Chapter 493 No Need to Hurry
Desmond asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Did she think that just because she paid a few bucks for his cab fare, she could make even more outrageous demands?
Desmond's expression must have been too intimidating because Ella was visibly frightened.
She stammered as she tried to explain, "I just meant you don't have to pay me back for the fare. I came here to see you. I just got here, and we haven't even talked much. How can I leave now?"
As she spoke, tears began to well up in her eyes, and she looked utterly heartbroken.
"What do you want to do if you don't leave?" Desmond asked with a cold smile, waiting for her response.
He barely had patience for Clara these days, let alone Ella.
Ella hesitated before asking, "Can I come in and talk?"
"No," Desmond replied bluntly. "Say what you need to say and then leave. If my parents hear any noise, they'll have you thrown out."
It was early morning, and his family was asleep.
He was curious to hear what Ella had to say, but he wasn't going to let her inside.
Ella, clearly intimidated by Desmond's words, lowered her head and wiped her tears as she spoke.
"I can't get in touch with Clara. I heard you came back to Luminous City, so I wanted to ask you if Clara is doing okay in Starhaven."
Desmond's expression darkened at the mention of Clara.
"How she's doing is none of your business. She's part of the Manners family, not yours."
Desmond couldn't say he was completely over Clara, but there was a rift in his feelings for her.
And he only acknowledged Clara as part of the Manners family.
After all, if he were to marry Clara, he didn't want to deal with Ella.
Even though Elodie was upset with him over Nathan's matching issue, she was part of the Manners family, unlike Ella, who was just a country bumpkin.
Having made up his mind, Desmond didn't wait for Ella to ask more questions. "You've asked what you wanted. Now leave!"
With that, he stepped forward and slammed the door shut.
He had no desire to deal with the disheveled Ella.
It was early, and he could go back to bed and get some more sleep before heading to work.
Gabriel hadn't set any strict rules for him, just told him to prepare for the wedding.
Whether it was arranging for Clara to return to Luminous City or mentally preparing for the upcoming marriage, he had things to do.
Ella stood outside the closed door, stomping her foot in frustration. She glared at the door but didn't dare knock again.
She hadn't come to the Boleyn Villa without reason.
She had reliable information that Desmond was going to marry Clara.
She had hoped to use the Boleyn family to get in touch with Clara and ask for money, but Desmond's attitude made her hesitant.
If her actions caused Desmond to call off the wedding, she would gain nothing.
Ella knew Clara had been avoiding her calls since moving to Starhaven, and she had spent a lot of time cursing Clara.
But aside from cursing, there was nothing she could do.
She had lost money gambling and couldn't go home. Living on the streets cost money, and though she had a little left, she was saving it for food and didn't want to spend it.
So, she would occasionally make herself look pitiful and beg for money on the streets.
Any money she got, she gambled.
A few days ago, she had a small win and had enough money to cover her fare to Starhaven.
Ella had been considering going to Starhaven to find Clara, but before she could finalize her plans, she heard some news about Clara.
Clara was going to marry Desmond from the Boleyn family!
She had overheard this from a drunk at the casino.
The man had a bad reputation, losing money and drinking, and then talking nonsense.
Ella hadn't paid him much attention at first, but she occasionally spoke to him and learned about the Manners and Boleyn families' marriage plans.
She also found out that the source of this information was Oliver, who had recently returned to Luminous City.
Ella didn't know that Oliver had been locked up by Lucas after gambling in Starhaven, but once Lucas was called to Starhaven by Elodie, Oliver started sneaking back into the casinos.
Ella's first thought was to find Clara, but she had no luck.
Unable to reach Clara and hearing that Desmond was back, she decided to find Desmond to see if he could help her contact Clara.
Desmond's attitude made it clear she had to be patient. Clara would return eventually.
Desmond might not give her money, but Clara surely would.
Or at least, the Manners family wouldn't want her causing a scene at the wedding.
She didn't need to rush. She couldn't afford to.
As the sky lightened, Ella reluctantly left the Boleyn Villa.
Starhaven.
Early in the morning, Katniss and Maximilian were already awake.
After their morning routine, they had breakfast and set off.
They were heading to the Amber District with a convoy of three cars.
Besides Katniss and Maximilian, the rest were bodyguards.
The drive out of the city was smooth, with a steady pace.
Once they reached the outskirts, the road was empty, and they didn't see another car for miles.
Maximilian sat next to Katniss, holding her gently.
"We have some time before we get there. Do you want to rest a bit?" he asked, concerned she hadn't slept enough since they had to leave earlier than usual.
Katniss leaned against his chest, about to shake her head, when their car suddenly braked hard.
Thankfully, Maximilian's hold on her kept her from being jolted.
"What happened?" Maximilian asked, frowning at the driver.
"Mr. Hamilton, someone is blocking the road," the driver replied quickly.
Maximilian and Katniss looked ahead and saw a car parked across the road.
"That car cut us off and then stopped in front of us," the driver explained, frowning.
In the passenger seat, Conrad noticed several other cars of the same make and model approaching from the opposite direction.
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