Chapter 535: A Past in Pieces
Even though Elianna clearly didn’t welcome her, Yunice sat down anyway. “Wyatt’s asleep. You’ll probably have to wait…” She did a quick calculation. “About four hours.”
Elianna frowned. “That long? Did you drug him?”
Yunice raised an eyebrow without answering and casually changed the subject. “Well, since we’re both stuck here, how about keeping me company with a chat?”
Elianna brought a piece of fruit to her lips, clearly annoyed. “Don’t get friendly with me. There’s no way in hell we’re ever becoming besties.”
Yunice responded lightly, “Is it because you were closer to Nora?”
Elianna nearly choked on her lychee. “You actually know…” She looked around, suddenly alert, like she was afraid someone might overhear. Wyatt never let them mention Nora, especially not in front of Yunice.
Yunice said, “I don’t just know her. I’ve met her.”
Elianna stared at Yunice, her gaze even more judgmental–and disgusted. “Then you know everything, and you’re still shamelessly clinging to Wyatt?”
Yunice gave a short laugh. “You’ve got it backward. Wyatt’s the one clinging to me–not the other way around.”
Elianna was just about to argue when Yunice cut her off. “Wyatt’s not the kind of guy who just lets himself get clung to. If he didn’t want this, who could possibly make him stay?”
Elianna faltered. She had to admit–Yunice had a point.
Yunice glanced toward the stairs. “Come talk with me. I want to know more about Wyatt and Ms. Nora’s past.”
Yunice headed upstairs. Elianna hesitated, then followed, unsure of her own motives. They ended up in the dressing room. Elianna’s attention was immediately drawn to the rows of dresses. Coming from the fashion world, she instantly recognized the quality and craftsmanship of the materials and cuts. But when she checked the tags and found none, she scoffed and lost interest.
Yunice quietly observed her. If Elianna didn’t recognize the clothes, then she clearly didn’t know Wyatt could design and make them.
Elianna leaned on the vanity. “My dad used to be Wyatt’s driver–before Jordan. Wyatt took him everywhere. He handled a lot of Wyatt’s errands. Since my mom passed away early, my dad had to shuttle me around too. So whenever Wyatt went to events, my dad would often bring me along to wait backstage.”
She continued, “I was there the day Wyatt first met Nora. She had a short bob back then, a small face, beautiful eyes…” She glanced at Yunice. “You do kind of look like her.”
Yunice frowned. No one likes hearing they resemble someone else.
Elianna went on. “That day, the client basically pushed a woman at Wyatt–might as well have been an escort. They shoved Nora right onto him.” Even now, Elianna looked baffled. “Stuff like that never worked before. But this time it did. None of us could figure out why Wyatt treated Nora differently. My dad said it was fate–like they had chemistry.”
She added, “Nora was gentle and cried easily. I didn’t like her at first. But she was so considerate and sweet. She never minded me clinging to Wyatt, always reminded him to buy me gifts and take care of me because I didn’t have a mom.”
She looked down for a second. “Both my dad and I were grateful to her. But there was something strange–Wyatt never touched her. No hugging, no kissing, nothing. I asked my dad why. Didn’t couples usually hold hands and kiss and stuff?” She shot Yunice a jealous look, clearly implying that Wyatt was much more physical with her.
Yunice summed it up. “So they had a platonic relationship?”
Elianna said, “My dad said they were just shy young people.”
Shy? That word didn’t fit Wyatt at all. In bed, he was downright aggressive.
Elianna continued, “Still, even without touching, they’d look at each other with so much feeling. Every time Wyatt looked at her, Nora would tuck her hair behind her ear and smile down. My dad said that was real love–deep, respectful, intimate.”
Yunice listened quietly, her mind drifting to thoughts of her own father. If what Wyatt said was true, how would Elianna react?
Yunice asked, “Any other memories? Like birthdays? Dates?”