Chapter 13. She suffocated him, for about two seconds…
The girl's voice has a very distinctive timbre.
Because of her youth and her past privileged life, her voice is sweet like sugar. And because she has been involved in high society for many years, this sweetness is wrapped in a layer of velvet, making it soft and non-aggressive.
She habitually spoke with a perfectly measured languidness, the composure of a truly idle rich girl. But the most deceptive and captivating feature of her voice was not deliberate affectation, but rather a natural, endearing nasal tone born from years of pampering.
An barely suppressed "Mmm..." escaped from her lips.
The voice was extremely soft, carrying the limpness of her body. Immediately afterwards, her two meticulously groomed eyebrows, which exuded a natural arrogance, furrowed tightly, and her long, thick eyelashes trembled uneasily.
She reached up to touch her forehead; the pain came in waves. The one just now came suddenly, causing her to lose her composure, before slowly dissipating.
Behind the desk, Elias stopped what he was doing, and Yuan Ning, in her confused pain, felt her employer's gaze sweep over her.
She rested her hand on her forehead, leaning against the red velvet sofa. She heard the sound of a chair being gently pushed aside, and the sound of leather shoes stepping on the carpet, coming closer and closer.
He stopped next to her sofa.
Elias's aura enveloped her even more clearly. She didn't open her eyes, but she could feel his approach.
Yuan Ning didn't move, but her breathing became longer and more even. She liked his scent.
Suddenly, a warm and dry hand gently covered her forehead.
Because of his precise and controlled caresses, Yuan Ning felt very little sensation.
"It seems the medication isn't working fast enough, Miss Wynne. Can you hold on?"
His voice came from above, his deep tone seeming to strike Yuan Ning's eardrums and heart directly.
She had to open her eyes, and what came into view were his lowered, icy blue eyes. He was looking at her intently, his gaze seemingly full of concern.
"I'm...sorry, boss, I suddenly felt a sharp pain just now, but I'm much better now."
Yuan Ning found herself unable to look directly at the other person; hovering above her head was such a handsome and noble face.
Although she lowered her eyelids and avoided eye contact, she reached up and grasped Elias's wrist, which she considered a perfectly reasonable action.
Her fingertips were slightly cool. Taking the opportunity, she touched the outside of his wrist. His skin was warm. After taking his hand away, she looked up at him and said, "Now we can start working, Mr. Elias. I assure you I'm all better."
Before Elias withdrew his hand, Yuan Ning took the opportunity to touch it a couple more times. She didn't make the movements seem deliberate, but the girl's hands were soft and white, and it felt like she was gently caressing him.
After clearly feeling the brief but deliberate caress, a rare, almost imperceptible crack appeared on Elias's calm face, and a hint of doubt flashed deep in his icy blue eyes.
He didn't immediately pull his hand away, letting her soft fingers linger on the outside of his wrist for those extra, meaningful two seconds, a process that confirmed something for him.
“Very good.” His voice betrayed no hint of offense, but his eyes began to scan her face. “Your temperature has indeed come down. Shall we begin work?”
He quickly withdrew his hand and stood up. From this angle, it looked like he was looking down at her. She quickly sat up straight, her body curled up on the sofa. Her cheeks were still flushed from her illness, but her dark eyes had regained their composure and were filled with considerable ambition.
"Okay, okay."
He turned and headed toward the dressing room. Yuan Ning immediately got up from the sofa. Although her steps were still a little unsteady, she forced herself to stand up straight and followed behind him.
The dressing room was orderly, and the air was filled with the scent of high-quality fabrics and cedar wood.
Elias stood in the center and raised an eyebrow at her slightly: "You already know tomorrow's itinerary."
“Yes.” Yuan Ning took a deep breath and quickly got into professional mode. She had already planned the outfit in advance, but she still needed to confirm the details on-site.
She walked to the wardrobe, chose a dark gray double-breasted suit, paired with a white shirt and a conservatively colored but high-quality tie.
Elias frowned slightly: "Is that all, Miss Wynne?"
Yuan Ning paused as she walked forward, carrying a clothes hanger in her hand. Elias's casual questioning made an alarm bell ring in her heart. She realized that Elias had asked her to be his stylist, not just to provide conventional outfits.
"Of course it's not just that, boss." She tried to hide the frailty on her face, but her dark eyes shone with determination.
Elias described it as a gem that had finally been cleansed of its dust.
“A dark gray double-breasted suit is the foundation for showing off the silhouette. Please put it on first, and I will help you with the tie and cufflinks.”
Elias had no objection; he did as instructed, putting on the shirt and the suit. The top-quality fabric instantly clung to his body, exuding an air of authority.
While admiring his own superior physique, Yuan Ning walked to the accessories area and precisely pulled out a blue silk tie. Finally, it wasn't a conservative dark color, but a midnight blue with a subtle sheen.
She took it and walked straight up to him.
"Please wait a moment." Her voice was softer than before, and the velvety feeling of being enveloped in her was even more pronounced.
