The next morning, the two of them woke up together and got ready for the day, washing up and having breakfast. Hamish had a complex Western-style breakfast, while Elisa had a simple bowl of congee, suitable for someone with a stomach condition. Hamish didn’t eat much, and as he ate, he read the newspaper and drank coffee. “I’ll take you to work later,” he said.
Elisa replied, “I’m going directly to Baker Group today.”
Hamish put down the newspaper and said, “I’ll drive you there on my way.”
Elisa suddenly felt something was off. He was going to drive her? And it was on his way? Baker Group and Burns Group were located in opposite directions, one in the north and the other in the south. There was no way it was on his way, so how could he conveniently drop her off on the route? Elisa didn’t want to disturb his enthusiasm and simply asked, “Why are you driving? What about your driver?”
“He’s on vacation.”
Even if the driver was on vacation, wouldn’t it be someone else’s turn to drive? Besides, Elisa remembered that Hamish didn’t like her driving. He believed that driving was a waste of time and preferred to work on documents while someone else drove.
Elisa didn’t want to delay him and cause any unhappiness, so she quickly finished her breakfast and walked to the entrance, carrying her laptop and files, and changed her shoes. Hamish went out first and parked the car by the door. Elisa got in and sat down.
There was no music in the car, and no one spoke. It was so quiet that they could hear each other’s breathing. Elisa and Hamish rarely spent such peaceful and harmonious moments together, with no thoughts in their minds. One was simply driving, while the other was watching the scenery passing by.
Their relationship had changed a lot in these past few months. Sometimes, she would wake up from a midnight dream and look at the man sleeping beside her, and she would doubt if she was still dreaming. Her current unfamiliarity could only be attributed to the fact that Hamish’s cruelty towards her during those four years had left a profound impact. Some reactions were deeply ingrained in her, and just the thought of them would stir her soul.
Hamish turned on the car’s music, a relaxing instrumental piece. He glanced at her serene profile and cleared his throat. Just as Elisa had imagined, Hamish didn’t enjoy driving, but he was willing to be her driver when they were together, enjoying their precious moments alone.
It was just past eight-thirty in the morning, and the sunlight broke through the clouds, shining through the glass of the buildings and creating dazzling circles of light. Hamish parked the car in a temporary parking space, right across from Baker Group.
With a click, the car door unlocked, and Elisa got out of the car. She rarely spoke softly, but this time, she said, “Thank you.”
“We can have lunch together later,” Hamish suggested.
“I might not have time,” Elisa replied.
She wasn’t sure if she truly didn’t have time or if it was just an excuse because she wanted to have lunch with Hamish. Hamish didn’t say anything and watched as Elisa crossed the road with her laptop bag before driving away.
Elisa had agreed to meet with Baker Group at nine o’clock, and there were still fifteen minutes left. Tobias had arrived early as well, and they entered the building together. After informing the receptionist of their identities, they were led inside. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw Joshua Baker.
“Elisa, long time no see. Come and have a seat,” he said.
The last time they had met was when Powell Group went bankrupt, so it had indeed been a while. Elisa nodded and smiled, saying, “Uncle Joshua.”
As they walked and talked, exchanging pleasantries, Elisa introduced Tobias, saying, “This is my assistant.”
Joshua recognized Tobias and knew that he was associated with Hamish. He immediately became cautious, knowing that he had to carefully consider his words next. Several people sat down, and they went straight to the point. The employees of Baker Group had stayed up late preparing after receiving Elisa’s call the previous day. They were short on time, and many things were not detailed enough, with rough documents that offered little hope.
Elisa examined the documents carefully, pointing out a few key areas, exuding a commanding aura. After confirming the changes she wanted to make, Elisa closed the files.
Baker Group was also a century-old company, and its current status was well known. The two words that summed it up were “integrity.” They had suffered heavy losses recently due to offending Hamish, and people in the industry were afraid to collaborate with them for fear of being implicated.
Joshua had also come torealize that in this day and age, self-interest prevailed. It would be best if they didn’t kick someone when they were down. He hadn’t expected that there would actually be someone who would extend a helping hand in their time of need, and that person was Elisa.
There were too many questions involved in this situation, and he didn’t feel comfortable asking Elisa about them. After a brief moment of surprise, Joshua said, “Let’s sign the contract today.”
“What?!” Joshua was taken aback.
Tobias, who was sitting beside him, raised an eyebrow, unfazed by the unexpected turn of events. Elisa repeated, “Let’s sign the contract today. I trust Baker Group.”
Tobias handled the contract on their side, and that afternoon, both parties’ lawyers arranged a meeting. As soon as the papers were signed and stamped, the collaboration would take effect. Joshua wanted to invite Elisa to have lunch and talk about Micah, but with Tobias present, he hesitated to bring it up.
Everyone knew about Hamish’s grudge against Baker Group, and Elisa felt guilty. After putting away the contract from Burns Group, she murmured softly, “I’m sorry.” Like a child who had done something wrong, she lowered her head, afraid to look at Joshua. In an instant, the confident person who had just been discussing the contract underwent a complete transformation.
Joshua looked at her apologetic expression and thought of the past.
“Aunt Eve misses you. Would you like to come home with me? She’ll make your favorite chicken wings.”
One sentence caused tears to well up in Elisa’s eyes. She struggled to suppress her trembling breath, biting her lip tightly to hold back the surge of tears. Joshua was asking if she wanted to go home with him. Did she still have a home?
The Baker residence had been a temporary refuge for her, a place of warmth that she yearned for but dared not enter. She knew exactly what Hamish was thinking, and she feared that even the slightest thought would cause this last refuge to disappear.
“I won’t go,” Elisa choked, her voice hoarse. After neatly packing up the files, she handed them to Tobias to keep. Turning around, Elisa wiped the corners of her eyes. Thankfully, she didn’t shed any tears.