said warmly, "Of course. I'll always make time for my daughter."
After leaving Veritasiton University, Elara and Ruby headed back to Glory Street together.
Ruby dragged Elara over to play Uno, joining a game with some handsome guys she had just met. However, Elara insisted she needed to head back to deal with something.
She was talking about Adrian's profile. Tomorrow would be her first day working as Adrian's secretary, and she was writing down every little detail on her iPad.
She murmured, "Unfinished files go on his left while finished ones on the right. Handle emails daily, confirm schedule a day ahead, and book plane tickets before—"
The list started detailing more and more of Adrian's habits, which gave Elara a headache. "Arrange the suits in the walk-in closet from left to right, sorted first by color, then by age.
"Ties must be changed daily, and no repeats in style or color from the previous day are allowed. If he drinks at business dinners, prepare hangover remedies when necessary. He has mild gastritis, and the medication is kept in—"
Elara frowned, thinking, 'Wait, am I supposed to double as his nanny too?'
Elara called Susan at once. Ruby, sitting next to her, overheard the details of the call and was equally stunned.
After she hung up, Ruby couldn't help blurting out, "Did she say you have to organize his clothes, drive him home after work, drop off his dirty laundry at the cleaners, and even manage his daily life?"
Elara said, "Yeah. I didn't expect this though. Feels like I've ended up as a nanny."
Ruby frowned. "He's rich, isn't he? Why does he have to dump everything on just a secretary?"
Elara said, "Susan told me that he doesn't like strangers around and is very protective of his privacy. Apart from a few close friends, hardly anyone has ever been to his place.
"He only has two regular cleaning staff who come in after he leaves for work each day. The entire over 10 thousand square feet luxury house is managed by Susan all on her own."
Ruby said, "She must be worn out every single day."
Elara sighed. "Yeah, it's a tough job."
"I can't believe she actually stuck with this job for so long. Now she's heavily pregnant but still has to find someone to take over, huh?" Ruby said, astonished.
Elara shrugged. "Probably pays way too well to refuse."
Ruby leaned in, looking curious. "How much does it pay?"
Elara winked at her. "Make a guess."
"15 thousand dollars?" Ruby said.
Elara shook her head. "No, it's 150 thousand dollars."
"Holy crap! Is it true? Hey, are they still hiring? I want to apply for this job too," Ruby blurted out.
Elara chuckled. "Weren't you just trash-talking this job a minute ago?"
"Well, you know what they say. Money talks," said Ruby.
"Starting tomorrow, I'm gonna be working my tail off for Adrian." Elara sighed, chin in hand as she continued poring over the notes.
Ruby leaned in and said with a smirk, "By the way, if Adrian really makes a move on you, are you ready to let it happen?"
"What?" Elara was so absorbed in noting Adrian's sartorial preferences, his favorite brands, and how he liked to match them that she completely missed the implication in Ruby's words.
She said with her head down, "What kind of move? There's no way a lawyer is gonna throw hands at me in the office."
Ruby was speechless. "Don't you have to go over to his place every day to take care of his household stuff?"
"Yeah," Elara murmured absentmindedly.
Ruby leaned in playfully and said, "Imagine a tired man coming home after a long day and seeing a smoking hot woman in his house. Are you sure he won't go wild?"
Elara froze for a second at Ruby's words.
Ruby leaned closer with a teasing tone. "What if he just throws himself at you? What are you gonna do?"