Chapter 51

Hidden behind the pillar, Elias sat in his wheelchair,his face unreadable and cold.

His long fingers curled tightly around the armrests, betraying a rare hint of nerves.

Wilbur's sudden gesture in his direction had caught him off guard, making him instinctively wheel himself back, eyes darting away like a boy caught sneaking sweets before dinner.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so unsettled.

Why had Wilbur given him away like that?

Elias's thoughts raced in a quiet panic, but after a moment, he forced himself to settle down.

By now, Emilia was probably long gone.

Maybe Wilbur had only pointed him out to let her know he was nearby. Did Emilia really leave without even a word to him?

Pushing past his doubts, Elias rolled his chair forward, wanting to see for himself whether she was still there or if she'd already disappeared.

A sudden voice called out from behind. "Mr.Dixon!"

Elias jolted in surprise, his hand slipping as the wheelchair shot forward uncontrollably.

"Oh no!" Wilbur exclaimed, his face drained of color as he saw what was about to happen.

Before he could move, Emilia rushed in. She grabbed the back of the wheelchair and, with a quick twist,brought it to a halt. The abrupt stop sent Elias tumbling straight forward.

Without thinking,Emilia rushed to catch him in her arms, but her balance gave way. Both of them toppled back together, landing on the floor.

Their faces hovered just inches apart, close enough to share the same breath.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze as their eyes locked, the rest of the world fading into silence.

Elias leaned his head back just a touch, his eyes drawn to her red lips. He swallowed hard, the movement of his Adam's apple betraying a sudden tension.

The soft scent of her perfume drifted between them,weaving its way into his thoughts and tugging at something he didn't dare name.

"Mr. Dixon, are you hurt anywhere?" Emilia asked, straightening up, setting him back to the wheelchair and giving him a quick once-over.

"I'm alright," Elias replied,quickly glancing away to mask the flush of embarrassment on his face.

Wilbur hurried over, his relief obvious."Whew!That nearly gave me a heart attack. Glad you're okay. This wheelchair must be on its last legs-definitely time for a new one."

"I'm just relieved you're okay," Emilia said with a faint smile. "Your friend lent me a hand earlier,and now I've returned the favor. That makes us even."

"Right," Elias answered, his gaze dropping to the floor, carefully masking the flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

She was making it clear-she didn't want any deeper connection with him.

Emilia took a small step back. "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll get going."

"Alright," Elias replied, his tone clipped and cool.

Watching in silence as she walked away, Wilbur asked, "Why didn't you just ask her where she stands?"

"If she's made up her mind, she'll let us know,"Elias replied quietly.

"This is soaggravating. If we hadn't wasted time in Ceesall, we might've actually crossed paths with Asclepius."

"You know as welI as I do-Asclepius doesn't show himself to just anyone. Chasing after him is pointless unless he wants to be found.Sometimes you have to let fate do its thing."

"What really ticks me off is getting duped by that faker in Ceesall. We should've taught him a lesson for pretending to be Lord Inferno."

"Just keep searching. Sooner or later, his real trail will show up."

"Yeah. You have my word-I'll do everything possible to track himn down and make sure he pays," Wilbur said, determination etched into his features as he pictured hunting the man down himself.

Meanwhile, Elias's eyes stayed glued to the hallway where Emilia had vanished.

He kept replaying that fleeting moment in his mind-their bodies close, the spark of tension that neither of them dared name.

He'd always hated people invading his space,but when it came to Emilia, he didn't mind at all.

If he was honest with himself, maybe he even craved it.