The Rose He Showed Off Is Putting Down Roots in a Garden of Her Own novel Chapter 159

"Thank you. If I really need to, I'll let you know," Elara replied smoothly.

It was just a polite corporate brush-off. In her world, you never gave absolute answers; it was a reflex.

But Zane secretly worried, terrified she might actually soften toward Julian.

He was getting incredibly frustrated with his own constant insecurity.

"Let's get dinner tonight," he offered.

Since he had shown up at her office in person, she couldn't really say no. "Alright, but I have a little more work to finish. You'll have to wait a bit."

"Mind if I take a look?" Zane asked.

Elara knew exactly how ruthless and brilliant he was in business. "I'd appreciate that, Mr. Whitaker."

Zane pulled up a chair and sat directly beside her.

She had expected him to sit across the desk, but here he was, pressing into her space.

What if Aaron or one of her subordinates walked in?

While she completely understood Zane's motives—they had already crossed that physical line—she absolutely refused to let the office staff find out. Especially since her divorce wasn't finalized.

Just because her conscience was clear didn't mean she was willing to declare war on society's moral standards.

Her core philosophy was always discretion and avoiding unnecessary drama.

"Let me see your macro data," Zane said.

It was a blatant excuse to get closer. Looking at the same screen meant their shoulders were practically brushing.

Zane nudged the mouse, waking up the monitors. The screens were bleeding red.

A sea of financial warnings and critical risk alerts. Their cash recovery rate had plummeted to the single digits.

Zane felt a sharp ache in his chest for her. She had been handed an absolute nightmare.

Working under this kind of suffocating pressure every single day, she couldn't possibly have a moment of peace.

The second she walked through the doors, she was bombarded with crises and desperate pleas for cash.

Now that he had seen the data, the grim reality of the company was undeniable. Elara forced a tight smile. "It's actually not as disastrous as it looks. Once the senior living apartments contract is signed, the numbers will balance out. I just need a little more time."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify