Chapter 42: Should We Give It a Try?

After about half a minute, Adelina came to her senses and hurriedly said to Langston, "I understand, Mr. Moore. I'll keep this matter confidential for you!"

After that, she tried to open the car door again.

This time, the door swung open smoothly.

She stepped out nervously, but the bags full of shopping were simply too conspicuous, especially since they were all high-end brands.

She felt reluctant to carry them.

Langston saw her hesitation and said, "You can leave your things in my car. After work, you can ride back with me."

His intention couldn't be clearer; he wanted her to leave work with him.

Adelina was torn.

However, the thought of having to carry Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Hermès bags all the way through the street—items that were obviously for women—made her cringe at the thought of the stares and gossip she would attract.

Therefore, she nodded. "I appreciate the offer, Mr. Moore."

She politely thanked him, turned to walk away, but Langston stopped her again. "Adelina, do you really not realize, or are you pretending not to know? Do you think I told you all that just so you'd keep it a secret for me? I wouldn't have gone out of my way to tell you if that was all!"

Adelina stood there petrified, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Ileana's words reminded her that his feelings for her were mere gratitude.

Yet, every interaction with him only plunged her deeper into confusion.

No matter the situation, he was off-limits to her.

Convinced of this, she respectfully said to him, "Mr. Moore, I appreciate your kindness toward me. I will work hard in my job to repay your kindness. But my abilities are limited, so this is all I can do for you."

After saying this, she gave him a deep bow, stiff and formal.

Langston's expression cooled gradually.

He tossed away his cigarette butt, rolled up the window, and exited the car after turning off the engine.

Adelina didn't dare move, maintaining her deeply bowed stance.

It wasn't until Langston passed by her side and stepped into the elevator ahead of Adelina that she finally stood up straight yet remained motionless.

"Do you plan on taking the stairs?" The man's voice was now cold.

Adelina clenched her teeth and ducked her head as she walked in.

The elevator doors finally closed, and Langston pressed the button for the 88th floor.

The confined space of the elevator made Adelina feel somewhat suffocated. Langston was clearly angry, and it was evidently her doing.

She couldn't comfort him, and she didn't feel like apologizing.

So, there they stood in silence as people gradually came and went in the hustle and bustle of the afternoon.

During the peak work hours, Adelina slowly found herself squeezed into a corner of the elevator, but no one dared crowd Langston.

After joining the company, Adelina had heard that Langston actually had his own private CEO elevator that he seldom used.

More often, that exclusive elevator was reserved for important business partners or VIP guests.

At one point, Adelina even thought such a leader was a model of approachability.

Now, she wished he wasn't in the elevator with her.

When they reached the 44th floor, a group of people got on.

They were employees who had chosen to take their lunch break in the restaurant, but upon seeing Langston, some opted to step back out.

However, Adelina was still pressed so close that it felt like front to back.

As she was contemplating which way to shift, suddenly a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the center.

The next second, a tall figure blocked her view, and the air around her suddenly cleared, making it easier to breathe!

When she saw it was Langston who had moved in front of her, her breathing hitched, and her heartbeat almost lost its rhythm.

She was on edge, unsure whether she should say thank you.

Out of the blue, the elevator gave a clunk and plunged into darkness!

The digital display was stuck on the 49th floor; apart from Adelina and Langston, there were about a dozen other employees.

A wave of pallor swept over Adelina's face.

As a child, she had been trapped in an elevator that fell from the 23rd to the 9th floor, and when rescued, she was completely drained and left with a lasting psychological shadow.

Therefore, her first reaction to the elevator malfunction was to embrace the person closest to her—Langston.

Caught off guard by someone clinging to him from behind, Langston tensed.

He quickly realized she was trembling, and almost instinctively, he turned and gently enveloped her in his arms.

Someone immediately pulled out a cell phone to light up the elevator panel and hit the emergency call button.

Others tried to dial for help.

Adelina felt a chill overtake her body as an unrelenting fear of plummeting dominated her nerves, leaving no room to consider whom she was holding tightly in her arms.

"Scared?" Suddenly, a man's deep voice resonated in her ear.

Only then did Adelina realize whom she was hugging.

However, it was too late to let go. As everyone screamed in unison, the elevator jolted and began to drop with a terrifying, near-weightless speed.

Adelina broke out in a cold sweat and held on to Langston even tighter.

Fortunately, the elevator's descent lasted only a few seconds before it halted, but it was enough to scare everyone witless. Several people's phones had tumbled to the floor.

Quivering even more violently now, Adelina watched as Langston finally recognized her fear was far from ordinary.

"Do you have claustrophobia?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "I was trapped like this once before; the elevator fell suddenly and even longer that time. So…"

"Try to distract yourself. I have faith in our company's elevators. If it can catch itself like this, it means it won't crash. Has anyone called property management?" Langston's last question was directed to the others.

"Mr. Moore, someone has already called. The repairman is on the way," a voice answered.

At this moment, everyone, including Adelina, was preoccupied with their safety, too concerned to notice to whom Langston was holding close and whispering.

For Adelina, the thought of the elevator plummeting again was far more terrifying than being stuck.

Seeing she couldn't stop sweating, Langston gently lifted her chin. "There's one way to distract yourself that works wonders. Want to give it a try?"

In the dim light, Adelina couldn't make out his features, but his breath was close enough for her to feel he was very near.

"What way?" she asked, her voice tinged with panic.

The answer came not in words, but with his sudden and passionate kiss.

She opened her eyes wide in astonishment.

With more than a dozen people around them, not everyone could be engrossed in their phones. People could notice them.

Moreover, considering his status, if someone saw him kiss her, the consequences would be unimaginable.

She dared not even think of it.

However, Langston didn't give her a chance to struggle, his arms tightening around her as he cradled her head, his kiss fierce as if to punish.

She stopped trembling, but her legs went weak.