Chapter 89: They Were Always Butting Heads

Eliana's grip on her water glass faltered at his words, her eyes glinting with curiosity. "Is he mad?"

She figured he'd be all sunshine and rainbows about not having to come back.

"Oh yeah, he's been as cranky as a bear with a sore head lately," Austin complained.

Eliana raised an eyebrow skeptically. "He's usually like that. We should get his adrenaline checked, might be through the roof."

Was she throwing shade at Chase's temper?

These two got a real fire in their bellies, no wonder they were always butting heads.

But Austin was on a mission today, armed with his worldly wisdom. He wouldn't leave empty-handed.

He chimed in with a grin, "Exactly! Let's set up a doctor's appointment for him. You book it, I'll drag him there!"

This cracked Eliana up. Just picturing it was hilarious.

Seeing her laugh, Austin continued, "Listen, Eliana, don't sweat it with Chase. He's the type to keep things bottled up. Sometimes you don't even know what's got his panties in a twist."

"He's not mad at me, he's just being cautious," Eliana knew that guy wouldn't get mad at her.

Who would get mad at someone they were not interested in?

"Cautious about what?" Austin asked, puzzled.

The reason... was hard to put into words.

Eliana chuckled, "You're sweet, Austin, but my relationship with him doesn't matter." They were getting divorced in less than two months anyway.

"Fine, I won't pry. But Chase was sulking because he saw you having dinner with another dude that night," Austin blurted out.

It took Eliana a moment to remember. He must be talking about the dinner with Howard. "I... There was actually another gal pal there, but she was fashionably late."

Chase usually didn't give her much thought. Maybe Austin misunderstood something?

"He's possessive. He gets mad even if someone breathes on his stuff. Seeing you two having dinner got him all sulky. I told him, what's there to be mad about? He could've joined you guys for dinner. Right, Eliana?" Austin analyzed.

Eliana wasn't sure what to say for a moment. If Chase wanted to join, she wouldn't have objected.

It was just a chill hangout.

"Exactly, if he wants to be mad, let him. Not my circus, not my monkeys." When the news about his late-night fling with Melanie hit the headlines, Eliana didn't even bat an eyelash. She had bigger fish to fry.

Just then, Lyn called to say she was outside. Maybe she found a venue and wanted to share the good news?

Eliana hurried to open the door, and Lyn immediately hugged her, pouring out her troubles.

"Lena, it's a mess this time. The guests booked their seats at Aurora Plaza. I'm done for." Lyn wailed.

These days, she'd been tirelessly searching for venues, only to hit roadblocks at every turn. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

"That darn Mr. Wilkinson is too much. He promised to rent it to me first, then suddenly backed out, leaving me hanging. What's worse, when you went to him for help, he insulted you. How did that jerk become a CEO?" Lyn vented her frustrations.

Standing nearby, Austin's face changed, sensing the severity of the situation.

That day at the restaurant, he knew Eliana had gone to Chase for help. He thought it was for Howard... But she was talking about Lyn!

This was a big misunderstanding.

Austin felt like he had uncovered a big secret. He hurried to the balcony, almost tripping in his haste.

Once on the balcony, he immediately called Chase.

"What's up?" Chase's voice, lazy yet tinged with a hint of annoyance.

Austin glanced back at Eliana making a call inside, then spoke like a detective on a mission, "You've stirred up trouble. You... "

*Click...*

Before Austin could finish, Chase hung up.

Austin took a deep breath and dialed again, this time getting straight to the point. "It wasn't about Howard that night. It was her close friend, Lyn!"

"..." Chase paused before asking, "Did she tell you?"

Austin felt triumphant, like he had the upper hand. "No, Lyn called to complain. Wilkinson Group promised to rent the venue out, then backed out for some reason. That's why Eliana asked you for help, and you misunderstood her and insulted her!"

Chase's gaze darkened, feeling a pang of discomfort. Turns out he'd been sulking over nothing!

He felt like he had lost more than gained.

Seeing him silent, Austin chuckled, "You still have a chance to make things right."

Chase immediately asked, "How do I fix it?"

"It's simple. Just do as I say..."

Inside, Eliana felt sorry for Lyn. After handing her a glass of warm water, she tried to comfort her softly.

"How about I go ask Ethan again?"

She hadn't explained the situation that day. The conversation with Ethan felt odd. As soon as she spoke, he became pushy, not bothering to ask about her side.

Maybe that's how rich people were? Temperamental and unpredictable?

"I forbid you. If you go again, who knows how he might bully you!" Lyn took a deep breath. "If all else fails, I'll go beg my dad."

Eliana knew Lyn must be out of options to choose that path. "Didn't you promise not to ask him for help when you started your business? Otherwise, your deal with him would be nullified."

Lyn had an agreement with her father. If she could get her company to go public on her own, he wouldn't force her into an arranged marriage.

Now, it was decision time for her.

"How about I call Howard? He knows a lot of people; he might be able to help us." Eliana suggested.

Lyn nodded. In this situation, it didn't hurt to ask for help wherever they could.

Eliana took out her phone and found Howard's number. Just as she was about to dial, she glanced at an incoming call.

"..." Seeing the caller ID, "Mr. Snarky," she hesitated.

Wasn't this Ethan...

She quickly covered the receiver and said to Lyn, "I'll take this call, hold on."

Eliana went to the kitchen before speaking, "Mr. Wilkinson?"

There was silence on the other end. Was this a wrong number?

After a moment, a low voice came through, "Miss Griffith, about that day... I was a bit rash because I drank too much. Please forgive me."

Did the CEO of Wilkinson Group just call to apologize?

Was she hearing things?

Eliana couldn't help but pinch herself...