Chapter 121:
Elena understood perfectly the value of cinnabar. Yet, she no longer owed Wesley any favors and harbored no intention of selling the cinnabar. She stood up. “It seems you’re not interested in business today. I’ll return another time.”
Without a hint of courtesy, Elena turned to leave.
Wesley frowned. “Elena, what do you want?” He wondered about her ultimate goal. Collaborating with him offered far greater advantages than working with Theo.
Elena shook her head. “I do not want anything from you.” Her mind remained fixated on a single purpose—finding her mentor. Progress with Lydia had crawled to…
Progress with Lydia had come to a standstill, and all promising leads had withered to dust. All that remained in her possession was a solitary ring.
Wesley rose to his feet and fixed her with an unwavering gaze. “What will it take for you to reveal the source of the cinnabar?”
Elena stood before him like carved stone, utterly unmoved. Unless Wesley offered something she truly coveted, she would not lift a finger to help him.
Just as Elena pivoted to depart, her eyes caught a glimmer from Wesley’s right hand, stopping her in her tracks. Her expression transformed into one of intense scrutiny as she narrowed her eyes.
The ring her mentor had left behind was unlike any other. Elena had conducted exhaustive research and could only theorize it held connections to the military. Yet, the ring adorning Wesley’s finger was identical to her mentor’s in every detail. The intricate patterns matched perfectly.
Elena halted abruptly. “Mr. Spencer, may I see your ring?” Her question hung in the air between them.
Wesley toyed with the ring on his hand. His pupils shifted slightly, betraying a flicker of interest. The ring he wore symbolized his authority as head of the Spencer family.
“Do you want it?” he asked Elena, raising his hand with a hint of curiosity coloring his tone.
Wesley’s fingers were long and slender, his wrist bones prominently defined. The unique ring adorning his hand seemed to belong there.
Wesley’s commanding presence filled the room like an unspoken authority, his face sculpted with such precision it bordered on perfection, naturally drawing others’ gaze toward it. This magnetic quality had caused Elena to overlook the ring adorning his hand during their previous encounters.
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Elena took a few measured steps back into the room, her earlier urgency to depart suddenly evaporating into thin air. “No, I just want to take a look.”
From anyone else, such a request would be tantamount to announcing in Wesley’s presence their desire to usurp his position as head of the Spencer family.
But Elena possessed a refreshing directness that set her apart. Her gaze remained crystalline and transparent, revealing no such ambitious intentions.
Wesley said nothing. He simply extended his hand and offered her the ring.
Elena’s eyes flickered. Her mentor’s and Wesley’s rings shared identical material and intricate patterns, unmistakably crafted by the same skilled hand.
Moments ago, Elena had maintained a glacial distance, but now her demeanor transformed in the blink of an eye. “Mr. Spencer, would you like a partnership?”
Elena changed her mind, causing Wesley’s simmering anger to cool off somewhat. His expression remained neutral, yet the coldness in his gaze melted away.
