Chapter 109: Making Friends … or Enemies
** Eli **
Harper was the first to spot them as they approached the taxi zone. The moment her eyes landed on him, a few too many expressions flashed across her face, from surprise to excitement to a hint of uncertainty.
Eli wasn’t sure how he felt about that reaction. It was what he wanted to see, wasn’t it? The uncertainty and doubt that meant she was starting to see him in a new light after learning the truth of his real self. But still, it stabbed him like a knife to the gut. He much preferred the way she looked at him with those expectant, sly sparkles in her eyes.
Fortunately for him, that expression changed once more as he drew close, turning into something like ... determined resolve? Something that he didn’t seem to fully understand.
"Mr. Sterling!" The guy with Harper’s suitcase was the next to see them. He called out, disrupting Eli’s focused examination of Harper’s expression and making the blonde turn around as well. "What a pleasant surprise! Didn’t think we’d get a chance to see you before even getting to the resort."
Eli fought back a grimace. He didn’t want to talk to this guy at all, but he had to try his best not to show it. "Eli, please," he said. "And you are—"
"Wallace." The guy held out his hand excitedly. "I work in marketing, and I’ll be the content specialist for the deep space VR project."
Definitely a close partner with Harper, then. Eli disliked the sound of it.
"And I’m Naomi," the blonde joined in with another enthusiastic handshake. "I’m on the partnership strategy team. You might remember me from the portfolio demonstration back when you visited."
"Of course," Eli lied. The only face he had paid attention to and remembered during that meeting was Harper’s. Thinking of which, he turned to the said face, though the moment they locked eyes, he suddenly forgot everything about what he was planning to say.
Why was she still looking at him with so much tenderness in her eyes, as if yesterday had never happened? As if she was still truly glad to see him?
Behind him, Justin said something, narrowly helping them dodge a prolonged stretch of silence. Eli was too distracted to pay attention to the words though, and he didn’t catch any of it until Justin prodded him with an elbow. "Right, Boss?" the assistant asked, hinting with a gesture to the limo.