The Billionaire Who Saved Me

If she could refuse, Elice would certainly refuse the task Hollis had assigned her. Even though in the eyes of the public she and Ariel would be bound by a family relationship due to her impending marriage to Garrett, deep in her heart Elice did not feel that way. To her, Ariel was now nothing more than a stranger.

But Elice could not refuse. For there was no reason she could give. And without a reason, the refusal would certainly not be accepted.

“Are you sure?” Garrett’s voice on the evening phone call sounded worried, mirroring what Elice was feeling right now.

“I’m sure,” Elice replied.

She took a deep breath and tried to strengthen herself. And with Garrett’s voice in her ear, it became easier.

“What time are you going to interview Ariel? At Lostic’s office?”

Garrett’s question made Elice suspect the reason behind his furrowed brow. A little hesitant, but the possibility sounded reasonable.

“You’re not planning on coming, are you?”

Rather than let speculation swirl in her head, Elice decided to ask Garrett directly.

“Why not?”

Elice’s suspicion proved to be correct.

“I don’t want to take any chances, Elice. Even if I doubt that he’ll lose his mind for the third time, anything is possible.”

It did become a burden on Elice’s mind. However, considering Ariel’s last composed behavior at his engagement event, Elice thought that Ariel would not mess up the interview. Of course, considering that this event was for his benefit. Ariel needed the media to introduce him as the new face of Lostic. It would be nice if he could restore the public’s trust.

“All right then,” Elice said after weighing the options. “I will interview him at seven in the evening. At Em’s the Arka restaurant.”

“We’ll meet there.”

Actually, Elice did not know if the decision to let Garrett come was the right one or not. After all, Elice would not be interviewing Ariel alone. Freddy would accompany her. But considering Garrett’s position and feelings, it seemed to be the right decision. At least this way Garrett could really feel comfortable.

Half an hour before the appointed time, Elice and Freddy had already arrived at Em’s restaurant The Arka. The place had been chosen by Ariel herself. And since it was a closed interview, a private room had been prepared for them.

Ariel had not arrived yet. Elice and Freddy waited, chatting casually. At that moment, a message from Garrett came to Elice’s phone. It just informed her that he had arrived and was waiting in the room right next to hers.

“Is there something funny about what I said?”

Elice blinked once and hastily put her phone back in her work bag. “Sorry. There was a message from someone.”

“Of course,” Freddy said. “Uh… is it from the future husband?”

A faint blush colored Elice’s cheeks as she answered Freddy’s casual question. He chuckled.

“It shows on your face,” Freddy said. “Well… I can understand that, considering you two are getting married soon.”

Elice did not say anything. She found it a little awkward that the subject of her marriage became a topic of conversation between two people of different genders. Discussing her marriage with another man made Elice a little uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Elice did not have to dwell on the subject for long. A few moments later, the sound of the door opening was heard. Both Elice and Freddy looked in the same direction and saw a handsome man entering. It was Ariel, who immediately approached them with a smile on his face.

His demeanor seemed friendly and amicable, but not in Elice’s eyes. In fact, she kept her guard up against him.

“Good evening. I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

Freddy rose from his seat, as did Elice. They shook hands in turn, and a moment later the three of them were sitting together.

“Have you had dinner?” Ariel asked, looking alternately at Elice and Freddy. “If not, maybe it’s better for us to eat first before we start the interview. What do you think?”

Freddy looked at Elice with interest in his eyes, considering they had not had dinner yet. Unexpectedly, Elice had already responded to the offer, unfortunately with a refusal.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

“No need,” Elice replied firmly. “We already had dinner before we came here.”

Ariel hummed rhythmically for a moment. His eyes seemed to be fixed on Elice’s face.

“Uh… what a shame. I invited you here on purpose because I wanted to have dinner with you as well. The food here is delicious.”

“Thank you. But perhaps it’s better if we get straight to the point, sir,” Elice said with a smile. “I’m sure someone like you has a very busy schedule. Every minute is precious, no doubt.”

There was a brief silence, and Ariel could only smile at Elice’s words. He clearly understood the subtle meaning behind Elice’s statement. She subtly wanted to speed up their interview session. The sooner it started, the sooner it would be over. Unfortunately for Ariel, he had no reason to object.

“Of course,” Ariel nodded. “Can we start now?”

*

Elice could only hope that Freddy was not suspicious of the dynamic between her and Ariel. Despite her best efforts to remain calm, she could not. She was tense, and her body seemed to be building a defensive fortress on its own. As if she could no longer trust the man in front of her.

“Thank you for your cooperation. I look forward to a great article by the end of the week.”

Freddy accepted Ariel’s handshake with a broad smile. “Certainly.”

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

The relief that flooded Elice when Ariel finally left the room was immeasurable, akin to her ability to breathe more freely. It did not go unnoticed by Freddy.

“Regardless of your fiance’s relationship with Mr. Ariel, it seems like you’re always nervous when you do interviews,” Freddy remarked.

Elice smiled awkwardly. “Maybe that’s why I prefer to sit in front of the computer and edit incoming articles.”

“Uh…”

*