Chapter 487
Chapter 487
In the wee hours of the morning, a sleek red sports car pulled off a stunning fishtail maneuver before coming to a halt in front of a nightclub.
Elsie gracefully unfolded her toned legs from the low car, stepping out into the night. She was dressed to kill in a form–fitting black mermaid gown that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her crystal– studded stilettos sparkled under the moonlight, their sharp heels like daggers poised above the hearts of men.
“Ms. Archer. He’s still inside. I’ve had my eyes glued,” one of her subordinates stepped out of the shadows.
With a gaze as cold as the moon, Elsie lifted her delicate left hand to skillfully twist her raven hair into an elegant updo, securing it casually with a silver hairpin adorned with a crimson ruby.
Her movements were fluid poetry, leaving her subordinate utterly entranced.
“Stay on the lookout and be ready for cleanup duty.”
Inside the nightclub, shadows and light danced together, creating an atmosphere of mysterious allure.
Elsie clenched her jaw, weaving through the crowd lost in revelry, her eyes fixed on her target seated at the edge of the bar – Elvis. With each step closer, her heartbeat intensified, the surrounding noise fading into oblivion as if she were stepping into a dream.
Elsie readjusted her sultry hair, preparing for the night’s climax. Undoubtedly, she would use her favorite hairpin to strike decisively. Moments later, Elsie was behind Elvis, her soft hand nearly on his shoulder when suddenly, her wrist throbbed with pain, and the world spun!
“Ah!”
The next second, Elsie’s back slammed against a table, the pain so intense she gasped for air.
His reflexes were not of this world – they belonged to a devil! Elvis’s rough right hand imprisoned her delicate wrist, his left brutally squeezing her neck, his grip tightening relentlessly.
Over these years, as a top–tire secret agent, while executing the mission overseas, he occasionally would undergo assassination organized by his enemy Years of having been in dire straits had honed his senses to the extreme; even the slightest rustle could not escape his vigilance!
Now, with Elsie pinned beneath him, the suffocating pressure turned her face crimson, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.
“Is it you?”
Elvis loosened his grip, startled by the recognition.
Elsie gasped for breath, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Onlookers whispered among themselves, mistaking the scene for a domestic dispute, too wary to intervene.
“Dude looks sharp, but man, is he trashy, domestic violence in public?!”
“Better mind our own business; they seem like they’re into it. Let’s just bail.”
Elvis’s face darkened at the murmurs.
“You hurt me,” Elsie struggled to rise, her back pain rendering her unable to straighten up.
“My apologies, occupational hazard,” Elvis’s long arm hooked around her waist and hoisted her up in one swift motion.
Elsie instinctively wrapped her arms around his strong waist, her breath warm and enticing. However, Elvis simply glared coldly, “Ms. Archer, aside from my sister, there’s no other woman who gets to hold me like that. You’re quite bold, aren’t you?” “You’re very protective of your sister. How envious to have such a handsome brother.” Elsie’s lips curved into a practiced, mesmerizing smile, “She must be very beautiful, right?”
His eyes lingered on her exquisite face, his heart quivering. The resemblance to his sister was uncanny. If she dressed in the same clothes, styled her hair the same way, even he might mistake her for his sibling, let alone Thaddeus!
A cold light flashed in Elvis’s eyes, his lips curving into a smirk as he tilted her chin upward, “In terms of beauty, you rival my sister.”
Elsie’s heart fluttered at his smile, Her voice trembling, “But there’s always a hierarchy, levels of beauty.”
Without hesitation, he replied, “Of course, my sister is more beautiful.”
Was he just clueless or overly fond of his sister? But his straightforwardness somehow wouldn’t disgust her.
“What are you doing here?” Elvis narrowed his deep eyes, “You are not looking for me, aren’t you?”
Elsie’s fingers played along his firm chest, her voice nonchalant, “Mister, you must believe that our previous encounters were because of fate.”
Elvis raised an eyebrow, “Oh, how lucky I am.”
“Thank you for helping me last time.” Elsie’s hand wound around his black tie, her body pressing against his, her eyes shimmering with longing, “I’ve been hoping to see you again, to repay you.”
Elvis’s gaze deepened, his penetrating eyes making her heart race, yet she managed to maintain her composure.
His eyes were like X–rays, lie detectors. But in that moment, he felt a hint of truth in her words.
“So, how do you plan to repay me, huh?” Elvis let out a mischievous grin, his lips inching closer.
Elsie’s heartbeat thundered, her cheeks flushing with shy excitement, “Whatever you desire, I’m yours for the night.”
The scene shifted abruptly-
Elsie stared in disbelief, never expecting that Elvis’s idea of repayment was to play Jenga!
“One piece each, loser drinks three shots. Ms. Archer, do you dare to play?” Elvis rested his chin on his hand, carefully placing the last block on top. Meanwhile, the bartender had delivered three bottles of the finest whiskey to their table.
Elsie gaped at the man, the sudden game disrupting her meticulous plan.
“Oh, right. It’s harmful for a lady to drink spirits, so let’s say one shot for you, three for me,” Elvis’s eyes glinted like amber sunken deep into the sea, “Ms. Archer, shall we play?”
“I’m in,” Elsie took a deep breath, steeling her nerves, “A promise made must be kept.”
The game began.
Elvis had always been quick–witted, the most knowledgeable about entertainment among all the Ashbourne children, and Jenga was a favorite from his childhood, often played with his little sister Evadne.
During downtime at the foreign agency headquarters, he would sit in a corner, playing with these childhood toys to soothe his soul and send his thoughts to his sister.
