Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Hearing that, Elara paused but held her ground.
Ruby added, "And he's the only heir to the Hartley Group, a big name in the elite circle here. His family's the richest in Veritasiton."
In Veritasiton, there were four big-name families: the Hartley family, the Quinn family, the Montgomery family, and the Heaton family. Elara thought to herself, 'Wow, the four top families of Veritasiton—three of their heirs are sitting right in front of me?'
She glanced at the three wealthy guys. Before she could speak, Julian, who had been eavesdropping nearby, leaned in. He brushed his arm against Elara's on purpose.
Even though Julian was part of the elite circle, he never liked hanging out with other heirs. Plus, he had just got in the Hartley Group, so he hadn't met Adrian yet. He asked, "So he's Adrian? The Adrian? Adrian Hartley?"
Ruby nodded.
"The richest family's heir—why not take over his family business? Why become a lawyer?" Elara said flatly.
"Well, maybe rich kids just like to get out and see how the other half lives. Isn't that what Julian does? After Adrian grew up, he left the family to build his own business.
"He doesn't rely on the Hartley Group, but people in the circle still work with him because of the Hartley name," Ruby explained.
"Oh, so? What's your point?" Elara asked.
"Hey, is your brain on permanent Alex mode or what?" Julian flicked her forehead gently. "Look, you don't need Adrian gunning for you. The guy's got so much clout, that it could bury you without even trying. So yeah, making peace with him isn't a bad idea."
Elara rubbed her forehead. "So you are with Ruby? Think I should make peace with him?"
Julian didn't know the details from last night, only that Ruby said they argued over a room. He didn't see it as a big issue—no need to upset Adrian over a room—so he urged, "Yeah, better to avoid trouble. Or..."
"Or what?" Elara pressed.
Julian smirked. "You could count on me."
"Count on you? I'd rather rely on myself," Elara replied.
"Hey, the Quinn family is one of the top clans here. Why ignore us? As long as you marry me..." Julian hinted.
Elara popped a grape into Julian's mouth. "If you talk nonsense again, I'll kick you out of our little group."
Julian shut his mouth, grinning.
Ruby and Victor exchanged a glance and then tried to smooth things over. "Adrian, how about a toast to Elara?" Victor suggested.
Adrian's expression remained cold. After a pause, he picked up his glass. Without an apology or harsh words, he simply said, "If you need anything, contact me." Then, silence.
Victor wanted his aloof friend to say more, but that one sentence was already a big step for Adrian. He added, "Yes, yes! Elara, Ruby, if you ever encounter any disputes, contact Adrian.
"In Veritasiton, he can handle any case. He's very selective—won't take small cases unless it's for a friend. And now, we're all friends."
Victor's smile grew stiff as Elara's face turned icy.
Ruby jumped in and smiled, "Really? We've heard of Mr. Hartley's reputation. Having him with us, we can feel much safer."
Elara thought to herself, 'Do you even know what you're talking about?'
Victor nudged Adrian and said, "Adrian, why not exchange numbers to stay in touch?"
Ruby chimed in, "Totally! Want to add each other on WhatsApp?"
Adrian and Elara watched the whole thing play out with a cold, detached air, then sighed in unison. Their eyes met briefly, but they quickly looked away. In the end, neither made a move to connect on social media.
Victor frantically grabbed two business cards from Adrian's suit pocket. "Here's Adrian's card. It has his number; calling him is just as good."
Ruby took the business card and handed one to Elara, but Elara didn't take it. So Ruby put it into Elara's coat pocket, smiling awkwardly, "Okay, no problem."
Victor said, "Elara, now that we're friends, can you delete that post on Twitter?"
Elara didn't want to delete it—she was still angry. "I'm going to the restroom," she said, walking out of the private room.
Victor choked on his words, watching Elara leave. Helplessly, he nudged Adrian quickly again.
Adrian snapped, "What is it?"
"And you call that an apology? Seriously?" Victor said.
Adrian toyed with his silver lighter. "Victor, you said the room would always be kept for me."
"So you actually saw her in the bath?" Victor asked.
"So what? She saw me naked as well," Adrian countered.
Victor was so frustrated he could have exploded. He thought, 'No wonder he has a reputation in the legal world for being ruthless. He might be handsome and rich, but his sharp remarks push girls away.'
"So, you deserve to be single. Look at the way you talk. What girl would want you?" Victor said.
Adrian chuckled, "Let's get this straight—I don't want any girl."
"Really? You don't want one, or you just can't forget Josie?" Victor pressed.
Adrian snapped. "Stop bringing her up."
Victor was about to argue back, but Adrian had already stood up and left the private room.
Elara came out of the restroom and called Alex. The call connected, with loud music blaring in the background.
"Hey, Elara, did you land okay?" Alex's voice was soft and gentle.
Hearing his voice, Elara's restless heart finally began to calm. "Yeah, I landed over an hour ago."
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Alex asked.
Elara wanted to say, "I miss you so much that I can't sleep." But instead, she replied, "Ruby threw a party for me. We're still out having fun."
"Okay, just don't stay out too late. You don't handle alcohol well, so take it easy. Text me when you get home," Alex said.
"Alright, how's Dylan's case going?" Elara asked.
"Tonight, the meeting with the lawyer went well. He said the chances are good. We were going over the details and should appeal soon," Alex explained.
"Okay, maybe tomorrow—" Elara began.
"Alex!" A woman's voice interrupted over the phone.
Elara lowered her gaze slightly, recognizing it as Nancy's voice.
"Elara, I'll talk to you later. I'll come to you after I'm done here," Alex said.
Elara nodded, even though he couldn't see her, and said, "Okay."
She hung up the phone. She had just started to feel a bit more at ease, but now she was anxious again. Anyway, on the bright side, Dylan's case now had a lawyer, so refusing Victor's settlement was an option.
She washed her face and headed back to the private room. As she turned the corner, she saw Adrian leaning against the wall, smoking.
Elara's face turned cold. She ignored him and walked straight past.
As she passed by, Adrian spoke up in a calm, low voice, "Want to talk?"