Chapter 99: Not an Outsider at All

Eliana paused for a moment, her mind racing to catch up. Wasn't that Ethan's grandpa?

How on earth did he get her number? Could it be from the big boss himself, Mr. Wilkinson?

Well, this sure didn't make her feel like an outsider.

Considering the elderly man's delicate health, Eliana quickly greeted the man.

The kind voice of the old man came through, "Where are you?"

"I'm in the car, Grandpa. It's late. Why aren't you resting?"

"I had some soup specially prepared for you. Where are you? Aren't you coming home yet? I'm waiting for you."

Eliana's heart skipped a beat. How could Mr. Wilkinson let the old man make such a late call? How was she going to handle this?

"I've got some work left to finish, so I might not be back soon. You should rest early. Just leave the soup... on the table for me, and I'll have it."

Reluctantly, Grandpa agreed, "Alright then... but remember to drink the soup. I made it myself."

"Sure, Grandpa. Rest well, goodnight!" Eliana said with a smile.

As soon as Grandpa hung up, she immediately called Mr. Big Boss.

As the call connected, a phone started ringing right beside her! And the ringtone wasn't the usual tune Chase had.

"Is that your phone?" Eliana looked at him puzzled.

Chase's eyes darkened slightly, "Yeah. One for work, one for personal life, that's why I set two different ringtones."

He pulled out his phone nonchalantly, and Eliana saw the contact name was 'Factory Boss,' which eased her suspicions.

After a moment, the call to Ethan connected.

"Mr. Wilkinson, your grandfather called me, saying he made soup for me. Remember to drink it to keep up the act."

The voice on the other end was hoarse, sounding a bit muffled, "Sorry about that, it must have been my grandpa who sneaked my phone and found your number. I'll take care of it."

"That's good. Mr. Wilkinson, you know we're not in that kind of relationship, so I hope we don't mislead him too much," Eliana said sincerely.

She could feel Grandpa's affection for his granddaughter-in-law and feared he might get upset because of it.

People can't handle shocks well as they age.

There was a pause, then, "Alright, thank you."

After hanging up, Eliana felt something was off.

She casually said, "You know, Mr. Wilkinson never says thank you. Why did he suddenly thank me just now? It's strange, it's not like him at all."

Chase felt a pang of anxiety. He had forwarded the call to Stephan's phone, not expecting so many slip-ups.

"Maybe he was thanking you on behalf of his grandfather?"

Eliana nodded, thinking that made sense.

Soon, they were back home. Eliana stretched, "I'm going to take a shower first."

"Mm-hmm."

After she went into the bathroom, Chase stepped onto the balcony to make a call.

As soon as the call connected, he complained, "Grandpa, you promised you wouldn't make random calls after getting the number. Look what you've done."

"I just wanted to invite her for some soup. What's the problem?" Gregory was unapologetic.

Chase wiped the sweat from his forehead, exasperated, "Can't you give me a heads-up before calling? You might disturb her work."

"Alright, I'll let you know in advance. Bring my granddaughter-in-law over for dinner tomorrow. If I don't see her, I'll come and get her myself."

Chase knew his grandfather was a tough nut to crack, so he just rubbed his temples, thinking about how to handle it tomorrow.

Eliana came out of the shower, sitting at the coffee table to dry her hair, when she suddenly felt a sting on her finger.

On closer inspection, she realized she had scraped her skin while boxing, not deep enough to notice before, but now it hurt when it touched the water.

A tall figure blocked the light in front of her, and Eliana's hairdryer was taken away. Chase continued to dry her hair for her.

The hum of the hairdryer filled the room. Although neither spoke, it felt as if an invisible thread was drawing them closer.

His movements were gentle, like petting a little kitten.

After drying her hair, Chase took out the first aid kit from the drawer and disinfected the scraped part of Eliana's finger.

"Didn't you know you bruise like a peach? Why are you boxing?" His tone wasn't harsh; it sounded more like he was feeling her pain.

Eliana muttered quietly, "I didn't know I would scrape my skin... Ouch, that hurts!"

Chase held her hand to his lips and gently blew on it, "Simon knew you're inexperienced, and still he let you box. I'll deduct his bonus."

Eliana couldn't help but chuckle. It sounded like she was a kid who got bullied and came home to tattle, and now the parents were going to settle the score.

"It's a small thing. I learned a couple of moves for free today. I can defend myself when I go out."

Chase looked at her and snorted, "With your skills, pulling clothes and biting arms, what defense is that?"

Eliana stood up defiantly, waving at him, "Then come and try it. See if I can defend myself."

She had not only learned self-defense today but also the art of surprise attacks, now feeling incredibly powerful!

Chase didn't want to play around, glancing at her indifferently, getting up to tidy up the first aid kit. Seeing him ignore her, Eliana took him as a punching bag to practice.

"Stop messing around, go to bed upstairs," Chase didn't pay attention to her, letting her punch him as she pleased.

Eliana got addicted to playing, punching and hooking his strong arm. From the living room to the dining table, she continued, and finally, that stern face showed a trace of emotion, his brow slightly wrinkled, and he countered her punch with a backhand.

Eliana was completely unprepared, and she couldn't stand firm, falling to one side. Chase quickly held her waist, and she instinctively hugged Chase's neck. Her flustered eyes met the man's deep black pupils, and her heart seemed to be hit by a soft object, starting to pound...

Eliana gasped, her cheeks blushing instantly, "...."

Chase's eyes darkened, helping her up, and said as usual, "Go to bed upstairs."

"...Got it."

Eliana became an obedient rabbit, turning and running upstairs.

Back in the room, she leaned against the door, her mind full of Chase's eyes, as if they were whirlpools that sucked her soul away.

Eliana covered her chest with both hands, thinking of Chase's calm appearance just now, she was like a fiery heat meeting an ice sculpture, what was she excited about, he looked at her with no expression.

Why was she the only one whose heart was in disarray, it was so unfair!

Meanwhile, in the bathroom downstairs.

Chase used cold water to cool the boiling blood in his body. He was usually very restrained, but when he thought of Eliana's confused and innocent eyes, the just-calmed blood boiled again...

Damn woman, what kind of spell did she cast on him!