Chapter 39 Confirming the Accusations

Yvonne sensed his emotions and hurriedly said, "Everyone is working overtime, how can I go out! You two should go back to Rhode Hills, I'll finish work in an hour."

Elijah walked out of the room and casually closed the security door. "Where exactly are you?"

Yvonne fell silent for a moment and whispered, "CC Bar."

"You lied to me." Elijah's cold voice couldn't suppress his anger.

Yvonne's eyelid started twitching even before she put down her phone. Elijah's tone made her feel as if he was going to catch her in the act.

The immediate urgency was to quickly leave the bar.

But Carlos had just gotten Owen drunk and sent him away. How could he easily let her go?

Carlos was already slightly tipsy. Yvonne discreetly spit out the wine she had in her mouth. She only smelled of alcohol, but her mind was clear.

"Miss Brooks, having a boyfriend like me wouldn't be bad either! Not only am I physically fit and have a good personality, but I can also provide you with all the convenience in your work." Carlos's eyes flickered with flames as he leaned closer to Yvonne.

He had just finished signing all the room renovation contracts with FA Center Company in the afternoon. These two days were the transitional period before the contracts became effective, so Yvonne didn't dare to offend him.

Yvonne pursed her red lips and smiled faintly. "Being friends with Mr. Carlos is enough, why do we have to be in a romantic relationship?"

"Darling, you're the most beautiful thing I've seen." Carlos's eyes became even more intense. "How can I just be satisfied with being friends?"

"The cleverest woman I ever met was Mary..." Carlos's gaze followed the fair skin of Yvonne's neck, and his Adam's apple bobbed a few times. "It's all because of you that I chose FA Center Company for all the renovations."

"No other company in Winslow compares to the professionalism of FA Center Company's design team. By choosing them, you can avoid a lot of unnecessary hassles." Yvonne feigned ignorance.

"I have a new hassle now..." Carlos suddenly grabbed her hand and stared at her. "Miss Brooks, the game of chasing you has become tiresome. Why not be direct and come home with me tonight?"

Yvonne tried to pull her hand away, but Carlos was too strong. As they struggled, Yvonne fell into Carlos's embrace.

Carlos, full of excitement, encircled Yvonne and was about to lean in for a kiss when a pair of strong arms forcefully pulled him a meter away.

Yvonne quickly distanced herself from Carlos and looked up, meeting Elijah's cold gaze.

"Mr. Harper?" Carlos shrugged in confusion and spoke in broken English, "I was chatting with Miss Brooks. Why are you being so rude?"

"You were the one who was rude to Miss Brooks first." Elijah's eyes flickered sharply as they passed over Carlos's body.

Feeling a bit guilty, Yvonne said to Carlos, "I have something to attend to. I'll go now."

Carlos didn't react in time, and Yvonne briskly left the bar.

Just as he was about to chase after her, Elijah stopped him.

"What do you mean, Mr. Harper?" Carlos spread his hands in confusion. "She's my friend! We still have important matters to discuss!"

With a serious expression, Elijah picked up the half-empty beer bottle Yvonne had left and poured it on the floor. "If there are important matters, then discuss them with me. I have plenty of time."

Carlos asked "why" twice.

Wiping his hand with a tissue, Elijah said in Spanish, "Remember, if you want to continue working with the Harper Group, you must not harass her again."

"What is she to you? What's your relationship with her?" Carlos asked, confused.

Elijah furrowed his brow. He couldn't find the right word, even after searching through all his mental vocabulary.

Parking Lot

When Elijah saw Yvonne, she was leaning against a car, smoking a cigarette.

Between her slender white fingers, a white mist lingered, and her picturesque face exuded an indescribable allure and charm.

Elijah reached out and took the unfinished cigarette from her, throwing it on the ground and extinguishing it.

"Get in the car." Elijah's voice was as cold as the weather at this moment, gloomy and seemingly on the verge of snow.

She obediently got into the passenger seat and glanced at the man beside her, laughing playfully. "Are you angry?"

Elijah focused on driving without saying a word.

"In fact, going to the bar with Carlos was only for work," she explained anxiously, afraid of his misunderstanding. "Don't think too much about it."

Seeing Elijah still silent, she continued, "We shouldn't let this small matter affect our current relationship. Today, I lied first, and I apologize."

Elijah's handsome face remained tense, and he remained silent.

The car entered Rhode Hills.

Elijah was the first to get out of the car.

His gaze was sharp like a knife, filled with coldness, as he stared intently at Yvonne inside the car.

Yvonne was overwhelmed by the chilly aura emanating from him, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Get out of the car," his cold voice landed, and Yvonne quickly opened the door and got out from the passenger seat.

"Elijah! I didn't do anything shameful, why are you acting so cold?" Yvonne tried to hold his hand.

To her surprise, he withdrew it in advance, swiftly entering the elevator.

Yvonne's back chilled.

When Elijah turned around, she saw a hidden anger in his eyes.

Inside the elevator, Elijah remained silent with a stern face.

She attempted to initiate a conversation several times to ease the tension, but his deliberate aloofness forced her to stay silent.

Elijah opened the door and said coldly, "Carlos has ill intentions toward you. It's best if you keep your distance from him. Don't talk to me about performance bonuses again!"

