And at that mont, across the ocean.
In the hotel suite, Aidan hung up the phone, raised his hand to rub his brow, and was about to get up to pour a glass of water when a pair of soft arms quietly wrapped around his waist from behind.
The woman’s warm body pressed closely against him, separated by the thin fabric of his shirt, the curves and incredible heat clearly palpable.
She was only wearing a silk strap nightgown, nothing underneath.
"Aidan..." Elara’s voice was soft and seductive, like a hook, lightly grazing against his back.
Aidan’s body stiffened instantly; he almost imdiately raised his hand and forcefully pried open her fingers from around his waist, with no hint of tenderness.
Elara winced in pain but stubbornly circled around in front of him, trying to get close to him again, raising a face that could make any man’s heart waver. "You’ve done so much for , isn’t it all for this?"
She pulled out a nearly desolate smile, her fingertips brushing her nightgown strap in a reckless and self-destructive manner, "This is all I have left now. You want it, take it..."
"Elara!" He grabbed her wrist, forcefully enough to almost crush her bones.
He looked down at her, at the self-loathing deeply hidden beneath her charm, his jawline almost taut like a straight line.
"Everything over here has been arranged," he spoke calmly, "All resources and paths are set. They will help you win this legal case, get everything you deserve, and ensure the Capet Family will never harass you again."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over her pale cheek, finally landing on a void outside the window, "There’s no need for to stay here anymore."
Elara’s smile froze.
"So..." she heard her own voice trembling yet held it together, "You’re leaving?"
"I’ve booked a ticket for two days from now."
He turned away, no longer looking at her, his voice indifferent and calm, "From now on, let’s not et again."
Watching his resolute back, Elara’s heart clenched suddenly.
She almost instinctively wanted to rush up and grab him as if he were her last straw, but what ca out of her mouth was like a poisoned knife, "Aidan, what guise of a gentleman are you putting on? You’ve helped ; wasn’t it because you had lingering feelings? Do you want to regret abandoning you, to make crawl back at your feet?"
"What now? Your purpose is reached; you think this body that others have wrecked isn’t suitable for you, right?"
Aidan halted at the door.
He didn’t look back; his back was tall but lonely like a solitary pine atop a snowy mountain.
Silence spread throughout the room; the stagnant air was suffocating.
After a long while, he let out a faint laugh, filled with endless mockery, uncertain if it was aid at her or himself.
"I helped you," he slowly started, each word seemingly crushed from ice shards, "because in my mory, there was a girl nad Elara Forrest..."
His voice was deep and slow, like peeling back layers of long-sealed scars, exposing the uneased flesh underneath.
"The one I helped was her."
"As for you now..." He finally turned slightly, scanning her with the corner of his eye, his gaze cold and distant, "Elara Forrest, from now on... let’s have nothing to do with each other until we die."
With that, he opened the door and strode out.
The heavy door clicked shut, completely isolating two worlds.
Elara was rooted on the spot, like a beautiful statue stripped of its soul.
Until the footsteps completely disappeared at the end of the corridor, all the strength she had been holding onto seed to drain instantly; her legs gave way, and she stumbled onto the carpet.
Tears surged up without warning, falling down in large drops.
She made no sound, only her shoulders shook violently.
He said that he helped the forr Elara Forrest.
The one who was clean, radiant, filled with thoughts of him.
But that Elara Forrest was long killed by her own hand.
On that humiliating night five years ago, she had long rotted, leaving no bones behind.
After so ti, the tears finally dried.
Elara slowly lifted her head, her face a ss of tears, yet her gaze beca cold and determined.
She raised her hand, harshly wiping the wet stains from her cheeks, the action almost self-punishing.
Then she picked up the phone thrown on the sofa and dialed.
The call was quickly answered.
Elara took a deep breath, stifling the blockage in her throat, striving to make her voice sound as calm as possible, "He returns ho in two days, be... ready."
...
In Crestfall, at the preparation office of Serene Law Firm’s branch, the place was a hive of activity.
The temporary rented floor of the office building was ticulously arranged into a recruitnt venue.
Thanks to the grand firework show the previous night, the ’Serene Law Firm’ na echoed throughout Kaelon overnight.
The elite lawyers who ca to apply were as nurous as fish crossing a river, filling the place to the brim.
Finn Lockwood specifically ca over from Riveria’s headquarters to assist, so busy his feet didn’t touch the ground, with sweat dotting his forehead, yet his spirit remained high.
"Next!" He called out, rubbing his aching temples.
A figure responded and stepped forward.
Finn Lockwood looked up and froze slightly.
The applicant was a young man, looking exceedingly youthful, at most seventeen or eighteen, wearing a faded old denim outfit, his hair a little long. But those eyes visible through his hair were astonishingly bright, carrying a kind of wild caution, reminiscent of a wolf cub in the wilderness.
"You... applying?" Finn Lockwood asked uncertainly, instinctively flipping through the resu booklet in his hand.
The boy pressed his lips together, nodded, his voice a little dry: "Applying for a lawyer position."
"A lawyer?" Finn Lockwood almost thought he heard wrong, "Kid, we’re only hiring qualified lawyers or interns who’ve passed the bar exam. You..."
"I’m applying for a lawyer," the boy repeated stubbornly.
Finn Lockwood was amused yet restrained himself, asking, "So have you passed the bar exam? Which school did you graduate from? Any relevant experience?"
The boy held his mouth tight, his hand hanging at his side clenched into a fist, not answering any of Finn’s questions, just staring intently with wolf-like eyes.
Finn Lockwood frowned slightly, feeling his patience nearly exhausted, "Sorry, you don’t et our recruitnt requirents, please leave."
Yet the boy seed nailed to the spot, unmoving, his gaze radiating a fierce will.
The situation beca a little deadlocked.
And Stella Sterling erged from the office inside, witnessing this scene...
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