**Chapter 78** Avery sat in her room, her heart racing with confusion and disbelief. The necklace that glimmered across the room was irrefutably the same one she hadn’t purchased that very morning. How on earth had it come to be in her possession now? With a swirl of anxiety churning in her stomach, she stepped out into the hallway, only to collide with Elliot, who was descending the staircase with a casual ease. The tension in the air thickened as she mustered the courage to voice her burning question. “What’s going on with this necklace?” Though on the surface, it seemed like a minor matter, her intuition screamed that there was more to it, that somehow, Elliot was involved. She had a nagging certainty that Ben had mentioned it to him, perhaps during one of their conversations. Elliot regarded her with a hint of unease etched into his features. “Ben bought it,” he stated simply. He paused for a moment, then continued, “I checked the price, and it was far too cheap. Seemed like nobody wanted it, so I figured I'd bring it back to you.” A wave of mixed emotions flooded Avery's mind at his words. He handed her the necklace simply because it wasn’t worth anyone’s affection? Fantastic! If that's how it was, she decided she might as well keep it. “We should have dinner together,” Elliot suggested, his voice casual yet edged with an unspoken intent. Avery’s instinct was to decline, yet her body betrayed her reluctance. Had accepting a gift from him stirred some deeper connections? Perhaps that was the root of her indecision. Moments later, they found themselves seated at the dining table, the atmosphere taut with an unfolding tension. After Mrs. Cooper had meticulously arranged their dinner and quietly exited, it felt as though she had closed the door on the outside world, leaving only the two of them behind. Avery picked at her plate, her appetite seemingly lost in a whirlwind of thoughts and uncertainties. Elliot had extended this dinner invitation—surely that meant he had something significant to say. And what about Ben? Had Elliot, in some silent way, approved of the gifts he had showered upon her? Her mind raced, forcing the last piece of meat at the end of her fork to sway perilously in the air, not yet reaching her lips. “What’s wrong?” Elliot asked, his voice breaking through her reverie. “Did Charlie Tierney contact you?” With a small bite of food, Avery replied, “Do you know him well?” “Clasemates,” Elliot said with a calm demeanor, before throwing her a curveball. “Do you want to see his ex-girlfriends?” Avery nearly choked, her throat constricting as disbelief gripped her. She hastily laid down her utensils and grasped a glass of water, gulping it down as if it could wash away both her surprise and the implications of his words. To her astonishment, Elliot produced a file as if conjured from thin air, slid it across the table towards her like a gift she hadn’t asked for. Dazed, she glanced at the folder’s contents, then lifted her eyes to meet his, an intensity shimmering between them. What was he thinking? Her relationship with Charlie was strictly professional; why would Elliot bother to show her details about Charlie’s past loves? It was baffling. “Did you not know he’s interested in you?” Elliot asked, almost teasingly, as if he were laying out the winner of a competition. Her jaw dropped at the revelation. “Does he not realize I’m your wife?” “He does. But marriages can end, and people often stray…” Elliot’s voice trailed off as he gauged her reaction, realizing she was completely in the dark about Charlie’s intentions. Avery's mind whirled as she absorbed his words. “I see…” she murmured, flipping through the pages of the dossier. “Wow, all of his exes are stunning! Just look at those hourglass bodies! And those full lips! Red lipstick would look fabulous on them… Is that the type of woman men really go for?” Elliot’s expression hardened. He had shown her the file not to delve into trivial discussions about appearances, but rather to underscore a crucial point—she was not the type Charlie sought, and she needed to understand that. “You mentioned he has a crush on me, but I don’t fit his preferred image at all. So why the interest?” The answer struck her almost instantly, an unsettling thought laced with suspicion. “To get back at his sister, perhaps?” “Not as dim as I presumed,” Elliot retorted, a smirk playing on his lips. Avery shot him a glare, exasperated. “But wouldn’t this ruin your relationship with him? You, of all people, would confront someone over even the smallest slight.” The gravity of Elliot’s demeanor shifted as his voice became uncharacteristically grave. “We’ve been estranged for quite some time.” As the weight of his words settled between them, Avery resumed her meal, contemplative. “Then you have an idea of what needs to be done now, don’t you?” Elliot prompted, seeking clarity from her. Earlier that day, she had met with the executives at the office; they had all unanimously agreed to proceed with Trust Capital. “Of course,” Avery replied, a newfound determination igniting in her as she prepared to navigate the treacherous waters ahead.