Chapter 18 Trouble Is Brewing

It's important to maintain basic courtesy when under someone else's roof.

Yvonne greeted Elijah as soon as she saw him, "You're back."

Elijah couldn't tear his eyes away from Yvonne upon seeing her. She was wearing a loose white T-shirt that exposed her beautiful collarbone. The black skinny pants made her long legs appear even more slender. Even with a clean, natural face, Yvonne unknowingly stirred something in Elijah's heart.

Two words came to his mind: pure desire.

Elijah didn't like women who were overly coquettish, but he had no defense against Yvonne's charm.

Yvonne kept getting closer, intentionally or not, making him constantly lower his guard.

Even though Yvonne wasn't wearing makeup or revealing any cleavage or legs, she unknowingly ignited his fantasies again.

He felt somewhat disgusted with himself.

Unresponsive to Elijah's presence, Yvonne went back to her bedroom and started working on her computer.

Meanwhile, Elijah's desire grew stronger, leaving him with a dry mouth.

There was a pot of brewed black tea on the dining table, and he drank three cups in a row before taking a cold shower in the bathroom.

The entire afternoon passed with no interaction between them. Elijah was in the study while Yvonne was in her bedroom.

As darkness fell outside, Yvonne decided to cook a nice dinner to show her gratitude for Elijah's hospitality.

She entered the kitchen and tied an apron around herself. Just as she opened the fridge, she saw Elijah coming out of the study.

Elijah was surprised to see the fridge filled up. When did that happen?

"I'm planning to make a feast. If you're not busy, can you help me out?" Yvonne tried to establish a connection.

Elijah didn't engage with her; he didn't feel at ease around her.

"I don't know how to cook." Elijah directly refused.

Yvonne immediately got angry. "At least you can help wash and prep the vegetables!"

"Not interested. If you want to cook, do it yourself. If not, order takeout or eat out," Elijah said and returned to the master bedroom.

Yvonne rolled her eyes at his retreating figure.

Lately, Elijah was involved in an inheritance lawsuit, and he was in a critical phase of gathering evidence. However, with the sudden passing of the old lady, he had to pause his work.

In the afternoon, he sorted out the progress in his study and prepared a document outlining the key tasks for the following week, which he sent to the work group.

Philippe called him to arrange a meeting, but Elijah declined, saying he wasn't in the mood after the old lady had just passed away.

Philippe sounded somewhat disappointed and casually mentioned, "If you're not coming, I'll invite Yvonne instead!"

"She won't go either," Elijah said, immediately regretting his words, but Philippe had already caught on and asked with a mischievous smile, "How do you know she won't go? Are you two together?"

"Think whatever you want." Elijah didn't want to argue and hung up the phone directly.

However, Philippe had already caught a whiff of the hidden truth and quickly informed Mason and Louis to head straight to Rhode Hills.

The doorbell rang.

When they got up, Yvonne's four dishes and one soup had just been served on the table. Elijah stared at the three malicious-looking people outside the video screen. He didn't want to open the door but was annoyed by the incessant doorbell ringing.

"What's the matter?" Yvonne came over curiously.

"They're here to cause trouble," Elijah said as he turned the security door lock.

When Philippe saw Yvonne, he was so excited that he almost jumped up. "See, Yvonne is here! I was right!"

"I lost $100,000 with Mason!" Louis shrugged helplessly.

Before coming to Rhode Hills, Philippe claimed that Yvonne was with Elijah, but Mason and Louis didn't believe him. The three of them made a bet, and whoever lost would have to pay $100,000.

Now that Philippe had won $200,000, he found Yvonne even more pleasing to the eye and praised Elijah for having good taste.

Mason smirked and said, "I actually noticed that there was something unusual between you two a long time ago, but Elijah is reserved, so I thought you two were just constantly exchanging glances. I never thought you were already living together. Louis and I really misunderstood!"

"Don't talk nonsense! Mr. Harper and I are innocent," Yvonne said, feeling somewhat guilty at the end of her words.

"Living together is living together, no matter how innocent you claim to be," Louis scoffed.

Elijah was annoyed by their endless speculations and said sternly, "Don't make wild guesses. Yvonne encountered some trouble and moved in with me temporarily. She'll leave next week."

Yvonne's heart inexplicably trembled.

Elijah had always addressed her as "Miss Brooks," except for when he called her name in bed.

"Stop explaining, Elijah. It's normal for men and women to have love affairs," Philippe said, laughing as he walked toward the dining table. "Come and take a look, the food is ready!"

"Elijah, Yvonne, the three of us haven't eaten yet. Let's have a meal together," Mason said, already seated in a dining chair, with Louis following suit.

Yvonne glanced at Elijah and found him expressionless. She hurried to the cupboard to grab some utensils.

With more people eating today, even though Yvonne's cooking skills were average, four dishes and one soup were simply not enough. Philippe ordered two large portions of lobster and beer on his phone.

Elijah said he had a stomachache and didn't touch any alcohol. Yvonne chatted enthusiastically with Philippe and the others, played rock-paper-scissors, and drank penalties. When they finished eating at the table, Yvonne felt slightly dizzy.

The four men went to the living room, while Yvonne boiled tea in the kitchen. As she bent down to pick up a teacup, she accidentally dropped it.

Upon hearing the noise, Elijah ran over immediately.

Yvonne knew that this tea set was expensive, so she apologized while reaching out to pick up the broken pieces from the floor.

Elijah thought the woman in front of him was a bit foolish and anxiously shouted, "Be careful not to cut your hand!"

