CHAPTER 283: THE APPLE OF ELLA’S EYES

Ella locked herself in her room right after dinner. The servants exchanged worried glances, sensing the rift between Adrian and Ella growing wider.

Inside the room, Ella tore a page from her notebook, her pen scratching hurriedly as she wrote down the vehicle number etched in her mind.

After a quick search online, she called a detective agency and summarized what had happened with the driver.

"I have the vehicle number. Could you look into for me? Sure... thanks...’’

Ella had offended quite a lot of people along the way. But she had not expected the sneak attack today.

It seemed like Esther’s style... But recently, Esther was chasing the highs, would she have the time to care about her?

For some reason, Ella’s instincts told her that what happened today was not Esther’s doing.

’Buzz...’

Ella picked up her phone and glanced at the ’transaction alert’.

A huge sum of money was sent to her account by the ’Lilac’ Headquarters alongwith a text from the Vice President’s brother.

[Jerome: Miss Yu, Brother said he will personally show his appreciation when you come to Westra City.]

As per the deal, they gave her creative credits for this line of products on their brand website.

And they also sent her the specific percentage of money that they had agreed upon.

Seeing the climbing dollar signs, Ella’s mood lightened up a bit.

At this moment, the door to the bedroom was pushed open.

When Ella turned, Adrian stood at the entrance, his face stormy.

Adrian watched as the huge smile on Ella’s face faded the moment she saw him.

And suddenly, his steps halted.

He stood there, by the door for a long time, hoping for her to say something.

But she averted her gaze... as if she could not bear to look at him.

After a few minutes, Ella climbed on the bed and buried herself in the blankets.

No words were exchanged and no interactions happened.

And this cold war persisted through the next morning and afternoon.

Whenever Adrian looked for Ella, she found an excuse to shrug him off.

Despite being in the same place, their paths did not seem to cross at all.

"Mother... what’s going on?" Rin whispered blankly.

"Shh... Don’t you know what day it is?" Bertha looked around before she spoke, "No matter what, don’t offend Second Master today..."

On this particular day, all the servants in the mansion seemed to be extra wary of Adrian.

So, the servants and even Ji Yan stayed at a little distance, acting like they were deaf and blind.

Later that evening, inside the private room of a lively nightclub.

"So... she started avoiding you right after you returned from the business trip?" Kade stroked his chin.

He sneakily shooed away the ladies hovering nearby, giving them lingering pecks that made them blush.

Ronan eyed him in disgust.

Uncaring of his look, Kade continued, "And she is still ignoring you...?"

Everytime Kade uttered the term ’ignore’, the atmosphere in the private room became heavier.

However, Kade seemed to not notice it, "So, brother, if you sum it up, how many days has she been ignoring you for..."

"Third Young Master!" Ronan cut him off, an edge of frustration evident in his tone.

"Huh?" Kade blinked innocently.

"Now that you know the problem, shouldn’t you give solutions?" Ronan forced a smile, "After all, you are the most experienced with women out of the three of us."

Adrian sat on the throne chair, half enshrouded in darkness. In his hand, he held a glass of wine.

One could not see his expression or predict his mood. But the air around him was faintly ominous. As if at any moment, something might go wrong.

Kade scratched the back of his neck, "I am not experienced in relationships..."

"Third Young Master, think of it wisely," Ronan cut the man off with a calm smile, "If you solve Ace’s problem this time, then he is going to retract your punishment. You no longer need to get in Top 10 to have your money back."

Kade’s eyes sparkled the same shade of golden as his hair. He straightened up in his seat, "So, our focus at this moment is..."

"Ella resumes her usual interaction with Ace," Ronan said calmly.

Equations floated in the air as both Ronan and Kade turned silent, calculating the ’whys and hows’ of the entire situation.

During this time, Adrian remained silent. He sat there like the untouched god of darkness, not saying a single word.

10 minutes later, Kade slammed a hand on the arm of the couch, "I got it!"

Ronan arched a brow.

"Brother, if I was your wife, I would avoid you too..." Kade continued.

The temperature in the room dropped.

Ronan’s lips twitched as he closed his eyes, awaiting for the death sentence to land.

But then, they heard Kade speaking, "You disappeared for business purposes without telling her, you ghosted her for a while..."

"Ghosted?" Adrian’s deep voice crept in the room, like a half-awakened beast’s groan.

"Ah, I mean you did not see her texts and respond to them... And then," Kade shook his head, "After you came back, you did not bother explaining."

"That’s how it has always been," Adrian said, his voice cold.

Kade clicked his tongue, "That’s where you are wrong, brother. It has always been like that because she did not care about you. But now..."

Kade pointed a finger at Adrian who was seated in the darkness, "You are the apple of Ella’s eyes."

Suddenly, a few spring flowers tumbled off from the frozen lake.

"She cares for you now," Kade continued.

A few more spring flowers floated in the air, surrounding both the men.

Seeing that there was hope, Ronan asked, "What do you suggest then?"

"A proper apology, an explanation..." Kade raised a third finger, "Also get her some present."

"That’s all?" Ronan asked.

"Of course, women don’t need grand gestures of affection to appreciate a man!" Kade shrugged.

Ronan squinted, "Is this how you make women fall for you..." There was an edge to his voice.

"What do you mean? I don’t need to do all this..."

While the two bantered, the man sitting on the throne chair finally stood up. And then he walked past them.

Looking at his retreating back, Ronan sighed, "Ella must his nemesis in their previous lives. Out of all the days, she had to chose this day to mess with him..."

Kade turned to him.

Both the men saw the identical concern in each other’s eyes and heaved a soft sigh.