Chapter 82: A break

Elowen approached the CEO’s office and knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Theron’s voice.

She pushed the door open. "The revised design is ready."

Theron smiled.

It was a bright smile. Elowen hadn’t seen it on his face ever since she had known him.

"Elowen, sit down." He gestured to the chair across from him.

Elowen looked at him in surprise. "You look happy. What’s the good news?" she asked as she took her seat.

"Guess."

Elowen thought for a while. "The loan has been approved."

He chuckled. "It will be. There is no doubt about that. But this is bigger."

He leaned forward, interlacing his fingers on the table. "I’ve secured an investor. We are officially starting the project."

At that, Elowen’s eyes sparkled. "Really? Who is the investor?"

As soon as the question left her mouth, she realized she might have pried unnecessarily.

"You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to. It just slipped out. I asked that out of curiosity."

"Don’t be formal, Elowen. You haven’t overstepped any boundaries. You have every right to know who our investor is."

He leaned back in his chair. "Mr. Green approached me this morning. He is interested in our project and wants to join us."

"Mr. Green? You mean the chairman of the Green Group?" Elowen asked, visibly surprised. But there was an uneasiness beneath that surprise.

Her mind immediately went back to the incident at Seraphina’s school a couple of weeks ago. She remembered the man kneeling in front of Soren, desperately begging him to spare him and his company.

Now, the same man had approached Theron and expressed an interest in the Eden District project.

An unsettling feeling coiled in her stomach. She couldn’t help but wonder whether Mr. Green had ulterior motives for wanting to work with Theron.

’Is it purely business? Or is there something else behind it?’

Soren and Theron were already hostile toward each other. Elowen couldn’t shake the worry that Mr. Green might be trying to take out his resentment on Soren by joining hands with Theron.

"Is he reliable?" she asked tentatively.

Reliable?

Theron wasn’t someone who trusted anyone easily. But the moment Mr. Green mentioned that Soren was his enemy, he hadn’t hesitated to consider the deal.

It was not that he trusted the man. He had simply recognized the hatred burning in his eyes when Mr. Green described how Soren had almost destroyed his company.

For Theron, that hatred was enough. He could use it against Soren. But there was another reason he found Elowen’s question particularly pleasing.

’Is she worried someone might deceive me?’

The thought sent a wave of joy through him.

"I can’t say for sure that he is a reliable partner," he replied. "But the fact is, we are starting the project. Once it gets underway, better opportunities will come our way."

Elowen nodded thoughtfully, though her worry lingered in the back of her mind. She then looked at the rolled blueprint in her hand.

"The revised design. It’s ready." She placed it on the table, ready to spread it out.

"Elowen."

She paused and looked up.

"When was the last time you stepped out of the office?" he asked.

Elowen was taken aback. "I-I don’t remember. Why?"

"You have been sitting at your desk, working on the blueprint for hours. You look exhausted. You are overdue for a coffee break."

He glanced at the watch. "Come with me. We can discuss the upcoming project presentation while we are at it. There are some details I’d like your opinion on."

Elowen hesitated for a bit. "Can’t we discuss here?"

"We can. But I’d rather get out of the office for a while. I promise the coffee will be better than the one served in this office."

Theron flashed her an easy smile.

Elowen returned his smile. Her hesitation disappeared. "Alright."

They headed out of the office together.

Daphne, who had just entered the building after distributing the flyers, happened to see them walking out. She frowned slightly as her gaze followed them.

’They are going out together.’

She stood still, watching their departing forms. Then something occurred to her.

Tahlia had told her to keep an eye on them.

Daphne instantly pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of them leaving the office building together. She followed them, keeping a safe distance. Then she noticed Theron open the passenger door of his car and usher Elowen inside.

’Oh, shit. They look rather intimate.’

She immediately started recording.

Theron slipped behind the wheel and drove off.

Daphne didn’t waste another second. She hurried outside and flagged down a taxi.

"Follow that car," she instructed the driver, pointing at Theron’s car.

The taxi started following Theron’s luxurious car.

Theron took Elowen to a café a few blocks away from the office. It was a quiet, elegant place with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a small garden.

Soft music played in the background, and the aroma of the freshly baked pastries filled the air.

He had chosen this place beforehand, knowing it would be comfortable enough for them to sit and talk without being disturbed.

Elowen followed him inside, looking around. "Do you come often here?"

"Occasionally. It’s a good place to get away from the noise of the office." He led her to the table near the window and pulled a chair out for her.

"Thank you," she said, taking her seat.

Theron settled across from her and picked up the menu. "I’d like to have a cappuccino. And for you..."

He checked the menu. Remembering she was pregnant, he chose a non-caffeinated drink.

"Why don’t you try their fresh strawberry smoothie? It’s quite good. And you should have something to eat, too. Their sandwiches are excellent."

"You’ve tried them?" she asked, curious.

"Yes." He smiled casually before calling the waiter.

"One grilled chicken sandwich and a fresh strawberry smoothie for her. And one cappuccino for me."

Elowen didn’t think much. She thought the smoothie here must be tasty and that he wanted her to taste it.

Across the glass wall, Daphne stood partially concealed in the garden, her phone raised as she recorded everything. She watched them sitting across from each other, drinking and eating.

"They look so comfortable with each other," she muttered.

As she watched them, resentment burned inside her. "Sitting together, chatting like they are close. They don’t look like the boss and his subordinate at all. Something is certainly going on between them."