Chapter 25 Exclusive Release: Chapter 25 - Once Again, His Neck Was Grappled Over...
The line moved slowly forward, Elias standing there, radiating a low-pressure aura.
He stood clearly apart from the crowd around him who were gesticulating wildly and stomping their feet for warmth. His face showed no signs of irritation; his silence itself was a powerful aura.
His gaze was fixed straight ahead. Occasionally, young girls passing by would cast admiring or curious glances at him, but his eyes, like the surface of a frozen lake, would sweep over them indifferently, exerting immense pressure without making a sound.
But Justin was clearly unaffected by Elias's pressure. Although he was very uneasy, the fact that he could carve out a place for himself in New York's tech circle with nothing but his own mindset was definitely not that of an ordinary person.
“Mr. Van der Berg, I really didn’t expect to run into you here.”
Elias's gaze slowly moved to his face, his eyes containing a hint of contempt and a scrutinizing quality, as if he were assessing the risk factor of a project.
There was no response from the other party, and Justin didn't seem embarrassed at all.
"Regarding Spark Technology's next round of financing plan, we have made comprehensive revisions based on your valuable feedback. In particular, we have introduced a new data model in the risk control module for market expansion..."
However, Elias merely raised an eyebrow slightly, interrupting him with a tone of almost cruel politeness:
"Mr. Thorne."
"Um?"
"It's dinner time now."
"..."
Elias turned his gaze back to the front of the group, no longer looking at him. The meaning couldn't be clearer: private time, do not disturb.
He still believed that his private matter tonight was having dinner with Wynne, only that the food was pizza, not snails.
Justin felt incredibly rude to the other person's expression, realizing he had brought something so inappropriate to a gentleman who was extremely particular about occasions and boundaries.
Inside, two women were standing in front of a transparent glass window, which was already decorated with Christmas ornaments. The pretty girl was standing there, waiting for her male companion to buy pizza.
After waiting in line for about half an hour, Elias finally reached the window.
"Excuse me, I'd like a Margherita pizza and a serving of wavy fries."
He used the kind of language you'd hear in an old-fashioned club or a high-end tailor shop, and the busy clerk, without even looking up, quickly responded in heavily accented English: "One classic Margarita! One order of fries! Next!"
As the crowd crept up, Justin Thorne, with keen insight, shielded Elias to his side. After ordering their pizzas, the two carried the steaming hot boxes inside.
The warm air, carrying the richer aroma of cheese and baked dough, wafted over, a stark contrast to the chill outside. The small space was bustling with activity; diners sat at wooden tables and chairs, enjoying their meals, the noise almost lifting the roof off.
"Darling, here!"
Eleanor and Yuan Ning had already reserved a small table by the window.
Elias frowned almost imperceptibly, walked over steadily, and placed the pizza box on the dining table covered with a red checkered plastic tablecloth.
Justin laughed and said, "To be honest, this is my first time here too."
Eleanor said, "This pizzeria is famous at school. We used to come here often to buy one to take to parties."
"Try it!" Yuan Ning opened the box, and the aroma instantly wafted out.
Elias sat down beside her, with Eleanor and Justin opposite them.
Yuan Ning put on disposable gloves, picked up a corner of the cheese, and stretched it into long strands. She held it in her hand, blew on it, and brought it to Elias's lips.
Elias glanced at her, then picked up a neatly folded handkerchief from the inside pocket of his suit, laid it on his lap, and with his long, white hands, picked up the slice of pizza she offered.
Yuan Ning smiled as she watched him take it, and then took one for herself as well.
Elias took a small, elegant bite, chewing slowly and silently, without saying a word or showing any expression on his face.
This is indeed the best pizza in New York City, but the best food is often not found in upscale restaurants. They are high in calories, never shy away from using large amounts of oil and salt, and contain an almost uncouth amount of meat.
When Elias was in eighth grade at Groton School, he and his teammates were exhausted after winning a tough school sailing league match, their soaked uniforms clinging to their skin.
The captain drove, and they squeezed into an old Land Rover, speeding toward an unassuming pizzeria on the Rhode Island beach.
He still remembers those crowded, hot pizzas with greasy fingers and sausages.
That was one of the very few times in Elias van der Berg's life that he was swept up in the team atmosphere and became "inappropriate".
Of course, such indulgence was limited to the sailing team and they would never bring grease off their clothes home to their parents.
When he regained consciousness, the pizza still tasted the same. If he were still a teenager who had just gone through extreme sports, he would definitely appreciate its deliciousness.
