Chapter 37

Her current position was extremely dangerous. She was lying sideways in his arms, one cheek almost pressed against his solid chest. She could clearly hear the steady, powerful beat of his heart beneath his shirt.

And that threat had been very effective.

Elena immediately gave in.

She didn't dare move again. She stayed stiffly curled up in his arms like a tiny kitten caught by the scruff of its neck, her entire face bright red.

“Good girl.”

Looking down at her defeated expression, Richard couldn't help letting the corner of his mouth lift.

Holding her securely, he strode toward the entrance of the estate.

From his arms, Elena secretly stole one last glance back at the RS7 sitting quietly in the courtyard.

She couldn't help letting out the faintest sigh.

Eating dinner out here wouldn't have been so bad.

Richard noticed immediately.

“What are you thinking about?”

“…”

“Hmm?”

“…Moving the dining table outside wouldn't be so bad. The view from your courtyard is beautiful. It might even make the food taste better.”

“Is that so?”

Richard was silent for two seconds.

“The view you're talking about is mainly the car, isn't it?”

Elena couldn't help laughing at the faintly jealous tone in his voice.

She looked up at him instead of avoiding his gaze.

“You're not seriously jealous of a car, are you, Chairman?”

Richard's arm tightened around her.

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

“That depends. Is the car more attractive to you?”

His hold tightened another fraction, forcing Elena's face against the front of his shirt.

She could smell the faint, cool scent of oak on him, mixed with the clean fragrance of freshly pressed cotton.

“…You're definitely more attractive.”

Elena puffed out her cheeks and added, “Besides… a car can't buy me another car.”

Richard pressed his lips together.

The hand beneath her knees tightened unconsciously.

He lowered his head, staring at her smiling face so close to his own. The heat he'd only just managed to suppress flared back to life in his eyes.

“Elena.”

“Hmm?”

“We'll settle the score later.”

His voice dropped, the deep, husky sound brushing past her ear.

It wasn't until they entered the dining room that Richard finally put her down.

Elena immediately hurried to the long dining table and sat down, turning her head toward the moonlit lake beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.

She pretended nothing had happened.

Richard calmly took his seat at the head of the table.

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Several uniformed staff members entered one after another, setting a series of beautifully prepared Western dishes on the table with practiced efficiency.

The chef followed and quietly introduced each dish.

Elena looked down as he spoke.

The first course was a creamy lobster bisque, rich and velvety, made with slow-simmered lobster stock and finished with a touch of cream and fresh herbs.

Next came pan-seared Chilean sea bass, its delicate white flesh perfectly tender, served with a light lemon-butter sauce, asparagus, and seasonal vegetables.

There was also a plate of A5 Wagyu beef tenderloin, seared to perfection and served with roasted baby potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and a rich red-wine reduction.

Beside it was a fresh salad of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and crisp cucumber, dressed with a light balsamic vinaigrette.

The chef also introduced the side dishes, including warm sourdough bread with cultured butter and a small serving of truffle mashed potatoes.

Elena's eyes lit up as she took in the spread.

Her appetite was instantly awakened.

Richard glanced at her.

“How is it? Does everything look good?”

“Mmm-hmm! Everything looks amazing!”

Elena nodded enthusiastically.

“We don't even need to go out to eat anymore. We can just eat here. Your chef is amazing!”

She gave the chef a thumbs-up.

Richard glanced at her with an almost amused expression.

“So you'll eat here every day from now on?”

Elena nodded instinctively.

“Sure—”

She stopped.

Then she looked across the table at the man.

Richard was calmly cutting into a thick, perfectly cooked steak.

Hearing her answer, he simply nodded as though the matter had already been decided.

“Then it's settled.”

Elena: “…”

Wait.

Which one of them was supposed to be seducing the other?

Elena silently lowered her head and focused on her food.

She wasn't particularly elegant when she ate, and she didn't have a huge appetite, but she was extremely focused on her meal.

Watching her eat, Richard found that his own appetite had improved as well.

The two of them ate quietly together.

Standing off to the side, the butler watched the scene in silence, a complicated look passing through his eyes.

He had worked for Richard's father before eventually becoming Richard's employee. Nearly twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye, and he had never seen his employer look at someone this way.

Normally, when Richard ate, he was either reviewing documents on his tablet, discussing business with a partner over the phone, or rushing through his meal so he could get back to work.

The fact that he'd never developed a stomach problem could only be attributed to sheer luck.

And now, he was actually sitting down and enjoying a proper meal.

“…”

After dinner, Elena was given a small serving of mango pomelo sago, topped with fresh grapefruit pieces and mint leaves. The bright yellow, pink, and green colors looked almost too pretty to eat.

She slowly took a spoonful, just about to say something, when the butler approached with a phone.

“Miss Sterling is calling.”

Elena paused.

If Victoria was calling, she had no idea what it could be about.

After spending quite a bit of time around Richard, Elena had already noticed that Victoria didn't contact her father very often.

That made her curious enough to listen carefully.

Richard took the phone without making any effort to hide the call from Elena and answered directly.

“Mm. Go ahead.”

Elena couldn't hear what Victoria was saying. She could only watch Richard listen quietly.

“When are you leaving?”

Richard set down his coffee cup.

“You can have Mike take care of it.”

The person on the other end said something else.

“Mm.” Richard's expression remained unchanged. “That's fine.”

The call ended.

Elena's spoon was still suspended in midair.

She studied the man across from her.

Richard calmly took another sip of coffee, apparently with no intention of mentioning the call.

Naturally, Elena didn't ask.

After all—

She and Miss Sterling attended the same university. In a sense, they had once even been rivals over the same man.

And now she was flirting with that woman's father.

Elena wasn't entirely sure how Richard felt about the situation, but for the time being, it was probably better not to draw attention to that particular relationship.

Just as she was thinking about it, Richard's other phone vibrated.

He glanced at the screen and immediately waved his hand.

The butler and the other staff quietly withdrew.

Elena saw them leaving and started to get up as well.

But as she passed Richard, he stopped her.

“You don't have to leave.”

He said it casually as he picked up the phone.

The moment the call connected, his tone became cold and authoritative.

“Where are the project figures?”

The person on the other end said something.

Richard gave a quiet scoff.

“Their offer isn't reasonable. Go back and renegotiate based on my terms.”

“…”

Elena couldn't hear the other side, but seeing the barely restrained irritation on Richard's face suddenly gave her an idea.

She couldn't help remembering what had happened in the car.

That guy had taken advantage of her while she was on the phone with Adrian. Not only had he held her, he'd even bitten her.

Hmph.

A little devil began stirring mischievously inside Elena's head.

The enormous dining room was completely quiet now.

Richard sat beside the table, slightly turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows as he looked out at the moonlit lake, completely absorbed in work.

His long, powerful fingers held the phone against his ear, revealing part of his forearm beneath the rolled shirt cuff, the veins standing out clearly beneath his skin.

“When are they holding the meeting at headquarters?”

Richard's deep voice carried unmistakable authority.

“Tell Mr. Lewis to fly over next week.”

Elena quietly crept closer.

She extended one slender finger and, like a mischievous little butterfly, lightly poked the side of Richard's waist.

Then she gave it a gentle little tickle.

Richard's body went almost imperceptibly rigid.