Chapter 205
“Oh, sorry!” Ella finally composed herself, a trace of apology in her expression. “Just call me Ella,”
Ella didn’t bother asking how he knew her full name. With her reputation in Ardbert City, it wasn’t surprising. Plus, after saving her, of course he’d know who she was.
Jaden snapped her out of her thoughts. “What’s on your mind? Why were you staring at me like that?”
“I’m just thinking, you’re not as ugly as you seem to think. Why are you so afraid of meeting people?”
Apart from his somewhat unusual eyes, there was nothing off–putting about his appearance. It was just a regular face.
Jaden felt a wave of relief. At least she’s not scared of me, he thought, comforted by the realization.
“Let’s take a picture,” Ella suggested suddenly.
They moved over to the window, and Ella called the
waiter to take a photo. Jaden stood tall, surprised when Ella casually looped her arm through his. His body tensed up, the unexpected closeness making him feel awkward.
“You!” His heart raced, and he struggled to keep the thrill from showing in his
eyes.
“Isn’t that what fathers and daughters do?” Ella said with a soft smile. She knew exactly what he was feeling–this man had lost his daughter and gone through a tough divorce.
She knew that kind of pain. Ella had lost her parents, and she often wished she could find someone who reminded her of them, just to feel that connection again. Taking a photo th them would’ve been nice
But her parents had passed away so long ago, her memories
them had started to fade. Even when she looked at their photos now, the images in
her mind were hazy. All that was left was a sense of regret and longing.
Ella beamed at the camera, trying to push those thoughts aside. The photo was taken quickly. “Send it to me!” the man asked.
As Ella sent the picture, she turned to him. “By the way, I didn’t get your name.”
“Griffin. Viper Griffin. Yeah, like the snake.”
“Viper?” Ella gave a slight chuckle at the unusual name, but she let it go. “Alright, I’ll call you Mr. Griffin then.”
“Sounds good,” Jaden replied, though a deep sadness settled in his chest.
He was glad she didn’t recognize him, relieved to be in front of her with a different identity, just to talk to her and see her smile.
But now, he was just an elder, a stranger in her eyes. Still, it was more than enough. He didn’t dare ask for more; this was already more than he’d hoped for in the past three years.
Sometimes, one has to be satisfied with what they get.
“Mr. Griffin, where are you from?” Ella asked, curious.
“Skylark,” he replied.
“So, what brings you to Ardbert City?”
“Business. I’m always on the move, never really sure where I’ll end up next.”
“Are you planning to come back to Ardbert City? You’ve saved me twice, and I’d love to thank you with a meal. And since you’re not from here, there must be a ton of places you haven’t seen yet. I could show you around,” Ella suggested, her tone warm and inviting.
For some reason, she felt a connection to Viper and wanted to spend more time with him.
Jaden wanted to refuse. The more they interacted, the more he’d want her. He was also terrified that the more time they spent together, the more likely he’d slip up, and she’d end up hating him even more.
But as Jaden was about to turn her down, he caught sight of her bright smile and, almost without thinking, nodded.
“Alright, give me a call when you’re back in Ardbert City, and we’ll figure something out,” Ella added.
“Okay.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he tried to steady his voice.
“The party’s still going on, and I should head back. Since it’s all undercover, I can’t give it away. I won’t eat or drink anything, so I should be alright,” Ella said.
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Chapter 205
“Just be careful.”
“I will. Goodbye, Mr. Griffin!” Ella waved and headed out.
She left the suite, deliberately avoiding the pool area, and made her way back to the front hall.
Serena tried to get her to drink, but Ella politely declined, claiming she had a stomachache and needed to use the restroom. Instead, she slipped away to call Jenny.
Jenny arrived quickly, and the two of them stuck together for the rest of the night, not giving anyone a chance to pull anything. They made it through the party without incident.
After the event ended, Ella finally got into her car and let out a long sigh of relief.
“I want to meet this Mr. Griffin you were talking about,” Jenny said. “I bet he’s got that deep, mysterious vibe, like he’s full of stories. At his age, he’s probably got this mature, steady thing going on.”
“Yeah, he does seem like someone with a story to tell,” Ella agreed, “but there’s also something sad about him.”
“Well, of course. It’s got to be lonely living like that.”
“Honestly, he felt familiar, like we just clicked right away, like I’ve known him for a long time.”
“Maybe your tastes are changing,” Jenny teased. “You’re moving on from young and handsome to the more mature type?”
Ella rolled her eyes at Jenny’s comment.
Jenny added with a grin, “Or maybe you’re just trying to move past your old emotional baggage and find a father figure for Evvo?”
Ella shook her head. “I’m not falling in love. I just want to focus on making money.”
“If Jaden knew you were staying single for him, he’d be thrilled,” Jenny teased.
“He won’t know,” Ella said quietly, her lashes fluttering as she hid her feelings.
Ella spent a couple more days abroad with her son before heading back home. Evvo was upset to part with her.
“Mommy, when can I come back?” he asked, his voice full of longing.
Ella felt her heart ache. At first, she’d been wary of Jaden, and then Evvo stayed abroad because his health needed regular medication. It was easier to manage that from there.
Now that Evvo was getting better and didn’t need the meds anymore, she wondered if the real reason was partly because of Jaden.
“How about this, Evvo? I’ll bring you back in six months,” she said, trying to coax him with a reassuring smile.
“Really? Promise me, Mom. You have to pinky swear.” They linked pinkies, making a promise and holding on to each other for what felt like
forever.
“You’re really going to bring Evvo back?” Jenny asked.
“Yes, I can’t keep running around like this and be away from Evvo. He looks younger than a typical three–year–old, so when he’s added to my household register, we can list him as about two. That way, Jaden won’t get suspicious.”
“That’s a smart move. I’ll stay with Evvo then,” Jenny agreed.
“Thanks. I’d really appreciate if you could stay for another six months until he’s off his medication.”
“No problem.”
Ella said her goodbyes, and Evvo was reluctant to see her go. Ella was just as reluctant to part with him, knowing it would be another six months before she could be with him every day.
Back in Ardbert City, Ella found herself thinking about Viper. She did a quick search online but couldn’t find any information about him. “Viper… What a strange name. I wonder if it has any special meaning?”
What Ella didn’t realize was that the name “Viper” carried a deeper significance. In various myths and cultures, snakes and vipers often symbolize isolation or danger, representing internal or external struggles.
This echoed Jaden’s own loneliness, a sense that had lasted for years.
Ella made a call, her thoughts still on Viper.
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10:15 AM
Chapter 205
Meanwhile, Jaden had returned to Ardbert City a few days earlier and was anxiously watching his phone.
When he saw the number he’d memorized, his heart skipped a beat, almost feeling like it was about to leap out of his chest.
Jaden took a few deep breaths before answering the call. Ella was about to hang up, thinking no one was picking up, when a voice finally came through.
“Mr. Griffin?” Ella asked.
“Yes, speaking,” the voice replied.
“Are you in Ardbert City?” she asked again.
“I’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Great, then I’ll take you out for dinner tomorrow night. You’re free, right?”
“Yes, I am.” Jaden was careful not to say too much, trying to contain his excitement.
Ella gave him the restaurant details and time before ending the call.
Jaden immediately called Hank to arrange for some new clothes to be delivered.
It had been three years since Jaden had been this energized, and Hank knew it was clear that Ella was the reason.
Jaden was so excited he barely slept, his mind racing with thoughts about the dinner.
The next morning, when the family doctor came by to check his blood pressure, it took several tries to get a normal reading.
The young female doctor couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Watson, did something good happen to you?”
Jaden’s joy was practically glowing, making it impossible to hide.
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