Elias spent the rest of the day at the Novacrest Global headquarters. By the time he arrived home, it was already late.
He stepped inside, expecting Elena to come running toward him as she always did. But she wasn’t there.
He placed his bag on the sofa and removed his suit jacket. His eyes instinctively scanned the house, searching for the familiar figure.
The house felt strangely empty.
’Where is she? Why hasn’t she come to greet me?’
Then Vivian’s words returned to him. ’Maybe she is planning to leave you.’
His fingers tightened.
’No.’ He immediately rejected the thought. ’Elena loves me.’
But then the image of the photograph flashed through his mind—Elena sitting across from Noah in that café.
His uneasiness returned. Just as he began to sink deeper into those thoughts, Elena’s voice reached his ears.
"You are home."
Elias looked up.
Elena came rushing out of the room, a bright smile lighting up her face. The moment she saw him, her entire expression softened with happiness. She threw her arms around him.
"Welcome home."
Elias froze for a second. The tension inside him immediately began to loosen.
She was still here. She hadn’t left him.
His arms encircled her, but he said nothing. He simply held her tightly against his chest, as though he needed to reassure himself that she was really there.
Elena lifted her head and looked up at him.
"You are late."
Elias let out a deep breath. "I was busy. The meeting went longer than expected."
He pulled away and sank heavily onto the sofa, loosening his tie.
Elena immediately noticed that something was wrong. She had never seen him this quiet, not even when he was exhausted.
Something was clearly bothering him.
"Is everything all right?" she asked worriedly. "You look troubled."
Elias watched her silently for a moment before nodding. "There is something bothering me."
"What is it?" Elena sat beside him, looking into his eyes with concern.
Elias hesitated. He was disappointed.
’She didn’t tell me anything about her meeting with Noah.’
Even now, she hadn’t mentioned it.
’Why?’
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became.
Instead of asking directly, he said, "Are you hiding something from me?"
Elena frowned. She couldn’t understand where the question had come from.
"No." She shook her head. "I haven’t hidden anything. What’s wrong?"
Her answer made his heart ache.
’Why isn’t she telling me the truth?’
His patience began to wear thin. "Where did you go yesterday afternoon?" His tone turned colder.
Elena’s mind raced for a moment. Then she remembered Noah. Understanding dawned on her.
’So this is what has been bothering him.’
"I went to a café with Noah," she admitted honestly.
She didn’t try to hide anything.
"Noah stopped me outside Novacrest Global and insisted on speaking with me. I refused at first, but he said he had something important to discuss with me. So I agreed to listen."
She looked at him with slight surprise. "But how did you know?"
Elias stared into her eyes.
There was no trace of deception in them. She looked completely sincere.
The realization eased some of the tension inside him, but the hurt hadn’t disappeared completely.
"I saw the photographs of you and Noah." His gaze remained fixed on her. "Why didn’t you tell me?"
He didn’t accuse her of cheating. He knew Elena would never betray him. The real reason he was hurt wasn’t that she had met Noah. It was that she had kept the meeting from him.
"Because I didn’t think it was important," Elena explained. "Noah and I weren’t discussing anything personal. He wanted to warn me about Vivian."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "And you believed him?"
"I didn’t know whether to believe him. But I thought it was worth hearing him out."
Her answer made Elias pause.
He considered it silently. Then he reached for her hands and held them between his.
"I trust you, Elena." His voice softened. "But when I saw you sitting across from him, I didn’t like what I felt."
The corners of Elena’s lips curved upward. She found his reaction strangely cute.
"Are you jealous?"
Elias didn’t answer immediately. He simply stared at her beautiful face.
Then he admitted, "Yes, I am."
His fingers tightened gently around her hands.
"I know Noah is your past. I know you chose me. But seeing him sitting across from you reminded me that there was a time when he had everything I have now."
Elena’s expression softened. "He may have been my past. But he isn’t my present."
Her eyes held his. "You are the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. I’ll never betray you."
Her assurance eased something inside him.
Elias pulled her into his arms. For a moment, he simply held her. Yet deep down, a faint uneasiness remained.
He couldn’t forget that Vivian had shown him the photograph.
’What is Vivian planning this time?’
He didn’t know yet. But he intended to find out.
"All right," Elena said, pulling back. "Let’s stop talking about other people."
She stood and held out her hand. "Come with me. I have a surprise for you."
Elias looked at her suspiciously. "A surprise?"
She smiled mysteriously. "Yes."
She pulled him toward the bedroom. Then she led him straight to the balcony attached to their bedroom.
The moment Elias stepped outside, he stopped. For a moment, he simply stared.
Elena had transformed the balcony into a private little haven.
Tiny lights were draped along the railing and ceiling, sparkling like countless stars against the dark evening sky. A small dining table had been arranged near the balcony doors.
Two plates of food waited on the table.
The meal was simple but carefully prepared—herb-roasted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, buttered vegetables, warm garlic bread, and a fresh garden salad.
For dessert, she had made his favorite chocolate mousse.
Elias looked around in genuine surprise. "You did all this?"
Elena smiled proudly. "Yes."
He turned toward her. "You cooked?"
"I did."
Something softened inside Elias.
Only moments ago, he had tortured himself with doubt and insecurity. And now he was standing here, looking at a dinner Elena had prepared simply because she wanted to make him happy.
He couldn’t help smiling, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Should I call the doctor?"
Elena slapped his arm lightly. "Elias!"
He laughed. "I thought you were going to poison me."
"Then don’t eat." She turned as though she were about to walk away.
Elias immediately caught her wrist and pulled her back. "Who said I wouldn’t?"
He leaned closer, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "I’ll eat everything."