Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 72: Chapter 72

Elara felt he was scolding her. She pouted and complained, "Well, it's not my fault your secretaries barged into my shop and caused a ruckus. What else could I do but mention you to keep them in check?"
Adrian just kept staring at her. He asked, "Oh really? Was that just to shut them up, or is that what you think?"
Elara asked, "What do you mean?"
Adrian countered, "Thinking about being my girlfriend?"
Elara gave a wry smile and said, "You are the fiancé of the Heaton heiress. I wouldn't dare steal a man from the Heaton family."
Adrian leaned in, his handsome face inches from hers. He asked, "Is it that you don't want to cross the Heaton family, or are you worried about hurting your future brother-in-law's feelings?"
Elara froze for a second before the realization dawned on her. She thought, 'What nonsense is this? First of all, Alex isn't even my future brother-in-law. Besides, we haven't even kissed. What's there to be sad about?'
Elara didn't respond and changed the subject. She asked, "What brings you here? Would you like a cup of coffee?"
Adrian checked the time and said, "No, come with me to meet a friend. I'll be drinking tonight, so you'll drive me home later."
Over an hour later, the black McLaren pulled up outside a trendy viral restaurant far from downtown Veritasiton. It was a social media sensation, set in the suburbs, that boasted authentic classical aesthetics. Despite its remote location, bookings were like gold dust.
Elara had long dreamed of dining here, but without VIP status, it was out of reach. It wasn't until Adrian finally made it happen.
Adrian's friend had come from Marisiton and wasn't familiar with Veritasiton. The restaurant was in such a remote area that it was hard to find, so Adrian headed back downtown to pick him up, leaving Elara waiting alone at the restaurant.
The restaurant's vintage-themed decor gave the grand hall a distinctive charm, with every detail telling its own intriguing story.
Elara looked around with keen interest. She was impressed by the owner's creativity.
The restaurant's private dining areas weren't fully enclosed rooms; instead, elegant folding screens separated each table, preserving the lively dining hall atmosphere while still providing a sense of privacy.
The screens were half-height, made of translucent paper printed with whimsical designs.
Elara leaned in to examine the screens. Each intricate design was meticulously crafted, without a single careless stroke in sight.
She studied the designs intently and snapped some photos with her phone. As she zoomed in to inspect the images, her gaze inadvertently caught a glimpse of someone outside the screens. Through the staggered partitions, the figure was faint but somehow very familiar.
Elara shook her head. She thought, 'Maybe it is him, but I don't care anymore.'
The heating inside was turned up so high that Elara's cheeks flushed crimson, as if she'd just downed a full glass of wine. She shrugged off her coat, revealing a fitted apricot knit sweater and a pencil skirt that accentuated her curves.
Elara's throat was parched from waiting so long. She kept sipping lemon water, thinking, 'If I keep this up, I'll be full before the food even arrives.'
With a loud clatter, Nancy shoved open the half-ajar screen door and barged into Elara's private booth. She exclaimed, "Elara, it's you!"
The semi-private booth, separated only by screens rather than proper walls, offered none of the soundproofing of a regular private room. Nancy's voice wasn't just loud, it was downright deafening, reverberating through the entire space.
Elara frowned and thought, 'What's she doing here? It seems that the person I just saw is indeed Alex.' She was frozen in shock when the unexpected happened.
Nancy stormed up to Elara, face twisted in fury, and landed a stinging slap across her cheek.
Elara's face was already flushed crimson, and now it was swollen from that slap. Anyone who saw me would think Nancy had slapped her a dozen times.
Elara wasn't about to take this lying down. In one swift motion, she flung her lemon water straight at Nancy's face.
Nancy tried to dodge, but half her face still got soaked.
Elara snapped, "Nancy, you'd better have one hell of a reason for that slap, or I swear I'll beat you senseless!" She glared at Nancy and frowned fiercely as if she had it in her to beat someone to death.
Nancy pointed at herself and sneered, "You'll beat me? Let's see who ends up dead today, you shameless bitch!"
