Heiress in Distress

•Chapter 29: Part 1•

•Word Count: 1,525

•••
Previously on Heiress in Distress:
-Clara got attacked by some strangers and tossed carelessly onto the local park.
-Elias came to their rescue and had his half-sister Juniper take the small family of three into her home for protection and medical care for Clara.
-They've spent a few weeks in that residence and one night, Elias has Mira fighting against his best female fighter, Cordelia, to prove a point.
-Mira still hasn't figured out how she feels for Elias, Aurick is still MIA, and secrets of her past are slowly beginning to uncover.
•••

I figured it's either Elias is schizophrenic, or I'm unable to accurately interpret his behaviour.

Bringing down my cup of coffee after a large gulp that leaves my tongue and throat burning, I swallow once more just because my throat suddenly feels dry.

"I don't know about that," I begin, setting my cup on Clara's bedside table, "I mean, my evening schedule is always packed-" I pause when his eyelids droop on a bored expression, indicating he senses a lie.

"-packed with studying, that is," I say, clarifying what he clearly misunderstood.

He thought I was referring to my evening job at the airline, but I wouldn't dare use that for an excuse; because, for starters, he is practically my boss and he knows I don't have anything bid for me for the next week, and secondly, the whole company, according to him, has the evening off, to attend this event he's currently trying to convince me to join him to.

His mouth forms an 'I don't know' frown, before he shrugs his shoulders. "I was thinking we could take Élise with us, too,"

No. Absolutely, not. Going with him to an event like that, where I'll meet everyone who works at the company, is something, but taking Élise with us, as if we're a happy family of three, is another thing.

Besides, after meeting a few of the members of the airline a while ago during my training, and their asking me about the university I've graduated from, which gave me an insight to the extend of their curiosity, there is no way I'm walking in with the CEO of the airline in front of everyone. And just like that, I know I've made up my mind on the already easy choice.

"Your asking me to join you to this event is... endearing," I say truthfully, shifting my attention away from the intensity of his gaze, "But I don't want my colleagues to think I got the job the way I did-"

"How did you get the job?" He asks, seeming impatient as his jaw locks and a frown mounts his features.

Only yesterday he left without a word, seeming upset with me, and now he's feeling chatty ? I'm not a huge fan of ambivalence, yet Elias tends to keep me suspended in that state forever.

I swallow. "What I mean, is that I didn't even obtain a proper bachelor degree, that admits me to this-"

"You've proven to make an excellent effort in your training and you were given the job through your merit-" He pauses when I shoot him a meaningful look.

He purses his lips, shaking his head, "You're not the first person, by the way. A good number of my employees weren't fortunate enough to study beyond the level of high school, so we offer them a chance to work minor positions at the airline to make a living.
Provided that, they pass their training with excellence, of course," He gestures to me with a flick of his hand, "which you have,"

Still, I missed my first week at work, which was the week Clara was injured and was being kept under Dr Conrad's inspection, and I have no particular explanation for that; for all I know, I should have been fired by now.