All Chapters of Rejected, I Entered a Contract Marriage with a Billionaire: Chapter 131 - Chapter 140

As he spoke, he gently retrieved the ball from her hands and placed it back in its designated spot on the shelf.A pang of sympathy hit Elena, and her face flushed with remorse. "Oh... I'm so sorry. I had no idea there was such a painful memory attached to it."Adrián kept his back turned to her, his tone dropping into a quiet, serious register. "A simple verbal apology hardly feels sufficient, wouldn't you say? I'm not sure I can accept just that.""Then... what can I do to make it up to you?" Elena asked hurriedly, genuinely concerned that she had reopened an old wound. "I really feel awful about it.""Well, let me ponder that," Adrián said smoothly, turning around with a deliberate, slow smirk. "Perhaps if you were to grant me a few kisses, I might be persuaded to forgive you."The moment she caught the playful glint in his eyes, the truth dawned on her. He had been teasing her all along.Elena stamped her foot in mock frust

"It's just... Miranda is coming to the company today to shoot a promotional video for her endorsement." Adrián kept his tone low, casting a cautious side-glance at Elena as he spoke."Oh. So what? Why are you telling me this?" Elena was taken aback by his sudden mention of the name."I was just worried you'd be upset if you ran into her, so I thought I'd give you a heads-up. She really is only there for the video shoot—don't overthink it." Noticing her expression souring, Adrián quickly offered a gentle explanation."Right, I understand," Elena replied with a simple nod, slipping into silence.An uneasy quiet settled over the car interior. Adrián's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. Truth be told, he hadn't anticipated Elena wanting to accompany him to work today.Because of that, he hadn't planned on mentioning Miranda's promotional shoot at all. It wasn't because he still held any feelings for Miranda—

Elena studied her for a moment before asking, “Thank you… but I’m still a bit confused as to why you’re telling me all this now.”“I wanted to address the ownership of that song directly,” Miranda explained clearly. “The copyright belongs entirely to you, without question. You don’t have to worry about Bruno causing trouble; I’ve already put him in his place.”She looked Elena straight in the eyes. “What I want to ask is this: if you’re open to it, I would love to officially purchase the performance rights from you. Name your price—money is no object. My only wish is to have your permission to keep singing it.”Elena observed her quietly. “So, you acknowledge that I am the sole composer and lyricist of the track, but you still wish to retain the rights to perform it?”“Precisely,” Miranda confirmed quickly, eager to secure her agreement. &ldq

Her manager, far more seasoned in dealing with industry scandals, paused to gather his thoughts before speaking in a measured tone. "I warned you from day one that Bruno was bad news, but you wouldn't listen. Forget the blame for now—let me handle the strategy. Tell me, did you record your interaction today?""Yes, I kept a voice recorder running," Miranda confirmed softly. She didn't dispute his scolding; she really had been blind."Good. Stall him for a couple of days while we map out our next move," the manager instructed."Got it," Miranda agreed and ended the call.Stepping back into the living room, she found Bruno waiting with a smug grin. "So? Considering all the nights I've spent with you, my price is a bargain."Miranda’s chest heaved with suppressed rage, but she forced herself to maintain a neutral face. "I spoke with my manager. The demands are too steep to resolve immediately. I'll need three days to sort out the funds."

"There isn't much left on the schedule today, so Elena and I will head home early," Adrián added, casting another glance toward his assistant."Understood, sir."Adrián lingered for a second, watching Daniel dive into his paperwork. Seeing that he appeared functional and knowing Elena was waiting downstairs, Adrián set his worries aside and left the office.Once the door clicked shut, Daniel’s calm facade crumbled.He hadn't been entirely truthful with Adrián. His mind was consumed with worry for Miranda, terrified that Bruno might push her to extreme lengths. While he lacked three million yuan to buy back her song rights, he possessed other means to address the threat. Sitting at his desk in silent contemplation, he weighed the potential fallout if Adrián ever discovered his actions.In the end, he decided the risk didn't matter. He retrieved his mobile phone.During his previous investigation into B