Chapter 24 Exclusive Release Chapter 24 The Entire Skirt Shakes Precariously...
Perhaps unprepared to suddenly switch into work mode, Wynne was dressed very fashionably today.
Although this was the typical way girls dressed in the early 20th century, they were usually seen on university campuses, in arts districts, or in bars frequented by young people.
Her nude-colored slip dress had a low V-neck, and a black double-breasted overcoat was draped over her shoulders, as if a gentle body were encased in a tough suit of armor. Her legs were bare, extending all the way to her sharp, pointed high heels.
The sexiness exuded by the V-neck, bare legs, and pointed high heels is immediately restrained and toned down by the straight lines and dark colors of the coat—this is Wynne's style.
She is lithe yet powerful; she is a modern, urban, educated woman who craves both sensual self-expression and professional expertise; she is an independent woman who can both enjoy and control her desires.
Elias didn't have much time left, as the Middle East representative was about to arrive, and Yuan Ning took the initiative to step forward.
"Boss, I've brought the suit you ordered."
She put down her bag, took out the clothes, and prepared them for her employer to wear.
To make it easier to move around, and because the indoor heating was very strong, Yuan Ning took off her woolen coat.
ah!
She was very sorry, but she was used to dressing like this, and her boss had called her back to work in a hurry, so she hadn't thought things through carefully—she was going braless under that nude-colored slip dress.
Although it was a recent fashion trend, Yuan Ning only realized how inappropriate it was in front of Elias after taking off her outer garment.
The dress was slightly taut at the hips, but left some room at the abdomen and chest. Only at the fuller part of the bust did the fabric support two rounded mounds. With each step, the dress looked precarious, as if it might slip off at any moment. But this was just Wynne's style; she certainly didn't do it on purpose.
But she had already taken off her coat, and she couldn't very well put it back on.
Elias took the suit, and the faint scent of cigars and verbena soap lingered on him, instantly enveloping Yuan Ning in his personal domain.
"Wynne, I'm sorry to have called you here at the last minute. Have you finished your classes for today?" His voice sounded the same as usual, calm, restrained, and with his usual, just-right politeness.
Yuan Ning turned around, and Elias then saw that she had a deep V-neck back that extended all the way to her waist.
"It's finished, boss."
His outstretched hand, ready to take the shirt, paused very slightly in mid-air.
He didn't immediately look away in a panic, nor did he show any surprise or greed like an ordinary man.
His gaze was scrutinizing, his brows furrowed slightly, then he subtly looked away until she turned around again, his eyes remaining fixed on hers.
Yuan Ning felt a little shy; Elias undoubtedly felt like an elder in her family.
No matter what she wears outside, she could never wear this kind of dress in front of her grandfather's generation.
But he made no comment on her attire, nor did he question or reprimand her. He simply stated calmly in a lower, more subdued voice, "Go to the dressing room."
The interior of the lounge is far more sophisticated than it appears from the outside. To the left of the huge floor-to-ceiling window is a solid wood door that is almost invisible, matching the color of the wall.
Elias gently pressed down and silently pushed it open, revealing a changing room inside.
The interior is softly lit and features a simple coat rack and a full-length mirror. The air is filled with the unique atmosphere of his private space.
A light gray cashmere sweater was casually draped over the back of a chair; its delicate and soft texture clearly indicated its high price.
Elias didn't go inside, but simply pointed to it: "Wear it."
Yuan Ning went inside, about to say something, but Elias had already closed the door behind her, leaving her alone inside.
Elias was ruthless; his scrutinizing gaze and calm tone were more lethal than any rebuke.
Yuan Ning was angry that he didn't even say a few words to her. She had been running around for him all day, even if it was just her job.
She walked over to the chair, picked up his cashmere sweater, which looked new and unworn.
She picked it up and put it on, looking at herself in the mirror wrapped in the large cashmere sweater, feeling warm and excited.
This is her as he sees her, but she doesn't feel disgusted at this moment; instead, she begins to appreciate herself.
Wynne is absolutely gorgeous no matter what.
She opened the door and went out; Elias was no longer in the lounge.
