When Mr. White proposed to write a check to test Elisa, she thought for a moment and agreed to go with him. Sitting on the side, she pretended not to care, but in reality, she felt sour inside, wishing that Elisa would really take the five million and leave her brother. But she knew Elisa wasn’t that kind of person. How could her integrity be swayed by a mere five million?
But what happened next completely surprised Brittany. She hadn’t expected that Elisa had such a large alter ego [A. W Group] as an executive director, and she was willing to give away the entire company for Louis. She felt like a clown standing under a lemon tree, as if she had just eaten ten pounds of lemons.
Although, her brother was handsome, had a good figure, could cook, was a good actor, kind-hearted, and could make money… But no matter what, she felt that he wasn’t worthy of Elisa. How could Elisa, a fairy, be in a relationship with a mere mortal?
While changing clothes, Brittany thought indignantly. There were already more than a dozen clothes piled on the bed, but not a single outfit looked good. Finally, she put on a light blue long dress. She opened the door and saw the maid tidying the room. She walked over and asked, “Aunt Wu, do I look good in this dress?”
While nodding, the maid said, “You look good in everything, Brittany. This blue dress complements your fair skin.”
Blushing at the praise, Brittany twirled her skirt, “Really?”
“Really, you look so beautiful today. Are you going to see your boyfriend?”
Shaking her head, Brittany said, “Not a boyfriend, something much more important than that. I’ll wear this dress tonight, but I’ll go put on some makeup.”
Excitedly, Brittany turned back to the bedroom to start getting ready. In the mirror, she saw a fair and beautiful face, with peach blossom eyes. She thought to herself, why should her brother have the upper hand? Couldn’t she do it too? Her brother was just an old man who didn’t deserve Elisa. Look at her, she resembled Louis to some extent, after all, they shared the same mother. She was not at all inferior in looks.
Brittany subtly hinted, causing Elisa, who was twenty kilometers away, to shiver.
Louis caught sight of her slight movement and raised his head to glance in the direction of the air conditioner, adjusting the temperature up a few degrees with the remote.
“Are you cold? How do you feel now?”
“Well, I feel much better now.”
Not entirely assured, Louis walked over and touched Elisa’s hand. It was warm.
Seeing her glass of water almost empty, he took it and refilled it, placing it back in front of her. “Thanks.”
“My dad just called, hoping you and I could come home for dinner. I sensed he might want to apologize to you. If you have something else to do or don’t want to go, I’ll decline for us.”
Elisa put down the glass in her hand, “Apologize for what?”
“Didn’t he embarrass you with money last New Year? It’s a misunderstanding, and it’s been so long. I’ve long forgotten about it. Besides, it’s not good to make elders apologize…”
“What’s not good,” Louis frowned. “If you do something wrong, you should apologize. Indulging him? My mom made him kneel on a washboard, but I still think it’s not enough.”
It wasn’t the first time Elisa had heard Louis mention his father kneeling on a washboard. Every time she heard it, she couldn’t help but want to laugh.
“Well, then…” Louis paused, hesitantly probing, “Are you coming home with me today?”
Elisa nodded, “Yes, I’ll go home with you.”
Louis grinned, his eyes sparkling, “My parents are in Bankshire. We’ll go after you’re done here.”
Elisa glanced at her wristwatch. It was three o’clock. She asked, “How long will it take to drive there?”
“If everything goes smoothly, about an hour and a half.”
“I’ll finish up these documents and then leave. It’s easy to get stuck in rush hour traffic if we leave too late.”
“Is there anything I can help you with?” Louis didn’t want Elisa to be too tired. The current Elisa was juggling several roles. Not only was she an executive director at A. W Group, but she was also an actress and entertainer. She also had to take care of the post-production work for the movies, and she had to handle the financial distribution as well.
Louis didn’t know how Elisa managed to do all these things.
After hearing Louis offer to help, Elisa thought for a moment. There wasn’tmuch he could help with, but seeing his concerned look, she handed him some less important documents, “You can look through these for me. If everything looks good, you can sign and stamp them. If there are any issues, just mark them with a pen.”
“Okay.” Louis organized the documents. After he finished, Elisa was still dealing with a pile of papers on her desk, with a desktop computer in front of her. She multitasked, typing on the keyboard with one hand and marking up documents with the other.
By the time Elisa finished, it was already four o’clock. She put down her pen and called her secretary to tidy up the desk. Louis naturally handed her her mask and sunglasses, and after she put on her sunglasses, he adjusted her mask and hair, making sure everything was in place. With one hand holding her bag, he tightly held her hand with the other.
“Aren’t you tired from doing so much every day?” he asked.
“Tired?” Elisa asked herself, as if she had already grown accustomed to it. She didn’t feel very tired, and instead, she found it meaningful. Watching her business thrive, the company grow, and the staff increase, everything was falling into place.
Within a year, the A. W Group had made it to the top of the domestic influence rankings, and its company’s executive director had entered the forefront of the rich list.
“I’m used to it, Louis. I really enjoy this kind of life. This is the real me,” Elisa said, looking at him earnestly.
Louis had learned about Elisa’s past, when she was the richest woman in Bankshire, surpassing all the other women in Bankshire combined, as the Powell family’s daughter. When Old Powell was critically ill, the Powell Group was on the brink of collapse. It was Elisa who, in just three months, managed to pull the Powell Group back from the “cliff” and revive it.
