Chapter 40 Don't Be Afraid, Baby ....
Overwhelming panic immediately attacked Elena's mind. Why would a Blackwood know her name? Why would a woman of that stature be interested in an ordinary jewelry designer like herself? Was this related to her shattered marriage scandal with Morgan Valdez? Or… was this a new trap from business enemies wanting to bring her down?
Little did Elena know that, at the very same moment, on the highest floor of Blackwood Tower, Marcus stepped into the CEO's office with a panicked expression for the first time in his many years of service.
"Young Master," Marcus said, his voice slightly strained.
Elijah, who had been reviewing the stock movement charts of Daniel Vance's logistics company which he had just crushed, looked up with one raised eyebrow.
"What is it, Marcus? You look like you just saw Alaric having a heart attack with a tail."
"This is far worse than that, Young Master," Marcus said, handing over his digital tablet with slightly tense hands.
"Our spies in the main residence courier division report that the Grand Lady Victoria just sent an official lavender-scented afternoon tea invitation directly to Miss Elena's desk at Valora Gems a few minutes ago."
Elijah's hand movements, holding a luxury pen, stopped instantly. His sapphire-blue eyes, which had been so calm, suddenly flashed with thick and dangerous anger. An incredibly chilling cold aura immediately dominated the entire spacious room, making Marcus reflexively step back.
Elijah squeezed the pen in his hand until the thousand-dollar object cracked within his powerful fingers.
"Mom," Elijah hissed, his voice very low and dangerous. "You really dare to jump over the fence I built around my Ángel."
Elijah stood up from his grand chair, walking slowly toward the large window facing New York City. His mind spun rapidly, calculating every possibility that would occur if Elena stepped into the Blackwood family palace tomorrow. He knew very well how cunning his mother, Victoria, was at peeling away someone's secrets behind the warmth of an afternoon tea smile.
"Prepare the car, Marcus," Elijah ordered coldly without turning around. "We're going to The Azure Apartment right now. Before Elena starts panicking and asking things she's not yet ready to know, I have to make sure her personal security detail locks her down even tighter."
Marcus didn't waste a single second. He immediately bowed respectfully, pressing a button on his tablet to condition the private elevator to go straight to the basement, where a black Rolls-Royce Phantom was already waiting.
"It's ready, Young Master. The static security team at The Azure has also been ordered to prepare for your arrival."
Elijah didn't respond. His wide strides cut through the vast marble room, radiating a cold aura that made the staff outside the executive office hold their breath in fear. Inside his head, he was formulating a plan to calm Elena's panic while simultaneously sending a harsh warning to the main residence in the Hamptons.
Meanwhile, inside the yellow taxi cutting through the dense streets of Manhattan, Elena clutched her handbag tightly on her lap. Her mind was completely blank.
After receiving a call from Elijah suddenly wanting to take her to an early lunch, she immediately rushed out of the Valora Gems building. Her mind was tormented by a lavender-scented metallic gold card inside her bag.
'Victoria Blackwood, what does she really want?' Elena thought to herself, her chest heaving irregularly.
As soon as the taxi stopped in front of The Azure Apartment lobby, Elena hurriedly got out. But her steps paused for a moment in front of the glass lobby doors.
The apartment atmosphere felt much quieter than usual. Several men in black suits with military-style haircuts were standing scattered in strategic corners, pretending to read newspapers or check security posts. Elena frowned anxiously, feeling that New York had suddenly become very foreign since the night her wedding was ruined two days ago.
She hurriedly took the elevator to her floor. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she found her apartment unit door slightly ajar. Elena's heart pounded. She pushed the door slowly and stepped inside.
"Elijah?" Elena called, her voice trembling slightly.
Elijah was standing near the large living room window, his back to her. The young man had already taken off the three-piece formal suit he wore at the Wall Street headquarters, replacing it with a clean white t-shirt and a blue plaid flannel shirt intentionally left open.
His appearance looked casual as usual, but the tension in his broad shoulders couldn't fool Elena's sensitivity.
Hearing Elena's voice, Elijah turned around. His pair of sapphire blue eyes, which had been dark until now, suddenly softened, replaced by a warm glimmer that always managed to calm the storms inside Elena's head.
"You came right on time, Ángel," Elijah said, his deep baritone voice sounding so protective. He stepped closer, closing the distance between them until Elena could once again smell the fresh scent of sandalwood from the man's body.
Elijah didn't wait for Elena to speak. He immediately reached for Elena's ice-cold hands, intertwining their fingers very tightly and channeling instant warmth throughout the woman's body.
"Your pulse is racing too fast, Elena. Tell me, what has frightened my girl like this?"
Elena looked down, not daring to meet the sapphire blue eyes that seemed able to pierce through her thoughts. "I'm fine, Elijah. I'm just a little panicked because of design work matters at the office. Isabella's scandal has made the atmosphere in our division very suffocating."
Elijah smirked slightly, a predatory yet dangerously captivating smile. He knew Elena was lying to protect him.
"You're not good at lying in front of me, Darling. Clause number two of the contract, I am your personal bodyguard now. My job is to sniff out every threat."
With an incredibly quick and unexpected movement, Elijah's strong hand snatched the small handbag from Elena's grasp. Elena let out a small scream, trying to snatch it back, but Elijah easily used his other hand to pin both of Elena's wrists against the kitchen counter, completely trapping the woman's body under his absolute dominance.
"Elijah! Give my bag back! You're violating my privacy!" Elena exclaimed, her face flushing red, her chest heaving rapidly due to their extremely intimate position in the narrow kitchen.
"Let's see what my employer is hiding that has made her tremble since stepping through the door," Elijah whispered casually while unzipping Elena's bag with his free hand.
Elijah's fingers reached inside the bag and a moment later, a thick metallic gold invitation card emitting a strong lavender scent was already between his thumb and forefinger. Elijah released Elena's wrists, then straightened up again, pretending to read the lines of gold calligraphy with a furrowed brow—as if he were seeing that name for the first time.
"Victoria Blackwood," Elijah murmured, his voice deliberately made to sound confused and distant, a low-class act that was very convincing. He turned to look at Elena, who was now sitting limply at the dining table with a pale, ashen face.
"Miss, can you explain to me, why the supreme ruler of New York's socialites suddenly invites an ordinary designer like you to have tea at her Hamptons palace?"