In the midst of panic, one of Yvonne's fingers was still scratched by a piece of porcelain, causing blood to appear.

"Even primates can use tools, but you can't!" Elijah suddenly stretched out his hand and placed Yvonne's bleeding finger under the faucet.

After rinsing it several times, he held onto Yvonne's finger and walked to the entrance hall. He took out a first-aid kit and disinfected the cut with alcohol before sticking on a band-aid.

Elijah's sudden concern made Yvonne feel uneasy all over. She hid her inner unease behind a smile, while Elijah realized that his behavior just now had exceeded bounds!

He quickly let go of Yvonne's hand, his handsome face tensed up. "What a bother," he said.

"I injured my hand, can you help wash the dishes in the sink?" Yvonne deliberately waved her finger with the band-aid in front of Elijah's eyes.

Elijah's gaze shifted from Yvonne's finger to her back, and a burning sensation rose in his lower abdomen.

Taking a deep breath, Elijah composed himself before returning to the living room.

After Philippe and the others left, Elijah rolled up his sleeves and went to the kitchen.

There was a mess on the dining table, and a pile of dishes and utensils in the sink. Elijah's dishwashing actions were comically clumsy.

Yvonne walked over, and without saying a word, she picked up an apron and tied it around Elijah's waist.

Elijah was afraid of splattering oil stains onto Yvonne, so he quickly raised his hands.

When she was tying the apron, Yvonne's upper body leaned against Elijah.

Elijah's Adam's apple moved, and all of his restraint collapsed in an instant.

He circled his arms around Yvonne's waist and kissed her.

Yvonne never expected Elijah to be so direct and reached out to unbutton his shirt.

The two of them started breathing irregularly.

Yvonne was exceptionally proactive this time.

After it ended, before she could climb off the bed, Elijah had already put on his clothes, even fastening the top button of his shirt.

In the middle of the night, wearing a shirt with dress pants was somewhat out of place.

Elijah's face resumed its former chilly demeanor.

"This time was an improvement," Elijah said, clearly referring to their intimate encounter, but using the most serious tone.

Yvonne looked up and down at Elijah and said, "Teach me how to put on pants and suddenly become a different person!"

Elijah was caught by her words. He immediately frowned and headed to the bathroom.

Yvonne returned from the master bedroom to her own room, wrapped herself in a blanket, and sat on the wooden chair on the balcony.

The night sky was full of stars, serene and quiet.

She was tired of looking, but closing her eyes didn't bring sleep.

Her mind was filled with lingering scenes with Elijah.

Although Elijah was usually cold and indifferent, he was undeniably a good bed companion.

During moments of passion, she clearly heard him call out "Yvonne" with affection, and the tenderness in his eyes could drown a person.

Looking back now, it seemed like a dreamy spring illusion.

"I boiled some hot water, it's on the dining table," Elijah's voice came from the living room, interrupting her thoughts.

She wanted to tease Elijah, so she replied, "I'm feeling a bit unwell, can you bring it over for me?"

Soon, Elijah knocked on the door, carrying a glass of warm water.

"It's too cold to sleep alone at night. Can we sleep together, Mr. Harper?" Yvonne was still sitting on the balcony, huddled under the blanket, with only her head poking out.

Elijah stared at her for a few seconds and said in a deep voice, "It's cold, turn on the air conditioning."

"The air conditioning can't compare to your warmth," Yvonne replied meaningfully.

One minute later, the staring contest ended with Elijah leaving.

Yvonne couldn't understand how Elijah could be so uninhibited in bed and cold as ice when he got off.

That night, Yvonne tossed and turned, but she couldn't fall asleep until it was almost dawn.

When she woke up, it was already two o'clock in the afternoon the next day.

Elijah was gone, leaving behind an empty and spacious house.

There were several missed calls from George and Hannah on her phone. Yvonne called Hannah back first.

Hannah said she had an interview next week and wanted Yvonne to accompany her to buy a decent outfit.

Upon hearing the word "shopping," Yvonne immediately became interested. She quickly freshened up, put on makeup, and changed into a nice outfit. She specifically picked a pair of flat shoes when she went out.

Half an hour later, the two met at the first floor of GD Plaza.

Yvonne hadn't eaten two meals, so she bought milk tea and some snacks, and they ate while strolling.

After browsing through various options, Hannah bought a simply designed light blue shirt and a black A-line skirt.

Yvonne's wallet had been full these days, so she bought a high-end black cashmere dress that she had been eyeing for a long time.

By the time they finished shopping, it was already 6:30 in the evening. GD Plaza had a famous French restaurant on the top floor, so Yvonne suggested treating Hannah to dinner there, and Hannah happily agreed.

The two arrived at the French restaurant, but it was packed with customers. Hannah took a number and got in line.

Feeling thirsty, Yvonne decided to go downstairs to the supermarket to buy some water.

As the elevator door opened, a six or seven-year-old boy rushed out with a smile and accidentally collided with Yvonne.

Yvonne exclaimed, "Oh my!" and braced herself against the wall.

"I'm sorry, auntie," said the slim little boy. He not only had beautiful features, but he was also quite polite.

"Don't call me auntie, call me Sister!" Yvonne corrected him. She didn't want to be harsh on such a handsome young man and smiled as she waved at him, "I'm fine, just be more careful next time!"

"I'll remember everything sister said!" The boy's expression suddenly turned cloudy, and he timidly called out to the man behind Yvonne, "Father…"

Yvonne was very curious as to what kind of father would frighten a child like this, so she turned around to look.

Elijah was calmly walking toward the little boy with a stern face.