The Bargain Undercover

Cross the Line

That line was familiar to Eliana. Back then, she used it to make her deal with Xander. And now, someone else was offering him the same deal.

Would Xander take it?

Eliana clenched her fists, trying to hold back. If he did and let Lyla return, she had to control herself not to rush up and punch Lyla in the face.

But she didn't have the chance to find out because a female voice suddenly broke in.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

Eliana was startled, thinking she had been noticed. But when she looked back, she realized it was a ballerina greeting a man at the door, which brought her sudden relief.

That man was Evan Harland, the Manager of the Liaison Department of PhysioFit. Perhaps due to Delbert's unpleasant dinner with Xander back then, since PhysioFit started to sponsor MBT, Delbert had never shown up at any of these business events but just sent Evan over. Evan was younger than Delbert and way more popular, whether due to his friendly personality, decent red hair, or kind smile.

They started to talk at the door and didn't look in Eliana's direction. Temporarily. Before they did, Eliana thought she'd better leave.

She lifted the hem of her long dress and sneaked away, not knowing what Xander said to Lyla after that.

It kept her curious.

Ten minutes later, Xander came back to the party, expressionless as usual. Lyla didn't show up again that night, and Eliana wondered if it was because she had achieved what she desired.

Throughout the rest of the party, Eliana peeked at Xander from time to time, hoping to find a clue from his expressions or movements. Of course, she failed. She always failed to decipher Xander.

But she noticed one thing: Among all their business partners, Xander had the best rapport with Evan. They chatted throughout the party, and Evan occasionally burst into joyful laughter as if he had enjoyed their conversation so much.

That was another thing to keep Eliana curious tonight.

Would PhysioFit extend their sponsorship? This had been an inevitable topic from the beginning. But with Evan representing PhysioFit instead of Delbert now, MBT was more likely to get the extension.

Eliana fought hard to build this connection, and of course, for her own sake, she wished it to last as long as possible.

That night, she carried these two questions in her heart to Xander's place. When Xander left her body, she sat up on the sofa and asked, "Is Evan more approachable than Uncle Delbert?"

Xander didn't hesitate. "Much more."

His tone had no trace of compliment, but it sounded like a compliment to Eliana. She asked further, "Did he mention whether PhysioFit will extend their sponsorship?"

"They will be our long-term sponsor starting tomorrow." It was the answer she wanted to hear.

Eliana grinned heartfully. "I bet the cooperation can go well. Evan is a nice person."

Unexpectedly, Xander didn't react to that, but Eliana didn't even think about it because she had a more important question now.

"Director Lane, did you agree to let Lyla return?"

It was a straightforward question. Eliana didn't have the patience to beat around the bush on this because she had been so fed up.

He looked at her. "You heard it?"

"I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help when I realized she was talking to you." Eliana didn't hide it and kept pressing him, "So, did you?"

Xander was about to say something, but before he could, she added, "If you did, don't blame me when I beat the s**t out of her."

Although her language was rude, she just seemed harmless and even cute to Xander when she waved her fist with an indignant face. He was amused, his tone gentle. "I didn't."

Eliana's fierce expression immediately changed into a puppy face. She pounced on Xander. "Thank you! I was so scared!"

Xander opened his arms subconsciously to catch her. "Why would I? She hurt you."

He was looking down at her when he said this. Caught off-guard by his deep gaze, she clearly felt her heart skip a beat.

"I didn't expect you to say that." Eliana's voice turned soft.

She wanted to leave Xander's arms, but unexpectedly, he didn't let her go.

"Then what were you expecting me to say?" he asked.

His voice carried a dangerous, slightly hoarse tone, his gaze intertwined with her gaze, and his arms locked her in his embrace. Eliana felt herself melt, and she hated it.

She hated getting closer to a man mentally. It was too dangerous.

She lowered her head, escaping from this intimacy. "I thought you didn't care."

Sensing her subtle resistance, Xander let go of her. The warmness wrapping around her immediately disappeared, leaving her with a faint chill.

"I did," he said, "and I feel proud of you."

Eliana didn't understand. "Proud?"

Xander walked to the fridge and took a beverage out of it, saying casually, "To survive, crossing the line is necessary sometimes."

