Elena returned to Mia's apartment, her clothes soaked and her hair dripping water.
"My God, Nat, what happened?" Mia gasped, rushing over. "Did they bully you again?"
Elena shook her head as she stepped inside. "Bully me? They wish," she muttered, hanging the car keys on the wall hook before heading toward her room. As she changed into dry clothes, she told Mia everything that had happened. Mia sat nearby, listening with wide eyes.
"You did the right thing," Mia said with clear admiration. "Now you'll finally work for me, won't you? You ditched me for that jerk Reed, but this time you have no choice."
Mia, though from a wealthy family, was determined to build her own cosmetics company without leaning on them. Just like Elena, she wanted to rely on her own strength.
"Alright," Elena said wearily, dropping onto the bed.
Mia squealed with excitement and hugged her tightly.
"Let go," Elena groaned, feeling suffocated.
Mia pulled back with a grin. "Since you've agreed, I've got good news for you."
"Nothing's good news unless I find that bastard Damien Hendrix and knock him out," Elena muttered, staring at the ceiling.
"Well, funny you say that," Mia's tone turned serious. "The other jerk in your life—Adrian Hale, Damien Hendrix—is here in Imperial City."
Elena sat bolt upright, energy rushing through her. "What? Tell me where he is. I'll go to him now!"
"Calm down," Mia warned gently. "He's not someone you can just walk up to. Hardly anyone knows he's even here. My father's close to James Adrian, so he told my brother, who'll be handling some business with them. But no one else knows where Adrian is staying."
"If he's as obsessed with work as they say, then he's probably already at his office," Elena snapped, grabbing her bag. "I'll go straight there."
"Do you even know where—?"
"Who doesn't know where Adrian Group headquarters is?" Elena cut her off and strode out.
The Adrian Group's headquarters towered over the city center, a massive skyscraper that symbolized wealth and power. Their main operations had always been in Bayford, but now they were moving into Imperial City under the new global CEO, Adrian Hale.
Elena walked into the glittering lobby and approached the reception desk, where two polished receptionists sat with perfect smiles.
"How may I help you, miss?" one asked politely.
"I want to meet Mr. Adrian Hale," Elena said firmly, as if it were her right.
The receptionist blinked. "Miss, you must be mistaken. Mr. Adrian isn't here."
"Then where can I find him?" Elena pressed.
The woman shook her head, looking uneasy. "No, I mean…"
Before she could finish, the second receptionist leaned in, whispering something while showing her phone screen. The first receptionist's expression shifted immediately.
"Let me handle this," the second one said, turning her gaze sharply on Elena.
"May I have your name, miss?"
"Elena Cross," she answered coolly, already sensing where this was going. She was used to judgment, used to the way people looked at her.
The two receptionists exchanged a glance, and the second one smirked. "So, you're that Elena Cross—the runaway bride in the news? The one who betrayed her groom?" Her voice carried just enough for others nearby to hear, drawing curious stares toward Elena.
Everyone turned to look at Elena, whispers buzzing around the reception area.
Unaffected, Elena passed her a bored gaze. "Yes, I am that same Elena Cross. If I satisfy your curiosity, will you answer my question already?"
"Miss, Mr. Adrian is not here," the first receptionist still replied politely, trying to resolve it quietly. But the second one chimed in, "Even if he were here, we wouldn't allow a woman like you to meet him. Who knows, the next thing you'd say is he's your husband."
"What if I did say it?" Elena asked, her tone calm and composed, her clear eyes looking at the two with confidence, almost making them think she was telling the truth.
"Miss, there are plenty of corporate offices here, and you can try this on the rich heirs of other families, but Mr. Adrian is simply out of your reach. If you're done, please leave quietly, or we'll have to call security," the second receptionist warned disdainfully.
Elena felt a surge of annoyance. All she wanted was to meet Adrian Hale once, but why did it feel like she was asking for something impossible? She felt like slapping her wedding certificate on the receptionist's face to shut her up, but she had forgotten to bring her bag with her.
"Miss, believe me, Mr. Adrian is not here," the first receptionist said politely, assuming her role as a good receptionist.
Elena could see she was not lying. "Alright, I will return again tomorrow," she said, and left.
—--
Meanwhile, in the presidential suite of one of the luxury hotels.
Adrian was busy working when his assistant, Noah, brought him a coffee.
"How is the investigation going?" Adrian asked, sensing Noah's presence as he entered the study.
"Our people are working on it. We will have every detail by tomorrow morning," Noah informed, placing the coffee mug on the desk.
Just then, Noah's phone rang, and he looked surprised by what he heard. Adrian noticed the change in Noah's expression and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Mister Adrian, today a woman came to the head office looking for you," Noah replied, seeming to have more to say.
Adrian was surprised. "But no one knows I'm in the Imperial city. Who is the woman?"
"Her name is Elena Cross," Noah answered, watching for Adrian's reaction, which matched his own surprised one.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. They are sending me a video. We can see if it's the same Elena Cross we are looking for."
Noah received an email and opened it on the tablet. He handed it to Adrian while watching the screen himself. In the video, they saw the familiar face of the woman they were searching for. The video captured Elena's entire conversation with the receptionists.
Adrian's deep eyes fixed at her, observing her carefully. The way she spoke, and behaved, she was confident with what she was there for. Despite the receptionists mocking her about her latest scandal, she remained unfazed, solely focused on her task. She gave the impression of a woman who knew her worth and not the kind to allow others to bully her.
Now the question was, why was she looking for him and how did she know he was in the city? Surely, it could not be because he was actually her husband. But her reaching out first made his life easier; he didn't need to look for her now.
The corner of his lips rose when he heard the last line she said to the receptionist.
'I will return again tomorrow.'
Adrian turned to Noah. "Tomorrow, bring her directly to me."
"Yes, Mr Adrian."