Chapter 20 Not Worth His Concern
Elijah irritably tugged at his collar, emitting a cold snort from deep within his chest. The woman from that night, the innocence he had sensed then was unforgettable.
Liora Valentine had a boyfriend, and from the intimate way she behaved with that man, it was evident they were not strangers.
“The surveillance footage from that night was destroyed, without concrete evidence, there might be room for error. I’ll go check again to see if there was any mistake, and if you had left some item as evidence at the time…”
Xander, multitasking, continued to complain.
“Wait.” Elijah stopped him. “Forget it.”
Calmly thinking about it, a woman who could engage in such relations under those circumstances-could she really be considered reserved? Expecting her to be pure and chaste was setting the bar too high.
He was demanding too much. For him now, it held no significance anymore. He had lost that initial sense of excitement with any kind of woman. His transformation was perplexing to Xander.
Curious, he asked, “Did Miss Valentine offend you?”
Elijah raised his eyes, the dim hue resembling ash, coldness reflecting in his pitch-black eyes. Xander immediately retreated, as if afraid of being devoured by a flood.
“I’ll get on.” Xander said as he left in a hurry.
The office door closed, isolating the noise.
The space became quiet.
Elijah sat down at his desk, one hand supporting his forehead. He forcefully swept his hand through his hair, calming his mood. He didn’t let Xander investigate again because he had let go of that incident. It was just an accident, not worth his concern, and certainly not worth wasting emotions on.
The door was suddenly knocked, and he spoke in a low tone, “Come in.”
The secretary entered, “Miss Valentine has left with the money. Mr Greyson from Racom Pharmaceutical just called, asking if you’ve arrived at Blue Bridge.”
Elijah then remembered he had a prior engagement.
He was considering an investment. Racom Pharmaceutical was researching a cancer drug, but they were short on funds. Elijah had agreed to meet with them because he saw potential in this field. Both domestic and international efforts in cancer drug research were substantial. Everyone knew that once successful, the market would be enormous. In the face of life, money seemed insignificant.
Major pharmaceutical research centers were controlled by huge conglomerates. In the future, if successful, it would be a monopoly. Of course, Elijah wanted to get involved, not just because he didn’t want foreign conglomerates to monopolize but also because he saw the tremendous return on investment. He was a businessman, prioritizing profit, then humanity. He wasn’t a selfless saint.
He let Freya Stone go because she was a doctor and should have some understanding of this field. He was entirely clueless about the medical field. Halfway through, Liora Valentine’s matter disrupted his plans. Now, thinking about it, he realized he had been too impulsive.
“Tell him I have something urgent. Reschedule.”
“Yes,” the secretary acknowledged before leaving the office.
…
On the other hand, Freya Stone, with no work and forced to stay, visited her mother. Elowen Stone’s condition had improved, but she still needed time to recover. Though Freya managed to obtain some money from Leo Stone, it wouldn’t last long if she remained unemployed. The money she had earned over the years, instead of saving, had been supporting her mother’s medical expenses.
Unable to practice medicine, she had no choice but to look for other jobs. Her dream of becoming a military doctor had to be put on hold, not because she gave up but because life forced her to bow her head. Once she had the chance, she would return to being a doctor.
Leaving the hospital, she took a taxi back to the villa.
“Madam, are you not feeling well? Why does your complexion look so bad?” Linda, concerned, asked as soon as she entered. “You just came home.”
Freya shook her head and replied, “No.”
She changed her shoes and walked in.
“Aren’t you working today?” Linda inquired.
She felt a sharp pain in her heart. She looked at Linda, realizing she was supposed to be working, but…
Suppressing her bitterness, she smiled and said, “I’m off today.”
Linda had been kind to her, the only warmth for her in this mansion. Trying to appear strong, Freya said, “I’ve been off these days. The director granted me leave.”
“Oh? That’s good, take advantage of this time to take care of yourself. Look at you, so thin. Use this time to rest well.” Linda smiled.
Freya nodded. She concealed her disappointment and said, “Then I’ll go upstairs and take a nap.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Linda kindly allowed her.
Freya went upstairs, curled up on the sofa, holding her laptop, and edited her resume. Since she only had a medical background, finding a suitable job without experience was challenging. However, she had many talents besides medicine, forced upon her by her father.
Initially, Leo Stone strongly opposed her studying medicine, withholding her tuition to make her give up. To pursue her dream, she worked and earned her own tuition.
Now, thinking back, learning various things had its advantages. Originally, Freya wanted to open a small clinic, but the costs were too high-rent, equipment, even the basic ones had to be bought. Her savings were insufficient. Moreover, she had to stay there for her mother, ensuring her living expenses. Considering she didn’t plan to stay for long and would leave once her mother recovered, she had to be realistic.
Thinking about Elijah’s inhuman actions towards her, her heart grew cold.
After submitting her resume, she decided to work as an online medical consultant. It required no initial investment, and with her medical qualifications, as long as she passed the platform’s review, it was feasible. Elijah restricted her from being a doctor in real life, could he control her online as well?
So, she decided to find a reliable platform. She began the registration process…
Having something to do made time fly. In a blink, the afternoon passed.
In the evening, Freya hadn’t set aside her computer and descended until Linda came upstairs to call her for dinner. Elijah usually didn’t eat at home for dinner since he returned late. But today, he arrived surprisingly early.
Seeing him there, Freya Stone was momentarily stunned, unexpectedly finding him at home. Thinking of his attempt to let a man defile her once again, she felt a surge of hatred. Clenching her fists at her sides, she walked down, trying to keep her distance.
“What are you still staring at, dear? Come and eat.” Linda called her.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Freya made an effort to adjust her expression, taking a step and sitting down at the dining table, keeping her distance from Elijah. Since she couldn’t resist him, she decided to keep her head down. She lowered her head, trying to minimize her presence.
Elijah thought she was still upset about the incident with the wrong spoon. With a piece of shrimp between his chopsticks, he slowly chewed, a hint of mockery at the corners of his lips. “Will you avoid making mistakes if you stay away from me?”