Chapter 93

"I was the one who handled the rumors online for you, Ms. Harris," Elias said, his voice cool and composed.

Wilbur stared in disbelief, nearly gaping. Just a little while ago, Elias had insisted that he'd never breathe a word to Emilia-he even acted irritated by the idea.

Now, here he was, owning up to it without a hint of hesitation. So much for never going back on his word!Was Elias actually trying to score points with her?

He could only mock Elias in his head, unwilling to say anything out loud and risk getting on Elias's badside.

A hint of surprise flickered in Emilia's eyes. "So it was you."

"Who else did you expect?" Elias replied, brows drawing together ever so slightly as he pinned her with a sharp, searching look.

"I didn't really have a guess," Emilia answered with a gentle smile."I just knew someone was looking out for me, but I had no idea who it was."

Of course, Emilia kept her real thoughts to herself. There was no way she'd confess that she'd first suspected Oliver, especially since she'd once saved his daughter-that had seemed the logical guess.

"Now that you know the truth." Elias's words cut through the air, colder and sharper than before, his presence almost overwhelming.

"Yeah. I appreciate what you did, Mr. Dixon. Thank you," Emilia replied, her voice earnest.

Elias arched an eyebrow, clear disappointment flickering across his face. "That's it?"

A hush settled between them as Emilia hesitated, glancing at Wilbur before returning her gaze to Elias.

Was he hinting that she owed him more-maybe even that rare Asclepius treatment?

When the silence stretched too long, Elias finally spoke, impatience creeping into his tone. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

He hardly recognized himself-he had never wanted something so openly before.

"Oh!" A look of surprise flashed across Emilia's face as the realization hit her. A little flustered, she tried to recover her composure.

With an apologetic smile, she motioned toward the door. "Come on in, both of you."

Wilbur didn't waste a second, steering Elias's wheelchair forward, a faint grin tugging at his mouth.

Was this really the same Elias he'd always known? The man he remembered would never have claimed credit out loud, much less pushed for an invitation like this.

Wilbur never would have imagined witnessing something like this. If anyone had described Elias's behavior today, he'd have dismissed it as fantasy.

Yet, here it was, unfolding right in front of him. Suddenly, anything seemed possible. Elias was different now -breaking away from the man he used to be.

...

The sound of the door swinging open drew Sloane into the hallway. She stopped short when she saw Emilia had brought the two men with her.

Surprise flickered in Sloane's eyes. Why were the two here?

Casting a quick, questioning glance at Emilia, Sloane silently asked for an explanation.

"Mr.Dixon took care of the rumors online, so I thought I'd invite them up for some coffee." Emilia flashed her a reassuring smile.

Understanding dawned on Sloane's face and she offered a more genuine welcome. "Thank you both for stepping in and sorting things out. We really appreciate it."

Elias's jaw set a little tighter, his entire presence turning ice-cold. He was the one who'd dealt with everything, not Wilbur. Annoyance flashed in his eyes as his brow creased, barely hiding his irritation. Sloane, meanwhile,was too caught up with Emilia to notice the cold creeping into Elias's expression.

"Emilia." With an easy grin, she slipped an arm around Emilia's shoulders and gave her a playful wink. "You know, Edwin volunteered to make dinner tonight. All we have to do is sit back and wait. I'm curious to see what he'll whip up."

Watching Edwin out of the corner of her eye, Sloane felt a growing sense of approval. He seemed genuinely thoughtful, and the more she saw, the more she liked the idea of him.

If Emilia ended up falling for him, she would give her blessing without a second thought.