Chapter 129: Don’t target my company.
Noah’s face instantly lost all color.
He knew exactly what Elias was capable of.
"Mr. Rowan..." His voice trembled. "I didn’t know who you really were. I was angry. I only wanted Elena back."
"Mind your words," Elias interrupted him immediately. His expression turned icy.
"Elena is my wife." Every word carried unmistakable authority. "Think carefully before saying her name again."
The suffocating pressure radiating from him left the surrounding guests afraid to breathe.
Noah’s fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His blood boiled with humiliation. Yet he forced himself to endure it.
Losing control now would only destroy Sinclair Group even faster.
After a long silence, he lowered his head. "I know I offended you."
His pride had never been bent this low before.
"I admit my mistakes. But everything I did came from ignorance."
He drew a shaky breath.
"Please..."
"Don’t target my company."
Elias looked at him without the slightest sympathy. He had no intention of letting Noah off so easily.
Just as he was about to refuse outright, he felt someone gently tug at his sleeve. He looked down.
It was Elena.
"Let him go," she said quietly.
Elias frowned. For a brief moment, an uncomfortable thought crossed his mind.
’Is she worried about him?’
The thought irritated him far more than he cared to admit.
After staring at her for several seconds, he finally sighed. Then he turned back to Noah.
"As long as you stay away from my wife, I won’t touch Sinclair Group."
Noah silently clenched his fists. He swallowed every trace of unwillingness and nodded.
"Thank you."
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Only after leaving the banquet hall did the mask on his face finally crack. His eyes burned with obsession.
"I’ll never give up on you, Elena. No matter how long it takes, I’ll bring you back to me."
Inside the banquet hall...
Elias quickly immersed himself in conversation with the guests. He moved from one group to another, discussing business and exchanging pleasantries, never once looking in Elena’s direction.
It wasn’t because he was busy. He was deliberately avoiding her. He was afraid that if they spoke now, disappointment would make him say something he would later regret.
Elena noticed. She took a few steps toward him, intending to speak, but before she could, Elias turned to another guest and smoothly shifted the conversation to the man’s latest investment project.
Elena stopped. ’He is really busy,’ she thought. ’I shouldn’t disturb him.’
Quietly, she stepped away.
Just then, a waitress approached with a tray of champagne.
"Thank you."
Elena accepted a glass and settled onto a nearby sofa, taking slow sips while watching the lively crowd.
A moment later, her phone vibrated.
The caller ID read Evelyn.
A smile instantly brightened her face. "Evelyn."
"So?" Evelyn teased the moment the call connected. "How was your honeymoon?"
Elena nearly choked on her champagne. "H-Honeymoon?"
Her cheeks flushed scarlet. "We were on a business trip," she corrected shyly. "It wasn’t a honeymoon."
"Oh, really?" Evelyn laughed. "That’s strange. I heard everything the two of you did during the past seven days."
Elena lowered her head, unable to stop smiling. She neither admitted nor denied it.
"You visited the natural hot spring. You even went horseback riding together."
Elena blinked in surprise. "How do you know that?"
"I have my sources," Evelyn replied proudly.
Elena laughed. "Wow... I wish I had sources like yours."
Evelyn giggled. "You are Elias Rowan’s wife now. If you want to know something, you only have to ask."
After a brief pause, her tone softened. "You know horseback riding has always been one of Elias’s favorite hobbies. He is an excellent rider."
Elena remembered watching him race across the field with effortless confidence. Then another memory surfaced.
Vivian.
Her smile slowly disappeared.
"Yes..." She lowered her gaze. "Vivian is an excellent rider too. She even beat him in a race."
Silence filled the other end of the call.
"I heard about that," Evelyn finally said. "I also heard Elias almost got hurt."
Elena nodded instinctively. "Yes. He managed to regain control in time."
"I’m relieved he is alright," Evelyn sighed. "I never imagined Vivian’s obsession would become so extreme that she’d follow him all the way to France."
There was obvious guilt in her voice. "I feel ashamed that she is my friend. I knew Elias never loved her. But I never stopped Vivian from chasing him."
She paused. "I actually thought she’d be the right person for him."
Her voice gradually cracked. "And now everything has turned into this... I feel responsible. I feel terrible."
Hearing the guilt in Evelyn’s voice, Elena’s heart softened.
"It’s not your fault. Vivian knew Elias didn’t love her. He rejected her countless times. He is married now. Yet she still refused to let go. If anyone is responsible for all of this, it’s Vivian."
Evelyn let out a small laugh. "You are right. I’ll stop blaming myself."
"That’s better."
After a brief silence, Evelyn asked, "So, are you enjoying the gala?"
Elena smiled brightly. "Enjoying isn’t the right word. It’s been thrilling. I can’t even describe how relieved and happy I feel tonight."
"Oh?" Now Evelyn sounded genuinely excited. "You have to tell me everything."
Elena giggled. "Not over the phone. I’ll visit you tomorrow."
"I’m going for the eye checkup tomorrow."
"Then I’ll take you to the hospital."
"Done."
After chatting a little longer, they finally ended the call.
Elena slipped her phone back into her purse before instinctively looking around the ballroom. She searched for Elias.
He was nowhere to be found.
Her brows knitted together.
"Where did he go?"
A trace of worry crossed her face. She immediately stood and began looking for him.
Meanwhile, Elias stood alone on the balcony. The cool evening breeze gently stirred his hair as he looked over the glittering city skyline.
The untouched champagne in his hand reflected the city lights. His thoughts, however, remained elsewhere.
’Why did she stop me?’ His grip around the glass tightened unconsciously. ’Was it because she still couldn’t let Noah go?’
The thought irritated him far more than he wanted to admit.
’What if one day she decides to return to him?’
The mere possibility made an unfamiliar heaviness settle inside his chest.
"Elias?"
Her gentle voice pulled him back to reality.
He turned around.
Elena stood a few steps away, looking at him with concern.