Room for You

Chapter 64

When the clock finally read 4.30PM, Anastasia grabbed her purse and left the company 10 minutes earlier than usual, hoping to flag a taxi downstairs by the pavement. However, for some reason, there were no taxis driving past the area.

She was just about to walk over to the bus station nearby when a gleaming black Rolls-Royce pulled up next to her soundlessly. The driver's side window rolled down to reveal the man behind the wheel, and he was eyeing her with his piercing gaze as he said, “Get in.” Anastasia waved her hand to dismiss his offer. “No, thanks.” She would much rather take the bus.

Just then, the man stopped the car and opened the door. He got out of the vehicle and walked up to her, though she wasn't sure what he was planning to do.

Before she could react, the man opened the car door on the passenger side before reaching out to deftly grab her by the wrist. Then, without another word, he shoved her into the passenger seat.

“Hey! I will not be sitting in your car, Elliot!” she snapped at him, having never encountered a man as boorish as him.

He ignored her, and after seeing that she had reluctantly settled into her seat, he closed the door and pressed his key. He had locked the car door, and now that Anastasia could not escape, she watched with wide eyes filled with despair as the man rounded the car to slide into the driver's seat. Then, still paying no mind to her accusatory glare, he elegantly started the car and pulled away from the curb.

Given that she didn’t have time to waste now that she was running late to pick Jared up from school, she decided to let this matter go. She buckled up her seat belt and pointed out exasperatedly, “Just because you're my boss and you helped me out big time doesn’t mean that you can just disrespect me like this.”

“I would have been more reasonable had you been more obedient,” Elliot said coolly as he kept his eyes on the road ahead

"And what have you done to warrant my obedience?” she countered incredulously.

“I've never been good at handling rejection,” he said bluntly while throwing her a sideways glance.

She felt the urge to scoff. As it turned out, a man like him did not appeal to reason at all. Upon deciding to go with another topic, she took on a snide and wicked tone as she asked, “So, what's the verdict on your girlfriend's damages? Is she now a certified idiot?”

“Hayley is not my girlfriend; she’s just someone I have to care for,” Elliot answered unaffectedly.

Anastasia scoffed. “Go on, you can admit that you're seeing her romantically. I saw how you guys were hugging and all that.”

“That is between me and her,” he said while frowning. For some reason, he wasn't in the mood to dissect the details of his relationship with Hayley.

“Fine, then! You slept with her, didn't you?” Anastasia wasted no time in going straight to the point.

He stiffened at this, and he turned away from her slightly as though to physically evade the question.

“Do you not know if you've slept with her?” she pressed, not wanting to let the matter drop. Is he actually trying to show how good and innocent he is in front of me? Why won't he just admit that they've totally screwed each other?

“I don't want to talk about this,” he replied firmly.

“Come on, own up to your dirty deeds,” Anastasia chided with a snort. “You men are all trash.”

However, he did not get riled up by this, for he knew that her hostility toward men was founded in good reason. “Hey, don't generalize us that way,” he managed lamely for argument’s sake.

Anastasia chewed on her lip and decided to keep quiet. She had thought about herself and her own predicament. At the very least, Elliot was willing to take care of Hayley after sleeping with her, which meant he was a man of principle. As for the scoundrel who ruined me five years ago, I hope he rots in hell!

They soon pulled up in front of the school gates. Anastasia got down from the car and went into the kindergarten to pick Jared up while Elliot waited by the entrance. It didn't take long for her to return with her son in tow, and after she opened the door to the backseat for the kid, he greeted politely, “Hello, Mr. Presgrave.”

Elliot turned to assess the little one who looked adorable and proper in his school

uniform. He couldn’t help wondering how his life would be more perfect if he had a son around Jared's age, and he suddenly felt a surge of envy for Anastasia.

Having already made a reservation at the restaurant, Elliot began to drive toward the establishment

In the backseat, Jared was telling his mother about everything that had happened today, and his greatest accomplishment of the day was being crowned first place in eating. Anastasia was elated when she heard this and kissed him gently on the forehead. “Good job, my darling! Keep it up.”

“Okay! Jared replied earnestly with a nod

After they were led to their table at the restaurant, Elliot swiftly ordered the dishes. Throughout dinner, Anastasia kept an eye on Jared at all times, making sure that he ate without making a mess. She was a mother, after all, and it was part of her maternal instincts to ignore her own dinner while making sure her son ate well; she would worry incessantly otherwise.

At a table not too far away from theirs sat a young lady of nobility whose gaze flickered over to them every once in a while, and she even took out her phone to snap a few pictures of Elliot and his company. As it turned out, this young lady happened to be the one who had humiliated Anastasia during the jewelry exhibition the other day. The young lady had become fast friends with Hayley, who grew popular among the rest of the young ladies of the upper-crust society after she made a name for herself as Elliot's date and subsequently became a medium through which the elites intended to climb the social ladder. The young lady had noticed Anastasia right off the bat, for she had been jealous of Anastasia ever since the jewelry exhibition. He took particular care of her during the exhibition, and now he’s having dinner with her in private too. Who is that child, though? Could he be Elliot's nephew? Judging by their strong resemblance, they have to be related somehow!