Chapter Unveiled 200
Chapter 200
Elara set down her pen and looked at Adair. "Asher told you he likes me?"
"He didn't say it outright, but it's obvious. You can see it in his eyes," Adair replied. "Don't think I don't know. You must've been flirting with him behind my back." "You're overthinking it," Elara said flatly.
"Am I?" Adair countered. "Then why, knowing full well my family might not approve of him and me being together, did you go and talk about us to Aunt Zavala?"
"When did I ever say anything?" Elara was baffled, suddenly finding herself blamed for something out of nowhere.
Adair let out a cold laugh. "At dinner that day. The very night we went back, Aunt Zavala asked me if Asher was my boyfriend."
"Hey," Elara said with a sigh. "You called Asher to pick you up that day. Maybe your aunt saw you two together. How is that my fault?
"I'm so busy every day I barely have time to deal with my own life, let alone meddle in your business with Asher. If anything, I hope you two end up together. I hope you get married. A guy like him? Probably only you would appreciate him." Initially, she had wanted to warn Adair. She didn't want her getting strung along by Asher. But over time, Elara realized she was worrying about the wrong person.
Adair was happy enough, and that was okay. However, now that Adair had decided to drag her into this mess, Elara wasn't about to take it lying down.
Adair pressed her lips together. "Even if you didn't say anything to Aunt Zavala, the fact remains. Asher likes you."
Elara pulled out her phone, opened her chat history with Asher on WhatsApp, and held it up for Adair to see. "What have we even talked about?" The messages showed only two brief exchanges about work, nothing more.
Adair said, "You probably already deleted the other messages."
As soon as she said it, Elara tapped on Asher's contact and deleted it right in front of her.
""Happy now?" Elara asked.
Adair blinked, stunned by how decisively Elara had erased him. Still, the gesture left her feeling unsettled.
'What did this mean? Is Elara looking down on me? The man I have pursued for so long, and Elara dismisss him so casually?' she wondered.
Adair glared at Elara. "I'm warning you, Elara. Stay away from him. He's mine now.
"Even if he likes you, it's over between you two. If I catch you sneaking around with him again, don't blame me for what happens."
"What's going on?" Evelyn's voice came from the doorway. She glanced at Adair, who was standing in Elara's office. "I could hear you all the way from outside."
Adair turned to Evelyn, her face instantly turning pitiful. "Ms. Hawthorne..." Her eyes reddened as if she had suffered some immense grievance.
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Chapter 200
Evelyn frowned. "What's wrong?"
Adair sniffled. "It's Elara. She knows I'm with Asher, but she's still messing around with him."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow, studying Adair. "You're overthinking things. Elara? Interested in Asher? Please. Her husband is hundreds of times better than Asher. Sure, Asher has his good points, but he's not someone she'd bother with." Adair's expression stiffened, realizing Evelyn had just insulted her taste.
Evelyn didn't miss a beat. "Alright, get back to work. I need to talk to Elara. Honestly, stop spending all your time chasing men. Is this how the Balslev family raises its daughters?" Furious, Adair stormed out of the office.
Once she was gone, Evelyn turned to Elara. "What's her deal, throwing a tantrum in your office?"
"No idea," Elara replied. "Probably having issues with Asher."
Evelyn snorted. "Asher's personality is what it is. What does that have to do with you? He's the type of guy who's great at his job but a terrible husband.
"You can tell just by looking at him. He's the kind who messes with people's heads."
Hearing Evelyn's spot-on critique of Asher, Elara's lips curved into a smile.
"Looks like you've had some firsthand experience, Evelyn," she teased.
"Dated someone like him before," Evelyn admitted. "He was such a drama queen, I couldn't stand it."
*****
That afternoon, Asher had just wrapped up a meeting and was stepping out of the conference room when his secretary approached him. "Mr. Blackwood, Ms. Balslev is here." "What's she doing here?" Asher glanced at his watch, irritation flickering across his face. It was work hours, and Adair hadn't even bothered to notify him before showing up. Asher found himself particularly annoyed by clingy women. The moment they became overly enthusiastic, his patience wore thin. Still, he made his way to his office. When he walked in, he saw Adair sitting on the sofa. She didn't greet him but let out a petulant huff instead.
"What's this about?" he asked, settling into a single-seat armchair and eyeing her sulky expression.
"I've been bullied," Adair said.
"By who?" he asked.
"Elara," she snapped. "She said her standards aren't that low and she'd never be interested in you. She claimed I'm the only one who thinks you're such a catch." A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Asher's lips. "And that's got you upset?"
"Why aren't you angry at all?" Adair demanded. "She insulted you, and here you are laughing about it!"
"How'd this even come up? You don't exactly cross paths much, even though you both work here," he asked. They weren't even on the same floor.
Adair hesitated before replying. "We just happened to run into each other."
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"You sought her out, didn't you?" Asher pressed, his gaze narrowing.
Caught, Adair lowered her head, her eyes turning misty. "I just feel like you don't love me at all. Asher, do you still have feelings for her?
"If that's the case, then we shouldn't be together. If my man doesn't see only me, then I don't want him."
"Where's this coming from?" Asher asked. "Haven't things been fine between us lately?"
"Fine? You left me hanging last night. What's fine about that?" she said.
"I told you last night," Asher explained, "my mother's sick."
"That's just an excuse," Adair fumed. "Every time we're together, you always have something else to deal with. You're still hung up on Elara, and that's why you won't even touch me.
"Do you know how humiliating that is for me? No man's ever treated me like this. You're the first."
Asher remained seated, unmoving, his gaze fixed on her.
When he didn't console her or offer an explanation, and as his expression grew sterner, Adair's confidence began to falter. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked defensively. "What did I do wrong?" "You're just exhausting," Asher said, his voice flat. "Do you think Id joke about my mother's health? And over this, you went to confront Elara?
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"Ms. Balslev, have you even considered her current status? Do you realize what kind of trouble you're courting by doing that? Do you really want to provoke Lysander?"
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Hearing Lysander's name, Adair retorted, "If Lysander found out his wife was out there flirting with other men, he wouldn't tolerate it either. Why should I care?
"She's shameless anyway, married, yet still keeping you in her thoughts."
"If that's how you feel," Asher said coldly, "then don't bother coming to me again."