It sounded ambiguous but was clear enough for Eliana.

Lyla was the one telling the truth, and Eliana was the one forging the evidence. He had known it from the very beginning. But instead of exposing Eliana's dirty tricks, he helped her get rid of Lyla.

And now, he was standing in the refrigerator light in the dark room, looking at her with no trace of judgment in his eyes.

Eliana couldn't decipher the whirlwind of emotions in her heart. Intuitively, she felt a rush of relief when he didn't accuse her of playing dirty or act all high and mighty. But deep beneath that relief, there was a strong sense of security. Knowing he was around, even if far away, gave her the strength to walk in the dark alone.

She went closer to him and buried her head in his chest. "I'm glad you think that way, cuz I've crossed so many lines."

Xander put one hand on her head. "Like doing this with me?"

Eliana was amused by his bluntness, raising her head. "I couldn't help! You are the line so many people would want to cross."

Xander looked into her eyes. "Eliana, only you succeeded."

Eliana lifted her eyebrows. "How many offers have you received?"

Xander bent his upper body slightly closer to her. "I only took yours. That's all you need to know."

"Fine with me," Eliana chuckled. His deep gaze was like a tranquil lake, undisturbed by even a single ripple. Her sparkling eyes were like stars, the only reflection within. Xander pressed his hand against the back of her head, rubbing her neck with his thumb, which gave her an itchy feeling but also made her want more. When his fingers wandered all the way down her curves, waking up the sensitiveness of her skin, Eliana suddenly felt an impulse to kiss his lips. They were so close now, and she could easily do that if she lifted onto her tiptoes. But it was probably not a good idea. Despite their numerous tangles, they had never kissed, as kissing was an intimacy reserved only for lovers, not for them.

Thinking of this, she held back, and it wasn't hard for her, because her phone rang right in time, dispersing the steaming air between them.

Late-night calls always gave her a bad feeling. She asked for Xander's permission, "May I take that?"

Xander was still cautious, collecting her belongings the moment she stepped into his place each time. However, she could sense a shift in his demeanor. Initially, his rudeness and apparent disregard on those nights even made her wonder if he hated her. Now, though, he exhibited more tenderness, which was a positive change.

Xander gave her phone back to her. The screen was showing Lora's name.

Eliana picked it up, a bit worried. "Mom?"

"Darling, where are you?" Lora asked at the other end of the phone, her tone anxious.

Eliana looked at Xander, her heart jumped into her mouth. "What happened?"

Lora explained in a hurry, "There's a caterpillar in my bathroom! Can you come and kill it for me? Your dad wouldn't come."

Eliana's heart went back to where it should be. She looked outside the window. "OK, but not now. It's raining outside. Close the bathroom door for now."

"Why can't you come now?" Lora pushed her. "It's not a bad thunderstorm."

Eliana said flatly, "Mom, we both know why."

"Come on, Eliana!" Lora sounded disappointed. "Are you still blaming me?"

Eliana frowned. "I'm not blaming anyone. I'm just saying it's raining."

"Why are you still not over with it? It's been so many years," Lora yelled at her.

Her yelling was irritating. Eliana wanted to yell back, telling Lora that she had no right to say that because she wasn't the one being hurt. But in the end, she held back because she didn't want to make things ugly in front of Xander.

"See you later," she said coldly and hung up the phone.

The world turned quiet when Lora's voice disappeared. In the darkness, Eliana pulled her lips into a sneer at herself. Every conversation with her mother seemed destined to end unpleasantly - a magical loop from which she couldn't escape.

Xander looked out of the window. "It's drizzling."

Eliana shook her head. "It's fine."

Xander offered, "I'll call you a cab."

A sudden rage hit Eliana. She raised her voice. "I said it's fine!"

Xander said nothing more, gazing at her with a faint expression.

Eliana regretted it immediately. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you."

Xander didn't respond, walking past her to go upstairs.

Eliana knew she had to explain right now, or she might not have a better chance.

She grabbed Xander's arm without hesitation, telling him, "I'm afraid of rain."

Xander didn't look at her but halted his steps. So she continued, "When I was four years old, my mom took me to suicide on a rainy day."