Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 81: Chapter 81

Adrian's face was unreadable. "I'll be around for a few more days. Are you sure you want to leave?"
Elara nodded, quickly fabricating an excuse. "Something urgent came up back in Veritasiton, so I can't stay here that long."
Adrian asked sharply, "You're rushing back for Alex's engagement party?"
"What?" Elara was stunned. She hadn't planned to attend Alex's engagement party at all; she'd asked Ruby to deliver the engagement gift for her. But since she couldn't think of a good excuse, she nodded along. "Yeah, the three of us are all going."
The party was tomorrow night, and Elara would have plenty of time if she left the next morning.
But she knew Janice too well—if she lost it, she might hop on a flight and show up tonight to drag her back. What was worse, she might go after Adrian. Elara thought it was better to play it safe and head back early.
Elara looked at Adrian and asked, "Can I take a few days off? I need to head to the airport soon."
Adrian frowned, "The engagement isn't until tomorrow night. What's the big rush?"
"Oh, I still need to pick up some gifts and stuff, and I've got a hair appointment with Ruby during the day," Elara said. Anyway, she had to leave tonight.
Just then, her phone buzzed with another message. She checked it—Janice had booked her a flight from Marisiton Airport to Veritasiton Airport, boarding in just three hours. If Elara changed now and grabbed a cab, she'd make it just in time.
"I've already booked my ticket. I'm going upstairs to change," Elara added.
Adrian stood there in stony silence.
Elara could feel the suffocating tension radiating from him. Afraid he might erupt at any moment, she kept babbling nervously, trying to hide how flustered she was.
Her fingers just brushed the lounge door handle when Adrian stirred. He clamped down on her wrist, his glowering eyes pinning her in place. "Did I say you could leave?"
Elara bit her lower lip nervously. "Just this once, okay? I promise I won't pull this kind of stunt again when we're back in Veritasiton."
Adrian scoffed, "After ditching me like this, you still think we have a future?"
Elara felt a sudden pang in her chest, her breath hitching. "Adrian, please. I'll pick you up at the airport when you get back, okay?"
Adrian's lips curled into a cold sneer. "No. Either you stay here until Alex's engagement is over, or get out of my life for good."
Before Elara could respond, her phone rang again, urgent and insistent.
"Have you left yet?" Janice demanded.
"I..." Elara hesitated, glancing at Adrian. "I'm on my way."
Janice said, "Call me as soon as you arrive in Veritasiton."
"Okay," Elara replied. After hanging up the phone, she reached up and gently smoothed Adrian's furrowed brow. "I get it. You're mad because I'm going to Alex's engagement party, aren't you?"
Earlier, she'd just blurted out the first excuse that came to mind to justify leaving. But when she heard Adrian say, "Stay here until Alex's engagement is over," it suddenly hit her—she'd chosen the absolute worst possible pretext.
She looked at Adrian and said softly, "I promise, I won't go to Alex's engagement party. I'll just stay at the café tomorrow night, okay? If you're worried I might be lying, you can video call me anytime tomorrow night to check up on me."
Her delicate fingertips brushed lightly against Adrian's furrowed brow. Though his expression stayed stern, a surge of warmth softened him inside. Yet his words still carried an edge as he grumbled, "Then why do you have to go back?"
Elara took a deep breath and finally admitted, "It's because of my mom."
Adrian looked puzzled.
Elara explained, "I told you before—ever since I was a child, my mom never let me come to Marisiton. She'd lived here for a few years, but something must have traumatized her.
"After she went back to Veritasiton, she never came back. When I finished high school, she divorced my dad and moved overseas.
"She saw online that I'm in Marisiton and got really worked up on the phone just now. I'm worried if I don't go back, she'll rush over here. I don't understand why she acts this way, but I just don't want to see her in such distress."
Elara grasped Adrian's arm and gave it a gentle shake. "So, could you..."
Adrian said, "You just can't stay here in Marisiton?"
Elara nodded.
"Then let's go to Hachester. It's just over an hour's drive. You coming?" Adrian offered.
It was a new destination—not Veritasiton, not Marisiton, but somewhere Janice would be okay with, and definitely away from Alex. Still, Elara hesitated. "Aren't you supposed to be taking care of things here?"
"Yeah, so I'll have the driver take you to Hachester first. I'll join you after I'm done with dinner here," Adrian replied.
"How much longer?"
"An hour or two."
"Okay." Elara nodded. She then headed upstairs, slipped out of her gown, and rode the elevator to the garage where the driver was already waiting.
Inside the elevator, a couple of women in cocktail dresses were chatting—Elara had spotted them at the party just now.
"Well, now that Ms. Heaton is here, how's Mr. Hartley gonna get out of this mess?"
"He's been making a show of flaunting his date today—anyone can see how intimate they are. Now that his proper fiancée has arrived, this should be quite the spectacle."
"What spectacle? Didn't you see Adrian kick that woman out? I just saw him standing alone earlier."
"Guess he got wind of Ms. Heaton's coming and sent his little side piece packing."
"Nothing beats the real fiancée. How could an internet celebrity ever compare to old Veritasiton money?"
Elara wore a long black trench coat, her hair down and a beret pulled low. No one would have noticed her unless they looked closely.
'Josie is here,' Elara thought to herself. She wasn't sure how she felt—maybe it didn't really matter, but her mood had definitely soured.
She stepped out of the elevator and got into the car, which immediately headed south toward Hachester.
Elara texted Janice on WhatsApp: [We still have some business in Hachester. We're heading there now and will be out of Marisiton in about an hour. I've canceled my flight to Veritasiton.] She also sent Janice a video of herself in the car.
Janice didn't reply, nor did she call again to rush Elara. Elara let out a quiet sigh of relief—she'd managed to dodge the bullet for now.
She then dozed off in the car as it entered Hachester's elevated highway, crossed the Tideflow River, and finally pulled up at a luxury hotel.
This was Elara's first time in Hachester. She felt that the vibe here was nothing like Veritasiton.
After she finished unpacking in her room, it was already 2 a.m. Starving, she remembered the friendly receptionist had told her Hachester boasted a thriving food delivery scene, so she started scrolling through food delivery apps, trying to decide what to order.
The takeout arrived, and she finished it. Still, Adrian hadn't shown up. 'He isn't off catching up with Josie or something, is he?' she thought irritably.
After her shower, Elara curled up in bed, her mind wandering. 'Is Adrian cuddling with Josie right now? That bastard! If I'd known it, I would've just gone back to Veritasiton instead of getting stranded all alone in this strange city.'
She fumed, then fumed some more—until she'd worked herself right to sleep. Exhausted from the long day, she quickly drifted into a deep sleep. In her dream, she saw Adrian with Josie again. "Adrian, you filthy scumbag!" she cursed in her sleep.
Adrian, who had just taken off his coat, couldn't help but chuckle. He gently pinched her nose, making her frown in her sleep. "I rushed here as fast as I could, and this is the thanks I get? Being called a scumbag in your dreams?"