A Love Buried by Secrets novel Chapter 9

Elliot's car slowly pulled up in front of the banquet hall. As soon as his door swung open, a large group of people swarmed him.

"Eli, you're finally here! We've been waiting forever. You promised to play the video today. I've already spoken to the manager about it."

"Yeah, we even got you the biggest screen available. It's guaranteed that everyone will see everything clearly!"

His buddies chattered excitedly, imagining the reactions from the guests once the video started playing. Their eyes sparkled with anticipation.

They had waited years for this day.

Naturally, Elliot walked right in the center of the horde. He hummed casually, fidgeting with the gift box in his hand.

"What's the rush? It's still early. People haven't even shown up yet. Also, Serena legitimately thinks I'm announcing our relationship today. She even gave me a birthday present."

Every pair of eyes landed on the box, and they all burst into knowing laughter.

Every year on his birthday, Serena would carefully prepare gifts for him. Sometimes they were priceless treasures, sometimes handcrafted items she'd worked on for months. One year, just to indulge his desires, she'd even agreed to be filmed in a compromising act in a public restroom.

Ultimately, though, all these gifts were nothing but jokes to him. No matter what she gave him, he'd trample all over it and scornfully toss it in the trash.

This year's gift box was exceptionally compact and lightweight. At once, his friends began throwing in their guesses.

"Could she have given Eli her underwear? That would make today even more meaningful."

"Or maybe shares of the Lowell family business? Doesn't she love Eli to bits? She might've written a transfer letter."

"Either way, it's bound to be sensational. Once the clip starts playing, and you open the gift on top of that, everyone will know that she threw herself at you."

As Elliot listened, his grin grew wider with satisfaction.

"That's good to hear. As long as the feelings are mutual, the family background doesn't matter. Just don't make the same mistake your mother did... Alas, you must remember to treat the Lorne family well."

The mention of Adeline's past—half-spoken and cautious—made Elliot frown.

What did the phrase "don't make the same mistake your mother did" mean? His mother was driven to suicide by a mistress. He was only here to avenge her.

Elliot's expression darkened, but his buddies called out to him before he could ask. "Eli! Quick, come over."

He decided to let it go. After all, everyone would soon find out what Serena had done anyway.

He followed his friends backstage, where the manager was already waiting. When they were all there, he explained how the screen setup worked. They just needed to upload the video, which would automatically play at the scheduled time.

Elliot nodded. All he had to wait for now was for everyone to arrive before he played the video.