Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

"You founded Aethel Tech?" Elena gasped in genuine awe. "Oh my goodness, I... I'm so honored to meet you.""Ha, you flatter me. I'm retired now," Alejandro replied modestly with a dismissive wave. "Adrián runs the entire operation these days."Victoria chimed in with a warm smile, "Since you're at NYU, you should know that Adrián recently accepted an invitation from his alma mater to give a series of guest lectures. You two should definitely keep in touch whenever you're both on campus."It was only then that Elena discovered Adrián was a fellow computer science prodigy—an NYU alumnus who had gone on to complete his advanced studies at Columbia University.She was genuinely taken aback to discover this man was her alumnus. Glancing at Adrián, Elena felt a surge of contempt, wondering how someone of his caliber could spend his time picking up intoxicated women in bars."Then again, Adrián only lectures t

Elena’s own attire was equally casual today: an oversized long hoodie paired with short boots that showcased her long, fair legs. The combination created an effortlessly alluring silhouette, causing Adrián to catch his breath for a brief second. Feeling the weight of his gaze, Elena felt a sudden wave of unease. Unable to call him out in front of an entire room, she simply threw him a sharp glare.Her fierce look amused him, though he suppressed his smile to maintain professional decorum. Finishing the task hastily, Elena turned on her heel and headed back to her seat without giving him another glance.Glancing at his watch, Adrián realized time was ticking and immediately began the presentation. The moment he transitioned into teaching mode, his entire demeanor shifted. He commanded the room with intense focus and effortless charisma, breaking down complex technical jargon with impressive clarity. Elena had anticipated a dry, overly rigid presentat

"In that case, let's pretend we're introducing ourselves for the very first time today," Adrián proposed with a smile, extending a hand toward her."Agreed. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Professor Adrián," Elena replied playfully, shaking his outstretched hand.The pair exchanged amused glances and laughed.With Adrián's backing, the thesis hit no further snags. Elena secured the operational data in record time, and once the missing section was filled, completing the rest of the paper became a breeze.Yet, before she could even catch her breath, her phone rang. It was a call from her mother."Elena..."Her mother breathed her name and abruptly trailed off.Concerned, Elena asked, "Mom, what's wrong? Is Dad feeling unwell again?""No, your father is recuperating nicely. It's just... do you remember that fried chicken establishment?" her mother asked in a strained whisper.The mention of t

"Good evening, Miss Elena. Fancy meeting you here," Adrián announced smoothly as he paused beside her seat.Startled by the unexpected voice, Elena looked up in shock to find him standing above her in a high-end designer suit. "What are you doing here?" she blurted out."What? You mean you had no idea I was invited to this academic summit?" Adrián asked with a faint smirk, pulling out a chair and sitting right beside her."I'm so sorry... I've been buried under so much administrative work lately that I completely lost track of who was attending. If I had known..." she trailed off, lowering her voice as though fearful someone might overhear."Pardon? Speak up, I didn't quite catch that," Adrián teased, leaning his face closer to hers."It's nothing. I'm just genuinely glad you're here too," she quickly corrected herself, praying he hadn't deciphered her mumbled thoughts."Oh? Is that true? Because you don't look particula

"A heavyset gentleman became heavily intoxicated a short while ago, and that young lady kindly agreed to escort him up to his room," the employee had recalled.That single sentence had set off alarm bells in Adrián's mind. Given her inherently cautious and conservative nature, it made zero sense for Elena to willingly accompany a drunken stranger to a private suite alone.Driven by a surge of pure dread, he had rushed down to investigate, his heart hammering against his ribs the entire way.Yet, keeping those turbulent thoughts locked away, he spoke with a sharp edge instead: "Elena, don't thank me. I happened to be in the right place tonight, but what about tomorrow? When are you going to start using your head?"The harsh reprimand hadn't been intentional; seeing her terrified, fragile state made him want to pull her into his arms and comfort her, but his protective anxiety translated into biting accusations instead.Stunned by the blunt cr