Chapter 7

Unexpectedly, the caller was Elise Hanover!

"How interesting," Clement remarked, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the name on the screen.

Elise was the CEO of Celestia Pharmaceuticals and about the same age as him. While her company was slightly less prominent than Lakeworth Group, it had been shooting up the ranks in recent years and was one of the top companies in Grusoire.

Clement had only met Elise once before at a networking event for the upper echelons of Grusoire. But at the time, the two were vastly different.

Despite sharing similar family backgrounds, Elise was hailed as the most illustrious of the younger generation of elites in Grusoire. Meanwhile, Clement was infamous for his hedonistic lifestyle. Everyone considered him the prodigal son and used him as a cautionary tale.

"I didn't expect Elise to be the CEO Ethan's working for as a bodyguard. It truly is the typical frosty CEO meets mysterious bodyguard trope."

Eyes gleaming, Clement took the call.

"Hi, Mr. Lakeworth. This is Elise Hanover."

"How nice to hear from you, Ms. Hanover."

It went without saying that Clement knew why Elise was calling, but there was no way he'd be the one to bring it up first. Instead, he redirected the conversation, chatting idly about unimportant things.

Elise soon lost her patience. At last, she said, "Mr. Lakeworth, I called to discuss a matter with you. Ethan Hunter is my bodyguard.

"I heard there's been a misunderstanding between you and him today. I wish to apologize sincerely for that. Would it be possible for you to do me a favor and let Ethan off the hook?"

"While I wouldn't object to doing you a favor, Ms. Hanover, I'm afraid the police are currently handling this case. Ethan's fate is in their hands now," Clement replied.

Elise fell silent. As a member of the upper crust herself, she could obviously tell that Clement was just giving her an excuse.

"Would you be free at 6:30 pm tomorrow, Mr. Lakeworth? I'd like to buy you a cup of coffee."

"Sure. That works for me."

"In that case, I'll see you tomorrow," Elise said.

Clement ended the call after agreeing to Elise's request.

"Elise has got to be the female lead!"

Clement pulled up information on Elise. As he stared at the photo of her looking every bit the aloof female CEO, his eyes shone with a piercing light. "If I make Elise mine, my villain points are going to skyrocket, aren't they?

"Considering the current state of the plot, Ethan and Elise probably met not too long ago. Even though she knows he's an expert fighter, it's quite likely that she only has a favorable impression of him right now. She hasn't fallen madly in love with him or given herself completely to him yet.

"No relationship's unbreakable if you've got game, right? Elise Hanover…"

Smirking, Clement balled his fists. He was determined to win Elise over!

"Elise must be inviting you out for coffee to appeal on behalf of Ethan," Jeffrey piped up tentatively from the side, playing his role as the dutiful advisor. "I really think it'd be best if you didn't go, Mr. Lakeworth. If she brings up Ethan when meeting you face-to-face, you might find it hard to refuse her, given her status."

"You don't get it," Clement said. He glanced at Jeffrey before shaking his head with a wry smile.

If this were a normal situation, then all he had to do was stand his ground and refuse to meet Elise, eliminating the chance for her to plead on Ethan's behalf. That way, Ethan would definitely end up convicted and tossed in prison.

But unfortunately, Ethan was the Chosen One. Why would situations involving him proceed the same way they would for anyone else?

From the moment Elise called Clement, he knew he wouldn't be able to have Ethan imprisoned this time. Even if he refused Elise, Ethan's identity as the Chosen One and his unbelievable luck guaranteed that someone else would show up to save him.

Since that was the case, Clement might as well take the initiative to meet with Elise himself. By doing so, he could make an impression on the most important female lead. If he played it right, he could even farm some luck and villain points.

It was better to maintain his grasp over the situation than to let Ethan do something that would result in an unexpected twist.

Since Clement wanted to plot against the Chosen One, he had to be extremely careful with every move he made. Every single step was fraught with difficulty.

"Should I still prepare the materials for the case against Ethan, Mr. Lakeworth?" Jeffrey asked as he looked at Clement doubtfully.

"Of course," Clement replied with a smile. "We may not end up using that information now, but who says we won't need it later on? Give everything to me before 6:30 pm tomorrow."

Tapping his fingers on the table, he added, "I'm taking them with me and showing them to Elise."

"Yes, Mr. Lakeworth."

Jeffrey didn't fully understand why Clement was going through all this trouble over a nobody like Ethan. Still, as someone eager to align himself with Clement and be of service to him, he accepted the instructions and worked overnight to get the job done.

…

Over at the CEO's office of Celestia Pharmaceuticals, Ruth gazed anxiously at Elise and asked, "What did Clement say, Ms. Hanover?"

After Violet had taken Ethan away, the panicked Ruth rushed back to the office and spoke to Elise. Even though she wasn't a complete nobody in Grusoire, she was nowhere near qualified to negotiate with Clement or Ben. The only thing she could do was seek Elise's help.

"Clement didn't agree to it," Elise replied with furrowed brows. "I've invited him out for a cup of coffee tomorrow. When the time comes, I'll discuss this with him face-to-face."

"What do you think Clement wants, Ms. Hanover? Is he really planning on having Ethan sent to prison?" Ruth wondered in a panic.

"Ethan only attacked Clement for my sake, Ms. Hanover. If anyone's to blame for what happened, it should be me. You can punish me however you want, Ms. Hanover, but you have to save Ethan."

Ruth clutched Elise's arm, looking extremely worried.

"Don't worry. Since Clement has agreed to meet me, it means there's still room to negotiate," Elise said as she sipped her coffee. "I'll discuss the matter at length with him tomorrow."

"Okay."

Ruth bit her lip, her complexion pale. She wouldn't be able to live with the guilt if Ethan got sent to prison because of her.

Seeing how concerned Ruth was, Elise patted her hand gently and said, "Relax. It's not the end of the world. Ethan only injured those people. He didn't kill anyone.

"If Clement refuses to drop this matter on my account, then I'll talk to my father and have him negotiate the situation with Clement's father, Michael Lakeworth. The Lakeworths might not be willing to do me any favors, but they'll do it for my father."

"You're really looking out for Ethan, Ms. Hanover," Ruth said with a grateful expression.

"He did save me once," Elise replied while tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

At the moment, she couldn't figure out what she felt toward Ethan. Was it simply gratitude, or did she actually like him?