But now... his sense of taste seems to have begun to resent such strong stimulation; the unhealthy fats and meats make him uncomfortable.
Yuan Ning and Eleanor started gossiping, and Justin seemed to be in a good mood as well.
He knew that having a meal with Elias in a place like this, as long as he didn't act too obnoxiously, would definitely help him get closer to Elias, and they could discuss business matters at their leisure.
“Wynne, I remember Jasper was pursuing you, and you were keeping him hooked. But I heard he's dating a supermodel lately?” Eleanor suddenly asked.
Elias picked up a napkin, elegantly wiped his mouth, and said that his meal was over.
Yuan Ning glanced at him secretly, then smiled at Eleanor: "I rejected him a long time ago. I don't like those immature little boys."
Seeing that Elias had stopped moving, Yuan Ning leaned closer to him and asked, "How does it taste?"
Elias smiled and met her sparkling gaze: "It's alright, it's just too noisy here."
None of the four of them ate much; no one was really in a hurry to eat pizza.
Yuan Ning was afraid that this calorie bomb would affect her figure, so she only ate one piece and then stopped.
Eleanor only ate half of it.
They packed up the remaining pizza and took it with them.
Before leaving, Justin laughed heartily and said to Elias, "It was a pleasure to have dinner with you."
Elias nodded to him, then walked briskly toward his Aston Martin, opened the passenger door, and said to Wynne, who was carrying a takeout box, with a hint of annoyance, "Get in."
Yuan Ning didn't dare to provoke him. Today, she felt guilty and quickly slipped into the car.
Once they were both in the car, Yuan Ning felt the oppressive atmosphere inside and didn't dare to breathe.
Elias started the engine expressionlessly, his long fingers turning the steering wheel, and the car drove off. Inside, only the dashboard emitted a dim light, illuminating his expressionless profile.
Yuan Ning silently lowered her breathing.
He didn't look at Yuan Ning, but stared straight ahead, his voice exceptionally clear, calm, and resonant in the small space: "Address."
When Yuan Ning gave her apartment address, she almost thought the other person didn't want to spend another moment with her.
The Aston Martin let out a deep roar and smoothly merged into the traffic.
Elias drives with the same precision and restraint as he does – without a single unnecessary movement.
Inside the carriage, only the hum of the engine and the hazy noise of the New York night outside the window remained.
The car weaved through the bustling streets and entered a relatively quiet area, eventually gliding into a small park near the river. Here, far from the noise of the main road, only a few old streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow in the winter night, outlining the bare branches of trees and the silhouette of a bridge over the river in the distance. He parked the car in a secluded corner overlooking the river and turned off the engine.
The world fell silent instantly.
“Wynne,” he called her softly, his tone lower than usual, more like calling her name than calling her out.
"Hmm?" Yuan Ning answered obediently.
“Social etiquette is very important to me; it is inviolable,” Elias stated, pausing before continuing, “I am sorry for taking the liberty of asking you to come out of school to work for me today, so it is my duty to take you to dinner.”
His tone always carried an almost cruel elegance; his voice was extremely pleasant to the listener's ears, yet at the same time, it made it clear to the listener that he and you belonged to two different classes.
Elias lowered his eyes slightly, raised his chin, and focused his gaze on the shimmering lake. Yuan Ning sensed his sudden detachment.
“My apology and concession may have stemmed from other reasons, but after realizing my misunderstanding, I want to clarify that I have not retracted my apology and concession.”
Yuan Ning listened quietly. She was very clever. His deliberately uttered words were meant to point out that all his previous forbearance was a superior's tolerance towards a subordinate.
Perhaps it wasn't originally like that, but now he's redefining it.
“I hope this is the first and last time. Now, I have fulfilled my obligations as an employer and as an elder, and dinner is over. Your address?”
He delivered his final verdict without raising his voice, which, to Yuan Ning's ears, was tantamount to saying, "Game over. Now, go back to where you belong."
Elias's anger was never shown on his face, nor did he shout or yell. He possessed the most powerful weapon in his world: his pure blue eyes. With these eyes, he could easily divide people into classes and tell you where you stood.
Wynne was very smart, and her employer knew she was smart, so he only had to explain things once to make sure she understood.
But what he didn't know was that Wynne was already calculating how much value and resources she could extract from Elias, and whether today's resource exchange was worthwhile. Had she made a bad move?
She couldn't help but feel frustrated, realizing she might have made a bad move. She knew perfectly well that Elias could offer her far more than Eleanor had said, but as she built her career and expanded her horizons step by step, it was impossible for her to make the right moves every time.
