He Secretly Used Our Down Payment to Buy Her a Luxury Bag Chapter 09

He Secretly Used Our Down Payment to Buy Her a Luxury Bag Chapter 09

The consulting fee was money well spent.

Within a few days, I had mapped out the basic process of opening the shop.

Meanwhile, Elliot had to fly back home on urgent company business.

I breathed a sigh of relief and hoped he would stay busy enough never to come back.

That relief did not last long, because Evan started pursuing me.

I hated being harsh with people unless I had no other choice. But after I turned Evan down gently twice and he still showed no sign of giving up, I had no choice but to ask him to meet me so I could

make myself completely clear.

“Is this because of Mr. Ashford?” Evan looked at me sadly. “I can tell there’s something unusual

between you two.”

He was undeniably handsome, with golden curls and a strikingly pretty, boyish face.

I wasn’t immune to a pretty face. Looking at him, I could not bring myself to be unnecessarily cruel.

I sighed and told him the truth. “He’s my ex-boyfriend.”

Understanding flashed in Evan’s eyes. “Do you still have feelings for him?”

I shook my head.

Hope immediately lit his face. “Then I-”

I cut him off. “Evan, don’t waste your time on me. Right now, I want nothing to do with love. I don’t even trust men anymore, so there can never be anything between us.”

Evan’s smile froze.

He lowered his head. After a long silence, he gave me a bitter smile. “Okay. I understand.”

I smiled gently. “We can still be friends.”

Evan nodded. “As a friend, can I at least have a consolation hug?”

I hesitated briefly, then agreed.

Evan wrapped his arms around me lightly. “Thank you.”

I had just raised a hand to pat his shoulder when he was suddenly ripped away from me.

He staggered into the corner of a nearby table, and the pain drained the color from his face.

I hurried over to steady him. “Are you okay?”

Evan nodded.

I spun around and glared at Elliot. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Elliot said nothing.

His face was taut as he stepped forward, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me out of the coffee shop

Evan tried to stop him, but the pain left him unable to move.

I shook my head at him, signaling him not to interfere.

A bitter wind tore past us outside.

I struggled with all my strength, but Elliot’s grip was terrifyingly strong, as though he meant to

crush the bones in my wrist.

“Elliot, you’re hurting me!”

He stopped abruptly and released me on instinct. “Are you okay-”

I slapped him across the face.

His head snapped to the side, and his cheek quickly turned red.

When he looked back at me, his eyes held an unbearable mixture of pain and grief.

Slowly, tears spilled from them.

“Why?”

“Stella, I’ve done everything I can to make this up to you. Why can’t you give me one chance?”

“Why do you have to fall for someone else?”

“Why can’t you look at me again?”

I stared at Elliot as he came close to breaking down.

He looked as though he might shatter before my eyes, but I felt no pity.

“Elliot.”

“There is no why. Some mistakes can never be made right unless you can turn back time.”

“This is the first and last time I’m going to say this to you.”

“We broke up.”

Elliot stared at me blankly.

After a long silence, his expression twisted into something between laughter and tears.

“Stella, is your heart made of stone?”

Maybe it was.

But when you’re born into a cesspool, you have to make yourself as hard as stone just to survive.

Elliot disappeared for several days.

During that time, I chose a location for the shop and began preparing for renovations.

By the time he appeared again, I had already been working all morning. My empty stomach was cramping, and I was about to walk to a convenience store for something to eat when Elliot handed me a breakfast sandwich and a cup of cinnamon oatmeal.

“It’s from a little café run by a couple from back home. I tried it, and the food is really good. You-”

I took the food before he could finish. “Thank you.”

Elliot froze for a second.

Then hope flickered in his eyes, and he asked cautiously, “I’m sorry, Stella. I lost control that day and said things I shouldn’t have. Can you forgive me?”