Elara’s expression hardened.
What exactly did she think of him now?
Wasn’t he the one who claid he didn’t care what people thought of him? Yet he was still standing here asking her that question.
She snorted inwardly.
Stubborn.
But to answer his question, what she thought of him had always remained the sa. That would not change no matter what he did or whatever happened to him.
Adrian would always be Adrian. Cold, arrogant and infuriating. Still the person she disliked and could never fully trust.
The sa man who made decisions for other people and never bothered explaining them.
The sa man who nearly strangle soone to death and then calmly ask if she planned on sleeping in a forest.
The sa man who had quietly taken care of her grandfather’s dical expenses while hiding the severity of his illness from her.
The sa man who had once almost killed her in a bathroom, yet was sohow building an entire music hall for her.
Nothing about him made sense no matter how long she thought about it. Her jaw tightened, but she did not say a word.
Adrian looked sideways at her face as if trying to read whatever was going through her mind. After a few monts, he gave a small scoff. "Forget it."
Without waiting for an answer, he walked past her.
Elara watched his back as he headed toward the direction they had co from. She pressed her lips together and eventually started walking as well, making sure to leave a reasonable distance between them.
The sound of their footsteps kept brushing against the grass and fallen leaves as they moved through the shrubs.
Elara walked quietly, though it had very little to do with the surroundings. Too many thoughts were running through her mind.
Suddenly Adrian stopped, making Elara’s feet to co to a halt too. He turned slightly and looked at her over his shoulder.
"Why are you following ?" he asked, one brow lifting.
Elara blinked.
What did he an by she was following him? Of course she was walking to her car.
"My car is there." She muttered anyway.
"Your car." He repeated the words slowly.
Elara did not know if she was imagining it, but there seed to be a faint trace of amusent in his voice. She simply shook her head and continued walking.
Sohow, the distance between them began to shrink. Elara hadn’t increased her strides, yet Adrian’s broad back was suddenly right in front of her again. Before long, she moved ahead of him and reached her car first.
As she pulled the door open, Adrian’s shadow suddenly stepped in behind her, pinning her against the tal.
Her breathing seized, knowing that any movent now will only make things worse.
His chest pressed flush to her back. One of his arms moved past her waist and slamd the door shut again. His other hand covered hers completely and pried the keys from her fingers. He then hit the lock button.
Elara’s fist tightened as he leaned down, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
"I don’t need you feeling sorry for ," he murmured against her ear. "Save your pity for soone else."
His fingers brushed slowly over the back of her hand as he slid the keys back into her palm. Then he finally stepped back, leaving her flushed and breathing hard in the sudden empty space.
The mont Elara ca back to her senses, she quickly unlocked the car and got in. Her hands were shaking no matter how hard she tried to control them. She did not even dare look back to see what expression might be on Adrian’s face.
She probably looked ridiculous right now.
Without wasting another second, she started the car and drove away. The vehicle moved out of the narrow path and onto the road. By the ti she reached the main road, she realized she couldn’t hear the sound of another engine behind her.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Adrian’s car should have been sowhere behind hers now.
She glanced at the rearview mirror but the road is completely empty. She turned her gaze back to the road ahead, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel.
Hadn’t he wanted to leave? What was he still doing in that forest?
His words replayed in her mind again.
I don’t need you feeling sorry for .
Elara pressed her lips together.
Why did he always assu the worst whenever it ca to her? She had not pitied him. At least... she didn’t think she had...
–
When Elara got ho, Zia was already in the sitting room watching a TV show while Ziva was in the kitchen preparing sothing for herself. Rembering that Ziva had asked her to buy food on her way back, Elara imdiately felt guilty.
"I’m sorry, Ziva, I..."
"It’s alright. Zia already told what happened," Ziva said, turning to look at her. "That’s why I’m already making my own food."
Instantly, Elara knew Ziva was angry, so she kept quiet and didn’t dare say another word.
Ziva sighed and turned back to the food she was cooking. "It honestly amazes , Elara," she said.
Elara blinked.
"I don’t know what kind of luck follows you around, but I’m very sure that without it, you would have been poisoned, sold, sacrificed to so ancient cult, and buried at least five tis already."
Elara pursed her lips.
"Mrs Vale was in a dangerous situation." She managed to say.
"Exactly," Ziva replied imdiately. "Which is mainly why you shouldn’t have followed them."
She pointed the spatula in Zia’s direction. "And there was even a child with you."
Elara opened her mouth, then closed it again. She couldn’t really argue with that.
Seeing her speechless expression, Ziva snorted. "The only thing left now is for you to marry Adrian Vale so you’ll officially have the right to work as his mother’s bodyguard."
Elara shook her head and walked away before the conversation could continue.
She went upstairs to her room and took a shower. The warm water poured over her for a long ti, but sohow it didn’t wash away the exhaustion clinging to her body.
Eventually, she stepped out of the bathroom and changed into a pair of pajamas. After that, she picked up her laptop and headed back downstairs.
Ziva was already sitting beside Zia on the couch, it seems she had already eaten. The little girl was still watching TV, but she was obviously fighting a losing battle against sleep. Every few seconds her eyelids would droop shut before snapping open again.
Elara sat down on the couch beside theirs and placed the laptop on her lap.
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