The female celebrity who called herself a fan of Louis had already started to scream in frustration. She had entered the entertainment industry after watching Louis’s movie, thinking it would allow her to meet him, and perhaps even collaborate with him. However, a year had passed, and she was still only able to see him on her phone, just like in the past. As a fan, she had imagined various scenarios of meeting her idol, but she had never expected it to happen in such a situation. If this was truly Louis, then why would he be here?
The first thought that crossed their minds was Elisa. From two men competing for one woman to now three men vying for her. As a devoted fan, she felt her heart sink. Although she wanted to argue, she couldn’t think of anything else besides that.
…
Elisa looked over. It was the peak of noon, and Louis was running towards her, stepping into the sunlight. He was running fast, and Elisa could almost hear his hurried breath. He was only wearing a mask on his face, and his obsidian eyes revealed a deep concern, his forehead covered in sweat. From the moment he entered, he accurately spotted Elisa standing there, and upon seeing her unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief. No one knew how fearful he had been when he received Elisa’s distressing message. Elisa rarely initiated contact with him, let alone sent a distress call like she did today. “I’m having trouble on set. Please come and take me away.” The phrase “having trouble” no longer implied a simple issue that couldn’t be resolved. Louis’s first thought was that it could involve a life-threatening situation.
While driving, he dared not contact Elisa directly, so he had to ask someone from the set to inquire about the situation. He drove faster than usual, shortening a journey that typically took half an hour by arriving fifteen minutes early. Elisa didn’t understand why, just a moment ago, she could calmly mock Hamish and Finn, yet now, seeing Louis running towards her, her eyes suddenly welled up. It was as if… after enduring the pressure for so long, she didn’t have to bear it alone anymore. Louis ran straight to Elisa, not sparing a glance at anyone else, and took her slightly chilled hand, saying, “I’m here, let’s go.”
Louis’s arrival shattered the tense atmosphere. Hamish frowned, looking pale, while Finn seemed both puzzled and displeased. Who was this person who had suddenly appeared and dared to take Elisa’s hand without hesitation? “Let go of her!” Finn gritted his teeth, but no one paid attention to him. He rushed forward, attempting to grab Elisa. “Aoife, if you dare to go with him, do you believe I…” Today, he couldn’t take Elisa away, but he wouldn’t allow anyone else to take her. “That’s Louis,” Hamish said. Finn froze. Perhaps others didn’t know Louis’s identity, but didn’t he understand? Louis, the younger master of the White family. It was because of catching this connection that he successfully inherited the Burns Group.
Finn was filled with many questions. Why had everything suddenly changed? Why had Hamish, who was supposed to be guarding his ex-wife’s grave, come here to compete for someone with him? Why was Louis with Elisa, and why was Elisa willingly leaving with Louis? All these questions remained unanswered, and as Elisa willingly departed with Louis, Finn’s eyes turned bloodshot. As he watched her walk away with someone else, he called out hoarsely, “Aoife, come back…” Even he didn’t realize that his voice carried a hint of grievance. This was the last time he called her “Aoife,” but she didn’t look back. He had a premonition that the woman who had always been by her side had willingly acted as her substitute… she… was already dead. She wouldn’t be coming back. In the year since she left, Finn thought he had grown accustomed to life without her, but he found that he couldn’t get used to it at all. Who wouldn’t want to live well and comfortably? “Aoife” had been too good to him, to the extent that he forgot that human emotions are diverse. There is as much disappointment as there is joy. Emotions don’t just disappear suddenly; he had just realized this. He wanted to take Elisa back.
Hamish’s face was filled with bitterness, his eyes dark, the light within them extinguished. His tall figure trembled, and he mockingly said, “No one can win over Louis.” That included himself. “I don’t believe it. She’s mine. It’s just a split personality, isn’t it? As long as she’s alive, the illness can be cured.” Even now, Finn still believed that “Elisa” was simplysuffering from an illness with a split personality. It could only be said that Finn didn’t love that person deeply enough. If he had truly loved “Aoife,” he should have realized from the very beginning that this was Elisa, not Aoife- the person he had been so determined to bring back had long since passed away.
Louis led Elisa away, and at first, she was fine, but the further they went, the more uncomfortable she felt under the scrutiny of countless eyes. When she attempted to pull away, not only did she fail to free herself, but Louis’s grip on her hand tightened.
“Louie, what’s wrong?” Louis froze, halting his steps. It seemed as though he was holding something back, his feet shifting slightly. “Let’s go back,” he said.
“Can you let go of me then?” Louis remained silent.
Fine, if he didn’t want to let go, then he didn’t have to. Holding hands wouldn’t kill anyone. However, this was the first time she had seen Louis like this, appearing fearful and nervous.
“I haven’t changed my clothes,” Elisa reminded him softly. It was only halfway there that she realized she was still wearing her costume. How much attention would it attract if she walked out like this?
“Where’s the changing room?”
Elisa pointed in a direction. They didn’t let go of each other the entire time, not until they reached the entrance to the changing room.
Elisa shook her hand. “I need to go in and change. Can you let go now?”
It was only then that Louis turned around, looking at Elisa with a handsome furrowed brow. “Elisa, can I hug you?”
This was the first time Elisa had experienced Louis’s embrace, and it felt slightly unfamiliar, but not unwelcome. It was warm and comforting. His broad shoulders and narrow waist provided the perfect place for her to rest her head against his chest, where she could hear his strong heartbeat and catch a whiff of the faint scent of mint on his body.
Louis clenched his fists as he held Elisa, handling her delicately, as one would only do in front of someone they deeply cared for. Holding her too loosely might make her slip away, yet holding her too tightly could hurt her.
He was just so afraid of losing or hurting her.