The Numbers That Brought Our Fates Together 53 I Want It That Way.

Two days pa.s.sed, and Corey was happily meeting her friends whom she and Rick had invited to a picnic. Generally speaking, it was a homemade barbecue.

Rick's apartment was located in one of the highest skysc.r.a.pers in the city. It contained two s.p.a.cious bedrooms, a study, a big living room, an incredibly large open terrace with a swimming pool.

On one side of the terrace there was a swimming pool with sun loungers, and on the other side, there was a lawn and tall trees planted in huge clay pots.

The design of the apartment was thought through in the smallest details. Its owner could move from the urban environment to his own park or beach at any time since both of these objects were located on his own balcony.

In addition, thanks to the height of the house, the whole city was in its full view, allowing the owner to enjoy both the evening rays of the setting sun and the night illumination of millions of city lights.

Corey ran up to Elena and hugged her friend tightly, "I hope you remembered to bring a swimsuit with you, didn't you?"

Elena looked guiltily, making it clear that she had no swimsuit with her.

"I knew it! What would you do without me?! Be proud that you have such a wonderful friend who prepared everything for you!" Corey said solemnly.

"I totally agree with how amazing you are, but about the pool - I haven't made up my mind yet," Elena answered.

"Guys, what is it with a hangdog expression on your faces? Did you have a fight or something?" Rick asked, noticing some coldness between Elena and David.

"Ahaha, I hope not," David tried to laugh it off, but he didn't do it well, frankly. He knew that Elena was waiting for a detailed explanation from him, so the man was thinking about how to present the information to her in the best possible way.

"So let's do the following," Rick stood up between Elena and David, put his hands on their shoulders and led them toward one of the rooms.

"In my humble opinion, the bedroom is one of the best places for making up. The kitchen, of course, is also quite a good place, but it will be more convenient in the bedroom. You have forty minutes while the barbecue is being prepared, so don't waste your time and settle things in the right way."

Rick opened the bedroom door and pushed both of them inside, "In the top drawer next to the bed you will find everything you need. There is a bathroom behind that door. And the last but not least about my apartment is that this place is extremely sound proof so you will be able to have a good chat," the guy winked at his friends playfully and went away, whistling a hilarious melody.

The door closed and an awkward silence fell in the room. David and Elena looked at each other in surprise and laughed.

"Hmm, your friend is quite something," smiled the girl.

Rick's frankness at times made her feel completely taken aback. In this regard, he and Corey were really the right couple.

"Yes, he is like that," David replied, and walked over to Elena, "Can I hug you?"

Elena was surprised to hear such a question, "Somehow before, my opinion didn't really interest you if you wanted to do something like this. Why are you asking for my permission now?"

The young man looked at the girl, and then looked away. He took her hands and began to touch her fingers with his hands gently.

"Because earlier I was sure that you didn't mind it. At least, I hope that this is exactly how it was. Now I'm not sure about it. Therefore, I am asking for your permission."

"Before getting my permission, tell me what is going on at all? Because if I don't get the necessary explanations, I'll have to a.n.a.lyze the situation myself. Then do not be offended if my a.s.sumptions turn out to be not the most pleasant for you," Elena replied honestly.

David took the girl by the hand and led her to the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed, made Elena sit on his lap and hugged her tight.

"And what does that mean?" She asked, feeling surprised by his strange reaction to her earlier request.

"I've missed you a lot," David replied and pressed his head against Elena's chest.

"We can talk perfectly well if I just sit down next to you. Do you have to do it that way?"

"I want it that way," the young man insisted, acting like a naughty child.

Elena raised her head and sighed, "David, I understood long ago that you are a master of telling sweet words, but let's not complicate the situation, okay?"

The young man said nothing as if he had begun to reflect on something. Sometime later, he answered in a completely serious voice, "Elena, there are things you don't need to know about. Not because I don't want to talk to you about it, but because you are not ready to hear and accept them yet."

"The doc.u.ments that Professor Richards handed me through you were really part of your father's research lab. Therefore, he is partly right in accusing Greenline Inc. of fraud. But try to understand, in this situation it was not about stealing the intellectual property of one compet.i.tor by another compet.i.tor. It was a matter of state security.

How do you imagine a situation when only one company owns the market? When the lives of millions of people depend only on this company alone? Imagine if all the oil or gas were concentrated in the hands of one enterprise. What would happen then?

Greenline Inc. is not just a business. Behind this business, there are influential structures, special services. Many issues are resolved at the state level, although not officially. What I am saying to you now is just enough to put your life in serious danger.

Therefore, I beg you, do not force me to tell you something that is better not to be known. I will never forgive myself if something happens to you," David paused and pressed Elena closer to him.

"Then... did you get close to me to make it easier to get these doc.u.ments? Am I also a part of this plan?" Elena asked barely audibly, being afraid to hear the positive answer to her question.

"OF COURSE NOT! How could such a thing have ever occurred to you?!" David exploded, full of indignation. "Those doc.u.ments were stolen... hmmm, no, I don't like that word. Those doc.u.ments were borrowed before we met. Our acquaintance and your involvement in this business is a pure coincidence. The only thing that really bothers me is that the organizer of the murder and kidnapping is still unknown. That is why I got so mad when I saw you at night alone with an unknown guy! How can you be so careless after all that happened?!"

Elena sat in David's lap and watched in amazement as the young man from a sad and lonely puppy pressed against her chest turned into a growling tiger in a matter of minutes, ready to bite her for bad behavior.

The man grabbed her with his hands, got up from his seat, turned around and gently put the girl on the bed. Then he laid down next to her.

Putting one hand under his head, David slowly stroked the girl's hair with his second hand. "Elena, what can I do to make you believe me?"

David leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. Then he ran his hand over her cheek and said,

"I love you."

Elena was confused. She heard the way he expressed his feelings to her with such words for the first time.

David just smiled tenderly, seeing how his unexpected confession took the girl off guard.

Elena looked intently into his eyes, and her chest ached. For some reason, at that moment, David's eyes seemed incredibly sad to her.