One night stand with my president(chapter 285)

 

Chapter 285: Strike in One Blow 

Adeline noticed Halle's hesitation and smiled gently. "It's alright. I won't pressure you. You can take some time to think it over. Just treat tonight as a casual meet-up. When you've decided, you can reach out to me."

Seeing Adeline's warm smile, Halle suddenly felt a surge of courage.

"No need to think about it, Miss Hensley. I'm willing to trust you," Halle said. "I truly can't stand another day by Eleanor's side. So this time, I'd rather take a risk."

"Alright," Adeline replied. "Don't worry. I won't let you regret it."

Halle took a deep breath. "Miss Hensley, Eleanor has done so many terrible things. I don't even know where to start."

"Why don't we start with the events at the restaurant that night?" Adeline suggested. 

"That woman with the sunglasses and mask who bribed the three servers was you, right?"

Halle's fingers clenched. She bit her lip and then nodded.

"Yes, it was me, but it was Eleanor who ordered me to do it. Miss Hensley, I didn't dare to disobey her," Halle explained. "I..."

"It's Okay," Adeline said reassuringly. "I know that wasn't your intention. Don't worry. As long as you tell us everything, Mr. Thomson and I won't hold you responsible for any of it."

Halle nodded.

"That night, Eleanor had me carefully disguise myself, and she made sure I wouldn't be recognized," Halle said. "Then, she told me to withdraw money to bribe those three servers. Her aim was to make sure Conrad harassed you."

Adeline took a sip of her juice.

She had suspected all of this, but until now, she didn't have any proof.

Now, with Halle's testimony, things would be much easier.

"Eleanor has always been infatuated with Mr. Thomson, which is why she sees you as a thorn in her side. She's been looking for a way to get rid of you. And there are foreigners helping her now...”

Halle's words were cut off as her phone rang suddenly.

She jumped, nearly spilling her juice.

Looking at the caller ID, Halle panicked.

"Miss Hensley, what should I do? It's Eleanor calling," Halle said.

"Stay calm," Adeline said calmly. "Answer it and tell her you couldn't sleep, so you went out for a walk."

They had just started talking, and if Eleanor found out about their meeting now, it could ruin everything.

Adeline's calm demeanor gave Halle the courage she needed.

She took a deep breath and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell are you, you worthless fool!" 

Eleanor shouted angrily. "It's the middle of the night, and you're not home. Where did you go?"

Halle worked hard to keep her voice steady. 

"I couldn't sleep, so I went out for a walk. I'm sorry, Miss Fraser."

"Who told you that you could go out?

Get back here now! I'm hungry. Come make me something to eat!"

Eleanor's impulsive demands were nothing new to Halle.

Still, she hadn't expected Eleanor to wake up after falling asleep.

She carefully replied, "I'm sorry, Miss Fraser. I'm already far away, so it might take me a while to get back. How about I order some takeout for you?"

"Why did you go so far away?" Eleanor snapped.

"Well... there's a place here I like, and I just suddenly felt like eating something from there tonight."

Eleanor's tone turned icy. "You're not doing anything behind my back, are you? Who are you with right now?"

Halle's heart began to race.

"I'm alone, Miss Fraser. I wouldn't dare do anything behind your back. Really, I just came out to grab a bite. Tell me what you'd like to eat, and I'll order takeout for you," Halle said.

"I don't want takeout! Come back right now and cook for me!"

Halle had no choice but to agree.

After hanging up, Halle looked at Adeline, eyes red with worry. "Miss Hensley, what should I do? She wants me to go back immediately. If I'm late, she'll definitely beat me again."

"In that case, don't go back," Adeline suggested.

"What?" Halle blinked, surprised.

"I only had you answer her call to keep her calm for now," Adeline explained. "We've just begun our discussion, and I didn't want her getting suspicious too soon. Now that you've reassured her, we can continue talking. Once we're done, I'll arrange for you to go somewhere safe. Don't worry. Mr. Thomson has assigned people to keep an eye on your family and friends. No one will be able to harm them."

Halle was taken aback by Adeline's consideration.

Adeline could have simply sent her back.

That would have kept Eleanor from suspecting anything.

But instead, Adeline had told her not to return.

She didn't want Halle to suffer more at Eleanor's hands.

"I should probably still go back," Halle said with a sad smile.

"But..." Adeline glanced at her injured hand.

"I'm used to it," Halle murmured, gently touching the burn on her hand. "Besides, I did help Eleanor with some things, even though it was under duress. I suppose this suffering is something I deserve."

She looked at Adeline, her gaze filled with determination.

"Miss Hensley, I hope that when we take down Eleanor, we can do it in one decisive blow. Until then, it's better not to let her find out anything for now. She has people helping her, and if she discovers something or is prepared for it, that would be bad."

Adeline understood Halle's reasoning well.

If they could bring Eleanor down in one swift strike, Halle's suffering would come to an end.

"Are you sure about this?" Adeline asked.

"I'm sure."

After a moment's thought, Adeline said, "Alright, then. On your way back, send me everything you know in messages, and delete them afterward. Delete our call logs, too. Don't let Eleanor find anything."

If Eleanor picked up on any clue, Halle would be in danger.

"Understood." With that, Halle left the bar.

On her way back, Halle sent Adeline everything she knew, no matter how trivial the matters were.

Once she was done, she deleted every trace of her contact with Adeline.

Rushing back home, Halle was met with Eleanor's furious tirade as soon as she walked in. 

“You’re getting bold, going out without telling me!” Eleanor shouted.

Halle meekly replied, “I’m sorry, Miss Freser. I won’t do it again.”

Eleanor glared at her and then suddenly said,” Hand me the phone.”