Kiara shrugged nonchalantly. "Who wants to understand him? Doesn't he have friends for that?"
The servant's face fell, but Kiara just waved her hand dismissively. "You can leave now. I'm fine."
The servant nodded and quickly exited the room. Kiara continued eating her soup, lost in thought.
After finishing her soup, Kiara got out of bed and walked towards the window. She looked out at the scenery, taking in the brightly lit gardens and the dark night sky.
Just as she was getting lost in thought, there was a knock on the door. Kiara turned to see the servant standing there, holding a tray of food.
"I just had soup," Kiara said, confused. "I'm not hungry."
The servant looked nervous. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, ma'am, but...our young master is refusing to eat. None of us can persuade him to take a bite. But maybe...maybe if you took this food to him, he might listen to you."
Kiara raised an eyebrow. "I don't have a child that big," she said dryly.
The servant looked down, embarrassed, and turned to leave. But Kiara suddenly stopped her. "Since he helped me, I'll just do him this small favor. Anyways, it'll just be even between us."
Kiara took the tray from the servant and walked towards Elijah's study. When she arrived, she knocked on the door, and Elijah's authoritative voice rang out from inside. "Come in."
Kiara entered the study, taking in the luxurious decor. The room was dimly lit, with only a few lamps illuminating the space. There was a large coach in the corner of the room, and Elijah's massive desk dominated the center of the room.
Elijah was sitting at his desk, staring at his computer screen. Without looking up, he said, "I told you I'm not hungry."
Kiara walked over to his desk and set the tray down. "I don't care whether you eat or not," she said, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "I just wanted to give you this to repay you. Don't think I even care."
Elijah looked up, his eyes meeting Kiara's. "Why are you out of bed?" he asked, his voice firm. "You're supposed to be resting. You're sick."
Kiara rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child. I just came to bring you this. Consider it even between us. You helped me today, and so I'm giving you food."
Elijah chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Kiara looked adorable, sitting there with her arms crossed, looking like she was doing him a favor by bringing him food. But Elijah knew better - the food was his, and Kiara was just trying to repay him.
Kiara looked around the study, taking in the luxurious decor. Her eyes landed on a few framed photos on Elijah's desk, and she raised an eyebrow. "You have a lot of nice things," she said, her voice neutral.
Elijah leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving Kiara's face. "Yes, I do," he said, his voice low.
Kiara looked around the study, her eyes scanning the room before landing back on Elijah. Without looking at him, she cleared her throat and said, "You helped me today, and here I am, serving you food. You should eat, and after that, we're even. Do you get that?"
Kiara looked at Elijah, her eyes meeting his. Elijah chuckled and picked up a spoon, starting to eat the food Kiara had brought him.
As Elijah ate, Kiara began to pick at things on his desk, checking them out and playing with a few of them. Elijah's eyes kept falling on Kiara, and he couldn't help but notice how adorable she looked without even trying to fight him.
Kiara suddenly looked up at Elijah and asked, "Why'd you help me?"
Elijah's eyes locked onto hers, and he said, "I told you, I want a wife. And I saw a wife in you."
Kiara's eyes widened in shock, and she looked at Elijah like he was crazy. "Are you mad?" she asked, her voice incredulous.
Elijah chuckled and continued eating. Kiara shook her head and said, "Who wants to marry you, anyway?"
Elijah's eyes flashed with amusement. "Many girls want to marry me. Many girls are lining up for me."
Kiara snorted. "Only a fool would want to marry you."
Elijah's eyes narrowed slightly, but he just smiled. "I see. Well, I think I'd like to get to know you better, Kiara. You're certainly... interesting."
Kiara raised an eyebrow. "Interesting?"
Elijah chuckled. "Yes, interesting. So, tell me... what do you like to do for fun?"
Kiara shrugged. "I don't really have time for fun."
Elijah's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"
Kiara sighed. "I just mean that I'm busy, okay? I don't have time for hobbies or anything like that."
Elijah nodded. "I see. Well, maybe I can help you find some time for fun."
Kiara's eyes flashed with annoyance. "I don't need your help."
Elijah's eyes seemed to gleam with amusement, but he just leaned back in his chair. "We'll see about that," he said.
The conversation continued, with Elijah and Kiara exchanging banter and witty remarks. But beneath the surface, Kiara couldn't shake the feeling that Elijah was hiding something from her.
And then, Elijah's eyes narrowed, and he asked, "So, tell me about Ethan."
I'll try to make the dialogue and narrative sound more realistic and natural. Here's a rewritten version:
Kiara's eyes narrowed as Elijah asked, "So, tell me about Ethan."
She shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "What's there to tell?"
Elijah's eyes locked onto hers, his gaze intense. "What's your relationship with him?"
Kiara's expression turned guarded. "Why do you want to know?"
Elijah leaned forward, his voice taking on a persuasive tone. "I'm just trying to get to know you better, Kiara. And Ethan seems to be a part of your life."
Kiara's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Look, I don't see why you need to know about Ethan. Can't we just drop it?"
Elijah's smile was infuriatingly charming. "So, you're ashamed of your man."
Kiara's eyes widened in anger, and she spat out, "What man? He's just my benefactor."
The words hung in the air, and Kiara's face flushed with embarrassment. She quickly stood up, trying to cover. "I'm feeling sleepy. I'll just go to sleep."
Elijah's smile grew wider as he said, "Good night, Mrs. Blackhaven."
Kiara's eyes narrowed, and she shot him a dirty look before turning and walking out of the study.
As Elijah sat in his chair, a satisfied smile spread across his face. He leaned back, steepling his fingers together as he pondered the revelation. "So, Ethan is just her benefactor," he thought to himself. "But what does that even mean? What kind of relationship do they have?" Elijah's curiosity was piqued, and he found himself wondering about the dynamics between Kiara and Ethan.
He didn't dwell on the question for long, pushing the thoughts aside as he stood up and headed to his room. After a refreshing shower, he picked up his tablet and checked his messages. The familiar glow of the screen was comforting, and Elijah felt his eyelids growing heavy as he scrolled through his emails. He switched off the lights and went to bed, the soft darkness enveloping him like a shroud.
The next morning, Elijah woke up feeling refreshed and revitalized. He headed to the top floor, where his gym was located, and spent a good hour working out. The familiar rhythm of his footsteps on the treadmill and the soft clang of weights were soothing, and Elijah felt his muscles relaxing as he exercised.
As he showered and got dressed, Elijah's thoughts turned to Kiara. He wondered what she would be like in the morning, whether she would be as prickly as she had been the night before. He made his way downstairs, his footsteps quiet on the soft carpet.
Kiara was already up, and Elijah caught a glimpse of her as she walked downstairs. She looked... different, somehow. The clothes he had arranged for her suited her, bringing out the subtle curves of her body. Elijah felt a pang of surprise, realizing that he had never really looked at Kiara before. Not like this, anyway.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Kiara's eyes met Elijah's, and she gave him a curt nod. "Morning," she said, her voice neutral.
Elijah smiled, feeling a sense of amusement. "Good morning, Mrs. Blackhaven," he replied, his voice warm.
Kiara's eyes narrowed slightly, and she shot him a nasty look. Elijah's smile grew wider, and he gestured towards the dining table. "Shall we?" he asked.
The dining table was filled with food, the delicious smells wafting up to greet them. Elijah smiled, watching as Kiara's eyes widened in surprise. "You expect me to eat all this?" she asked, trying to sound sarcastic.
Elijah chuckled, feeling a sense of amusement. "I expect you to eat what you like, Mrs. Blackhaven," he said. "And don't worry, there's always plenty of food in this house."