Chapter 88: What secret?
Later that afternoon...
Nina knocked twice before entering the office. "Here is the report you wanted."
She placed the file on the table. "I also received confirmation from the head office. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow."
"Alright." Elena pulled the file toward her and began reviewing it. "Once the presentation is ready, bring it to me."
"Sure." Instead of leaving, Nina remained standing there, looking hesitant.
Elena glanced at her. "Is there something you want to say?"
Nina finally released a long sigh. "Another gift from Mr. Noah Sinclair has arrived."
She placed a velvet box on the table.
Elena’s eyebrows furrowed as her gaze fell on it.
"I-I know you told me to send away everything Mr. Sinclair sends," Nina said quickly, sensing her irritation. "But this one... It’s valuable. I just couldn’t bring myself to send it away."
Over the past few days, Noah had sent Elena a designer bag, a scarf, a watch, a dress, and countless bouquets. Every single gift had been returned. This time, however, he had sent a diamond bracelet.
Nina had hesitated. She felt Elena should at least see it before it was sent back.
"I don’t care," Elena replied coldly. "Take it away. Throw it into the trash, pawn it, or keep it for yourself... Do whatever you want. Just don’t bring it to me."
Nina gaped at her in disbelief. "But you haven’t even looked at it. It’s a diamond bracelet..."
"I don’t want it," Elena cut her short. "If you like it, take it."
Nina blinked. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but she couldn’t find a word to say.
"Nina... I truly don’t want it," Elena said, this time firmly. "I am telling you this for the last time. Don’t bring anything from him to me. Send it back immediately."
"Alright." Nina nodded. "I’ll send it back."
Picking up the box, she left the office.
The moment the door closed behind her, she shrugged and shook her head helplessly.
"Such a beautiful bracelet. What a waste. She didn’t even open the box and glance at it."
Walking down the corridor, she nearly crashed into a tall figure.
"Oh! I am sorry." She stepped back instantly. The moment she looked up and met Elias’s cold eyes, her expression froze.
"Mr. Rowan!"
She bowed instantly. "I am sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. Please forgive me."
Everyone in the company knew how much Elias disliked women getting close to him. Nina was terrified he would fire her.
"I’ll be careful the next time."
She looked as though she would start crying right away.
"What is that in your hand?" Elias’s voice was calm and indifferent.
Nina instinctively hid the box behind her back.
Elias extended his hand toward her. "Give it to me."
Nina hesitated before reluctantly handing it over.
Elias opened the box. Inside lay a dazzling diamond bracelet that sparkled brilliantly under the corridor lights.
It looked expensive.
A smug smile tugged at the corner of his lips. ’He won’t stop sending her gifts. Does he think that I can’t buy my wife jewelry?’
He closed the box and handed it back to Nina. "Send it back."
"Yes, sir."
"Also, include a message from me."
"A message?" Nina repeated, almost stuttering in nervousness.
"Yes..." He stood with his shoulders squared, his hands deep inside his pockets. "Write this down: Stop sending gifts to my wife. I’m perfectly capable of buying her whatever she wants."
Nina smiled a little. "Understood, sir."
"And from now on, give any gifts Noah sends directly to me," Elias added. "Don’t bother my wife with them."
The smile on her face disappeared instantly. Her complexion turned pale. She nodded frantically.
"Yes, yes... I won’t tell her anything."
She practically fled down the corridor.
Elias chuckled as he went into his office.
Across the city, Tessa received a strange message from an unknown number.
’Hello, Miss Morgan. Or should I call you Mrs. Sinclair? Strange. You love someone else, yet you married another man. Do you enjoy playing with other people’s feelings? How about we also play a little game?"
Tessa almost jumped out of her seat. "What?"
Her marriage to Noah had not been made public yet. Only a handful of people knew about it.
How could a stranger know?
’Maybe it’s not a stranger. Maybe someone is deliberately trying to mess with me.’
The thought ignited a fresh wave of anger inside her. There was only one person she could think of.
"Elena," she muttered, hatred shining in her eyes.
She typed back quickly, ’Stop playing games with me, Elena. If you want to talk to me, call me directly. Don’t send such ridiculous messages.’
The reply came almost immediately. ’Elena? What does she have to do with it? I am not Elena. I am someone who knows all of your secrets. Your affairs with Dante, the truth about your child, and your fake illness.’
Tessa’s breathing caught. The phone slipped from her hand. Her face turned ghostly pale.
Fury and hatred disappeared. Fear replaced them in her heart.
"Who is it?" she wondered frightfully. "How does he know about my affairs with Dante? And about my baby?"
Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach. "He even knows about my fake illness!"
Cold sweat swept over her whole body. Her hands trembled as she picked up the phone and typed back, ’Who are you? What do you want from me?’
A single smiling emoji appeared in reply.
It terrified her even more. She dialed the number frantically.
’The number you have dialed is currently not available.’ The automated voice echoed through the speaker.
"What?" She looked at the screen with shock, disbelief, and fear. "How can it be unavailable all of a sudden?"
Whoever was behind those messages wasn’t bluffing. That person knew all her secrets and could expose her at any time.
Her heart sank.
"If Noah learns that I am faking my illness, he will kill me," she mumbled. "I need to find this guy and silence him before it’s too late."
She dialed Dante’s number, but the phone didn’t connect.
"What the hell?" she scowled at the screen. "Why is he not answering my call?"
She called him again. Even this time, he didn’t answer.
"What is going on? Where is he?"
A surge of anger rose in her heart. She gritted her teeth and squeezed out the words.
"He is probably off having fun with those whores. Our secrets are about to be exposed, and he doesn’t care at all—"
"What secret are you talking about?"
The door suddenly swung open.
Noah entered with suspicion written all over his face.