Yvonne couldn't stand his condescending tone of voice when talking to her. She coldly asked, "I want to know, how much psychological impact does it have on you when I have a drink and chat with Carlos?"

"If Miss Brooks lacks even the most basic loyalty, then our relationship ends here." Elijah stared at her coldly, clearly burning with anger yet restraining himself. “I expect my bedmate to be clean, both physically and emotionally."

"If you really wanted cleanliness, you wouldn't have slept with me!" Yvonne sneered, "Clearly, you look down on me, yet you can't control your own vulgar desires, indulging in them time and time again."

"Shut up." Elijah's face showed a slight annoyance.

"Feeling guilty?" Yvonne mocked with a smile, "The woman you will marry should be gentle and virtuous, right? Despite sleeping with me, an impure woman, numerous times, you not only feel no shame but also don't feel remorse toward your future Mrs. Harper."

With his shameful secret exposed, Elijah pursed his lips. "Yvonne, I am a man, I have desires. Sleeping with you was the most outrageous thing I've done. What's even more outrageous is that I still want to continue this extraordinary affair."

Yvonne's lips curled into a cold smile.

"I don't know if future Mrs. Harper will be virtuous or not, but I do know that she definitely won't have a casual private life."

When he saw Carlos's hand on Yvonne, a deep-seated anger ignited within him.

The words "casual private life" pierced Yvonne's heart like a steel needle.

So, in Elijah's eyes, she was like this.

She quickly adjusted her emotions and laughed out loud. "Yeah, my private life is casual! So casual that you became my first man! I'm twenty-two years old, and you are the only man I've ever slept with!"

Elijah realized he had misspoken. He wanted to argue, but he lost his confidence.

"Elijah, I need to go and find a few men right away to confirm this accusation."

Yvonne picked up her handbag and wanted to leave, but she turned too quickly and slipped, falling instantly and hitting her forehead on the sharp edge of the nearby elevator!

"Are you okay?" Elijah asked anxiously. He was a step behind and couldn't catch her.

A few drops of bright red blood fell from Yvonne's forehead!

She endured the pain and covered the wound with a stack of tissues.

Elijah's eyes revealed a complex and indiscernible expression as he went to his study.

Yvonne snorted coldly, feeling that he really didn't care about her life or death!

With the support of the wall, she slowly stood up. She was about to find some disinfecting supplies when Elijah briskly walked over with a medicine box. "Don't move, let me apply the medicine for you."

Before Yvonne could react, Elijah pressed her back onto the sofa and quickly took out alcohol and cotton balls from the medicine box.

"I can do it myself." Yvonne tried to snatch the disinfectant from his hand.

"Pretending to be strong!" Elijah's eyes were full of sarcasm. "Don't move. And don’t blame me if you end up with a scar."

She was scared and dared not move anymore, letting Elijah disinfect and dress her wound.

The bleeding was quickly stopped.

She picked up her handbag again to leave, but Elijah stopped her. "If you walk out that door today, I won't interfere in your affairs anymore."

Elijah found a cigarette from the drawer, lit it, took a few deep puffs, and then extinguished it in the ashtray.

Suddenly, he felt a bit uncertain about this woman.

If she wanted to leave, let her leave. Why was he still obsessively trying to keep her?

At this moment, Yvonne was lost in thought. The RD event still needed Elijah's help, and there was no benefit to falling out with him at this time.

She smartly dropped her handbag and said despondently, "I won't leave."

The two sat silently for a moment when Elijah suddenly embraced her and took off her coat.

She lowered her gaze, looking elsewhere.

They were so close that their breaths were clearly audible to each other.

In that moment, Elijah's heart suddenly softened, and his eyes gained a few degrees of warmth. "Go take a shower, alright?"

Yvonne licked her dry lips, and with a cool and thin smile, she said, "After I shower, will you finally sleep with this 'casual' woman of yours?"

"Your forehead is injured, it's not convenient. I'll help you wash." Elijah evaded her topic and skillfully unzipped her dress.

"No need for you to bother!" Yvonne forcefully pushed away his hand and hurriedly locked herself in the bathroom.

She was a smart person. As long as she didn't have the intention to end her relationship with Elijah, she had to soften and compromise.

Otherwise, the one who would suffer would still be her.

Elijah stood outside the bathroom door for a while, listening to the sound of water flowing inside, and smoked four or five cigarettes in a row.

That night, the two silently competed against each other. Elijah didn’t come out of the study, and Yvonne slept in the bedroom by the door.

In the morning, when she got up, Yvonne saw Elijah dressed in a suit, holding a notebook and car keys, getting ready to leave. The kitchen and dining room were cold, without any signs of cooking.

Elijah glanced at her faintly. "Lock the door when you leave."

"I parked my car at Wood Mansion yesterday. Can you wait for me to change clothes and give me a ride?" She spoke softly, afraid of being rejected.

"I’ll wait only for five minutes." Elijah looked at his watch and sat on the sofa by the door, busy with his notebook.

"Okay." Yvonne ran into the bathroom and looked at the wound on her forehead in the mirror. It had healed well.

She gently peeled off the gauze and replaced it with a band-aid, then went back to the bedroom to put on her clothes.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Elijah put away his laptop and went to open the door.

Just as Yvonne followed, she saw a glamorous middle-aged woman standing at the door.