Chapter 57: Do You Have a Thing for Kieran

In the private room of the barbecue restaurant.

Sylvia placed a piece of marbled beef on the grill.

Moments later, an enticing aroma filled the air.

Sylvia was a master at grilling meat.

Every time they went out to eat, Sylvia would handle the grilling while Elara focused on eating.

At that moment, Elara's attention was entirely on the barbecue, nodding in agreement to whatever Sylvia said.

"I was saying..."

"Huh?"

Sylvia paused, looking at Elara, who was fixated on the grill, and frowned. "Do you think Kieran really has a thing for you?"

"Yeah..."

Elara swallowed, staring intently at the meat, responding without thinking.

Sylvia was speechless.

She placed a piece of grilled meat on Elara's plate and another on Ethan's.

The two devoured the meat quickly, their plates clean in no time, and continued to stare at the grill.

This had been their routine for years.

Each had their role: Sylvia couldn't cook but was excellent at grilling, Elara could cook but couldn't manage the grill, and Ethan was the one who enjoyed the food and paid the bill.

After eating, Elara sipped her juice, wiped her mouth, and giggled.

"No."

"What?"

"Kieran doesn't have a thing for me."

Sylvia covered her face. "It's been half an hour, and you're just now responding? Your brain is slower than Ethan's!"

Ethan protested, "I didn't do anything wrong today. Don't drag me into this, okay?"

Sylvia didn't even bother rolling her eyes, looking at Ethan with a helpless expression. "Alright, let me ask you. Why do you think Harrison arranged for Elara to be in the core department?"

"Obviously, to train Elara. What a great opportunity! If she becomes the head of the Blackwood Heritage Group, I'll benefit too!"

Ethan's eyes sparkled, his fists clenched with determination.

Elara and Sylvia exchanged a knowing smile.

Noah had kicked Ethan out of the family for good reason.

With his simple-mindedness, he'd be easily taken advantage of.

Sylvia continued, "So, my dear friend, why hasn't Juniper left the core department yet?"

Ethan shook his head. "No, she hasn't."

Sylvia asked, "Do you think Juniper will just let it go?"

Ethan replied, "I get it. You took her job, so just confront her directly. Mr. Blackwood will back you up, right?"

Sylvia sighed, "Think before you speak. Do you know whom you're messing with? What's Juniper's last name?"

Ethan said, "It's Hart. I know. But don't worry, there are plenty of Harts in Vossshire. It can't be the Hart family..."

Seeing Elara and Sylvia's expressions, Ethan's voice grew quieter. "It can't really be the Hart family, can it?"

Sylvia nodded heavily.

Elara knew the Hart family and the Blackwood family had a deep connection, but she didn't know the specifics.

Ethan's expression suggested there was a lot more to the story.

"Holy crap, Harrison is ruthless! All that talk about helping Elara get revenge, the 50% profit share, management autonomy, stocks—it's just bait to get Elara to provoke the Hart family. It's like selling her out. No way, I won't agree to this. Kieran is so nice. How can Harrison be so scheming? It's insane!"

Ethan slammed the table, cursing.

Now Ethan understood. His mind worked differently from others.

Elara smiled, "Looks like your brain's finally working again."

Sylvia shrugged, "But he still doesn't get it. He thinks everyone nice to him has good intentions. The Blackwood family didn't get where they are just because of Harrison; they're all like that. Kieran says something nice to you at a party, and you're hooked. I've been there for you since we were kids, and you never thank me!"

Elara caught the underlying message.

The latter part was a daily gripe and could be ignored, but the first part, though aimed at Ethan, was also a reminder for Elara.

"Harrison's hit my weak spot. I can't find a reason to refuse. To outsiders, it seems like Harrison's just giving me a chance for revenge, but I have to do so much for the Blackwood family. It seems unfair, but you two get it. This opportunity, if left to me alone, might not come for another twenty years. After all, I'm inexperienced."

Elara's expression darkened, and she sighed.

Lisa Voss's death over a decade ago had left a huge impact on Elara's childhood. She had been framed and wrongfully killed.

Elara studied archaeology and history to follow in Lisa's footsteps.

"After graduation, I didn't stay at the university. On one hand, I had to manage Story Revival Atelier, which my mom had left behind. On the other hand, with Charles Brown, Michael Johnson, and Owen there, I'd never have a chance for revenge at the university. These three are absolute authorities in Vossshire, even more so than the law in the field of artifact identification and restoration. I had to leave, to access more resources in the field, to grow faster and eventually find an opportunity for revenge."

Sylvia and Ethan nodded.

They had reached a consensus on this issue years ago when deciding whether to stay at the university for a PhD or to start working.

"But if I wait for that day, it will be far off. Harrison's appearance has significantly shortened the time I need for revenge. I can save ten years by representing the Blackwood Heritage Group in competitions and defeating those three face-to-face!"

"Such an opportunity, no matter how harsh the conditions, I would accept without regret."

"Besides, it's just helping Kieran clean up the core department's mess, right?"

"I don't know the exact relationship between the Hart family and the Blackwood family, but from another perspective, as a small fry with no ties, I might be more flexible in my actions."

"Moreover, Kieran is determined to reorganize the artifact identification and restoration department. He's helped me a lot these days, so it's only right for me to give him some support in return."

"So, I hope you both can support me."

Elara finished expressing her true thoughts in one breath.

A brief silence followed.

Ethan scratched his head. "What time do we report to the Blackwood Heritage Group tomorrow? If it's too early, I might not wake up."

Sylvia shrugged and hugged Elara's shoulder. "We are always moving forward together!"

Then, she whispered in Elara's ear, "Tell me honestly, do you really have a thing for Kieran?"

"No!"