Free Web NovelChapter 134: Chapter 130: These Are Just the Ones She Knows Of
The shade of midnight blue was so dark it was almost black, giving him an even sharper, more imposing air.
Elliot Sheridan was a natural-born leader.
Capable and successful, he was feared by nearly everyone in Portmire. They all treated him with the utmost respect whenever they saw him.
The moment this aloof, unattainable man appeared, he instantly captured the attention of everyone in the room.
As the man across the room swept a cold, sharp gaze in her direction, Georgia Thorne’s heart immediately began to pound shamefully fast.
Amanda Thorne was standing with Georgia Thorne, and she thought Elliot Sheridan’s gaze was meant for her.
Overjoyed, she started toward him. Just as she was about to call his name, the second syllable still caught in her throat, Elliot Sheridan’s icy gaze swept over her.
A cold shiver ran through Amanda Thorne, the chill creeping up from the soles of her feet.
In the three years she had been pursuing Elliot Sheridan, she had rarely seen him this furious.
She could only watch as Elliot Sheridan walked toward the center of the hall, right where Georgia Thorne was standing.
It wasn’t just Amanda Thorne who thought Elliot Sheridan was heading for Georgia Thorne; Georgia herself believed it too.
She looked up at Elliot Sheridan, her large, innocent eyes shimmering.
The hand at her side clenched into a fist, and she felt goosebumps rise all over her skin. ’He’s not going to drag me out of here, is he?’ freēwēbnovel.com
’If he does, everyone will find out about our relationship!’
But just as Georgia Thorne’s thoughts were running wild, the man’s shoulder brushed past her as he continued straight ahead.
The acrid scent of smoke washed over her, clinging to her.
Georgia Thorne turned around numbly, watching Elliot Sheridan’s retreating back.
Nathan Rhodes was standing behind her, a wide smile on his face as he looked at the man. "Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?"
Elliot Sheridan grunted in acknowledgment. "I had business nearby, so I decided to drop in."
It wasn’t just Georgia; nearly everyone’s eyes were fixed on Elliot Sheridan and Nathan Rhodes.
They were all deeply suspicious that there was some kind of complicated relationship between the two.
Nathan Rhodes was no ordinary person; he was the chief designer for Yuanyang, a high-profile figure. He and Elliot Sheridan made a good-looking pair.
Elliot Sheridan was conversing with Nathan Rhodes, and he didn’t spare Georgia Thorne a single glance the entire time.
Georgia Thorne stood frozen, staring blankly at the two of them.
There were so many people here. She knew she should get her emotions under control, but she just couldn’t.
Her expression soured, her mind a complete blank as she watched them converse. ’The way Elliot looked at me just now... it was like he was looking at a complete stranger.’
A bitter feeling welled up inside her as she watched Elliot Sheridan give Nathan Rhodes a gentle smile. She was intensely jealous.
When this man looked at you, it felt like spring had bloomed, like you were his entire world. But when he didn’t look at you, everything was just gray and lifeless.
Georgia Thorne had never believed in such things before, but now, the sentiment resonated deep within her.
’So it’s all true!’
Amanda Thorne stood beside Georgia, grinding her teeth, looking as if she wanted nothing more than to storm over and pull the two men apart.
She muttered that it was no wonder Nathan Rhodes had refused to design clothes for her before; turns out he wanted to hook Elliot Sheridan for himself.
Amanda Thorne’s eyes were red with jealousy. Georgia Thorne watched her, then lowered her own gaze. ’Am I just like Amanda now?’ she wondered. ’Does my face look just as hideous with jealousy for Nathan Rhodes?’
"I heard a long time ago that Nathan Rhodes was no good. Yuanyang is such a powerful company, how could they let him become the chief designer? He must have hooked up with Elliot Sheridan ages ago and begged for his help!"
Elliot Sheridan and Nathan Rhodes had been the subject of gossip for years.
Back then, Georgia Thorne hadn’t known Elliot Sheridan, so she was unaware of their past.
Amanda Thorne had set her sights on Elliot Sheridan long ago. She knew every detail about every woman who came and went from his side.
"That Nathan Rhodes has a mediocre family background. He must have gotten involved with Elliot Sheridan before he was famous. How else could he have been fast-tracked to Yuanyang right after graduation?"
"He’s had a smooth ride all these years, even becoming the chief designer."
Georgia Thorne’s head was BUZZING. She looked back at the two men, a knot of complicated emotions tightening in her chest.
It was anger, but more than that, it was sadness.
What Amanda Thorne said was just speculation, but she delivered it with such conviction that Georgia Thorne started to believe it was true.
’Elliot and Nathan had a relationship in the past,’ she thought, ’and maybe they’re still keeping it up.’
A sudden feeling of powerlessness washed over her. ’Just how many women has Elliot Sheridan had in his past?’
’Amanda Thorne, Joanne Donovan, Nathan Rhodes... those are just the ones I know about. How many more are there that I don’t?’
Claiming she felt unwell, Georgia Thorne turned and walked out of the hall alone in her high heels.
Little did she know, a pair of deep, furious eyes followed her figure until she disappeared through the entrance of the hall.
"Elliot? Elliot!" Nathan Rhodes’s clear voice called his name.
Elliot Sheridan pulled his gaze back, his eyes darkening as he looked at Nathan, who remarked, "You’re acting a bit strange today. You never lose focus!"
Even when he was distracted, he was always so good at hiding it that no one could ever tell.
Elliot Sheridan didn’t respond. "Where’s Joanne Donovan?"
