Chapter 9 Not My Type
The atmosphere in the car was awkward. Elliot drove, focused on the road, while Audrey sat beside him, her hands clenched tightly in her lap, nervously.
Her thoughts circling back to last night. The questions lingered in her mind.
Taking a deep breath, Audrey finally spoke in hesitant. "Sir... "
Elliot glanced at her, keeping his serious expression. "Yes?"
Audrey bit her lip, trying to find the right words. She was nervouse and her heart pounded like crazy. "About... last night. Are you sure we didn’t... do anything?"
Elliot sighed softly. "I told you, you were tossing and turning all night. Nothing else."
Audrey frowned, still feeling uneasy and felt the whole situation that didn’t sit right, but she didn’t know what. She looked at Elliot, who remained calm and focused on the road.
After several minutes of silence, Audrey tried again, with more determination in her voice. "Sir, did I... do something weird last night?"
Elliot stayed quiet for a moment. Audrey glanced over, hoping for more than just a simple answer.
"There’s nothing to worry about," he finally said, his voice neutral. "You were just restless."
Audrey sighed in frustration. It was like talking to a brick wall. But just as she was about to give up, Elliot added something that completely changed the tone.
"Besides," he glanced at her briefly, "I wouldn't possibly be interested in someone like you."
Audrey’s eyes widened, the heat in her cheeks shifted from embarrassment to irritation then turned sharply toward him. "Oh, really? Don’t you worry, Sir. I would never be interested in someone like you either!"
Elliot’s lips twitched, but the amusement quickly faded as he remembered the conversation between Audrey and his mother. He became more serious as he raised an eyebrow.
"Because you already have a boyfriend?" he asked, a mix of curiosity and something else.
Audrey froze, caught off guard. Her heart raced, and her face reddened again. She hadn’t expected him to ask that.
The tension in the car became thick, and Audrey could feel the awkwardness creeping in.
She quickly turned her gaze out the window, mumbling quietly, "Do you honestly think I can’t get a date?"
Elliot frowned, slightly taken aback by her response. There was something in her tone that piqued his curiosity and, for some reason, bothered him more than he expected.
"I didn’t mean it like that," he replied, though his voice sounded more curt than usual. "I was just wondering if you have... someone special."
Audrey cleared her throat, trying to shake off the sudden awkwardness. Her heart was still pounding, but remained composed.
"Of course I do," she said, trying to sound confident. "And I have plenty of options!"
Elliot shot her a sharp look, his gaze narrowing. "Oh, I see. Then why aren’t you with one of them?"
Audrey went silent. She wasn’t expecting that response, and for some reason, it tightened her chest and made her uncomfortable in a way she couldn’t explain.
"Because..." She hesitated, then sighed. "I guess I haven’t found someone who can make me feel comfortable yet."
Elliot didn’t respond right away, seemed to weigh her words carefully
Then Audrey spoke again. "What about you, Sir? Surely you have a lot of people interested in you, right?"
The question hung in the air, and Elliot’s expression immediately darkened. "None of your business."
The tension in the car rose up again. Audrey felt her irritation grow. He had answered her question without answering it, and she had been open, while he remained closed off.
Elliot noticed the shift in her mood and added, without looking at her, "Stop overthinking. There’s nothing to discuss."
Audrey swallowed her frustration, nodding but still feeling the curiosity gnawing at her. She couldn’t help wondering about the women in Elliot’s life and wanted to know what kind of woman he would actually be interested in.
Not long, Elliot’s car pulled up in front of Audrey’s flat. He recalled how hard he asked the address which made them ended up at the hotel. But strangely, he didn’t regret it.
Silence fell again. Audrey opened the car door and turned him, smiling nervousnessly. "Thank you for the ride, Sir.”
Elliot nodded but didn’t say anything. His eyes followed her as she made her way to the gate.
As Audrey was unlocking the gate, a man suddenly appeared from the alley. His rough and thuggish appearance made her freeze as h grabbed her arm tightly, causing her to flinch.
"Hey! Let go of me!" Audrey shouted, trying to break free, but his grip was too strong.
"Your father’s debt is long overdue, Miss. My boss is tired of waiting!" the man growled, his voice harsh.
"I told you, give us a little more time," Audrey pleaded, shaking with fear.
"Time?!" the man snapped. "I’ll take everything from you now if you don’t pay!"
Audrey’s face went pale as panic set in. Her hands trembled. "Please, let me talk to him. I promise I’ll—"
"You think I don’t know your father ran away? You’ve had enough chances!" the man shouted, tightening his grip.
From the car, Elliot saw everything unfold. Without a second thought, he was out of the car, striding toward them.
"Hey!" Elliot called out sharply, laced with authority.
The man turned, sneering when he saw Elliot approach, but his expression faltered on the determined look on Elliot’s face.
"What’s your business here, Rich Boy?" the thug mocked.
"Let her go," Elliot ordered.
The man laughed nervously. "Stay out of this—"
"Let her go. Now!" Elliot cut out, his tone icy.
The thug hesitated, clearly unnerved by Elliot’s confidence. After a tense moment, he loosened his grip on Audrey’s arm, but still glared at her.
"This isn’t over," he warned, his voice low. "Six thousand! Your father still owes!"
Once the man walked off, Elliot turned to Audrey, who was still shaking. He looked at her with a softened expression.
"Are you alright?" he asked with a concern in his voice.
Audrey nodded weakly.
Elliot’s eyes shifted to her wrist, which was red from the man’s grip. His jaw clenched. "Does it hurt?"
Audrey shook her head, trying to hide it, but her eyes welled up with tears. Despite her embarrassment, she felt a warmth and protection from Elliot she hadn’t expected.
"Let’s go to the hospital," Elliot suggested.
"No!" Audrey protested quickly.
"You need to be more careful," Elliot’s voice gentler than usual. "If something like this happens again, tell me."
Audrey nodded, still feeling shaken. "Yes, Sir. I’m… sorry for the trouble."
Elliot looked at her for a moment, but Audrey didn’t speak further. He didn’t press her, knowing there were other ways to find out what was going on.
"Go inside," His tone still firm but caring.
Audrey nodded and headed inside. As she disappeared through the gate, Elliot’s thoughts was racing. And before she could close the gate, he called out. "Take the day off. Get some rest."
Audrey turned in surprise. "What?"
"Do you want me to cut your salary?" He sounded sharp, but there was a hint of concern beneath it.
She frowned at his tone but nodded. "Okay, Sir. Thank you."
Once she was inside, Elliot turned and walked back to his car, pulling out his phone and dialing a number. "It’s me. I need you to find out everything about Audrey Clarke. Start with her father’s debts."