Chapter 161
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“Eliana, I never told you before, but Ethan and I have actually been together for two years.” Irene said, her voice trembling.
“I know his heart was never really with me, and honestly, I wasn’t that into him either. We were just in it for what we could get from each other, she continued.
“But at least when he’s with me, he shouldn’t be doing this, right?” Irene said.
Her eyes were red as she looked at Eliana. “Eliana, did you see him just now? He was laughing and joking with that woman, and she kept leaning her head on his shoulder. He’s totally two–timing me,” Irene said, her voice shaking with anger.
“Or maybe it’s not just two. Maybe he’s seeing even more girls at the same time,” Irene added bitterly.
With that, Irene grabbed the bottle of wine again and started chugging it.
Eliana watched her, wanting to say something to comfort her, but Irene was already drunk out of her mind and clearly wasn’t listening to a word.
Seeing this, Eliana just stayed quiet and kept her company, letting Irene pour out her feelings.
Honestly, Eliana truly had no clue what was going on between Irene and Ethan.
Not in this life, not even in her last one. She was clueless right up until everything went wrong.
Eliana thought, ‘As far as I could remember, Irene and Ethan never got together for real, so he was never really boyfriend
material.
‘Looks like I need to have a real heart–to–heart with Irene once she sobered up tomorrow.
Thinking about all this, Eliana felt a wave of mixed emotions wash over her.
She thought, ‘With how close we are now, there’s no way Irene would keep it from me if she liked someone.
‘But back then, I was so wrapped up in her mess with Logan that even if Irene had wanted to talk, she probably wouldn’t have had the bandwidth to care.
That’s why it took me two years to even realize Irene had this thing going on with Ethan.’
Watching Irene keep knocking back her drink, Eliana leaned to the side, lost in thought about Ethan.
She thought,‘ He was a self–made powerhouse. Starting from humble beginnings and clawing his way up until Drake Law Firm was one of the country’s leading law firms. That was seriously impressive.
‘Back then, I honestly admired him.
‘But if he really messed with Irene’s feelings like this, then the rose–colored glasses I had for him shattered in a heartbeat.
While Eliana was still zoning out, Irene suddenly yanked her arin. “Hey, what are you daydreaming about? Drink with me?”
Eliana nearly tripped as Irene pulled her down, but she just gave in and settled beside her, resting against Irene’s side. She drank along, listening to Irene rant endlessly about what a jerk Ethan was.
Eliana had already had quite a bit to drink herself, but seeing how wasted Irene was, she didn’t dare let herself get that
drunk.
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Chapter 161
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Feeling herself getting tipsy, Eliana absentmindedly grabbed her phone and, almost on autopilot, called Nathan.
As soon as the call connected, Nathan’s voice came through on the other end.
Miss me, huh?” Nathan teased.
Eliana was feeling pretty tipsy, but hearing Nathan’s voice made her feel warm and safe.
She took a deep breath and softly replied, “Yep, I miss you.”
she blurted it out before she even realized what she was saying.
Even Nathan was momentarily stunned on the other end of the line.
After a brief pause, Nathan asked, “Eliana, where are you? What’s wrong?”
I’m at… At…” Eliana suddenly remembered why she’d called Nathan in the first place. She quickly shook her head, trying to hake off the haze, and said, “I’m at Lakeside Park.”
Have you been drinking?” Nathan’s voice had a hint of annoyance. “Who are you with?”
Eliana was so buzzed she was totally oblivious to the tension in Nathan’s voice. She answered earnestly, “I’m with Irene. She’s eally drunk.”
She’s drunk… And you’re telling me you’re sober?” Nathan said, already striding out the door. “Wait for me there, you hear
ne? Don’t move.”
Okay…” Eliana muttered, her finger hovering over the end call button.
Don’t hang up on me,” Nathan snapped, and Eliana froze, obediently keeping the line open.
He added, “Eliana, I’m coming over right now. Keep talking to me until I get there, alright?”
Alright, promise. I’m not drunk, and I won’t leave,” Eliana replied.
Hearing Eliana’s voice, Nathan finally felt a little more at ease.
But the more Nahtan listened to her slurred words, the more pissed he got. He was so mad he could grind his teeth.
Nathan thought, ‘She was totally smashed, yet still stubbornly claiming she wasn’t drunk!
Thinking about it, Nathan picked up the pace even more.
He’d just finished up with a client and wasn’t far away, so he sped over and got there in no time.
He jumped out of his car and rushed into Lakeside Park, calling out Eliana’s name.
In the darkness, his voice cut through the layers of light, and Eliana’s heart gave a little jolt. She quickly stood up and called back, “Nathan, we’re over here”
The moment he heard Eliana’s voice, the knot in Nathan’s chest finally loosened.
He hurried over to Eliana, let out a long breath, and couldn’t help but pull her into his arms.
Eliana was a little slow to react, but she quickly stepped back and looked at Nathan
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1:58 am
Chapter 161
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She said, “I asked you to come help me get Irene home. Remember when you were wasted, and Irene had to drag you back? Well, now it’s your turn to pay her back.”
That’s when Nathan finally noticed Irene, who was totally passed out next to them. A trace of hesitation flashed in his eyes.
Seeing Nathan just standing there, Eliana couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”
“It wouldn’t be right for me to help her directly,” Nathan said seriously. “Take off your coat and cover her up. I’ll call someone to come over.”
Eliana paused for a moment, but just went along with it.
The moment she took off her coat, the cold night air at Lakeside Park made her shiver.
But before she could even react, Nathan wrapped his own jacket around her.
Eliana was about to say something, but seeing he was already on the phone, she just hugged his jacket closer without thinking.
Maybe it was just the booze, but as Eliana stood there looking at Nathan, she thought he was looking extra good tonight.
She kept staring at him, a little smile playing on her lips, totally spaced out and not snapping back to reality for a while.
So when Nathan finished his call and looked over, he caught Eliana staring right at him.
The second their eyes met, Nathan couldn’t help but grin back at her.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
