Fear of Intimacy
“Do you think I could leave you alone like this?” Elliot held onto Anastasia firmly, refusing to let her go.
The steel edge to her demeanor had returned, and when she spoke, it was in clear, unwavering tones.
“I’ve survived for five years; I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine on my own for a night.”
Elliot pursed his lips and asked tentatively, “Is Jared really the child of that hooligan?”
Anastasia hated confronting the truth of Jared’s birth every time it came up, but reality was cruel, and
there was nothing she could do to deny Jared’s father’s identity. “Yes,” she finally bit out through gritted
teeth.
Elliot’s chest tightened. He understood that this was a painful topic for her, so he let it drop.
In the end, he got up and left after she insisted that he did. When the door closed behind him, an icy
gleam flashed in his eyes as he vowed to uncover the wretched man’s identity even if Anastasia
refused to speak of him. He needed to know what kind of a monster could bear to hurt her so badly.
Presently, Elliot waited at the door, but when he realized that Anastasia was not going to open it and
invite him back into the house, he left.
The only way he could achieve a breakthrough in this case was to find out which clubhouse the
incident had taken place in. Just because Anastasia was set on remaining tight-lipped about it, he was
sure that others might have some idea as to what had happened on the night she was assaulted.
As he sat in the backseat of the car, he began to consider his options. Hayley knew about the details of
that night, but he didn’t want to ask her about it. He sifted through the names in his mind, trying to pick
the person most likely to give him some useful insight on the matter.
He settled on one person at last, and that was Erica, Anastasia’s half-sister. Given how she had
brought up Jared’s birth the last time she threw a tantrum, there was a high chance that she knew
about the incident. He was confident that she could provide him with some leads on this.
As he leaned into his seat, Elliot pulled out his phone and gave Rey a call. “I need you to arrange a
meeting for me with someone.”
“Who would that be, President Presgrave?” Rey asked courteously.
“Erica.”
In the silence of the bedroom, Anastasia was holding a glass of water as she sat on the lounge
listlessly. She felt guilty for having imagined Elliot as the man who had assaulted her five years ago
while they were intimate. In truth, she was stunned as well that the trauma she thought she had buried
deep inside her heart could be so easily brought to the surface with a single touch, triggering her fear of
intimacy.
She suddenly felt that this was unfair to Elliot. If they really did work out as a couple and got married,
she couldn’t possibly reject him for the rest of their lives and chain him to involuntary celibacy.
The next morning, Erica was still tucked under the covers when she suddenly received a phone call
that made her bolt upright in bed. “What? Does young Master Elliot want to see me at noon?”
“Yes, President Presgrave has something he needs your help with. Would you be free to meet with
him?”
Erica was so stunned that she couldn’t string words together, and she stammered, “O-Of course. I’d be
free to meet with him.”
“In that case, will 11.30AM today do for you?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll be there,” she replied as she nodded vehemently.
When the call ended and she received the address for the restaurant where the meeting would be, she
was so elated she could pass out. Never in her wildest dreams did she think Elliot would invite her for
lunch.
“My goodness, what should I wear?” She leaped down from the bed and threw open her closet doors,
rummaging through her clothes with fervor. She had but one goal in her mind, which was to seduce
Elliot and make him her man.
She didn’t care that he was Anastasia’s supposed boyfriend, nor was she bothered by his history with
Hayley. She was still dead set on bagging him because he was worth it.
She didn’t tell Naomi about the meeting. After picking out a figure-hugging dress, she put on a blazer
over it, thinking that if Anastasia could win Elliot over while dressed in pantsuits, surely that meant he
had a thing for professional career women.
Then, she sat down in front of the vanity and began to apply her make-up delicately, not allowing even
the slightest flaw. She was determined to show her best self to Elliot.
Meanwhile, all the departments in Bourgeois were getting ready to move into their new company
building. Since the offices in Presgrave Corporation were fully furnished with the most lavish of
decorations, the only thing that the departments had to do was to pack up their files and equipment for
the big move.
Anastasia was nestled in the quiet of her office when Aliona suddenly walked through the door.
“Is there something you need, Miss Dora?” Anastasia asked curtly.
“Your efficiency in snagging President Presgrave is indeed commendable, Miss Tillman,” Aliona
drawled sarcastically.
“I will only entertain conversations about work, Miss Dora,” Anastasia pointed out coolly. “The company
is no place for us to talk about her personal affairs.”
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