After a while, Richard came in and told her, "The boss is in a meeting, Ms. Wynne. You can wait for him in the lounge or leave now." Richard glanced at his watch and then said to her, "The boss didn't give any instructions, but you shouldn't be needed today."
Yuan Ning thought for a moment, then stopped Richard and asked, "Boss, is there anything else going on today after the meeting?"
Upon hearing this, Richard took out his notebook and scanned it a few times.
"The meeting between the boss and the representatives is expected to end before 6:30. There are no other formal arrangements tonight; it's private time reserved by the boss."
Private time. Yuan Ning wondered if he would be accompanying Theodora to various banquets again. If he wasn't busy tonight, could she ask him to take her to the Four Seasons Restaurant for dinner, and perhaps fulfill her promise to Eleanor?
“Mr. Richard,” she said, raising her chin slightly and speaking softly, “do you know anything about the boss’s private schedule tonight?”
Richard adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze behind the lenses sharp and cautious: "Ms. Wynne, as employees, we have no right to inquire about our boss's private schedule. Anything not recorded in his itinerary is none of your concern."
After saying that, he closed the notebook, nodded slightly to Yuan Ning, and turned to leave.
Yuan Ning was taken aback by Richard's words, and suddenly raised an eyebrow, her voice innocent and naive: "What's so great about it?"
She sat down on the sofa that belonged to Elias, and pulled her cashmere sweater tighter around her; the clothes certainly made her feel more comfortable indoors.
Like a cat temporarily allowed to roam within its owner's territory, she began to cautiously and curiously survey the area.
Her gaze first fell on the built-in bookshelf that took up an entire wall.
Instead of being filled with profound financial treatises, the place displayed some unexpected items: an art history book with a basic leather cover, a set of Shakespearean plays in excellent condition, and some film tapes.
Curious about what movies Elias liked to watch, Yuan Ning reached inside and pulled out several cassette tapes.
But she found that the vast majority of them were European art films, talking about complex human nature, existentialism and social structures, as well as some epic and war films. She found them boring, glanced at the titles and threw them back, until she pulled out a box of "Home Alone".
This film stood out so much from the other deep and serious collections that Yuan Ning's eyes lit up.
Waiting in the lounge is boring, so why not put on a movie and watch it while waiting for him?
Thinking this, Yuan Ning took the cassette tape in one hand, walked to the television set placed in the corner of the lounge, and pushed the tape in.
The familiar opening sequence lit up on the screen, and a cheerful Christmas atmosphere wafted out. Yuan Ning excitedly curled up on the large sofa, tucking her knees into her cashmere sweater.
Soon after, cheerful, giggling laughter drifted out from Elias's austere and imposing lounge.
Not far from the lounge is the core area of Percival Capital.
The trading floor is a machine that never stops. Everyone is like a taut string, with the sounds of ringing phones, keystrokes, and traders' urgent instructions all intertwined. Their wealth and careers rise and fall with the curves on the screen. This is a place where efficiency and capital reign supreme.
The negotiations between Elias and the Middle Eastern representatives were tense, but the entire occasion maintained the polite yet distant tension characteristic of the elite.
Several senior assistants were hurrying by with documents in their arms. As they passed the boss's lounge, an untimely burst of laughter rang out. Richard stepped forward and expressionlessly closed the lounge door a crack.
"The boss is waiting in the conference room, hurry up."
The assistants immediately suppressed any unnecessary expressions.
Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was at its most tense.
Elias and Al Maktoum sat at opposite ends of a long table, on which lay not only documents, but also the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars in capital and the landscape of the energy market for the next few years.
Yuan Ning was so engrossed in watching that when she saw the two bumbling thieves getting into all sorts of trouble with various traps, she laughed so hard her shoulders swayed and her bare legs dangled happily on the edge of the sofa.
The meeting ended earlier than expected. Just after six o'clock, the door to the lounge was silently pushed open.
Elias walked in, his face showing signs of exhaustion from intense negotiations. His deep blond hair was combed back, and his pure blue eyes stared at Wynne in astonishment.
