Leaving the company, Elisa stepped into the refreshing breeze that swayed in the lingering heat of the evening sun. The cool wind instantly cleared her chaotic mind, but it also made her stomach uncomfortable.
She needed to find a place to sit down quickly, so Elisa walked briskly towards Hamish’s car. Hamish flicked his cigarette and opened the car door, taking a seat in the driver’s seat. He watched as Elisa got into the car and fastened her seatbelt, then threw a bag from the back seat to her.
Elisa held the bag, and it was still warm inside. “What’s this?” she asked.
“Open and see,” Hamish replied.
Elisa opened the bag, revealing a bowl of porridge that was tightly packed. Even though Hamish had thrown it so roughly, it didn’t spill.
“Tobias told me you didn’t eat much for lunch,” Hamish paused and continued, “Your stomach isn’t good, and there’s a new medicinal porridge place nearby. I’ve tried it, and it tastes good. This is their recommended stomach-nourishing porridge.”
Elisa wasn’t being pretentious. She had been worried about her stomach all day, fearing that she might get sick. She had already vomited blood in the morning, and she didn’t want to vomit again in front of Hamish.
Elisa inserted a straw into the porridge, and it was just the right temperature, not too hot for her mouth. Hamish glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his hand on the steering wheel as he drove the car out.
After they drove onto the smooth road, Hamish asked, “Do you want Baker Group to participate in the South Water Island project?”
Elisa responded with a nonchalant “Hmm.”
Two conjectures arose in Hamish’s mind. First, Elisa knew about his intentions towards the Bakers. Second, when she initially said she wanted to take over the South Water Island project, it wasn’t because she was idle, but rather she wanted to pave the way for the Bakers.
Was it for the Bakers or just for Micah?
He wouldn’t be satisfied with either answer. He wanted Elisa to devote most of her time to him, not to an insignificant company. As for the latter possibility, the thought of her going to such lengths for Micah filled his chest with a sour feeling, stirring up a storm of emotions.
Elisa, undeterred by Hamish’s gloomy gaze, drank a few mouthfuls of porridge, which warmed her stomach and made her feel much better. She gained the strength to confront Hamish.
Elisa said, “During the dinner the day before yesterday, Ivan told me about your intentions towards the Bakers.”
As expected… Hamish unconsciously furrowed his brow.
Elisa drank half a cup of porridge, put the bag aside, and sat like a Buddha statue. She turned her head towards the car window, her profile appearing soft under the dim light. The high ponytail she had tied in the morning had already collapsed.
Her tightly pursed lips and half-lowered eyes reminded Hamish of her appearance in the hospital. The words Tobias had said to him echoed in his ears.
Women are made of water; you have to go with the flow.
They say women are easy to please, but he didn’t think Elisa was like water at all. She was clearly a fire, disregarding other people’s feelings and burning them to ashes.
“What if I disagree with Baker Group’s involvement?” Hamish asked, looking at her.
Elisa looked at him, her smile gathering warmth as she spoke gently, “My mother passed away early, and besides my grandfather, my father and brother in the Powell family treat me like a thorn in their eyes. They can’t wait for me to die sooner. In my unhappy childhood, the Baker residence was my sanctuary. They treated me like family.”
“Hamish, you know very well why you have a problem with Baker Group. Since I know about it now, I want to make amends. One should not forget their roots and should know how to repay kindness.”
If it weren’t for Baker Group, she would have never come to work at Burns Group. These past couple of days, she carefully considered every word she said to please Hamish, afraid that she might accidentally upset him and disrupt all the plans.
After finishing her statement, Elisa lowered her head and took out a document from her bag. “I admit that I have personal feelings involved in taking on this project, but I won’t let my emotions affect my work. These are a few companies that Baker Group has selected, and I have marked the pros and cons for each of them.”