Chapter 2980
Ellar’s tone conveyed his effort to contribute positively to the lunch gathering. "I remembered how much
you both liked it last time, so I grabbed it for today," he said.
Lulu casually mentioned, "Well, enjoy it while you can.
Nicole will be out of the country soon."
Ellar’s reaction was one of genuine surprise. "Out of the country? Nicole, what's the occasion?"
"Just some business matters. I'll be back in a few days," Nicole replied, downplaying the significance of
her trip.
Ellar, not privy to the details, simply nodded in understanding. "Got it."
Nicole then shifted the conversation, her gaze intent on Ellar. Before I go, is there anything you need
assistance with?"
Ellar, slightly uneasy under Nicole's scrutiny, averted his eyes. "No, everything's fine on my end. You
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtdon't need to worry about me, Nicole."
Nicole, not entirely convinced, pressed a bit more. "Are you sure about that?"
Ellar’s vigorous nod seemed to affirm his words. "Really, everything's fine," he reassured Nicole.
"Alright, let's enjoy the meal then," Nicole said, deciding to leave the matter for now. Despite her
lingering doubts, she couldn't pinpoint anything specific about Ellar that seemed amiss.
She chose to focus on the present, resolving to revisit any concerns about Ellar after her trip. She
thought that it was possible that her recent stress had been amplifying her worries unnecessarily.
After lunch, Ellar quickly found an excuse to leave the Riddle Corporation ahead of time.
Once outside, he released a relieved sigh, wiping the perspiration from his brow. He had sensed the
underlying reason for Nicole's questions and was grateful for his preparedness.
In reality, the Spicy Mexican fish was ordered by his assistant, while he had met with Martin to improve
his complexion, anticipating Nicole might notice any discrepancies.
His efforts appeared to have paid off, allowing him to narrowly evade Nicole's suspicions.
With Nicole's impending departure, Ellar hoped for some change in his situation by her return. Even if
things didn't improve substantially, he felt confident that his condition would not be as evident and
would likely go unnoticed.
"Mr. Riddle, you look very pale. Should I take you home to rest?" Ellar’s assistant, full of concern,
looked at his ashen face.
"No, let's head back to the company," Ellar’s voice was weak, barely a whisper as he leaned against
the seat.
'Going home in this state would only make my family worry more,' he thought.
As Martin had predicted, Ellar’s complexion had only improved temporarily. When the medication's
effects started to fade, he felt even weaker than before.
He considered himself fortunate that no one had seen him after the medication wore off. 'If they had,
keeping this a secret would've been impossible,' he mused.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmMeanwhile, back at Riddle Corporation, Lulu had just finished tidying up and turned to Nicole. "He does
seem a lot better, doesn't he? Why do you still look so worried?"
Nicole shook her head slightly. "I'm not sure. He does seem okay, but something still feels off."
"Don't worry, he's grown up and knows how to take care of himself," Lulu tried to reassure her.
Nicole's eyes narrowed as she said, "What worries me is whether he's hiding something from us."
Lulu, understanding Nicole's concern, volunteered, "I’ll keep an eye on him for you while you're away."
Nicole nodded in appreciation. "That would be great, please do."
After agreeing, Lulu glanced at the time. "You should rest for a bit. I'll head out now."
Nicole, leaning on the couch, closed her eyes to rest. 'What am I missing?' she wondered, her mind
buzzing with thoughts, feeling like she was on the verge of uncovering something elusive.
***
Three days later, everything was ready for Nicole's trip. She and Jared were prepared to leave.
Nolan and Lana clung to Nicole, their voices tinged with reluctance, "Mommy, please come back soon."