Elara shot back, "Me? Shameless? Take a good look in the mirror, Nancy! Who's the real disgrace here?"
Nancy snapped, "You're seducing my fiancé, and you dare call me names?"
Elara felt like she'd just heard the joke of the century. She sneered, "Me? Seduce your fiancé? Which of your blind fucking eyes saw that? Which one?"
Nancy shouted, "You sneaked off to meet up with Alex behind my back today. How is that not trying to seduce him? Utterly shameless! You just have to meddle in other people's relationships and be a disgusting homewrecker, don't you?"
Elara said, "Me? Sneaking around with Alex? Then where is he? Do you see him anywhere near me right now?"
Nancy glared and snapped, "I just saw Alex walk into this restaurant with my own eyes. Is he hiding somewhere? Get him out here now. I'm going to confront him!"
Elara retorted, "You can't even keep tabs on your fiancé, and now you come blaming me? You've just redefined stupidity for me."
"Elara, you did it, and you still deny it?" Nancy sneered.
Elara snapped, "Got any proof? If not, I'll sue you for defamation!"
Nancy sneered, "Proof? Back in college, you clung to Alex like a desperate leech that just wouldn't let go. Anyone with eyes could see what a pathetic slut you were!"
Elara lunged forward and shoved Nancy hard, sending her sprawling onto the floor.
The commotion in the private booth was quite a ruckus, with women shrieking and plates shattering. Hearing the noise from another booth, Alex and Julian quickly guessed who was involved and rushed over.
Sure enough, as soon as they walked in, they saw Nancy and Elara rolling on the floor, locked in a physical altercation.
Elara was slender but quick. She managed to dodge most of it, ending up with just a nasty mark on her neck, while Nancy bore two angry red gashes across her face. And they were pretty deep.
Their hair was wild and disheveled from the scuffle. Elara's sweater was torn at the shoulder, exposing her skin, while the sleeve of Nancy's silk dress hung in tatters.
The coat Elara had left on her seat earlier now lay trampled on the floor, soaked and glittering with shards of glass.
Alex and Julian each pulled one woman away, breaking them apart.
But neither of the two women had had their fill of the fight. They lunged at each other like raging bulls, desperate to keep going.
Julian tightened his grip and pulled Elara into his arms. He shouted, "Hey, calm down."
Elara snapped, "Calm my ass! I'm gonna beat that brainless bitch to a pulp today!"
Alex tightened his grip on Nancy and said, "Nancy, what's your problem? Why are you picking a fight with Elara again?"
Nancy glared at him and retorted, "My problem? You're sneaking around with Elara at night, and you call that okay?"
Alex looked confused. He said, "Me? Sneaking around with Elara?"
Nancy snapped, "Alex! Don't play dumb! I put a tracker on your phone. I know everything!"
Alex frowned and asked, "You put a tracker on my phone? Nancy, why would you do something like that?"
Nancy snapped, "Why do you think I did that? If I hadn't put a tracker on your phone, how else would I have known you were sneaking around with Elara behind my back?"
Alex said, "I wasn't here to meet Elara today. I just came to see Julian, that's all."
Nancy shot back, "You really think I'd believe you? Aren't Julian and Elara in cahoots?"
Alex said, "Come on, Nancy, can we drop this? I told you, Elara and I are long over."
Nancy yanked her hand away from Alex and shouted, "Elara! Elara! You always have her name on your lips; there must be something fishy going on."
Alex said gently, "Alright, if it upsets you, I won't mention her anymore."
Nancy pressed, "All those times you said you were swamped with work, were you just using that as an excuse to be with her? Be honest with me, did anything happen between you two?"
Alex replied, "No, I swear. I just came to meet Julian today to discuss business."
Nancy was completely inconsolable. She shouted, "I don't believe you! You're nothing but a liar! We're about to get engaged, and yet you're still meeting with Elara.
"Is this how you keep your promises to me? Or do you not care whether your father gets out of prison safely?"