Chapter 65 Low Threshold for Humor

Chapter 65 Low Threshold for Humor

Since the materials scandal, Juniper hadn't faced any consequences.

Elara wasn't surprised, but Ethan had a few things to say about it.

It made sense, after all. 

Juniper was a key player in the business department, having worked tirelessly over the years. 

Plus, with the Hart family backing her, this incident wouldn't shake her position.

Elara could finally focus on the final sprint of the competition.

Kieran had become even busier, sometimes disappearing for days. 

When he did return to the office, he was in a rush, his presence more ominous than before, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

Elara sensed that he was dealing with something extremely difficult, unrelated to the competition or the project team, possibly involving deeper undercurrents between the Hart and Blackwood families.

Late one night, Elara was the last to leave the brightly lit evaluation room, working on the final touches of a competition piece.

Suddenly, a low rumble of thunder came from outside.

She quickly walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and saw large raindrops pelting down, soon forming a continuous curtain of rain. 

The neon signs in the distance twisted and blurred in the rain.

She frowned slightly; the rain had come too suddenly and heavily.

As she took the elevator down, holding an umbrella and debating whether to call Ethan for a ride, she noticed a figure at the entrance of the Blackwood Heritage Group building.

Kieran was leaning against the cold wall, clutching his chest.

His hair was soaked, strands sticking to his forehead and cheeks, water dripping down his sharply defined jawline, soaking his collar.

What alarmed Elara even more was his pale lips, his chest heaving violently, veins bulging on his forehead, and his usually sharp eyes now filled with unbearable pain.

He looked terrible!

Unlike his vulnerability when drunk, this time, he exuded a dangerous, destructive aura, like a madman on the brink of losing control.

What happened to Kieran?

"Mr. Blackwood?" Elara called out tentatively, instinctively taking a step forward.

Kieran jerked his head up, wary at first, but upon recognizing Elara, he muttered, "I'm fine."

His voice was hoarse, like gravel being forced through his throat, filled with intense rejection and hostility.

With that, he walked out into the rain.

Outside, it was pitch black, the rain pouring down.

As Kieran staggered past her, the strong smell of rain and the cold, violent aura emanating from him overwhelmed her senses. 

In that moment, Elara did something even she didn't expect!

She quickly reached out, not to grab him or speak, but to firmly and unyieldingly open the large black umbrella she had with her!

Then, she stepped forward, holding the huge umbrella high over Kieran's head, completely shielding him from the relentless, cold, seemingly malicious downpour.

The umbrella was big enough to cover them both.

Kieran froze in place!

The cold rain was blocked out, and the noisy rain sounds seemed to suddenly fade away.

In the narrow space under the umbrella, the temperature rose, filled with the dense, moist rain vapor from his body and his rapid, hot breaths.

Kieran's tightly pressed lips moved, but he couldn't say anything.

The pain and hostility in his eyes seemed to be replaced by a deeper, more helpless, and complex emotion, possibly stirred by the sudden rain or the silent shelter under the umbrella.

He felt an urge to push the umbrella away, to let the rain wash away his pain and frustration.

But when his gaze met her clear, calm, yet resolutely determined eyes under the umbrella, his raised hand paused in mid-air for a second before dropping powerlessly.

The rain roared.

It felt like the whole world had shrunk to just the two of them, a single open black umbrella, a spiral staircase, and the cold rainwater reflecting faint light.

Elara held the umbrella, her right arm starting to ache from holding it high, the old fracture site sending faint twinges of pain.

Kieran was a head taller than her, but now she felt like a big man, holding the umbrella to shield him from the storm.

This strange feeling made her mind wander, imagining Kieran as a tall, beautiful woman and herself as a shorter man, making the scene somewhat comical.

Elara couldn't help but remember the time Kieran got drunk, and she stayed with him all night, waking up in a panic.

Back then, she comforted herself, as if she had slept with Kieran and was now comforting him.

Elara burst out laughing.

Kieran looked at her suspiciously, curious, his mouth twitching.

"What's so funny? Haven't you shared an umbrella with someone in the rain before?"

Unknowingly, Kieran's painful state had dissipated, and he started to tease her.

Elara laughed so hard she couldn't catch her breath, the two images in her mind completely shattering Kieran's serious, cold image, making him seem like a spoiled little princess.

"I just thought of something funny," Elara said, laughing even harder, her arm lowering slightly, causing the umbrella to bump into Kieran's head.

Kieran yelped in surprise.

Elara laughed even more.

"You have a low threshold for humor," Kieran remarked, but he didn't say anything more, watching Elara laugh, his mouth twitching, but he held back.

After a while, Elara stopped, noticing Kieran's left shoulder was soaked.

"Mr. Blackwood, I'm sorry. Let me hold the umbrella properly. Or maybe I should call a cab to take you home. I'm really sorry."

"Give me the umbrella."

Elara didn't hesitate, silently handing the heavy umbrella handle to his cold, wet hand. 

Their fingertips brushed briefly—his fingers were burning hot, hers were cool.

The searing heat felt like a brand, fleeting but intense.

Kieran gripped the umbrella handle tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Elara quickly looked away, pulling her hand back, feeling a strange burning sensation where he had touched her.

Kieran's voice was still hoarse but oddly calm, no longer the usual harsh, cold tone, but with a hint of awkward warmth; maybe it was her imagination.

"Let's walk a bit. I didn't drive, and it's hard to get a cab at this hour. There's a hotel up ahead..."

Elara's face changed.

Kieran glanced at her, annoyed.

"There's a hotel up ahead. I'm a black card member there. We can use their VIP car service to get home."

Elara's face flushed, and she laughed awkwardly, "Mr. Blackwood, you're a gentleman. I trust you."

Though she said that, she thought to herself, 'Who knows if he's a gentleman? Good thing I woke up early last time, or I'd never be able to clear my name!'