Chapter 838
As soon as she walked through the door, she was seized by a forceful grip on her arm, and then pressed against
by a warm, toned body that pushed her back against the corner of the wall.
Their eyes met, and Elsie's heart quivered, captivated by the man's bright, piercing gaze, unable to resist falling
deeper under his spell.
Her world was devoid of light. She desperately longed for a ray of light to shine through the crack she had
painstakingly chiseled open.
His eyes were the source of light she had been searching for.
"Ms. Archer, did you leave something behind when you left earlier?" Elvis' voice
was wrapped in a low chuckle, his intonation playfully suggestive.
"What?" Elsie's fingers clinging tightly to the wall, she felt as if a thousand butterflies were in her stomach.
Elvis curled his lips up, his straight nose playfully touching hers, tender yet mischievous, like a lover's caress.
Suddenly, his voice turned raspy, "You forgot to take my heart with you."
Elsie, still flustered, burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"Tsk, why are you laughing?" Elvis raised an eyebrow.
"Elvis, | think you must not have had a serious girlfriend before? After all, not every girl can tolerate such a
cheesy joke," Elsie covered her tender lips, laughing uncontrollably.
His eyes darkened, and he clicked his tongue, "That was a whisper of love!"
"But it's funny, so still a joke."
Before Elsie's voice trailed off, her pupils contracted. Her silver necklace was dangling right in front of her, gently
swaying.
"My necklace!" Elsie frantically touched her neck, her face turning pale.
When had it fallen off? She had no clue!
"Give it back!" Elsie reached out to grab it, but Elvis, intent on teasing her, held it
just out of reach, even as she tiptoed.
"Who's the pretty girl in the picture?"
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"My friend!"
Elsie's fair face turned red and then pale; she jumped up but still was unable to reach.
"You have friends? Even if you wanted, would Avery let you have your way?" Elvis didn't believe her.
"My sister!" Elsie's voice was hoarse with embarrassment.
"You just toldyou were an orphan; where did a sister cfrom?"
Elvis' expression darkened, his fingers flicking, clutching the pendant tightly, "Ms. Archer, you aren't being
honest, then | guess I'll have to take this, and give it back next twe meet."
Desperation reddened Elsie's eyes, and she blurted out, "It's me!"
Elvis gazed deeply at her, his eyes thick with emotion.
"The person in the photo is me. It was taken when | was twenty, before | becEvadne, the only photo | had of
myself."
A strong wave of bitterness filled Elsie's throat as if she was throttled, her lips trembling, "After my surgery,
Avery destroyed all my old photos. I secretly kept this one; it's all | have left. If | lose it, | fear one day I'll forget
what | looked like. Then, no one will remember that Elsie ever existed in this world, and I'll be no different from a
walking corpse."
She lived by Avery's side, conforming diligently to the role of Evadne. Yet, not a day went by without her
yearning to be herself.
"So please, give it back to me."
As Elsie spoke, tears shattered brightly from her eyes, each one falling onto Elvis' heart, scalding it with vivid,
scorching scars.
He took her hand, placing the warmed pendant back into hers.
When they left the orphanage at nightfall, Elvis hadn't expected that Elsie
would've stayed the whole day. Nor had Elsie expected that this man would stay with her the entire day.
"I'm going back now, goodbye."
"Elsie."
She stiffened, slowly turning her head, her eyes widening suddenly.
With a snap, Elvis lit up a sparkler in his hand, its glowing sparks dazzling and enchanting, like a sprite dancing
under the night sky.
He smiled, waving the sparkler, tracing a beautiful pattern in the air.
Elsie watched mesmerized, tears gathering more heavily in her eyes, her fingers clenched in the dark, struggling
to keep composure.
"Con, let's play together."
Elvis, tall and handsome, approached her, handing her a sparkler, his eyes brighter than any star in the sky.
Elsie, trembling, took it from him.
A secluded orphanage was an unlikely place for such romantic gestures. Clearly, he had prepared this in
advance.
The sparkler in her hand ignited, casting dancing shadows on her beautiful face. She couldn't help but smile,
looking more and more like the girl in the photo.
"Did you like the last fireworks show that dazzled the city?" Elvis suddenly asked, glancing at her.
Elsie stared at her own sparkler, her voice soft, "I liked it."
"That's not something I could do though. I'm not as rich as Jareth, can't afford a multimillion-dollar romance."
Elsie chuckled dismissively, accustomed to his straightforward way of speaking. It also explained why such a
handsman had no girlfriend.
"It's quite good."
Her smile was more beautiful than the fireworks, tender and content, "As long as it's mine, it's the best in the
world."
Because she had never owned anything. So even a little bit of sweetness was treasured by her like a gem.
As the last sparkler was about to burn out, Elvis turned his head, whispering in her ear with unprecedented
tenderness, "In this world, you're not the only one who remembers what you looked like."
Elsie's eyelashes fluttered, and she suddenly turned her face.
All of a sudden, his arm encircled her slender shoulders, his large hand cradling
her neck, gently pressing, their foreheads firmly together, "I will remember for
you."
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Their eyes locked, Elsie's blood rushed to her head, her cheeks flushed, her heart pounding indescribably.
The sparkler went out, but the fire in their eyes was still burning.
Suddenly, Elsie's phone rang, breaking the intensely intimate atmosphere. She coughed awkwardly, distancing
herself quickly from Elvis, and pulled out her phone.
On the screen, "Harvey" appeared like a sharp, poisonous dart, piercing her eyes and bursting her bubble of a
beautiful dream.
"Hello," she answered, her voice subdued and husky.
"Ms. Archer, tonight Mr. Chambers needs you to entertain a couple of guests from Country T," Harvey stated with
all the dryness of a formal memo.
Elsie felt a chill run down her spine as she hurried toward her sports car, terrified that Elvis might catch even a
fragment of the conversation, "What kind of guests? Government officials? Or business partners?"
"Mr. Chambers just wants you to make sure they have a good time. No need for you to know more than that."
Elsie's heart clenched tight.
She knew Avery was keeping her in the dark on purpose, not even sharing the guests' details with her.
Harvey seemed to sense her unease, pausing before adding, "They're Mr. Chambers' business associates. This
deal is crucial for him; he's looking to break into the market in Country T, so Ms. Archer, he's counting on you to
put in sextra effort. You've upset him a couple of times before. Maybe use this opportunity to redeem
yourself in his eyes, make your future a bit smoother, huh?"
His words sounded almost sincere.
"Fine, I'll head back to the Velvet Haven right away to get prepared," Elsie's voice was devoid of warmth.
"The guests won't be at the Velvet Haven."
Elsie's pupils contracted.
Over the years, she had always hosted VIPs at the Velvet Haven and had never stepped out on an assignment.
Avery had never allowed it.
But this time, the rules had changed!
As Elsie grappled with her confusion, Harvey's voice cthrough again, "I'll send you the exact address later."
The call ended, and Elsie stared at the dark screen, a sense of vertigo washing over her as if cruel hands were
pushing her back into an abyss.
She heard Elvis approaching. Without looking back, she dove into her sports car, slammed the gas pedal, and
vanished into the night.