Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 98: Chapter 98

At 8 a.m., Elara drove the flashy black Bugatti into the busiest part of Veritasiton's business district.
It was rush hour, and even the fastest car had to crawl behind a Volkswagen going just 30 mph—stop and go, foot on the gas, then brake again.
She pulled up outside Tiffany Café on Maple Street because Adrian had specifically requested brunch from there.
When Elara arrived, Ruby was behind the counter in an apron, helping the staff make coffee. The morning rush was intense, and Ruby had to jump in herself.
Seeing the long line at the counter reminded Elara of her own quiet store on Glory Street, and she sighed.
Thanks to the premium card Adrian had loaded with 150 thousand dollars, Elara didn't need to wait. She walked to the VIP counter and handed Ruby the card.
Ruby didn't even look up. "Welcome. What would you like?"
Elara took off her sunglasses and looked at the bruised corner of Ruby's mouth. "Two orders—eggs Benedict and ciabatta sandwiches, packed separately."
Hearing her voice, Ruby looked up. "What are you doing here this early?"
"Well, don't get all emotional. I'm not here for you," Elara said. "I'm working. Boss sent me for brunch."
Ruby handed the ticket to the kitchen. "Even if you were here for me, I've got no time."
She then grabbed a coffee for Elara. "You got a job already? Where? You never said anything."
Elara shrugged. "Same place as before."
Ruby stared at her in disbelief. "You're working for Adrian again?"
"Yup." Elara nodded.
"I thought we swore off Alex last night," Ruby said. "You went back because Dylan got arrested again, didn't you?"
Elara knew she'd think that. She sipped the coffee. "Nope. Adrian fired Zoe and Lauren at the engagement party last night. I'm just paying him back for helping me. And Susan's still out. I'm just filling in so she doesn't lose her job."
Of course Ruby didn't believe it. "You really didn't do it for Alex?"
"Nope," Elara said. "I'm not that dumb."
"Good." Ruby breathed out.
Elara asked, "Julian okay? His family didn't chew him out?"
"They did, of course," Ruby said. "You know how hard things are for him at home."
Elara nodded. "This is the last time. As long as we stay out of Alex's mess, we'll be fine. Let's each focus on our own lives for now."
Ruby agreed.
Twenty minutes later, Elara left with two bags of brunch.
A small crowd of young people had gathered around her Bugatti, snapping pictures. She stood off to the side, watching for a moment. When she saw the time, she clicked the key, unlocked the doors, and got in.
Ten minutes later, the black Bugatti rolled into the parking lot of Anchor Law Firm. Elara stepped out in a sharp work outfit.
Her fitted white blouse showed off her slim waist. A black pencil skirt hugged her legs in sheer stockings, and red-bottom stilettos clicked sharply on the pavement.
At 5'6", she walked into the elevator with confidence. Her graceful figure swayed as she stepped out, her long hair carrying a hint of perfume and self-assurance.
The firm had already sent out the personnel update early that morning, so when she arrived, everyone greeted her politely.
After last night's scene at Alex and Nancy's engagement party, the whole office knew Elara was the boss's girlfriend.
Even those who didn't like it had to show her respect.
"Elara, good morning."
"Hi, Elara."
"Wow, you're early today!"
"You look amazing, Elara."
With flawless makeup and a radiant smile, Elara nodded back at each greeting, no matter if it was genuine.
It seemed like, once her status changed, the world suddenly had more "nice" people in it.
At 8:50 a.m., Elara sat down at her small office desk.
She glanced at Zoe's old mug still sitting there. Grabbing a tissue, she wrapped it around the handle and tossed the mug into the trash. Then she dusted off her hands like she'd just touched something filthy.
Justin had just walked in to say hello and saw the whole thing. He chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up. "You really hold a grudge, huh?"
Elara placed her new mug on the desk. "It's called 'revenge is a dish best served cold.'"
They both headed into the inner office. Adrian hadn't arrived yet, so Elara started grinding coffee beans in the machine, while Justin went through the contracts and documents they'd secured last night.
"Did Adrian finally get you last night?" Justin suddenly asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Elara shot back.
"Well, why else would you agree to be his secretary again?" he shrugged.
Elara slid the last tin of Mandheling beans she'd gifted Adrian into the cabinet. "Don't overthink it. I owed him a favor."
"Oh, I thought my cousin finally scored," Justin said.
Elara laughed. "You think I'm easy, or that your cousin's smooth with women? There's nothing going on between us."
Justin sighed. "Looks like Adrian's really going to end up getting married at thirty. Poor guy's never even had a real relationship."
"What? Wait—you're saying Adrian's never had a girlfriend his whole life?" Elara was intrigued.
"Not that I know of," Justin said. "You know his issues."
"Oh, but what about crushes? He must've had a secret crush at some point, right?" Elara asked.
"You really want to know?" Justin teased.
Realizing she might've been a little too eager, Elara pursed her lips. "Not really. Just curious."
Justin smirked. "Alright. Buy me lunch and I'll tell you."
"Deal," Elara agreed quickly. "I owe you so many favors anyway. Lunch is the least I can do."
The aroma of coffee filled the room. Elara placed a cup on Adrian's desk and helped Justin sort the files.
The two of them laughing and organizing documents together was exactly what Adrian walked in on. His mood, which had been decent, immediately took a nosedive.
With a cold expression, he strode into the office and dropped into his chair.
Lifting the coffee cup, he took a sip and said casually, "What's so funny? You two look like you're having a great time."
Justin glanced at Elara, who was trying not to laugh. "Nothing much. Just telling her a few of your childhood stories."
Justin was three years younger than Adrian, and they'd practically grown up together. He knew all of Adrian's embarrassing childhood moments.
Annoyed, Adrian shot back, "I need the personnel files for the Hachester case on my desk by noon."
Justin stopped smiling. "Adrian, there are over a thousand people in that company. You're giving me just two hours? And we've got a department meeting at eleven. You really gonna treat your cousin like this?"
"In this office, I'm your boss, not your cousin," Adrian replied coldly.
Justin fell silent and slinked out of the office. Elara, sensing the tension, quickly unpacked the brunch and placed it on the desk.
Then she pulled out the schedule. "This was arranged by Zoe. Eleven a.m., department meeting. Three p.m., contract renewal meeting with Mr. Yann Kalmien of Kalmien Group.
"And tonight, a dinner hosted by Mr. Montgomery to welcome your childhood friend, Mr. Logan Sullivan. Any changes you'd like to make?"
"Leave it as is," Adrian said.
"Alright," Elara nodded. "Here's the list of birthday gifts sent to clients this month and the associated costs. I'll leave it here for your signature."
She flipped through the calendar. "Mr. Hartley, your birthday is coming up early next month. Do you have any plans?"
"Not yet," Adrian replied.
Elara nodded again. After Adrian finished his brunch, she cleaned up the trash and was just about to leave when he suddenly spoke up. "You need to get me a birthday present."
Elara froze.