Chapter 45
45
~Elara’s POV
I walked back into the office, my heels clicking lightly on the polished floor. The scent of coffee and leather filled the space, but it wasn’t comforting like it usually was.
And then I saw him.
Darlon was sitting behind his desk, his sharp eyes fixed on me. He didn’t smile, didn’t wave, just looked at me.
“You’re back,” he said quietly, but there was that edge of authority in his tone that made me straighten my back without thinking.
“Yes,” I said, keeping my voice steady, even though it trembled a little.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Do I need to… kill Ronan? As soon as possible? Did he do something wrong p>
I blinked, caught off guard. I wasn’t expecting this. “That won’t be necessary,” I said, my lips curving into a soft smile.
His eyes narrowed, but then he stood up. My heart skipped a beat. Before I could react, he walked over to me and pulled me into a sudden, tight hug.
I froze. My hands went up instinctively. “Darlon! We’re in the office! Anyone could come in!” I whispered, panic rising in my chest.
He didn’t let go. His voice was low, almost a growl. “I don’t care. You’re my wife. That’s all that matters p>
I pulled back as much as I could, trying to put space between us. “I… I’d rather not get myself into another round of rumors,” I said, my voice shaking slightly.
He frowned, taking a step closer. “Rumors? What rumors p>
I shook my head, looking away. “It’s nothing p>
He stared at me for a long moment. I could feel the intensity of his gaze, and I couldn’t look back.
Then, as if nothing had changed, he smiled again. “You’re brilliant, you know that p>
I felt heat creep up my neck. “I… I don’t know. I just… I don’t even know if I’ll do well on the design team you put me on p>
He tilted his head slightly, that confident smile on his face. “Don’t downgrade your talent. I’m sure you’ll do well. You always do p>
I hesitated. “Are… are you sure p>
“Of course,” he said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I nodded slowly, letting a smile slip out. “Thank you p>
He leaned against the desk, crossing his arms. “Now, get ready. In thirty minutes, we have a meeting. Some companies are coming. They want me as their investor p>
I froze, staring at him. “I… I don’t have to be there, right?” I asked, my voice small.
He shook his head slowly, that knowing smile never leaving his face. “No. You need to be there. You’re the investor p>
I shook my head, incredulous. “What?! I… I don’t even have that kind of money! And I don’t know how any of this works p>
He stepped closer, his tone gentle but firm. “My money is your money too. You’ll know if you want to invest or not. You’ll learn, and I know you can do it p>
I swallowed hard. “I… I still don’t understand p>
He straightened, brushing his hands over his suit lightly. “Remember when you brought an investor to the Blueberries company while you were still in school p>
I blinked at him, confused and shocked. “How… how do you know about that p>
He smiled faintly, but there was an edge of pride in his eyes. “That was a secret p>
I had no idea how he knew about that. I was about to finished in high school, the company was struggling, and the only condition for me to continue my education was to find an investor.
“You tried your best, and you succeeded p>
I swallowed, memories rushing back. I had been so young, so scared of failing everything at once. The sleepless nights, the constant worry… and then the relief when I found that investor. And now, Darlon knew.
“You… you knew about that?” I asked softly, almost whispering.
“Of course I know. And I know you can do better now,” he said simply, like it was a fact no one could argue with.
I felt my chest tighten, my throat dry. I wanted to protest, to say I wasn’t ready, that I wasn’t enough, but something in the way he looked at me, so steady, so certain, made my words falter.
“Okay,” I said finally, barely above a whisper. “I’ll… I’ll try. I’ll be ready for the meeting p>
He smiled, “I know you will. Just trust yourself. That’s all I ask p>
I nodded again.
“Now,” he said, straightening, “go prepare. I’ll see you in thirty minutes p>
I hesitated, then gave a small, nervous laugh. “I… I hope I don’t mess it up p>
“You won’t,” he said simply. And with that, he turned to his offfice, leaving me standing there, trying to calm the storm of nerves and excitement swirling inside me.
I walked to my seat slowly, my mind racing. Investor, design team, rumors, Darlon… it all felt so heavy and so real at the same time.
And as I sat down, taking a deep breath, I whispered to myself, “I have to. I’ll do it. I’ll show him… and myself… that I can p>
I returned to Darlon’s office, my steps quieter this time, like I was trying not to announce myself. He looked up from his desk as I approached, his expression calm but expectant.
“About the companies coming in for the meeting I started cautiously, trying not to sound clueless. “What exactly do they do p>
He leaned back slightly, his fingers steepled on the desk. “It’s an automobile company. They’re expanding, looking for investors to fund new technology and production lines. That’s why I specifically choose you p>
“Automobile?” I repeated, barely hiding my surprise. “I… I haven’t done anything like that before p>
“You’ve handled more than you think,” he said, his tone soft but firm. “And this will give you insight. You’re ready p>
I nodded slowly, letting his confidence in me sink in, even though my stomach twisted with nerves. I turned and walked back to my seat, trying to steady my racing thoughts.
As soon as I sat down, I pulled up every file I could find about the company. My fingers flew over the keyboard, my mind focusing on facts, numbers, anything that could give me a clue about why they needed investors, their market reach, production costs, even possible weaknesses.
I clicked through page after page, my eyes scanning the details faster than I’d thought possible. Profit margins, projections, competitor comparisons… I didn’t know half the terms, but I learned quickly, jotting down notes, making mental calculations, trying to prepare for every question that could come.
Time slipped by without me noticing. The world shrank to the glowing screen in front of me, the notes beside me, and the quiet hum of the office. I didn’t hear anyone approach. I didn’t hear footsteps. I didn’t hear anything except the scratch of my pen and the clatter of keys.
And then p>
“Elara p>
I jumped, spinning around. My heart raced. Darlon stood there, just a few feet away, clearing his throat like a teacher trying to get the attention of a student who had completely forgotten the world existed.
“It’s time,” he said simply, his voice calm but firm.
I blinked, realizing I hadn’t even noticed him sitting there, waiting, observing silently as I buried myself in work. My cheeks burned. “Oh I whispered, standing quickly. My papers slipped slightly as I scrambled to gather them.
He didn’t move, just watched me, a small, amused smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You’re… very thorough,” he said, shaking his head lightly.
“I… I just want to be prepared,” I mumbled, trying to regain my composure. “I… I don’t want to mess this up p>
“You won’t,” he said, stepping aside to gesture toward the conference room. “Come on. Let’s go meet them and see if they are worthy of the investment p>