"I don’t know," Nathan Rhodes said with a frown.
’Joanne Donovan left about an hour ago, didn’t she?’
"I’m tired. I’m leaving."
"Leaving already? You came all this way, you could at least say happy birthday!"
"No need," Elliot Sheridan’s voice was frigid.
Only then did Nathan Rhodes notice the exhaustion etched onto his handsome face.
He didn’t try to stop him, just letting him leave.
Elliot Sheridan was like a tornado, arriving and departing with abrupt haste.
His arrival brought chaos; his departure took the hearts of many young women with him.
Amanda Thorne tried to follow him, but her path was blocked by a young playboy trying to chat her up.
By the time she brushed off the playboy, Elliot Sheridan was already gone.
Amanda Thorne chased after him, only to find the area outside empty. She stomped her foot in frustration.
’Damn it! I missed such a perfect opportunity!’
After Elliot Sheridan’s departure, the birthday party continued.
No one noticed that the guest of honor had disappeared. Everyone was busy mingling, treating the birthday celebration more like a networking event.
It wasn’t until nearly dawn that Joanne Donovan, the woman of the hour, finally made her fashionably late appearance. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
She had changed into a white evening gown, and no one seemed to notice anything amiss.
She made a birthday wish, blew out the candles, and the cake was cut and served.
Nathan Rhodes stood behind Joanne Donovan and said softly, "Elliot Sheridan was here."
"What did you say?" Joanne Donovan stared at him in astonishment, her heart lurching. "Didn’t he say he wasn’t coming?"
"But he came anyway. If you don’t believe me, you can ask around. Practically everyone saw him."
The blush on her cheeks instantly drained away, leaving her face exceptionally pale. After a long moment, she found her voice and asked, trembling, "Where is he?"
Her beautiful eyes subconsciously scanned the hall, but it was empty. She couldn’t find any sign of him.
Nathan Rhodes, holding his glass, assumed she was disappointed. "He left when he didn’t see you."
Her fingers clenched. ’Elliot Sheridan... What on earth is he trying to do?’
Amanda Thorne stood not far off. Seeing the two of them and Joanne Donovan’s pale face, she let out a cold, mocking sneer.
’That stupid woman probably still has no idea the man right beside her has already snagged Elliot,’ she thought.
Joanne Donovan felt a flutter of panic. Why had Elliot Sheridan come, and why had he left?
Her gaze swept over to Zane Lennox, who was standing among a group of men.
Though both were men, Elliot Sheridan was far more outstanding, more mature, and more captivating than Zane Lennox.
She silently tightened her grip on the stem of her wine glass, her knuckles turning white.
’Zane Lennox is just a bit of fun,’ she thought, ’but Elliot Sheridan is the real prize.’
Zane Lennox and Joanne Donovan had come out one after the other.
As soon as Zane came out, he started searching everywhere for Georgia Thorne. When he didn’t see that beautiful splash of blue, his mood soured instantly.
After excusing himself from the men he was with, he walked to a quiet corner and called Georgia Thorne.
The call went straight to a message saying her phone was off. He gripped his phone tightly in his palm, furious.
’She’s not taking my calls?’
Georgia Thorne swayed back to her room. The image of Zane Lennox and Joanne Donovan tangled together flashed through her mind. She shook her head to clear it and picked up her phone.
It wouldn’t turn on. She’d forgotten that she hadn’t had a chance to charge it yet.
Just as she plugged it in, the black screen lit up with a red battery icon, showing that it was charging.
She set the phone down and heard a brief KNOCK at the door.
’That was fast. Is he already done with Joanne Donovan?’
Georgia Thorne furrowed her delicate brows. She sat for a few seconds as the knocking grew louder and more insistent.
’Fine! I’ll just lay it all out for him. We’ll see if he still dares to talk about getting engaged after this!’
Georgia Thorne ran to open the door. "Zane, you..."
The words died in her throat. She froze, staring at the man before her, who wore a dark, menacing smile.
"What are you doing here?"
Elliot Sheridan was a full head taller than Georgia Thorne, and his large frame cast a shadow that completely enveloped her.
"What, were you expecting that punk Zane Lennox?" Elliot Sheridan said ominously. "Or maybe... Justin Sullivan?"
His sharp, ice-cold eyes looked as if they were going to devour Georgia Thorne whole.
Georgia Thorne had never seen Elliot Sheridan so furious. Her hand on the doorknob tightened as she spoke weakly.
"No, it’s not like that."
’Not like what? That she ran off behind his back to get a room this far away?’
’He hadn’t believed it. He’d come over himself, only to find her in Zane Lennox’s room. So what did she mean, ’not like that’?!’
’The first name out of her mouth was even Zane Lennox!’
In that moment, Elliot Sheridan truly wanted to strangle Georgia Thorne.
Afterward, Georgia Thorne curled into a ball in a corner of the bed, wrapping the blanket tightly around herself.
She made no sound. Closing her eyes, she just felt utterly exhausted.
The acrid smell of tobacco filled her nostrils.
A moment later, she felt the mattress shift and assumed he was leaving.
But then she heard a CLICK as the lights were turned off, plunging the room into total darkness.
The next second, Elliot Sheridan’s body pressed close, pulling her, blanket and all, into his arms.
Georgia Thorne didn’t move. The physical exhaustion lingered. She buried her face in the covers, not wanting to smell his scent on her.
But she forgot that after what they’d just done, her own body was already saturated with his scent.
Her head throbbed faintly. Being held so tenderly by him only made the bitter ache in her heart even worse.