At that time, Elisa could be said to be unparalleled in Bankshire, outshining even the men. But in the end, she was ruined by a man, and at the young age of twenty-seven, her brilliant life came to an end.
Hamish became the towering peril of her fate. With ease, he caused her world to collapse. With Elisa’s death, Bankshire never again saw such a stunning and incomparable woman. Until Elisa reappeared, and people, upon seeing her, suddenly remembered. There was once a woman, also named Elisa, who lived so splendidly. Many began to reminisce about the past Elisa and think of her.
Louis raised his hand and touched the top of her head: “I also like you as you are now, but don’t tire yourself out too much.” Elisa shook her head; she could still bear this pressure. After all, she used to sleep only a few hours a week while managing the Powell family’s billion-dollar enterprise.
When Elisa arrived at the White family’s place, Mrs. White hurried to greet her upon hearing of her visit that day. Upon entering the house, Elisa smelled the fragrance wafting from the kitchen. This was the fourth time Elisa had met Mr. and Mrs. White, but it was her first time at their place. Yet, she did not feel like a stranger. She entered the house and changed her shoes as if it were her own home.
The expression on Mrs. White’s face was always so gentle. When Elisa saw her, she felt as though she was seeing her own mother. If her mother were still alive, she might have been as gentle as Mrs. White, always inquiring about her well-being, asking if she was tired from work, and if anyone was mistreating her. Mrs. White would softly pat her back and shoulders, and the warmth from her hands made people want to hold onto it forever.
Upon hearing movement downstairs, Brittany, carrying her skirt, ran down. She had set dozens of thoughts in her mind, planning to warmly embrace Elisa upon seeing her. But when she saw Elisa, she nervously stood still, not daring to move, standing to the side, fidgeting with her hands behind her back, and her face turned slightly red. Seeing Brittany standing in the corner, Elisa walked over with a bag in her hand: “Brittany.” “Hmm, what’s up?” Brittany’s face was cold, and she didn’t even look at her. Every time Elisa saw Brittany, she had this cold look, replying curtly or sitting in a corner playing with her phone, ignoring people. Sometimes Elisa wondered, does Brittany not like her? But last time, she had taken the initiative to take a photo with her and even said she would give her another chance. Elisa thought their relationship should have improved, but why did it seem like there had been no change today?
Elisa handed the gift bag to her: “This is the gift I brought for you. I didn’t know what to give you, I just heard your brother say you liked it.” Brittany hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it and said softly, “Thank you.” “I hope you like it.” “I really like it.” As long as it was from Elisa, she would like it, even if it were a piece of crap! Brittany still wanted to talk to Elisa alone, but Mrs. White appeared and took her away. Brittany pouted and took the gift upstairs to open it; it was a dress from her favorite luxury brand, and it was a limited edition. She had wanted this dress before and had intended to ask someone to buy it for her, but she hadn’t been able to get her hands on the limited edition. She hadn’t expected Elisa to buy it for her. The white dress had a great texture and was even more beautiful than she had imagined. She decided to wear this new dress tomorrow to entice Elisa.
Downstairs, Elisa quietly asked Louis, “Is Brittany more introverted?” “Introverted? How could she be introverted?” When Brittany had asked him for a signed photo to sell on eBay, she had practically wanted to strip him of his clothes for a nude photo shoot. “Then does she not like me?” “How could there be anyone in this world who doesn’t like you?” This question was even more surprising than the last one. Louis’s surprise was genuine, and even his pupils were trembling. Elisa couldn’t help but smile and remind him, “Have you forgotten about the haters I have online?” “Are they not the ones with vision problems and poor judgment? They’re so stupid and shameless; it’s ridiculous.” Louis wasdefinitely her “superfan”; he would praise Elisa to the skies, feeling even prouder when he heard others do the same, as if he were the one being praised.
“Don’t worry, my sister is fine. Didn’t she suddenly hug you last time?” Just the thought of it made him feel a pang of jealousy.
At this moment, Mr. White appeared. Elisa handed him the gift she had brought, calling him “Uncle White” in a well-behaved manner.
“Louie told me you like tea. I’m not sure if you’ll like the one I picked.” Mr. White looked at the gift box. The can of tea was not cheap. His darn son had never given him such a valuable gift. Thinking of these annoying matters, he couldn’t help but glance sideways at Louis. In the end, it was Louis who had climbed high.
“Why bring tea when you come here? Sit down as if it were your own place.” Despite saying so, his hand never left the gift box. He admired it with satisfaction. “I went to see the movie you acted in recently. You did very well. I watched it five times, but that ghost face was a little scary. I had nightmares for several nights. By the way, Elisa, do you know how to play go?”
“A little bit. I used to play with my grandpa.”
“That’s great. I just received the go board I ordered. It’s still early for dinner, so you can play a few games with me.”
Elisa glanced at Louis beside her and nodded. “Okay.”
As the twilight fell, the city was shrouded in the dim light of the horizon. Mr. White had someone tidy the go board and played chess with Elisa in the living room’s balcony. By playing chess, Mr. White realized he had misunderstood Elisa too much in the past.