Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Adrian said, "What do you think?"
Elara was pleasantly surprised and flattered. She thought, 'Is Adrian falling in love with me? Well, guess that just made things much easier for me.'
"Come here." Adrian lounged lazily on the couch, staring at her.
Elara approached him and asked, "What is it, Mr. Hartley?"
He patted the seat beside him. "Take a seat."
Elara hesitated for a second and sat down gingerly. The next second, Adrian sat up straight and leaned in toward her.
His striking face was just inches away. Those thick brows framed a pair of eyes that radiated an almost predatory intensity.
Adrian leaned closer, his breath carrying a faint tobacco scent. "Do you know why I stopped you from continuing that argument with Zoe just now?"
They were far too close. Their eyes locked, breaths mingled in the narrow space between them, and something unspoken began to stir in the air.
Elara squinted and asked teasingly, "Were you afraid I would feel hurt? You were worried your new secretary might get bullied by colleagues on her very first day, right?"
Elara gave a light laugh and moved in closer, stopping just shy of brushing against him. She said in a deliberately teasing tone, "Did you fall for me, Mr. Hartley?"
Adrian studied her in silence for a moment and let out a snort. "What gave you that idea? Was it something I said or did?"
Elara met his burning gaze, smirking. "You like me, don't you? You're just too afraid to admit it."
Elara thought that the direct approach worked best when she was dealing with someone as sharp and self-controlled as Adrian. Playing dumb wasn't the wise thing to do.
Adrian stepped back, putting some distance between them. He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table and settled on the couch.
He wore a half-smile, eyes tracing slowly from her waist down to her legs. With a teasing tone, he said, "Yeah, I love every inch of your body, except you."
He was just saying that she could be a good sex partner, but he would never let himself develop feelings for her.
Elara seemed to hear the answer she wanted, smiling as she stared intently at the seemingly composed Adrian. She moved closer to him, and a subtle hint of her hair's fragrance reached his senses, making him a little distracted.
Elara met his burning gaze and said in a soft voice, "Being physically attracted is an instinctive human reaction. It's the most primal and genuine form of desire."
Elara stroked his neck gently and said, "Since you've already been drawn to me physically, falling for me is only a matter of time."
Elara's bold move caught Adrian off guard, but it only confirmed what he had suspected all along. She had something to ask from him.
He thought, 'She's just here for that case involving Dylan, isn't she? Come on, why does she have to help him? Alex is about to get engaged to Nancy.'
Adrian remained unruffled, though the amusement in his expression noticeably faded. He removed her hand and said seriously, "Zoe is the sister of one of my business partners. Don't mess with her."
Elara's face instantly darkened. She said, "You saw her slapping herself just now, didn't you? And instead of saying anything to her, you sent me away, huh?"
"Yeah. Wait, did you think I was protecting you?" Adrian said.
Elara was speechless. She thought, 'Damn it, Elara. Since when did you become so full of yourself?' She pressed on, refusing to back down. "How did you even know I got into a fight with her?"
She thought he was just worried about her.
Actually, it was Justin. Under the pretext of getting a document, he told Adrian about Elara's confrontation with Zoe. He knew that Elara was able to protect herself, but he didn't want the situation to escalate and cause Zoe to hold a grudge against her.
Adrian leaned back on the couch, eyes closed. He left Elara with an enigmatic smile, leaving Elara to figure it out on her own.
Elara scoffed and thought, 'What an arrogant man. Now I see why your fiancée left you.'
Just then, her phone rang. Elara picked it up and answered, "Hello? Who's this? Oh, you're the massage therapist. Please come up."
Susan had arranged the massage therapist, who had previously given Adrian several neck and shoulder massages.
Adrian had suffered a shoulder injury years ago, and the long hours he spent hunched over paperwork for work only made things worse. As a result, he often experienced shoulder pain, which would become severe after exhausting days.
Susan found this massage therapist through trusted contact, and it was definitely not some random massage therapist from a shady joint.
Elara went to the door to greet the massage therapist, Jenna Scott, who arrived in a loose, casual outfit, carrying a professional kit.
Jenna's hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, and when she smiled, she looked extremely adorable.
When she stepped out of the elevator and caught sight of Elara, she paused for a split second in surprise. Then she said with a smile, "Hi, I'm Jenna Scott."
Elara smiled and nodded. "I'm Elara, Mr. Hartley's new secretary."
Jenna gave Elara a quick once-over without a word, then followed her into Adrian's office.
Adrian was still reclining in the same lazy posture when Elara called out to him. "Mr. Hartley, the massage therapist is here."
Adrian opened his eyes, his expression weary. The sharp, commanding edge he usually had softened considerably.
"Hello, Mr. Hartley. It's been a while," Jenna greeted him with a polite smile.
Adrian stood up without a word and shrugged off his suit jacket, handing it to Elara. Then he undid the cuffs of his shirt and rolled the sleeves up to his forearms, revealing his muscles.
He turned onto his stomach and settled onto the couch, while Jenna pulled out a pair of massage gloves from her bag and sat down beside him.
She began massaging his neck and shoulders through his shirt, saying, "Mr. Hartley, your shoulders are really tense. I bet they've been hurting a lot lately, haven't they?"
Adrian nodded.
"I've brought some pain-relief essential oil with me. Would you like to take off your shirt so I can apply it for you?" said Jenna.
Adrian hated being touched—especially bare skin. Even with a licensed therapist, he insisted they wear gloves and refused to take off his shirt.
His voice was hoarse with exhaustion. "No. Just do the regular massage."
Jenna had no choice but to continue with the regular steps.
Elara hung Adrian's suit jacket on the coat rack and glanced toward them. Since she couldn't be of any help, she decided to leave and get back to her work.
However, Adrian stopped her before she even turned around. "Stay here, Elara."
Elara thought, 'Seriously? What do you want me here for? Should I just stand here and watch you get the treatment?'
Though seething inside, she stayed. As she observed how Jenna did it, she recalled that Ruby also struggled with neck and shoulder issues, so she thought she could learn a few techniques from Jenna.
It didn't take long for Adrian to drift off to sleep. He had only slept two hours in the past two days and was completely worn out. Finally, he could get some real rest.
Although Adrian had fallen asleep, Elara didn't dare to leave. She hadn't become a regular employee, and she couldn't risk giving Adrian a reason to hold it against her.
After about ten minutes, Jenna suddenly said, "Elara, I thought I left my phone in the car. Could you help me get it from the underground garage?"