Chapter 51: Dining with Elias.
Noah arrived in no time.
Tessa flashed a knowing smile as she saw him coming. She deliberately moved toward him, her mouth forming a slight pout. "You are finally here. I’ve been waiting for you."
She then pointed across the hall. "Look. Elena is here with another man."
The moment Noah saw this, his eyes instantly darkened. He had called her, messaged her, and tried countless times to reach her. But she had ignored every single attempt.
Now, she was dining with another man.
A violent fury surged through him.
"At first, I couldn’t believe it either," Tessa added. "I thought I was imagining things. But it’s really her."
She quietly studied him.
When she saw the storm brewing in his eyes, satisfaction spread through her chest.
"Didn’t you say Elena loved you, that she would never leave you?" she asked deliberately. "But she seems to have moved on already."
The words struck Noah like gasoline thrown onto fire.
Every muscle of his body tightened. Before he could stop himself, he lifted his leg, intending to lunge forward and pull her away.
"Where are you going?" Tessa yanked at his arm and stopped him. "Don’t do anything here. People are watching."
Only then did Noah notice the crowded restaurant. Making a scene here would spread across the city by morning.
And if Richard found out, he would undoubtedly force Noah to send Tessa away.
"Come with me. You can talk to her later." Tessa pulled him away and brought him to an empty table.
They sat down.
Noah’s eyes remained fixated on Elena. The sight of her smiling at another man felt like a knife twisting inside his chest.
He wished he could take her away, but he couldn’t do it. The helplessness only made his anger worse.
Elena and Elias were completely unaware of the prying eyes on them. They were eating peacefully.
"This afternoon, Aunt called me," Elena said. "She is pleased with the arrangements. She said the caretaker is very attentive and kind."
She met his gaze. "Thank you, Elias. Without your help, sending her away wasn’t possible for me. I’ll pay you back someday."
"I don’t need you to pay me back." Elias held her gaze. "What I need is your company."
His voice softened further. "My family was destroyed years ago. All these years, I have been living alone, solving my own issues myself. I need someone I can trust."
He smiled bitterly. "I don’t know what it feels like to have someone waiting for me when I come home. But I want that. I want to build a family with you, Elena."
Those words touched Elena deeply.
She had always dreamed of a loving and caring family. And she once thought she had found one with Noah. She had poured her heart into that dream. But he had ruthlessly destroyed it.
After that, she had stopped believing in such things.
She had agreed to marry him only to escape Noah and his influence. She never expected anything more.
But Elias was completely different from what she had anticipated. She kept surprising her every day with his kindness and understanding.
Slowly, without her realizing it, her heart had begun leaning toward him.
If this was the second chance fate had given to her, it was beautiful. She didn’t want to waste it. She wanted to build a future with him.
Before she could say a word, her phone screen lit up. Her attention went to it.
The moment she saw Noah’s name, she stiffened. The warmth in her eyes vanished.
She quickly grabbed the phone, afraid Elias would see the name.
Elias stuffed the food inside his mouth and glanced at her. "Who is it?"
"An unknown number."
She blocked the number instantly and stuffed it inside her bag. Turning her focus on the plate, she resumed eating.
Across the restaurant, Noah nearly crushed his phone.
"She actually blocked my number."
He instinctively stood up.
"Noah, please..." Tessa urged. "Don’t make a reckless move."
Her eyes darted around. "You will only make a scene."
Noah sat down, gritting his teeth. The anger inside him was becoming impossible to contain.
Above all, Tessa didn’t miss a chance to fuel his rage.
"She is so shameless. She couldn’t wait to find another man."
Noah’s fists tightened, though his face remained expressionless.
"If she is angry with you, she should have talked to you properly," Tessa continued deliberately. "But instead, she ran straight into another man’s arms. How could she trust a stranger so easily? She doesn’t even care about the Sinclair family’s reputation."
His eyes darkened, a muscle feathering in his jaw.
"At the auction, a rich guy gave her an expensive necklace," Tessa went on with venom in her voice. "And now, she is with another man. With how many men is she fooling around? Why is she doing this? For money?"
She knew how those words would affect him. But she said that purposefully.
His shoulders stiffened. Tension rolled off him.
Noah couldn’t keep watching it. He stormed away.
Tessa watched his retreating form, her lips curling into a sly smile.
"Don’t blame me, Elena. You brought this upon yourself. After tonight, Noah will never take you back. He will definitely hate you for cheating on him."
Once she finished eating, Elena excused herself to use the restroom. When she walked away, Elias called the waiter.
"Bring the bills."
"Sure, sir." The waiter nodded at him politely before walking away.
Elena came to the restroom. Just as she reached the entrance, a powerful force suddenly shoved her inside.
"Uh..." She gasped in shock and fear. Before she could understand what was happening, she was slammed against the wall.
A tall figure loomed over her.
When she realized who it was, a storm of rage erupted inside her. The familiar scent instantly filled her senses.
"What are you doing? Get off me." She shoved against his chest.
He didn’t budge. Instead, he leaned over her even closer. "Where do you want to go? To that man?"
His voice turned dangerously low. "I am still alive. And you have already gone looking for another man?"
He caught her jaw in a firm grip, his eyes blazing. "Are you that desperate?"
Elena stared at him with disbelief. ’He had still not opened that box.’
She silently let out a frustrated sigh.
She had gathered every piece of evidence of his infidelity, of Tessa’s schemes, of everything she had endured. Yet he hadn’t even bothered to look.
Not once.
It was painfully clear that whatever she did meant nothing to him. To him, she was disposable, replaceable, and forgettable.
She let out a snort. ’Why am I expecting anything from him?’ she muttered inwardly.
"What are you smiling at?" he hissed. "Do I look like I’m joking?"
His grip around her jaw tightened. A cold fury glinted in his eyes.
"I called you, messaged you countless times," he continued. "You ignored every one of them. And now you’re having dinner with another man."
His eyes turned cold, concealing the hurt beneath. "What are you trying to do?"
"Nothing." She tried to push him away again.
This time, he held her wrists and pressed them above her head against the wall.
"Nothing? You found a wild man behind my back. Is it because I haven’t spent enough time with you? Or is it because of Tessa?"
Elena rolled her eyes.
"Are you jealous?"
Elena glared back at him.
Noah curled his lips slightly. "I know you are jealous. But you don’t need to be. She can never replace you. I promise I’ll send her away once she is cured."
The absurdity of his words stunned her.
He had gotten Tessa pregnant. Yet he was still standing here making promises as though she were a fool.
Icy cold fury coursed through her veins.
"Come with me. I swear I’ll give you more time."
Elena’s gaze sharpened with something lethal. "How long are you going to lie, Noah?"