However, Anastasia’s forced tone didn’t manage to lift the man’s mood. Instead, Elliot felt as if she was
forced to treat him to meals.
“Why did you let that jerk go instead of handing him over to the police? And how did you even appear
at the hotel in the first place?” Elliot still wanted to know the reason.
Anastasia lied casually, “I got tricked into the hotel; I don’t even know that man.”
“Who tricked you?”
“Someone I knew over a meal.”
"So you needed him?” Elliot kept interrogating.
Anastasia couldn’t keep telling stories anymore, so she mumbled, “Yes.”
“Remember this, Anastasia. Whatever you need, you should ask me first before asking anyone else. At
least I won’t do something sneaky on you,” Elliot reminded.
Anastasia wasn’t quite ready to agree with him, for he had taken advantage of her many times, and she
could hold him responsible if she wanted.
“Okay, sure.” Anastasia paid him lip service.
The more Elliot thought about it, the more furious he got when he remembered how they just let that
jerk go like that. Just then, Elliot’s car phone rang, and Hayley’s name popped up on the control panel.
He did not pick up the call, merely looking at it, but when Anastasia saw Hayley’s name, disgust flitted
across her eyes.
The ringtone was still sounding, but Elliot didn’t move to pick up the call, allowing the ringing to stop on
its own.
“Why didn’t you pick up the call? What if your girlfriend was in an emergency?” Anastasia asked him on
purpose.
“Hayley isn’t my girlfriend; we’re just friends,” Elliot retorted.
-“Oh! Friends with benefits.” Anastasia couldn’t help but throw in an insult.
Elliot eyed her, then asked in a hoarse voice, “So you’re bothered about the thought that I slept with
her?”
Anastasia returned the question. “Why should I be? I don’t care who you sleep with; it’s none of my
business.”
Elliot’s face darkened, and his eyebrows scrunched up. Every word this woman spoke was provoking
him.
The atmosphere in the car turned awkward and heavy, so heavy that Anastasia felt uncomfortable
about it. While the man drove, she secretly studied him as the street lights cast dark shadows on his
handsome face. He wore a fitting white shirt, and despite the day’s activities, the shirt was still free of
wrinkles. His profile was clear and well-defined, as if God Himself had drawn perfect lines on him.
She had to admit that this man was so perfect that no one could find anything wrong with him. Noticing
that she was about to arrive at her community, Anastasia couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Home! At last!
No matter what, this man helped a lot to ensure her safe return.
“President Presgrave, thank you so much for tonight.” Anastasia thanked him again, and she was
absolutely sincere with her words.
“If you run into similar trouble in the future, I should be the first person you ask for help. If you ask any
other man to help you, I won’t help you anymore,” Elliot ordered.
Anastasia was speechless.
Do I even have to consider his priorities when asking for help? What sort of reasoning is this?
Still, reasoning or not, her main goal was to appease the man, so she nodded. “All right, got it.”
Elliot watched her get out of the car, the look in his eyes complicated and dark. Every time she left his
side, he would feel a sense of longing, as if hoping that she would stay with him forever. His thoughts
made him frown, for he was a little mad at the power the woman held over him.
As Elliot watched Anastasia walk through the main entrance of the community, he slowly drove away.
Just then, Hayley called him again. Finally, Elliot answered the call this time. “Hello. What’s the matter,
Hayley?”
“Elliot, where are you? I just took a nap and had a terrifying nightmare. I’m so scared. Please come
over and stay with me.” Hayley’s voice sounded as if she were still shaken.
“I have urgent business to attend to. I’ll send my assistant, Daniel Lancaster, to accompany you,” Elliot
said in a low voice.
“No, I want you. No one can make me feel safe except for you. Please, Elliot, I beg of you. Come over!”
Hayley’s voice was now tinted with sobbing.
“I really can’t go right now, Hayley. Please, be a good girl.” Elliot could only comfort her over the phone.
On the other end of the line, Hayley’s voice sounded disappointed, but she still obeyed. “Fine, then.
You don’t have to send anyone over. Just give me a present as compensation tomorrow, and I’ll let this
slide.”
“Sure, what do you want?”
“I just bought a white dress, but I don’t have any jewelry to go with it. You can give me a set!”
“Oh. Sure.” Elliot’s reply was quick and decisive, for he would rather compensate with material things
than make it up to her emotionally.
Meanwhile, in the luxurious villa, Hayley had just ended her call with Elliot. There was a fire burning in
her eyes, for her plans tonight were ruined.
Half an hour earlier, Hayley had received a call from Alice saying that Anastasia had found someone to
save her. More importantly, that someone was none other than Elliot himself.
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