The screams and comical undertones of the bumbling thief filled the space, while Wynne, wrapped in his cashmere sweater, curled up with his black hair cascading over his shoulders, hugged a cushion and watched with great interest.
Wynne was like a candy bomb, striking his meticulously constructed, well-ordered fortress hard and causing great damage.
This is not his lounge, not his territory.
“Wynne Meng.”
He rarely called her by her full name. Yuan Ning laughed for a while before she heard him. Then she realized that her boss had returned. She looked annoyed and glanced at the time. Didn't Richard say that the meeting wouldn't end until 6:30?
She immediately sat up straight, looking both obedient and embarrassed.
Just as she was at a loss and decided to let her boss scold her, the movie happened to play that classic scene—
Kevin's mother, in her hotel room in Paris, anxiously contacted their neighbor in Chicago by phone. In the background, Kevin's teenage brother, Buzz, and his friends were engrossed in watching a late-night adult program in the living room, with exaggerated and suggestive moans emanating from the television.
This scene seems particularly abrupt and comical in a family-friendly movie; it was originally designed to highlight the chaotic yet realistic family atmosphere of Kevin's family.
But at this moment, in this lounge filled with Elias's icy aura, where only the two of them were present.
“Oh…Oh, yeah…Right there…” (Movie background music)
Yuan Ning froze instantly, her blood rushing to her head, her cheeks and ears turning a deep crimson. She abruptly looked up at Elias, her dark eyes filled with the unmistakable message, "This wasn't my doing!"
He stood in the doorway, his deep blond hair gleaming coldly under the overhead light. His usually expressionless face narrowed slightly in his icy blue eyes as his gaze slowly shifted from the awkward scene on the screen back to the seemingly obedient and innocent girl on the sofa.
The weariness on his face had not completely faded. His leather shoes made almost no sound as he walked towards her, each step feeling like a blow to her heart.
His tall figure loomed over us, carrying a slight chill and an intense sense of oppression.
“I…I’m not…it’s the movie itself…okay, I thought you didn’t finish until 6:30,” Yuan Ning tried to explain.
He stopped in front of the sofa, leaned down slightly, reached out... past her, and picked up the TV remote from the armrest behind her.
His arm almost brushed against her earlobe, and Yuan Ning felt both shy and embarrassed as his breath enveloped her tightly.
A soft "click" sound.
The world became quiet instantly.
Absolute silence returned, but it was more heart-pounding than ever before.
Yuan Ning's heart pounded. Elias straightened up, and she looked up at him timidly, wondering how he would treat her.
As a mature woman who had already experienced much of society, she knew perfectly well that it was not unreasonable for him to fire her.
Elias turned and picked up her coat, handing it to her: "Wynne, put on your coat, I'll take you to dinner."
Yuan Ning hadn't expected him to do this. She wanted to ask him why he didn't scold her, but she obediently took the coat and then... took off her gray cashmere sweater from the bottom up.
She looks obedient and well-behaved, but unfortunately, her actions don't.
Her nude-colored slip dress and the barely visible curves of her body were exposed again. She looked into his eyes and whispered, "Boss, I can't wear a gray cashmere sweater under my coat, it doesn't look good."
But the little girl seemed unaware that after experiencing the sound effects of an "adult program," she faced him, arms raised, body stretched out, neck and waist curves exposed, seemingly defenseless and innocently showing him her body. What did this mean?
Elias frowned. Her actions seemed to be testing his limits, or perhaps a form of counterattack, indicating the uncontrollable power within her.
After taking off her cashmere sweater, Yuan Ning put on her coat and asked in a sweet voice, "Boss, can you take me to the Four Seasons Restaurant for dinner?"
She was quite blunt, casually mentioning New York City's top restaurants.
Elias gently shook his head: "No, Wynne, dinner at the Four Seasons Restaurant needs to be booked three months in advance."
The restaurant might reserve a few emergency tables for guests like him, as long as he gives his surname, but Elias doesn't like to use his privileges all the time.
But Wynne pleaded again, "How would you know if you didn't order? Boss, it's not very gentlemanly of you to brush a girl off like that."
