His Heiress To Love

Caught in his Arms

Chapter 4

The glass doors of Johnson Group slid open with quiet elegance as a long black limousine came to a smooth stop at the entrance. Employees walking into the building slowed down, some subtly adjusting their clothes, others whispering under their breath.

Adrian Johnson had arrived.

The chauffeur stepped out first, quickly moving to open the back door. Adrian emerged with effortless authority, his tailored suit flawless, his expression calm yet distant. Behind him followed his entourage, assistants, security, and executives, each moving in perfect coordination as if rehearsed.

Across the street, standing beside a worn-out delivery bike, a small boy watched everything with wide, curious eyes.

Ethan.

His clothes were clean but old, slightly oversized, and his sneakers had seen better days. Yet his gaze was fixed on the limousine like it was something magical.

“If I had one of those…” he murmured softly to himself, clutching the strap of the insulated food bag hanging from the bike. “Mom wouldn’t have to walk in the rain anymore.”

The wind picked up slightly, brushing against his small frame, but Ethan didn’t move. He just kept watching as Adrian disappeared into the building, a world so far from his own.

Meanwhile inside the towering lobby, Eliana Carter stepped in, slightly breathless.

Her hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, but loose strands clung to her damp skin. Her uniform was neat, though faint traces of sweat and the outside air lingered on her. She adjusted the food package in her hands and made her way toward the elevators, trying to stay focused.

Nineteenth floor. Deliver the food. Get paid. Go back to Ethan.

Simple.

Or at least, it should have been.

She barely took three steps before a familiar voice sliced through the air.

“Well… isn’t that Eliana Carter?”

Eliana froze.

Slowly, she turned her head—and there she was.

Victoria Bennet.

Standing confidently in a fitted designer dress, surrounded by a group of sharply dressed coworkers from the design department. Her makeup was flawless, her smile sharp… and her eyes filled with something far less pleasant.

The coworkers glanced between them, curiosity immediately sparked.

“You two know each other?” one of them asked.

Victoria let out a soft, amused laugh, folding her arms.

“Oh, we go way back,” she said casually. “This is Eliana Carter, the daughter of our housekeeper.”

The words landed like a slap.

Eliana’s grip on the food bag tightened, but she said nothing.

Victoria continued, clearly enjoying the attention.

“She practically grew up in our basement,” she added, tilting her head slightly. “Funny enough, she used to be better than me at design. Everyone thought she had talent.” She paused, her lips curling. “Who would’ve thought she’d end up delivering food instead?”

A few of the coworkers exchanged glances, some awkward, some intrigued.

Eliana exhaled slowly. She didn’t come here for this.

Without responding, she turned and walked toward the elevator.

But of course, Victoria wasn’t done.

“Hey!” she called out sharply.

Eliana stopped, her shoulders stiff.

Victoria stepped forward, heels clicking against the polished floor.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, her tone dripping with mock disbelief.

Eliana turned back, her expression calm but guarded. “I’m delivering food to the nineteenth floor.”

Victoria’s eyes flicked toward the elevator, then back at Eliana.

“The elevator?” she repeated. “You?”

Eliana frowned slightly. “Yes.”

Victoria let out a short laugh, looking back at her coworkers as if sharing a joke.

“You’re just a delivery girl,” she said bluntly. “How dare you think you can use the elevator? You should be taking the stairs.”

A murmur passed through the group.

Eliana straightened slightly, her voice steady. “I’m delivering to the nineteenth floor. Johnson Group never said delivery workers can’t use the elevator.”

Victoria’s smile thinned.

“Well, I’m saying it now,” she snapped. “Besides…” She wrinkled her nose dramatically. “You stink of sweat. Riding in the same elevator as you might make me catch something.”

The words were louder this time, drawing a few glances from nearby employees.

Eliana felt the sting but she refused to let it show.

“If you don’t want to ride with me,” she said calmly, “then you can take the next elevator.”

That only seemed to irritate Victoria more.

“Oh, so now you’re giving me instructions?” she said, stepping closer.

Eliana held her ground.

A beat of silence passed between them, thick with tension.

Then Eliana spoke again, her voice quieter,but sharper.

“Why do you still come after me after all these years?” she asked. “Is it because Mrs. Bennet praised me?”

The question hit its mark.

Victoria’s expression hardened instantly.

“I’m just telling the truth,” she replied coldly. “Or should we talk about your personal life instead?”

Eliana’s chest tightened.

Victoria leaned in slightly, lowering her voice just enough to make it more cutting.

“Didn’t you have some random kid with a stranger?” she said.

The words felt like a knife.

Eliana’s eyes flashed.

“I’m telling you,” she said firmly, “Ethan isn’t some bastard.”

Victoria let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

“You don’t even know who the father is,” she shot back. “If he’s not a bastard, then what is he?”

For a moment, everything seemed to stop.

The noise of the lobby faded. The people disappeared.

All Eliana could feel was the burning anger rising in her chest.

“Take that back,” she said, her voice low and trembling.

Victoria rolled her eyes.

“Or what?”

And then

She pushed her.

It happened so fast.

Eliana stumbled backward, her balance completely thrown off. The food bag slipped from her grip as she braced for the hard, unforgiving floor

but it never came.

Instead, she fell into something solid.

Strong arms caught her.

Firm. Steady. Unyielding.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she instinctively grabbed onto the fabric of a suit jacket. The scent of something clean and expensive surrounded her, grounding her before the shock fully settled.

For a second, she didn’t move.

Then slowly… she looked up.

And froze.

Adrian Johnson.

His face was calm, but his eyes, dark, piercing were fixed on hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch.

The entire lobby seemed to fall silent.

Behind them, Victoria’s expression shifted from smug satisfaction to stunned disbelief.

Adrian’s grip on Eliana remained firm as he steadied her completely, his gaze briefly flicking toward the fallen food bag before returning to her face.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice low and controlled.

Eliana opened her mouth but no words came out.

She could only nod.

Because somehow, in that moment, everything had changed.