REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight

Chapter 197: Unfair.

Elara’s heart suddenly jerked against her ribs. Her lips pursed into a thin line as she looked at the bathroom door as if someone would suddenly open it.

Adrian’s face remained completely unbothered. He simply parted his lips and spoke clearly toward the door.

"Let him in," he muttered in a tone audible enough for Harris to hear him.

Elara’s jaw dropped and she turned to look at him in surprise.

He should let him in?

They were in the bathroom, the office floor outside was a mess, and if his father saw them like this, she might die of embarrassment.

"You look nervous," Adrian suddenly murmured, a small snort leaving his lips. He looked down at her face, clearly enjoying how she looked like she had just been caught red handed doing something bad.

"You must be insane." Elara whispered harshly, more concerned about her reputation than any awkwardness around him. "If you don’t have any–"

"You were so brave a few minutes ago," Adrian interrupted quietly, the corner of his lips raising to a mocking sneer. "Where did all that confidence go?"

"This isn’t a joke,"

Elara muttered while he let out a short laugh. He then reached down and smoothly finished pulling up her trousers, buttoning them for her without any trace of hurry.

"Fix your shirt. I will take care of the rest." he commanded firmly. Not waiting for her reply, he turned and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Elara stared at the door he had just passed through for a long time, then she came down from the counter and moved to the mirror to fix her messy hair.

Outside, Adrian glanced at the papers scattered all over the office floor. He then calmly used his shoe to kick them under the desk just as the doors of his office swung open.

Mr Vale strode into the office, his expression anything but friendly. He snorted when he saw Adrian standing beside the desk, then walked toward one of the armchairs positioned opposite the desk and sat down. His butler remained respectfully by the door, his hands clasped neatly in front of him.

Adrian glanced at Mr Vale without the slightest change in his expression. Then he calmly walked around the desk and sat in his chair. He didn’t say anything. He simply leaned back and picked up his key fob, turning it lazily between his fingers.

Mr Vale’s jaw tightened. He pointed a finger at him, his expression openly aggrieved. "Why would you do something like that, Adrian? You are not a child that needs correcting every time. You’ve spent years leading this group and I believe you should know by now that some rules in the business world cannot simply be broken. Being the CEO doesn’t mean you can make decisions on impulse. Some deci..."

His words died abruptly in his throat. His brows narrowed and his mouth parted slightly in shock as a figure suddenly stepped out of the private suite connected to the office.

Elara stood calmly by the door, watching the change in Mr Vale’s expression. Somehow, all she felt was a small amount of annoyance.

She had been standing by the door for a while and had heard everything he was saying. It sounded ridiculous to her, and more than once she had felt the urge to interrupt. But she couldn’t.

Adrian only glanced sideways at her before returning his attention to the object in his hand.

Not allowing Mr Vale time to recover from his surprise, Elara nodded politely in greeting and turned to leave but a voice stopped her immediately.

"Nobody told you to leave." Adrian suddenly spoke up, his eyes fixed on hers.

The meaning behind his words was clear.

She wasn’t allowed to leave yet.

Elara pressed her lips together and slowly turned back toward him. Her expression clearly asking ’what else could you possibly need from me?"

Adrian simply stared back but he didn’t say another word.

Why would he ask her to stay anyway?

She knew there was no reason left for her to stay. And with Mr Vale present, it didn’t seem appropriate for her to remain.

After staring at him for several seconds, she finally gave up and walked toward the chaise lounge which was positioned against the wall.

Mr Vale’s expression shifted from surprise to irritation as Elara moved to sit down. He remained silent for a long moment before speaking. "I believe that even if he asks you to stay, you should still know when a discussion does not concern you."

Before Elara could react, Adrian suddenly let out a short snort making Mr Vale to immediately turn toward him.

"Sit down." He said firmly. The command was obviously directed at Elara, but his gaze remained locked on Mr. Vale.

Mr Vale’s jaw tightened harder. At first, it looked as if he wanted to argue again, but he eventually leaned back against the chair and remained silent.

Elara also sat down and rested her hands on her lap.

"That partnership existed long before you sat in that chair, Adrian," Mr. Vale continued anyway, his voice calmer now, though it was noticeably colder. "Our group has partnered with the Ashcroft for decades, and the foundation of that relationship has never once been shaken."

Elara felt increasingly uncomfortable listening to him. She shifted her gaze a little, trying to see Adrian’s reaction.

There wasn’t any. He remained exactly where he was, leaning comfortably against his chair while turning the key fob between his fingers. As if sensing her gaze, he suddenly looked up and their eyes met. But Elara looked away immediately.

Seeing that Adrian appeared completely unconcerned about his ramblings, Mr Vale gave another cold snort. "This year’s project was built upon relationships this company spent years cultivating. Some people simply don’t understand the value of what they’ve been given."

Elara’s breathing stilled.

She didn’t know much about the Vale family. She didn’t know whether this was how Mr Vale had always spoken to Adrian. But hearing those words made her blood boil–especially when she looked at Adrian and saw him sitting there quietly, looking unaffected.

She hadn’t known Adrian long enough to claim she understood him deeply. But she knew enough. Everyone knew enough.

His contribution to the Vale Group was impossible to ignore.

"I think that’s unfair."

The words left her mouth before she could stop them. Her calm gaze remained fixed on Mr Vale.