The girl was looking at him with innocent big eyes. Elias had no choice but to turn around, walk to his desk, pick up the phone, and dial the Four Seasons Restaurant.
Good evening, this is the Four Seasons Restaurant.
“I am Elias van der Berg.” He introduced himself, glancing at Wynne, who was sitting on the sofa waiting expectantly for news. “I need a table for two, tonight.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, as if someone was quickly checking and weighing their options. Then, the supervisor's voice came through, tinged with apology, yet still firm:
“Good evening, Mr. Van der Berg. I am very sorry, all the seats for tonight, including the reserved emergency seats, were confirmed half an hour ago. We are really unable to make arrangements for you at the moment. This is a huge oversight and regret on our part.”
The reasoning is perfectly reasonable. Even his surname cannot magically create seats when the restaurant is full. Besides, he's not the only powerful figure in New York City; the head manager of the Four Seasons restaurant is sometimes the most powerful person in the city.
Elias held the receiver and replied calmly, "I understand." He then hung up the phone.
“Wynne, you’re too late. The Four Seasons restaurant is already full. How about we go somewhere else? Should I contact Caprio or Jean Ges now?”
Both of these are top restaurants in New York City, and Elias was more confident that he could make a last-minute reservation.
Although Yuan Ning was a little disappointed that she couldn't have dinner at the Four Seasons Restaurant, Caprio or Jean Ges were also good options. These were places she usually couldn't get into without booking a month in advance, and Elias could probably take her in directly. She couldn't wait to experience this privilege.
She nodded at him: "Mhm."
Elias picked up the phone again and made reservations at both restaurants, but for some reason, neither restaurant had any seats available for him that night.
Even on Elias's handsome, cold face, a rare crack appeared.
He glanced at Wynne; even the most composed gentleman would feel frustrated if he couldn't get a restaurant reservation in front of a girl.
Yuan Ning, on the other hand, felt despair.
She had already texted Eleanor that Elias and she would be going to Caprio or Jean Ges tonight, and Eleanor was excited and told her that Justin had already arranged for someone to go ahead and queue up.
Yes, besides reserving a table in advance, there's another way to get a table at these restaurants: go to the entrance and queue up. Once the people at the table in front of you have finished eating, the manager might let you in.
There are usually long queues outside the restaurant, all of them people waiting to get in.
Elias obviously wouldn't go and queue up; if he couldn't get a reservation, he'd go somewhere else.
He sat in his office chair, phone receiver pressed against his forehead, seemingly thinking about which restaurant would be suitable for a date.
Yuan Ning was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
"Boss, how about we go get Juliana's Pizza?"
Yuan Ning didn't know how she managed to say it, but Juliana's Pizza was a legendary pizzeria located under the Brooklyn Bridge, a place that could definitely be called a "down-to-earth" place. Yes, the place was a bit... crowded and noisy.
Maybe it's just because she simply wanted to eat pizza. Who doesn't love pizza?
Elias held the receiver in one hand, about to dial again with the other, when he paused, slowly raising his head: "Juliana's... Pizza?" His tone held an unusual absurdity as he asked slowly, "Wynne, are you sure you want to go on a date to a pizza place?"
Yuan Ning didn't understand what he meant, but nodded vigorously: "Elijas, that's the best pizza in all of New York City! It's baked over a real coal fire, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, completely different from those high-end Italian restaurants! And... no reservations needed. You have to believe me, you won't regret eating that tonight."
Elias didn't speak, just watched her quietly, but seeing Wynne's expectant, starry eyes, he put down the phone: "As you wish, Wynne."
"Great! Let's go now."
Yuan Ning secretly sent Eleanor a text message: "Urgent notice! Elias will be at Juliana's tonight, you two don't go to the wrong place!"
Elias, dressed in a meticulously tailored suit, began to walk out. Yuan Ning immediately jumped up from the sofa, grabbed her handbag, and quickly followed him.
Two people walked out of the lounge one after the other. The employees who were still working overtime at Percival Capital saw the Asian girl behind the boss, whose face could not hide her excitement.
