Chapter 31 Her Life or Death Has Nothing to Do with Me
Elodie's POV
Graham's wrinkled face instantly darkened. She slammed the plate down on the table, her sharp gaze shooting straight at me. "Miss Elodie, the boss's safety is no joke. You shouldn't be encouraging him to do such dangerous things."
Her rebuke stung a bit, but I couldn't argue back.
I really hadn't thought it through—I just simply wanted to be with him.
"Graham, with me there, nothing will happen."
He pulled my hand over and positioned me behind him. "I'll bring Rod along. We'll just walk around nearby and be back before sunset."
He rarely spoke this much at once, especially when trying to persuade someone.
Graham pressed her lips tightly together, the lines on her face taut as stone. Seeing this, Nelson added, "She's been cooped up here for days. She's going stir-crazy."
That last sentence felt like a needle, gently pricking at me.
Graham's tone remained stern. "Then you must be careful. Make sure Rod doesn't leave your side for even a second."
With permission granted, my heart leaped with joy. I practically dragged Nelson out of the hotel.
Chicago's streets had a rougher poetry than New York's, the wind carrying the lazy notes of jazz music.
We walked side by side down Michigan Avenue, sunlight filtering through the gaps between tall buildings, coating his sharply defined profile in a soft golden glow.
I stole glances at him, my heart brimming with an emotion called happiness.
Passing by a small park, I spotted a towering Ferris wheel in the distance. Children's laughter could be heard from far away.
My eyes lit up. I grabbed his arm and pointed in that direction. "Can we go there?"
He followed my finger with his gaze, his expression unchanged, and simply nodded.
The amusement park was bustling with people, filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
I pulled him along like a real little girl out to play, temporarily leaving all those heavy worries behind.
When we sat in the Ferris wheel car and slowly rose higher, the entire Chicago landscape spread out beneath us.
The sunset was in full bloom, painting the clouds at the horizon a brilliant orange-red. The lake surface sparkled with light, as if scattered with broken gold.
Looking at the beautiful scenery outside, a bittersweet nostalgia suddenly welled up in my heart. I turned to look at the silent man beside me and asked softly, "Do you remember when we were little? We pinky-promised that when we grew up, we'd come to an amusement park together."
Nelson's gaze shifted from the window to my face. Those deep blue eyes seemed especially profound in the sunset. He looked at me for a few seconds but said nothing, only raising his hand to gently brush my eye corner with his fingertip.
The small flame in my heart was instantly extinguished by his silent response.
Perhaps he'd long forgotten, or perhaps he was no longer the boy who would make innocent promises with me.
Feeling somewhat dejected, I lowered my eyes and turned my face toward the window, saying nothing more.
Just then, his phone rang abruptly from his pocket.
He pulled out his phone, glanced at it, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, then answered. He didn't speak, but from the receiver came Vivian's tearful, broken cries for help.
"Nelson... save me... I'm in the back alley of Blues Bar... someone...!"
After a short scream, the call was disconnected.
My heart instantly jumped to my throat.
Nelson's expression didn't change at all. He simply hung up calmly, then dialed Rod's number. "Blues Bar back alley, Vivian. Go handle it."
After hanging up, he put his phone back in his pocket, as if nothing had just happened.
"Just now, why weren't you happy?"
I froze, not expecting him to still care about my earlier mood.
In the middle of the night, I woke up thirsty. Going downstairs for water, I happened to run into Rod, who had just returned from handling things.
He looked exhausted but still managed a smile when he saw me.
"Miss Elodie, still awake?"
"How's Vivian?" I asked directly.
Rod scratched his head and reported honestly. "She just got drunk and ran into some punks in the back alley of the bar. They harassed her a bit. By the time I got there, the patrol police had already rescued her. Nothing serious, just a bit shaken up. She's been sent to the hospital."
I nodded and headed back to the room with my water. Nelson wasn't asleep yet—he was leaning against the headboard reading documents.
I sat on the edge of the bed. "It's good that Vivian's okay. After all... she saved you."
I nervously observed his reaction. This was almost my boldest attempt at testing him.
Nelson closed his documents and reached out to pull me into his arms, his chin resting on top of my head, his voice carrying a hint of mockery.
"I paid off that debt long ago with years of my freedom. From now on, whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with me."
His words were like a warm blanket, wrapping around my anxious heart and calming it down.
Nestled in his arms, feeling the steady heartbeat from his chest, I slept dreamlessly through the night.
The next day, the sun was bright.
Last night's gloom had completely cleared. Just thinking about him being by my side made even Chicago's air seem especially sweet.
After breakfast, Nelson didn't stay at the hotel as Graham had hoped. Instead, he said directly to me, "Let's go. I'll take you somewhere."
Before I could feel excited, he was already holding my hand and walking out the door.
The car stopped in front of what looked like an extremely luxurious private club.
I was a bit confused, but he pulled me straight inside. Someone was already waiting. Upon seeing Nelson, they immediately bowed respectfully and led us into a huge dressing room.
This place was less a dressing room and more a top-tier luxury goods showroom.
An entire wall of gowns shimmered with magnificent luster under the brilliant lights.
"Pick one." Nelson released my hand, brief and to the point.
I was so stunned by the scene before me that I couldn't speak. Any one of these gowns was worth a fortune—the kind I'd feel guilty even glancing at in a shop window.