She raised her arm and wrapped her tie around his raised shirt collar, a gesture that instantly brought the two into an extremely intimate distance.
A faint, sweet fragrance emanating from her began to linger around Elias's nose.
Elias tilted his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing coldly, and stretched his neck, her fingertips inevitably brushing against the skin on the side of his neck.
Her movements as she tied her tie were not skillful, even somewhat slow, with a kind of... almost descriptive quality.
A sickly blush still lingered on her cheeks, which became especially clear as you got closer.
Each time the tie is wrapped, the silky fabric makes a subtle rustling sound, which is amplified infinitely in this quiet dressing room.
When Yuan Ning reached the final step of tying the tie, needing to adjust its tightness and shape, her fingertips paused. She frowned slightly, seemingly not entirely satisfied with the result.
"Please wait a moment, this may need some adjustments."
She is very professional and focused.
Elias did not move or urge her, but simply lowered his eyes slightly and looked down, noticing the extremely fine moisture remaining on her eyelashes.
She pressed her slightly cool thumb against his Adam's apple, and almost at the same moment, she pinched the narrow end of his tie with her other hand, the movement seemingly languid, and gently pulled it upwards to tighten it.
The silk tie instantly pressed against my throat.
Elias's icy blue eyes suddenly narrowed, a sharp, incredulous glint flashing deep within his pupils.
She suffocated him for about two seconds, a feeling mixed with an indescribable sense of being controlled.
His gaze sharpened, locking onto her lowered eyes, which were so close to his.
She looked so focused and harmless, as if she were completely absorbed in making the bow tie perfect, and the blush on her cheeks made her look even more innocent.
This feeling was fleeting.
Yuan Ning loosened her grip, and the tie returned to a comfortable and perfect tightness. Her thumb, which had been pressing against his Adam's apple, also slid off naturally, as if it were merely a necessary fulcrum.
“Okay,” she said softly, stepping aside to let her employer see the full-length mirror.
Unbeknownst to her, his Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably after her thumb left.
He just stared at her until she had completely stepped back before glancing at the mirror.
"Boss, is this alright?"
After a long silence, his deep voice broke the stillness: "Miss Wynne," he called her name, his tone melodious, "you...are excellent." The last syllable rose slightly.
Yuan Ning seemed relieved and gave him a shy smile: "I'm glad you're satisfied, boss."
Elias did not respond. He turned to the full-length mirror, but his gaze did not fall on the perfect tie. Instead, through the mirror, he locked his gaze on the seemingly docile girl behind him.
In the mirror, he held his head high, exuding nobility and awe, but there seemed to be a trace of oppressive, subtle strangeness lingering around his Adam's apple.
He loosened his tie with one hand: "That's all for today's work. You can go home now."
Yuan Ning nodded respectfully: "Yes, boss."
Seeing that the other party did not give her any further response, Yuan Ning lowered her head and prepared to leave on her own, which was a matter of self-awareness as an employee.
Elias suddenly turned his head, a seemingly mocking smile on his lips: "Miss Wynne, please forgive my less-than-gentlemanly behavior before. Please allow me to arrange a car for you to go home today."
Yuan Ning's heart skipped a beat, and in a flash, she looked up:
"You're too kind, boss. But... there's really no need for you to trouble yourself."
Elias turned around and looked at her formally and directly: "No, no, you're still sick. It's my duty as your boss to do this. Tell me, where do you live?"
Yuan Ning gently shook her head: "Really, it's not necessary, boss. I actually made an appointment with a friend nearby. We agreed to go for a drink together."
Elias frowned and said with gentle concern, "Miss Wynne, I can say with certainty that you are not suited to drinking today."
"I know, I mean, something sweet to drink. Anyway, I have a date tonight, so I won't bother you."
Yuan Ning gripped her phone tightly, thinking that if the other party still insisted on giving her the gift, she would call Jasper. After all, this wasn't the first time Jasper had used her as a shield.
Elias's mockery didn't fade; in fact, it seemed to deepen. His icy blue eyes were sharp enough to see through any disguise as he stared at her silently for a few seconds. That brief silence felt like centuries to Yuan Ning.
Finally, he nodded gracefully, his tone unreadable: "Of course, enjoy your evening, Miss Wynne." He paused and added, "Then wait until your friends arrive before you leave; it's cold outside."
Yuan Ning breathed a sigh of relief, but had no choice but to pick up her phone and type a text message to Jasper.
I'm at the Van der Berg house, can you come pick me up?
As Yuan Ning tapped her fingers on the phone's keyboard, she looked up at Elias, remembering that Jasper didn't want his elders to know about his dates with girls.
But Yuan Ning had no other choice. Apart from Jasper, she couldn't find any female friend who would come to pick her up and leave without asking why.
Before sending the text message, Yuan Ning cautiously looked up and asked Elias, "Um, boss, if my date is Jasper Winthrop, could you please not tell his family?"
A note from the author:
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