He Waited She Wilted (Ottilie and Yorath) novel Chapter 90

The elevator continued its steady descent.

Ottilie’s heart sank right along with it.

Her eyelids twitched violently. Something terrible was about to happen.

It felt like an entire century passed, yet also just the blink of an eye, before the soft chime sounded and the doors slid open.

Yorath stepped out first.

Ottilie followed, her vision completely consumed by the sheer width of his imposing back.

As they exited the lobby, she saw a massive fleet of luxury cars parked directly outside the building.

They were parked so brazenly they blocked half the street.

The convoy of high-end vehicles was already drawing nervous stares from passing pedestrians.

Soren stood at the end of the walkway, holding the car door open, waiting with absolute deference.

Yorath stopped by the door, turned, and offered his hand to help Ottilie inside.

Only after she was seated did Yorath walk around and get in from the other side.

A female driver sat in the front seat. She was dressed in sharp corporate attire from head to toe.

Her dark hair was tightly coiled up, and she wore a discrete earpiece. She kept her presence so heavily suppressed it was almost impossible to notice she was there.

The engine remained off. Slowly, the window next to Ottilie rolled down halfway.

Soren stood outside the window, bowing slightly, offering Ottilie a perfectly polite smile.

"In 2015, during the property buyout of Mr. Walden's family home, they handed the property appraiser a fifty-thousand-dollar bribe. He padded their square footage, securing them an extra six hundred thousand in payout."

"In 2020, upon graduating from university, Mr. Walden's family paid exactly one hundred thousand to board members to secure his current teaching position."

"In 2023, Mr. Walden's sister required a heart transplant. They gave the lead surgeon a hundred-thousand-dollar bribe. Miraculously, she moved to the top of the donor list and found a match within a week."

"Ms. Sewell, if these facts were leaked to the public, the worst Mr. Walden would face is suspension. However, once the authorities start formally investigating the officials and doctors who accepted those bribes... things will get extremely complicated. And whether those powerful people will let Mr. Walden's family walk away unscathed is an entirely different story."

The window slowly rolled back up.

Ottilie turned to Yorath. "Yves and I are just friends."

Yorath stared straight ahead, completely ignoring her.

Ottilie pulled out her phone and dialed Yves's number.

The car finally started moving.

Streetlights flashed across the glass, illuminating her face in the amber glow. She looked like a fragile rose, ready to be ripped apart by the next gust of wind.

This was Yorath Fordham. Once he demanded an outcome, it didn't matter if she agreed or not. The result would always be exactly what he wanted.

Back at the Meridian Villa.

Yorath summoned the female driver to stand in front of Ottilie.

"This is Yvonne Quinn, Tanya's daughter. From now on, she will personally serve you here at the house."

Yvonne gave Ottilie a deep, perfectly respectful bow. Without wasting a single word, she turned and stepped back.

"Thank you, Yorath," Ottilie said hollowly.

"The celebration party for Echoes of Antiquity is tomorrow night. The press will be swarming the venue. It’s your first official public appearance since your comeback. Prepare yourself thoroughly."

With that, Yorath went upstairs, completely dropping the issue of the unsigned contract.

Ottilie sat alone in the massive living room for several minutes.

Yvonne emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming bowl. She bowed respectfully, offering Ottilie the restorative health broth with both hands.