Chapter 154 She Looked at the Note by the Bedside for a Long Time

Chapter 154 She Looked at the Note by the Bedside for a Long Time

Lucas: [I checked those people's backgrounds. Not just this time—they have records. I've had someone organize the evidence. You rest, I'll handle the rest.]

[Also, David isn't a formal Windsor Group employee, just an external consultant they invited. The Windsor Group already knows what happened last night. Mr. Ethan Martinez called personally to apologize and said they'll fully cooperate with the investigation. They'll also recheck the security and guest list for this party.]

Elodie: [Thanks.]

Lucas: [Coming to the party tonight? The Windsor Group lead will be there. I can introduce you.]

Elodie stared at the message for a long moment.

The Windsor Group.

This was the chance she'd been waiting for since she boarded. Yesterday that David guy almost set her up, but she still had to get her work done.

Elodie: [I'll be there.]

At six in the evening, Elodie changed into a dark long dress. The neckline sat high at her collarbone, fully covering the scratches on the back of her neck. She loosely pinned her hair into a low bun, skipped makeup, and only put on a thin layer of lip balm to cover the dryness.

Ellie looked her up and down. "Alright, you're decent enough to be seen in public."

"Let's go."

The two walked out and headed down the hallway toward the deck.

When they turned the corner, Elodie paused for a second.

Up ahead, Adrian and Chloe were walking side by side. Chloe had her arm hooked through his, wearing a white spaghetti-strap dress, hanging off him as she chatted with a smile.

Hearing footsteps behind them, Chloe turned around.

Their eyes met.

Chloe spoke first, her smile warm and gentle. "Ms. Turner, are you okay after last night? I've been worried about you."

She paused, glanced at Adrian, her tone carrying a hint of familiarity. "Adrian's kind like that. He'll help anyone who's in trouble."

He'll help anyone who's in trouble.

She made last night sound like simple kindness.

Ellie rolled her eyes hard behind Elodie and almost cursed out loud.

Elodie kept her face blank and just nodded. "Thanks, Mr. Stewart."

Her eyes moved past Chloe and landed on Adrian for less than a second.

He'd changed clothes and no longer looked as messy as last night. The wound on the back of his hand had been cleaned up, covered with two band-aids.

Elodie looked away and kept walking, passing them on the side.

As they brushed past, Adrian tilted his head slightly.

A red mark showed on the back of Elodie's neck, mostly hidden by her hair and collar, only a small bit visible.

She'd scratched it herself last night.

He looked away and said nothing.

Chloe noticed. She caught exactly where he looked and that brief pause.

Her hand tightened on his arm, nails digging into his suit sleeve.

She kept her polite smile.

Elodie walked off, back straight.

Ellie waited until they were a dozen steps away before leaning in and muttering, "That woman is seriously gross. What does she mean by 'he'll help anyone who's in trouble'?"

"Ignore her," Elodie said without turning.

"Your temper's really good."

"It's not about having a good temper," Elodie said as she climbed the steps to the deck. "It's just not worth it."

The deck was already set up for the party. Warm string lights hung overhead, waiters carried champagne through the crowd, and people mingled with drinks in hand.

Elodie scanned the area and quickly spotted Lucas.

He wore a dark gray suit and stood next to a man around fifty. When he saw Elodie, he waved her over.

"Come, let me introduce you. This is Ethan Martinez, the Windsor Group general manager for Amber District."

Ethan smiled and held out his hand. "Mr. Williams has mentioned you plenty of times. He said your team handles cases very professionally."

Elodie shook his hand. "Mr. Martinez, you're too kind."

For the next half hour, the three stood in a corner talking. Elodie knew the Windsor Group's recent legal issues in Amber District inside out, and her points made Ethan nod repeatedly.

"If you're interested, put together a proposal. I'll have my legal team connect with you next week."

That meant they'd reached a preliminary agreement.

Elodie nodded. "Okay, we'll get it ready as soon as we're back."

After Ethan left, Lucas looked at her with a smile. "Nervous?"

"Not too bad." Elodie let out a breath and smiled honestly. "Thanks."

"No need. You earned it." Lucas grabbed a glass of champagne and offered it to her. "You can relax tonight."

Elodie waved it off. "I'm not drinking."

Lucas paused, then remembered last night and pulled the glass back. "Right."

Ellie suddenly appeared and threw an arm around Elodie's shoulders. "Did it work out?"

"Preliminary yes."

"That's awesome!" Ellie was so excited she almost jumped. "At least it wasn't all for nothing!"

Elodie smiled a little.

Not far away, Chloe stood among a group of women with a glass of red wine, half-heartedly chatting. Her attention wasn't on them at all.

She was watching Elodie.

Watching her talk and laugh with Lucas, shake hands with the Windsor Group people, and show that calm, confident look.

Last night, Adrian had locked Chloe out of his room.

All night.

Chloe took a sip of wine, jealousy growing inside her.

At sunset, a crowd gathered along the railing.

Someone shouted, "Look, it's getting dark!" and people surged forward.

Ellie grabbed Elodie's arm and pulled her along. "We don't get out much. Let's take some photos."

Elodie let herself be dragged near the railing. The sea wind was strong, lifting her skirt. She held it down with one hand and gripped the railing with the other. In the distance, the sun was slowly sinking into the sea.

More people packed the deck. Phones were raised everywhere.

Elodie stood close to the railing. It only came up a little past her waist—more for looks than real safety.

In the pushing crowd, someone bumped her shoulders twice. She stumbled forward half a step and frowned.

Ellie stood to her left, one hand holding her phone up for sunset photos, the other still holding Elodie.

Chloe appeared behind Elodie to the right. At first a few people stood between them, but when the sunset hit its peak, the crowd pushed forward together. Those people shoved ahead with their phones, and Chloe was pushed almost right behind Elodie.

The hand Ellie was using to hold Elodie got knocked away.

In that split second, someone shoved hard against Elodie's back.