Chapter 121: Bothered by the Exchange

Emerald’s POV

"Did you have a good night’s rest?" I asked Adrian.

He gave a small laugh.

"I drank quite a bit last night, so I woke up with a bit of a migraine. Most of it is probably from the accumulated stress I’ve been carrying from work."

Then he picked up his coffee and took a sip. "That is actually one of the reasons I came to Boston. I needed a few days away from work to rest."

I almost laughed. This is a very strange way to rest.

He had apparently come to Boston to get away from work, then spent his first night drinking at a club until the early hours of the morning.

I kept the thought to myself.

Adrian’s gaze moved across the breakfast spread, and I watched his expression change as he took in everything Michael had prepared.

He stared at the dishes for a few seconds before turning his attention toward Michael, who was approaching with his coffee.

Michael placed the cup in front of him.

Adrian looked at the food again. "Did you make all of this?"

"Yes."

Adrian stared at him. "You never made me anything like this the last time I stayed here."

Michael took his seat. "I didn’t have a reason to."

Adrian clicked his tongue. "What do you mean you didn’t have a reason to? I’m your best friend."

Michael calmly picked up his fork. "So?"

"So you could have at least made breakfast for me."

"You came here to stay, not to be fed."

I covered my smile with my glass.

Adrian looked genuinely offended. "It is unfair to treat your best friend this way."

"You are actually very lucky to be getting fed." Michael glanced at him. "You should be grateful."

Adrian clicked his tongue again and turned toward me. "See how evil friends can be?"

I was about to respond when Michael spoke. "Stop talking, or I will send the food back to the kitchen."

Adrian immediately raised both hands. "All right. I apologise."

He reached for his coffee, took a long drink, and then finally began eating.

I had to look down at my plate to hide my smile.

Watching the two of them bicker was unexpectedly entertaining. They seemed completely comfortable with each other, and their familiarity was obvious in the way neither of them took the other’s words seriously.

We ate for a few minutes without much conversation. Then Adrian turned his attention toward me.

"How is your friend?"

I looked up. "Laura?"

"Yes. It’s been a while since I’ve heard from her."

I nodded. "She’s doing well."

He took another bite before asking, "Are you aware that she wants to switch to my company?"

"Yes." I smiled. "She told a mutual friend and me about it before she came to speak with you at my late cousin’s wedding."

"Your friend seemed quite interested," he said.

"She really is. She has always admired what your company has built, and when she saw you at the wedding, she decided she should introduce herself instead of simply thinking about it."

I paused briefly before continuing.

"Actually, that was how I found out you were Michael’s friend. Laura recognised you first and told us who you were. She went over to speak with you, and when she came back, she was very excited about the conversation."

Adrian smiled. "I remember."

I nodded. "I also remembered this morning that she told us she was going to call you the next day. I realised I never asked her whether she actually did."

Adrian gave a small smile. "She did."

I looked at him with interest. "She did?"

"Yes."

That made me smile. "Then I suppose I really was the one who forgot to ask."

He nodded. "She was serious about the opportunity."

I was glad to hear that. Before I could say anything else, Adrian’s expression became more subdued.

"I should also offer you my condolences, Emerald. I’m sorry about Vera."

The smile disappeared from my face, replaced by a softer expression. "Thank you."

I appreciated the gesture. Even though Adrian might not have been close to Vera, he had attended her wedding, and his words were sincere.

He took another sip of coffee before continuing.

"Laura is a great asset. She has potential, and with the right direction, I believe she can make it onto the A-list within two years if she follows a normal pace."

I felt pleased on Laura’s behalf. Laura was going to love hearing that.

I did not know enough about the entertainment industry to judge how realistic his assessment was, but I trusted Adrian’s judgment.

Perhaps that trust came from Michael.

I had spent the past few months around Michael and seen enough of his business ethics, character, discipline, and how he handled people and responsibilities to form my own opinion of him. I trusted his judgment, and Adrian was his best friend.

It seemed reasonable to me that the people Michael chose to keep close would share some of the qualities I admired in him.

I was pulled from my thoughts when Adrian spoke again.

"Has Laura’s contract with her current company expired?"

I shook my head. "Unfortunately, I don’t know."

I thought about it, then quickly added, "I know she was waiting for her contract to expire before making the move, but I don’t know the exact date."

"Then please, ask her."

"I will."

Adrian nodded. "Tell her that if she’s serious about joining under my umbrella, she should contact me next Friday."

I smiled. "I will tell her." I picked up my glass. "Thank you. I’ll thank you on her behalf."

"She can thank me herself when she calls."

I smiled again. "I think she will."

I was already imagining Laura’s reaction when I told her.

She had been excited enough after their first conversation. Hearing that Adrian believed she had the potential to reach the A-list within two years would probably make her even more determined.

I took another bite of breakfast, already looking forward to calling her.

"Are you very close to Elias Roth?" Michael suddenly asked, turning his attention to me.

The question caught me off guard.

I held his gaze for a second before shaking my head. "Not really. He’s my friend, but I don’t know that much about him. Why do you ask?"

Michael kept his expression composed. "I’m just curious. I wanted to know what kind of person he is, and I thought you might be able to tell me."

I considered his question.

I had no reason to hide anything. Elias was my friend, but we had never been close enough for me to know much about his personal life.

Regardless, I decided to speak freely. "Well, he is a womanizer."

Michael’s eyes narrowed slightly. "How do you know that?"

I shrugged. "Sometimes on Mondays, he comes to class in the morning smelling of women’s perfume."

The moment I said it, I noticed the looks Michael and Adrian exchanged.I frowned slightly.

Adrian was the first to speak. "How can you tell?"

"I don’t get it?"

"You’re saying you can smell women’s perfume on him on Monday mornings, but it’s not as though he would wear the same clothes from the weekend to a Monday lecture. Right?"

His question made me pause.

I thought about it. He was right. I had never actually considered that before.

Well, from my observation, Elias has never come to class wearing the same clothes he had worn the previous night.

He would probably shower, change, and prepare himself before coming to school. Yet there had been mornings and afternoons when I could still detect the lingering scent of women’s perfume on him.

I had always assumed my nose was simply sharp.

But how could I possibly smell perfume from the previous night after he had showered and changed?

I frowned. I had never questioned it before.

Michael’s voice pulled me away from the thought. "What else have you noticed?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

I was about to continue eating when another memory came back to me. There was something else.

I had noticed another scent on Elias from time to time. It was not the same as the women perfume, and I had never been able to identify it.

I hesitated.

I did not think it was particularly important, but since Michael had asked, I decided to mention it.

"Actually, there is something else."

Both men looked at me.

"Sometimes I notice a strange scent on him."

Adrian’s expression changed slightly. "What kind of scent?"

I thought about it carefully.

I had never found it unpleasant enough to describe as bad. It was simply different. Strange enough that I noticed it whenever it appeared, but not familiar enough for me to identify.

"I don’t know how to explain it."

I searched for the right words.

"It isn’t awful under normal circumstances. It just feels very odd to me. I can’t really place what it smells like."

Adrian was quiet. I looked at him, then at Michael. They exchanged another glance.

I frowned. Something about that exchange bothered me.

I had no idea why they were looking at each other like that, and neither of them seemed interested in explaining it.

I looked between them again. "What?"