The evening was a private trip, and Elias drove Wynne out of his Aston Martin from the underground parking lot.
The roar of the Aston Martin's engine sounded particularly wild in the Manhattan night. Elias held the steering wheel with one hand and loosened his tie with the other, his appearance perfectly matching the ferocious beast.
Yuan Ning, in the passenger seat, excitedly watched the street scenes rushing past the window.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Elias frowned slightly, looking at the slightly congested street ahead and the cars searching for parking spaces. He rarely came to places like this.
"Confirmed, it's under the bridge, almost there!" Yuan Ning pointed ahead, "Look, that long queue over there is it!"
Elias looked in the direction she pointed and saw a long, winding queue of people of all races, with the faint aroma of baking flour and tomato sauce wafting in the air.
His expression became unfathomable.
“Wynne, there’s a queue here,” he told her, taking his hands off the steering wheel, hoping she would suggest another restaurant. He looked at her quietly.
“Elijas, the lines here are different from those at the Four Seasons Restaurant. The pizzas are made very quickly. You see, everyone has to line up to buy them. There are no special privileges here, and we can buy them very quickly.”
He looked at her with a complicated expression, but ultimately gave in. After all, he was the one who had been in a hurry today, he was the one who had called Wynne at the last minute, and he was the one who couldn't arrange the date in advance because of the last minute.
Elias could only find a parking space a little further away. When he got out of the car, wearing a bespoke suit, he looked as if he had been forcibly embedded in the space.
Yuan Ning also got out of the car. The cold wind made her wrap her coat tighter, but her bare calves still walked happily on the road.
She looked around and saw Eleanor and Justin just ahead!
"Let's go, let's go line up first."
Elias's arm was naturally wrapped around Wynne's, and so Elias van der Berg, the most eye-catching young tycoon in New York's financial world, joined the line to buy pizza.
Eleanor and Justin appeared hand in hand, seemingly by chance.
"What a coincidence, Wynne, you're here to buy pizza too?"
Yuan Ning smiled and nodded: "Yes, that's what I want to eat today."
Eleanor added, "Haha, it's strange, all the restaurants in New York City are fully booked tonight, it's unbelievable! I was craving pizza, so I asked Justin to bring me here."
“Good evening, Mr. Van der Berg.” Justin Thorne put his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder; the two looked very intimate. “I didn’t know you liked pizza too.”
Elias's eyes sharpened for only a moment, then he smiled and said, "Hello."
He then put one hand in his pocket and faced Yuan Ning: "Wynne, you can wait for me inside, it's cold outside."
Upon hearing this, Justin also said, "Honey, why don't you go inside and wait for me?"
The two girls exchanged a glance, then held hands and slipped away.
“Wynne, you’re really something! To actually get the famous Elias van der Berg to come to a place like this, I was stunned when I first saw the news. I told Justin, and he didn’t believe it at first either.”
Yuan Ning shrugged: "It's no big deal, but you have to remember what you promised me."
“Don’t worry, no matter what happens, I’ll always be on your side and be your best friend.” Eleanor nudged her shoulder and added, “By the way, next month for Christmas, Chanel invited me to their Métiers d’Art collection launch in Paris. They’ll be hosting a very private dinner at the Ritz Hotel. I can bring one person with me, Wynne. Thank you so much for coming this time. Would you like to come along?”
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ning was already incredibly excited. She glanced at Elias, who was radiating a low-pressure aura not far away, and lowered her voice to say to Eleanor, "Eleanor, this is fantastic! Of course I'm going! I really didn't waste my time helping you today."
Eleanor glanced in the direction of her boyfriend and Elias, and lowered her voice: "Wynne, you managed to get him to eat pizza, you're something else." Eleanor gave a thumbs up.
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Author's Note: Elias: Let's find a high-class, quiet restaurant with ambiguous lighting, have a heart-to-heart talk with little Wynne, touch legs, and kiss (not really).
Yuan Ning: Mom and Dad, I don't want to go to the Four Seasons restaurant, I don't want to go to Caprio, and I don't want to go to Jean Ges. I want to eat pizza!
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