In the first few rounds, Elsie lost miserably, downing four shots of burning liquor that set her stomach ablaze. Sweat beaded on Elsie’s forehead, the fiery alcohol causing her stomach to cramp painfully.
Over the years, she had sacrificed everything for Avery’s grand ambitions, leaving her with nothing but a life she deemed worthless. She had immersed herself in a world of revelry and indulgence, pandering to others and trading her dignity, sometimes drinking until she ended up in the hospital.
Her body, though seemingly radiant, was riddled with scars beneath the surface.
3
“Ms. Archer, you’ve lost again,” Elvis teased her, shaking his empty glass with a devil–may–care smile.
Gritting her teeth through the pain, Elsie filled her glass to the brim. As she was about to lift her glass, Elvis leaned in, his large hand covering the rim, “If you can’t drink anymore, just let it be. It’s only a game. I’ll take this round for you.”
“No need. A bet’s a bet, and I’m not one to back down.”
Elsie snatched the glass from him and with a flushed face, downed the drink in one swift motion.
Elvis’s pupils contracted slightly, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a subtle smirk. This woman, stubborn and unyielding, had a hint of his little sister’s spirit.
In the next three rounds, Elvis intentionally lost to her. Perhaps it was his foul mood, but Elvis, the one who was usually alcohol tolerable, seemed a bit drunk.
“Yay! I won! I won again!”
Elsie, her hands raised high in victory, had a face flushed with the innocent joy of a young girl. Elvis watched her without blinking, feeling as if the world had fallen silent!
For a moment, he thought he saw his younger sister, Evadne, who would run around in glee after finally beating him at a game, unaware that he had let her win.
“Evadne. How wonderful it would be if you never grew up, remaining forever in the carefree, thoughtless days, always protected by us. Unlike now, having experienced the cruelties of human nature and the bitterness of love.”
“Mister, it’s your turn.”
Elsie’s heart skipped a beat. She saw a tear glisten in the sorrowful depths of Elvis’s eyes, fleeting like a shooting star.
“You won. That’s nice.”
Elvis raised his eyes, touching his glass to hers, “I wish you could always win.”
With that, he drained his glass, the liquid trailing down his chiseled jawline.
Elsie’s eyes reddened, the buoy in the lake of her heart now uncontrollably bobbing. She had never heard such words before. Always, others demanded, controlled, commanded her. No one had ever said to her, ‘I hope you can win. I hope your future isn’t just darkness.’
In a moment, her mind went blank, and her hands instinctively reached for Elvis’s broad shoulders, her soft lips finding his moist ones and tenderly sucking.
The man’s breath hitched, his long lashes drooping. His hand cradled the back of her head, and as he caressed her, he silently removed the silver hairpin.
Meanwhile, her subordinate, tasked with cleaning up the mess, waited until dawn without any sign of Elsie. They had no choice but to go look for her.
After searching everywhere, even the restrooms, Ms. Archer had simply vanished! Her phone was off too!
Half an hour later, a breathless Harvey arrived, kicking the subordinate, “How could you lose track of a full–grown person?! Are you good for nothing? A dog tied up here would be more useful than you!”
“S–sorry! I wanted to go in after her, but Ms. Archer said she wanted to handle that guy herself, so I had to wait outside. I really don’t know what happened in there!” The subordinate trembled in fear.
“Ms. Archer is important to Mr. Chambers. If anything goes wrong with her, you’ll be the first I feed to the dogs!” This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
Harvey was frantic, pacing back and forth. Elvis was a top agent! Elsie with her fancy moves stood no chance against him!
“No. I must report everything to Mr. Chambers! Otherwise, Ms. Archer ‘s life would be in danger!”
After the Chamber’s family departed, Jason insisted on staying at Silverlake Harbor to be with Nydia, despite his injuries.
At this point, Emeric had nothing to say, his expression grave as he locked himself in his room, not even allowing Dylan to come close.
By the next afternoon, Emeric still hadn’t come out to see anyone, which had everyone worried.
“Chairman Ashbourne needs some time alone.”
Dylan sighed sorrowfully, “Don’t be fooled by Chairman Ashbourne’s calm exterior. I know the situation with Ms. Nydia Ashbourne hit him hard. But this might be a blessing in disguise. I think Chairman Ashbourne might not oppose Jason and Nydia being together anymore.”
“That’s wonderful…truly wonderful.”
With tears brimming in her eyes, Evadne shakily said to Dylan, “Mr. Lyle, please, if you get a chance in the next few days, try to influence Emeric on Jason’s behalf. He might listen to you.”
“I’ll do my best.”
After Dylan left, Evadne’s gaze turned icy as she addressed her older brother, “Jeff and Matthew will definitely pull out all the stops to get Byron out. We need to be prepared and block their every move.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
Cassius clenched his fist tightly, “Even while Byron is in custody these few days, I won’t let him have a single day of peace.”
“And then there’s Bertha.”
Evadne’s eyes were as cold as ice, “She struck Jason and handed Byron the knife. If her fate isn’t miserable enough, then there’s no justice in this world!”
“Better to trust in me than in fate.”
Cassius wrapped an arm around her shoulder, his affectionate tone comforting, “Leave it to me. You write her ending, and I’ll make it happen.”
“Cassius! Has Unfaithful Thaddeus lost his mind?!”
Arnold’s loud voice suddenly cut through the air. The next second, he froze, not expecting Evadne to be present, and immediately clammed up. But it was too late.
“Arnold, what did you say?”
Evadne moved in front of Arnold, her gaze piercing, “What happened to Thaddeus? Tell me, what happened to Thaddeus?!”
“He’s been waiting outside our house siríce last night!”