So, hold on to what you have and let go of what you can't hold onto.
Elias's fingers were about to restart the engine.
A touch of coolness, light and silent, settled on the windshield.
Next, the second point, the third point...
At first, there were only a few scattered spots, like diamonds scattered by angels, dancing in the dim beams of the streetlights.
Gradually, they became denser, fluttering down like torn clouds, silently covering the world.
It's snowing.
New York City's first snow of the winter arrived unexpectedly.
Snowflakes fall silently, lingering on the windshield, melting, or slowly accumulating, gradually blurring the edges of the world outside the window into a soft, gentle white. Everything is so tender.
It was as if a huge piece of velvet was gently covering them.
The carriages are structured in a regular manner, with clear class distinctions.
Elias's fingers, which were about to start the engine, were gripped tightly by Wynne.
He remained in the position of preparing to drive away, glancing at her. She didn't look at him; her gaze was completely drawn to the increasingly intense first snowfall outside the window. She shook his finger: "Elijas, look! It's snowing, the first snow of the year."
She was extremely ambitious, her eyes filled with desire. She wanted the best things in the world. She wanted not only dazzling jewelry and the latest styles in Fifth Avenue shop windows, but also the power to gently and irresistibly cover and reshape the skyscrapers of Manhattan, the red brick walls of Parsons, and even Elias van der Berg's world of order and boundaries with her presence.
She wanted to be at ease. Like these snowflakes, simply falling freely, the earth absorbing everything, whether it be a dirty street corner or a noble rooftop. No more carefully calculating each step, no more worrying about whether the thin ice beneath her feet would crack.
She wanted it all; she held his fingertips, feeling the warmth of his skin and the flow of his blood.
She was still just a twenty-year-old girl, and she sighed softly, "It's snowing." Her tone was different from her usual naive or shrewd manner. It stripped away all pretense, revealing only an instinctive appreciation for beauty, and... loneliness.
Meng Yuanning has been completely exiled. She is all alone, teetering on the brink of collapse, with no allies.
The soft sigh, though extremely faint, carried more weight than any of the previous conversations; it drifted into Elias's ears.
His icy blue eyes flickered slightly, his gaze shifting from the swirling snowflakes to the girl beside him.
Her porcelain-white profile was almost transparent, her long, thick eyelashes were upturned, and her eyes seemed eager, but in reality, they were filled with sadness.
So Wynne can make this kind of expression too?
Elias had always admired her, and even had a keen interest in her.
She was incredibly strong and fearless. Unlike typical poor girls who cowered and were timid, she treated the entire city of New York as her playground, naively resilient, navigating it with ease. Not only was she unafraid of falling, but she also ambitiously wanted to bloom into the most dazzling flower.
Elias was certain that she had no trump cards up her sleeve.
Then, for the first time, he began to ponder her origins, how she grew up, and how she was supported by her parents.
He is accustomed to analysis and control, as well as to a condescending perspective.
She was incredibly audacious, yet she was a vulnerable young woman who could feel lonely and lost.
Elias slowly lowered his hand, not in a hurry to start the engine.
The carriage fell silent again, but this time it was different from the oppressive silence that had preceded it.
It became...softer.
They sat quietly in the car, an arm's length apart, becoming spectators of New York's first snowfall together.
It took Yuan Ning a while to pull herself out of that sadness and loneliness. Her eyes left the snowflakes, and her consciousness returned to reality.
She turned her head to look at Elias. She was sitting here at this moment, in Elias's car, in the car of a man who seemed to be from a completely different social class than her. So, was she really there?
What exactly is her role in this world? Is she an illegitimate child? Or the Queen Wynne they speak of? Or just an unknown person?
No, she isn't either.
She suddenly leaned closer without warning, one hand resting on the seat beside him, and he turned to look at her because of her sudden approach.
She tilted her head back, cupped his cheek with her other hand, and pressed her lips against his again.
She kissed him deeply, her lips aching from the impact of their teeth, as if she were trying to release all her loneliness, ambition, and resentment through the kiss.
Elias felt a familiar rage after his initial shock, his pupils contracting in astonishment.
The displeasure of having his boundaries violated reignited his anger. He lost his temper and grabbed her by the neck.
Wynne was pulled back by the neck by him. She opened her eyes in a panic, her velvety lips slightly parted and glistening. He saw her slightly trembling, wet eyelashes. Her breath was hot, but she could no longer breathe.
His long, strong fingers gripped her slender neck with great force.
