Chapter 564 How Do You Know
Jesse, caught in a whirlwind of emotions, asked, "So, have you decided?"
"Yeah," Elara nodded.
"I'll take you there tomorrow," Jesse said, closing her suitcase and setting it down. "Stay here tonight."
Elara shot back, "That's not appropriate."
Jesse looked down, his cold eyes hiding something deeper.
Elara didn't push him to talk; Jesse needed a nudge.
Earlier, she hadn't really called Willie; she was just faking it with her phone.
"Hang tight for a bit; I have some business to take care of," Jesse finally said, his handsome face showing a mix of emotions. "I'll come back and we can talk more."
He said "talk more" instead of "take you" because he knew how Elara was.
If Jesse had said he'd come back to take her, she would've insisted on calling a driver herself.
Elara wondered what kind of business he had at a time like this.
Jesse didn't explain much. He grabbed his car keys and left, sure that Elara wouldn't go anywhere.
As soon as he left, Elara quietly followed him.
An hour later, in a private room at a club, Jesse stood at the door, looking at Willie, who was surrounded by women, and said coldly, "Come out; we need to talk."
"Mr. Reed, who's this?"
"Mr. Reed, you're not being fair. You have such a good-looking friend and you didn't introduce us."
The two women in Willie's arms said playfully.
Willie, surprised by Jesse's appearance, said, "I don't know him, but if you like him, go ahead. Whoever can make him fall in love, I'll give her ten grand."
"If you want your dad to find out about the huge hole in your startup, stay right there," Jesse said, not missing a beat.
Jesse had done his homework on Willie to have some leverage the next time Willie tried to mess with him.
Willie's smile vanished. "You investigated me!"
"I'll be in the next room," Jesse replied, then turned and left.
Willie, a bit shaken, pushed the women away and followed.
When Elara arrived, she saw Jesse and Willie heading into the private room one after the other.
She felt a wave of nerves.
Jesse said he didn't like her, so why was he talking to Willie? Idiot!
Jesse had no clue Elara was tailing him. Lost in thought, he didn't notice. When Willie came in, Jesse was still cold and distant. "Sit."
"What do you want?" Willie snapped.
"If you're gonna get married, you need to show some commitment," Jesse said slowly. "Break up with your girlfriends."
Willie looked puzzled.
He stared at Jesse, thinking he misheard.
"What did you just say?" Willie asked.
When was he getting married?
"Break up with your girlfriends and be loyal to Elara. I can help you with your startup's issues," Jesse offered bluntly. "But if you treat Elara badly, I have plenty of ways to make you regret it."
The more Willie listened, the more confused he got. Just as he was about to speak, the door swung open.
Elara burst into the room, not giving anyone a chance to speak. "Is meeting Willie what you meant by 'taking care of some business'?" she demanded.
"No," Jesse lied, his earlier confidence fading.
"Then why are you here?" Elara pressed.
"He told me to dump my girlfriends and be loyal to you," Willie chimed in, sounding almost amused. "When did I ever agree to that?"
"Shut up!" Elara snapped at him.
Willie looked like he wanted to get mad but held back when he saw the fire in Elara's eyes.
"Since you've made yourself clear, let me make myself clear too," Elara said to Jesse, her tone icy. "From now on, my life is none of your business. Stay out of it."
Jesse's eyes flicked to Willie. "He's not the right guy for you."
"I think he is," Elara shot back, clearly trying to hurt him.
Jesse stayed silent.
Elara continued, "Don't come looking for Willie anymore. I don't want you messing up my life. Whatever he does after we're married is my problem, not yours."
"I'm sorry," Jesse said, his voice cold but tinged with sadness.
Jesse slowly stood up and walked towards the door.
As he passed Elara, he said with mixed emotions, "Go home. I'll help you pack."
"No need, Willie will take me later," Elara refused.
Jesse's hands twitched slightly, but he said nothing and left.
A minute later, Elara opened the door to check, and after confirming Jesse had really left, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Willie sat there, his tone a bit gossipy. "You were using me as a shield, weren't you?"
"So what if I was," Elara replied nonchalantly.
"Weren't you two all lovey-dovey before? Why do you suddenly want to be with me?" Willie joked. "Did you realize I'm better than him?"
Elara frowned. "Why are you so talkative?"
"Did you have a fight?" Willie continued to pry.
Elara snapped, "It's none of your business."
"How is it not my business? You're going to marry me," Willie said, his eyes showing a mix of emotions and seriousness.
Elara glared at him.
Willie leaned back, offering, "If you go out now, he'll definitely see you. Sit down and chat for a bit, I'll help you act later."
Elara thought for a moment and sat down.
She had no intention of chatting with Willie, just sat there aimlessly scrolling through her phone.
"Honestly, I quite like you," Willie said, eyeing Elara. "But your temper doesn't suit me."
Elara kept scrolling. "As if your temper suits me."
Willie asked deliberately, "If it doesn't suit you, why are you marrying me?"
Elara retorted, "Are you done yet?"
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you," Willie said, thinking back on the past and deciding to make peace. "Since you didn't rat me out last time, I'll help you."
"What?" Elara was stunned.
"If I'm not mistaken, you and Jesse were pretending to be a couple before," Willie said, his rich dating experience giving him insight. "Today you used me as an excuse because you confessed to him and got rejected."
Elara asked warily, "How do you know?"
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