Chapter 48 Moving
Chapter 48 Moving
Elara flatly refused.
If Story Revival Atelier merged with Blackwood Heritage Group, they'd be completely under Blackwood Heritage Group's thumb.
Forget about leaving Blackwood Heritage Group and growing Story Revival Atelier; they'd just get more tangled up and stuck with it.
Kieran didn't say much. He checked the time and told her she could take the next few days off, giving her a week's vacation to rest and move her stuff.
By the time she got home, it was almost midnight.
Thinking back to when Kieran left, he seemed like he wanted to say something, but held back.
Elara suddenly wondered if he was waiting for an invite to come upstairs for a cup of coffee or something.
They had already cleared things up in the car last time, and in front of Seraphina, Kieran made it clear he wasn't looking to date her.
This way, everyone could be happy.
She could focus on her work, and Kieran could do whatever he wanted. It had nothing to do with her.
She was probably overthinking it.
Her phone rang.
She received a transfer notification, marked as her salary from Blackwood Heritage Group.
Payday was a few days away, but considering her vacation, Kieran probably had the finance department send her salary early so she could buy some furniture while moving.
Her base salary for restoration and appraisal, Seraphina's tutoring fees, commissions for each artifact restored, performance bonuses—all added up, far exceeded the monthly income of her previous studio.
This month, Story Revival Atelier also brought in several clients thanks to Ethan's efforts, which was a significant income.
Of course, every time a contract was signed, Elara promptly transferred Ethan's commission to his account, worried he might spend too freely and run into financial trouble.
She sent a message in the group chat, saying she'd treat them to dinner tomorrow.
Tonight, they had accompanied her, eating burgers in the car, so she wanted to reward them.
Sylvia: [Whoa, feeling rich, huh? So generous?]
Ethan: [Huh? Elara, I just got your $10,000 transfer. Didn't you already give me my commission?]
Elara: [Plus your base salary and this month's bonus, all at once!]
Sylvia: [Looks like you're not just rich, you're loaded. Come on, did you cave to Kieran after we left?]
Elara: [Alright, you got it. Sylvia, are you coming tomorrow?]
Sylvia: [Of course! I'll be there!]
Elara: [Ha, I thought you had more integrity.]
Sylvia: [What's integrity worth? My company is burning through money like crazy. I'm doing everything I can to make money, short of selling myself. Saving on a meal is a win! By the way, want to sponsor me? I'm cheap, think about it.]
Elara: [Umm... can't afford it right now.]
Ethan: [@Sylvia, why ask Elara to sponsor you? Why not ask me?]
Sylvia: [Get lost!]
Watching they bicker was one of the few enjoyable things.
Sometimes Elara would stir the pot, siding with Ethan one moment and Sylvia the next, having a blast.
To be precise, Ethan was always stirring the pot, and Sylvia was always ready to serve it up.
It was funny; Ethan had been getting teased for over twenty years and never seemed to get tired of it.
Similarly, Sylvia had a unique talent for roasting Ethan.
If they weren't childhood friends with zero romantic potential, they'd be a perfect match.
She slept until noon.
Sylvia and Ethan's chat history in the group went until around 4 AM.
It wasn't really a conversation, just some random, meaningless topics.
It wasn't about sharing or giving advice.
Just some harmless chatter, like classmates occasionally chatting during school, not realizing the day had passed, not knowing what the teacher taught or what they talked about, just left with laughter.
Elara rarely joined these chats, mainly because she couldn't stay up.
Like last night, she fell asleep after a few messages.
It was around 10 AM.
Given they slept at 4 AM, they'd probably wake up around 11 AM.
She asked in the group what they wanted to eat today.
No reply yet, so she guessed they were still asleep.
She planned to move, but most of the studio's stuff didn't need to be moved.
She initially thought of moving the fridge, kitchen items, and some room stuff.
Then she realized the fridge and kitchen would still be used, and taking clothes and bed linens would be convenient if she stayed at the studio.
So she packed her clothes, called a local courier to send them over, and gave him the room's password.
Kieran had given her the key yesterday. This morning, he messaged her, saying the lock wasn't secure enough, and changed it to a password lock.
The temporary password could be changed by her, and only she would have the authority to modify it, very thoughtful.
She hadn't been to the new place yet, but Sylvia mentioned it was a high-end neighborhood in Vossshire, where she wanted to buy a place but couldn't afford it.
She decided to buy new stuff.
No reply in the group yet, so Elara opened a local shopping app and bought a washing machine, microwave, fridge, and TV.
These appliances were pretty standard, and buying from a reliable brand meant they could be delivered and installed within two hours, very convenient.
The rest, she'd look at with Sylvia and Ethan after lunch.
Sofa, dining table, chairs, desk, bed linens—these needed careful selection.
Of course, she didn't expect Ethan to pick them out.
Sylvia would handle the aesthetics, and Ethan would help move them.
After a busy morning, calling the appliance store and arranging installation, Ethan and Sylvia started replying in the group.
They were probably just waking up.
Both complained about having no appetite after just waking up, saying they couldn't eat much, and the plan to splurge on a big meal couldn't be fully realized.
Elara sent the restaurant location, a place they often wanted to go but felt was too expensive.
Both cheered, shouting for Elara to sponsor them.
It wasn't that Elara suddenly had money to flaunt.
Yesterday, in that situation, anyone else would have stayed far away, but these two not only didn't avoid her, they actively came to help.
This kind of friendship wasn't something she could find with people just met.
A meal was nothing in comparison.