Chapter 5: Who Are You, Really?

Chase took off his shirt calmly and said, "If you know it costs a pretty penny, maybe lay off the random touching. I gotta return it, you know?" Eliana chuckled, even more disbelieving, "Stop lying to me. What kind of event would lend out such expensive clothes? Even celebrities don't get this treatment." She knew that even celebrities couldn't borrow clothes from this brand. How could someone like him, a boxer, have such resource? Eliana approached him, her gaze fixed on his eyes. "Who are you, really?" Chase looked at her steadily without blinking, his cool face composed. "I was at the gym today taking promotional photos. The photography studio lent me this outfit, and besides, it's a knockoff." Eliana frowned and tugged at his collar to check it out. Yep, the logo letters were totally off. Oops... Maybe growing up, she never felt quite safe, so she's always been a bit paranoid about her surroundings. His physique was just too good; he could make anything look elegant. Even cheap clothes seemed like designer brands on him. "Ms. Griffith, if you keep clinging to me like this, I'll start charging you. Touching my body comes with an extra fee," Chase reminded with a snort. Only then did Eliana realize she had been leaning on him the whole time. She straightened up. "Hurry up, we need to go back." "Yes, yes. Ms. Detective." Chase rolled his eyes. Chase was getting ready to swap his clothes again, and just as he was about to undo his pants' button, he looked over at Eliana. "Get out, I need to change my pants." "As if anyone's interested," Eliana retorted. She walked out and noticed someone outside arranging filming equipment. Stephan approached her and greeted, "Mrs. Wilkinson, are you here to pick up Mr. Wilkinson from work?" "No choice, he's too clingy," Eliana shrugged. Stephan chuckled inwardly. It was the first time someone had called Mr. Wilkinson 'clingy'. "By the way, where is Chase from? Judging by your accents, you're not locals," Eliana asked casually, stealing glances at Stephan's expression. "We're from New York. We don't have a fixed city to live in because we travel for matches, so we haven't stayed in one place for long. We've been here for some time now," Stephan replied. Eliana nodded, pursing her lips. "I heard that those who compete in matches come from poor families?" Because parents from wealthy backgrounds wouldn't let their children suffer. "Yes, we're all boxers. Mr. Wilkinson took us in, giving us a place to stay," Stephan said, his eyes shining with sincerity. By this time, Chase had finished changing clothes and came out. Eliana stopped chatting. "We might come watch your matches sometime. We're leaving now." "Sure thing, Mrs. Wilkinson. Take care." Watching them leave, Stephan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took out his phone to make a call. "Arrange for a few professional boxing trainers to come over... It's not for acting, it's for training!" On the way back, Eliana was driving and briefly explained her family situation. "No matter what my family says later, don't take it to heart. If anyone says something you're not happy with, just retort. Don't hold back for my sake; there's no worker's compensation here." Chase lazily raised an eyebrow. "What about health insurance?" Eliana chuckled, exasperated. "You only work here for three months; do you want me to provide retirement benefits too?" "That works," Chase said earnestly, "but I'm picky. I'm afraid you can't afford to support me." Did he really see himself as a gigolo? But... with his looks, he had the capital for it. As soon as they stepped into Griffith's Mansion, they could hear voices chatting away in the living room. "Dad, something big happened. You gave sis control of the company, and her first deal put the other party's boss in the hospital. I checked it out myself; Mr. Zierman's banged up pretty bad. He's still laid up in the hospital. The minute she got the power, she stopped listening to you!" Vanessa vented, stirring things up, conveniently leaving out why Eliana did what she did. Randall's health had deteriorated over the past couple of years, and Eliana's performance was the most satisfying to him. So, upon hearing this, he became agitated. "Call your sister, ask her why she hasn't come back yet!" Vanessa sighed helplessly. "Sis hasn't answered my calls. Even after all these years, she still doesn't accept me and Mom. Today at the banquet, she even told us to get out…" Camille let out a soft sigh, looking at Randall with a face full of grievances. "The child is still young, and I'm not her birth mother. Naturally, she doesn't consider me as important. Don't dwell on it." "What nonsense is this? After her mother passed away, didn't you take care of her and raise her? Regardless, she shouldn't show such disrespect!" Randall rebuked. Eliana's eyes were filled with coldness. She had long seen through her biased father. Whatever those two, mother and daughter, said was taken as truth without any doubt. An invisible pressure weighed on her chest. She felt a reluctance to face them. At that moment, a warm palm enveloped her hand. Chase looked at her with his usual calmness. "Let's go. You've paid your due; I'll help you play your part well." Eliana looked up at the man in front of her, who she just met today. Suddenly, she wasn't afraid. Hand in hand, they walked in. The three sitting on the sofa looked over. Despite being family, they felt like strangers, distant and cold. Eliana spoke first, "Dad, this is my husband, Chase Wilkinson." Chase politely greeted them. Randall had heard about Chase's identity and held him in particular disdain. He questioned, "I heard you put Mr. Zierman in the hospital today. Is this how you conduct business? Making enemies?" Without inquiring about the reason, he blamed Eliana. "He laid hands on me first. Dad, is it fair for you to blame me without clarifying things?" Eliana looked at him, her eyes calm, hinting disappointment that had accumulated for all these years. Randall impatiently scoffed, "Given the company's current financial strain, your actions adding to the trouble suggest you're not concerned about its survival. The way you're handling things is making me question your capability. Maybe it's best to let your mom take charge; she might handle it better." If she had made a mistake, she would admit it. But the fault wasn't hers in this case. Her father doubted her ability without clarifying things, showing no trust in her. Eliana clenched her fists. For years, she had swallowed her pride in this household. No matter how hard she tried, she never received recognition. "Mr. Griffith, blaming Lena without clarifying things isn't being responsible. So, you have no right to demand Lena hand over control of the company," Chase interjected, his deep voice carrying authority. "Dad, I think this troublemaker's to blame. You wanted sis to marry Jimmy, but she went and married a boxer, some low-class guy. No wonder she's acting all rude!" Vanessa blurted out, making Randall cough. He glared at Chase. "You cannot marry a boxer. Get a divorce! NOW!"