"Ugh..." Wynne's back slammed against the car window with a dull thud, while outside, snow was falling heavily.
Elias was furious that she was completely under his control.
Yuan Ning reached into her handbag behind her back and took out the stun gun she always carried with her. She knew that today she could at least get Elias's guilt and a considerable apology.
Just as she was about to suffocate.
“You’re always breaking the rules, aren’t you, Wynne?” His deep, gritting voice snapped at her face.
He loosened his grip on her neck slightly, allowing only a sliver of precious air to enter her lungs. Then, he leaned in and kissed her lips deeply.
His hand remained in control of her.
Her neck, her entire head, were completely under his control.
Yuan Ning slowly released the stun gun and rested her head in his palm.
She can be fierce and aggressive, but she is also willing to be confined to a small space.
This is interesting.
He angrily took control of her, his thumb stroking her soft skin as he gripped her neck, and he began to deepen the possessive kiss.
The force fluctuated between tightening and loosening, and his heart was torn between a kind of anger and a strange feeling.
Wynne, I never imagined I would kiss a girl like this.
I should kiss you with devotion and tenderness, with a sense of sacredness; perhaps this kiss should first happen in a church.
But things got out of my control from the start, and I felt very confused. This kiss was not what I wanted, Wynne.
He realized his clumsiness, but he still pried open her lips and invaded her lips with his own.
He was panting, his forehead pressed against hers, hot breath escaping his nostrils, his thumb on her neck turning into a caress, a possessive caress.
Outside the car window, the snow silently covered the world. Yuan Ning seemed to passively accept his kiss. She slowly raised her hand, which had been hidden behind her back, and gently placed it on his shoulder.
All movement stopped.
He stroked her neck with his thumb, his gaze still enveloping her, his breath heavy. "Did I hurt you, Wynne?"
Yuan Ning raised her eyes to meet his complex gaze. Her lips turned a bright red and slightly swollen. She gently shook her head: "No."
His hand left hers, and his gaze drifted down to see the stun gun and the light pearl gray scarf that had slipped out of her handbag.
He reached out, his arm brushing past Yuan Ning's waist, and picked up the scarf.
He calmly examined her and praised her, "Good girl."
He wrapped the scarf around her neck in a possessive gesture.
The lingering force of his grip clung to the incredibly soft alpaca wool. He wrapped the scarf meticulously, twice, making sure the cursive initials embroidered with his surname were right next to her collarbone, and tied a neat knot.
Yuan Ning wondered if his sudden praise was complimenting her for bringing a stun gun.
"Okay." He removed his hand from hers.
But he was still not gentle; a hint of anger still lingered in his eyes.
“Wynne, so many coincidences happened today, I don’t believe they were all coincidences.”
She happened to show up in his office wearing a slip dress without a bra; the movie she was watching just happened to play that scene when he entered; all the top restaurants in New York City were coincidentally fully booked that night; she just happened to crave pizza; her friend and Justin Thorne, who was trying to get to know him, happened to appear at the pizzeria; then he drove there, seething with anger, and the first snow just happened to fall…
Good girl, now is the time for you to admit your mistake. He looked at her quietly.
Elias was accustomed to orthodoxy and emphasized orthodoxy, including the orthodoxy of relationships and the orthodoxy of kissing.
If Wynne can honestly admit what happened today, he can see her as a girl who is treating him well.
Yuan Ning, enduring his gaze, blinked: "Elijas, there is one thing today that is inevitable."
Elias raised an eyebrow slightly, encouraging her to continue.
“Elijas, I kiss you, it is inevitable.”
Yuan Ning said firmly.
Elias was initially taken aback, then his eyes gradually cooled as he slowly backed away until his back touched the driver's seat.
He wouldn't get angry, scold, or feel disappointed; he would just chuckle very softly, almost inaudibly.
“Very well.”
He finally uttered those two words, turned around, started the engine, the Aston Martin roared, and the car smoothly drove out of the park and into the traffic again.
Couples who chose to go on a date tonight are very lucky; they are covered in the first snow and passionately kissing on the street.
But the happiness and excitement outside couldn't penetrate the speeding sports car.
Yuan Ning tucked her neck into her scarf, her eyes lowered, and no one could see through her or know what she was thinking.
The atmosphere remained silent until Elias's car came to a stop in front of her apartment building.
"Your order will be delivered to your building tomorrow morning."
Yuan Ning opened the car door and stood outside the window. Elias looked at her and said...
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Author's Note: A prize quiz is here! What will my little sister receive this time? [panda head][panda head]
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