CHAPTER 93: SUSPICIOUS MAN

"You look awfully jolly," Antonio said from the kitchen as he made another stuffed bun to steam because Elara was craving it, shaking his head at his situation as he looked at his reflection on the side window.

He was supposed to hold a rifle to protect her, but instead, he was standing here before the stove, keeping the lid on a steamer.

"Shouldn’t you be happy if your boss is happy?" Elara asked as she bobbed her head to the music, humming the lyrics.

"I am happy. Who said I am not? But I also know for sure that you aren’t happy for nothing. Something has happened. And after judging you from the past few days, I would be a fool to think it’s because of the contest," Antonio said.

"Hey, watch it," George, who had arrived at Elara’s apartment to congratulate her about winning the third phase, straight from his meeting, immediately chimed in front of the bedroom after freshening up.

He then turned to Elara with a scowl.

"I still don’t approve of Daniel lurking around you," he grumbled, even though he knew there was nothing he could do to stop the man.

Elara rolled her eyes at the sentence before plopping on the couch.

She was indeed happy.

She had received a text from Justin earlier saying they had already started working on it and that she would get the desired results soon.

The thought of that bastard, who always played a vital role in her bullying, barking at Justin’s orders, filled her with happiness.

Because hearing him bark wasn’t the only thing she needed. She was ready to take her next step the next morning when Justin would upload the video for the entire world to see.

Since the man always had a habit of poking his nose into others’ business, caring about others’ downfall, and mocking others, she wanted him to have a taste of his own medicine.

And after that, she would see how much his owner, a.k.a. Beatrice, would help him.

Elara sighed and looked at George with a soft smile.

"What?" He asked, caught off guard by her soft expression.

"Do you love me?" She asked.

George’s brows narrowed, and he sat straight.

"I don’t like where this is going," he said.

Elara let out a low laugh before shaking her head.

"Why do you always presume the worst, even when I am asking such a simple question?" She pouted her lips, and the man heaved a sigh of relief before flicking her forehead, making the girl scowl harder.

"Oww! What was that for?" Elara rubbed the area between her brows in annoyance, and Antonio chuckled before quickly scurrying away to the kitchen when Elara glared at him.

"Why do you ask the question you already know the answer to?" George asked, his gaze flickering repeatedly to the kitchen.

"Whatever," Elara rolled her eyes and walked to the bedroom to take a quick bath.

Once she was out of sight, George’s soft expression turned grave, and he walked to Antonio.

"Sir, do you need—" Antonio started to speak, but before he could finish his sentence, George placed his hand over Antonio’s mouth to tell him to shut up.

Antonio froze in his place.

This wasn’t a good sign.

George walked past him and looked at the adjacent building straight out of the kitchen window, his pupils dilating.

Someone indeed pulled the blinds as soon as he looked in that direction.

He quickly pulled out his phone to call one of Xylon’s men who had been living around to ensure Elara’s safety.

"Quickly. Go to the seventh floor of the adjacent building. Check the flat facing this side. Someone suspicious is there," George said.

He had been getting this feeling that someone was watching them from the moment he exited the bedroom and walked to the living room.

He had wanted to check earlier but didn’t want to alert Elara.

"Someone is keeping an eye on Elara. This isn’t good. Pack her stuff," George said.

Antonio looked at his boss, confused.

"What is going on, sir? I understand that someone suspicious was there, but let’s check who it was before making any big decision. You know how Miss Elara is. She will be furious if we make any sudden decision," Antonio said.

What he said made sense to George, but the memories from the past, where he saw his sister crying in her sleep, wailing, talking about killing herself, with that blade that had almost sliced her wrist because she didn’t want her family to suffer because of her...

"There’s something you are not telling me, sir. I understand that it must be private. But as her bodyguard, I think I deserve to know who I need to protect her from," Antonio asked.

George pressed his lips into a thin line and opened his mouth to speak, but the phone call interrupted him.

He picked up the call.

"Who was it?" George asked.

The man who had gone to check quickly updated him that, by the time they arrived, the man had already left. They checked the lift and the fire exit, but he had already left.

The only thing they got from the CCTV footage was the image of a man in a black hat quickly rushing out of the building.

Because of the angle, it was hard to predict who he was.

He was in such a hurry that he didn’t even bother to take his stuff back. He left with a briefcase containing items that could reveal his identity, but nothing more. His clothes, food, everything was on the table and...

"Sir. There are a couple of documents here. Should I bring them over?" The man asked.

George looked at the closed bedroom door before exhaling sharply.

"I’ll tell you everything later. Until then, don’t let any word about this incident reach Elara," George said to Antonio before he left the apartment in a hurry to check the stuff himself.

He wanted to see everything himself. He couldn’t afford to make a single mistake, not when this could be related to that one man who ruined Elara’s life four years ago.

When Elara exited the bedroom after taking a shower, the first thing she noticed was Antonio’s serious expression, followed by George’s absence, and her brows narrowed.

She didn’t ask anything and sat on the couch, her gaze flickering to Antonio, who was looking out of the window again and again.

Did something happen when she wasn’t here? But what? She thought hard, unable to guess.