Broken Trust

Elena moved closer to the man and asked, "Have we met before?"

The man looked up in fear. Who was this woman? Elena tilted her head to one side and gasped. He was the man in the party during the first night they had arrived in Jin Province. The guy that had asked her if the food was good.

"I know you. Do you remember me? I met you at the party here in this building a few weeks ago."

Mu Liqian held his breath and didn't respond. Was this woman trying to get revenge and really fire him? Although he had no idea who this woman was, he could tell that she was important. Lu Chenjun's face had turned even uglier as he watched Elena talk to his Chief Marketing Officer.

"Mu Liqian, you can leave."

Mu Liqian nodded and quickly ran away.

"Wait -"

Before Elena could call him, Lu Chenjun grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her seat.

"Who is he?"

Lu Chenjun didn't respond but instead sat down, and immediately began eating. Elena picked up the extra pair of chopsticks and tried to pick up some food, but Lu Chenjun pulled the container closer to him, out of Elena's reach.

Elena widened her eyes and was about to complain. However, she suddenly remembered what she was here for, and she dropped the chopsticks.

"Lu Chenjun. How did you get into my apartment?"

Lu Chenjun stopped eating. His eyes darted from left to right and he coughed once.

"Well, the security guard outside opened the door for me."

Elena frowned, "Oh. Why would he open it for you?"

Lu Chenjun put down his spoon. "I told him he was doing a good job and gave him a small reward. That's it. Now stop asking. You should give me a key to your apartment."

Elena rolled her eyes and picked up her chopsticks.

"Is the food good today?"

Lu Chenjun nodded, "It's okay."

Elena took a deep breath before looking up at Lu Chenjun.

"Lu Chenjun, I have a favor to ask you."

"What?" Lu Chenjun wasn't focused. He kept on eating, obviously not interested in what Elena had to ask.

"Can you borrow me some money?"

Lu Chenjun froze. His expression changed. He looked up at Elena and dropped his chopsticks. He leaned back in his chair, and asked, "What for?"

Elena didn't expect Lu Chenjun to ask her that. She cleared her throat before saying, "Uh well. . . Don't all girls like to buy clothing, cosmetic items, and things like that? Don't worry, I will pay you back once I receive my paycheck."

Lu Chenjun stared at Elena with confusion in his eyes. Without moving his gaze, he reached into a cabinet. He pulled out a blank check and signed it with his signature. Lu Chenjun leaned forward and placed the check on the table.

"You don't have to return me. The check is blank. Put whatever number you want on there."

Elena could sense the frustration and disappointment, but she didn't know what else to do. She picked up the check and thanked h.

Lu Chenjun leaned forward and turned to his computer.

"I have work to do. Take your food and leave."

Elena knew that she had no reason to stay any longer. She packed the lunch box and stood up.

"Thank you, Mr. Lu."

The elevator ride back down to the first floor was completely silent. Fang Shi looked at Elena through the corner of his eye. Her face was emotionless, but her heart felt heavy.

Fang Shi's gaze trailed down and landed on her right hand. An empty check. He let out a sigh as the elevator door opened.

"Goodbye Miss Jin Yinghui. I'll see you later."

Elena gave him a half-hearted smile before exiting the elevator. Fang Shi watched as Elena walked out of the building.

'She had broken the trust.'

Elena entered her car in the underground parking lot but didn't immediately start it. She closed her eyes and leaned against the headrest. She could still see Lu Chenjun's piercing gaze, filled with disappointment and anger. She opened her eyes and held the check up. She thought about returning the check, though she knew it was too late.

Elena pulled out a pen from her bag and filled in the check. 70,000 yuan.

She placed the check inside her bag and closed her eyes again. An image of Lu Chenjun staring at her came into focus, but she didn't open her eyes.

'Why do I care so much? Have I still not gotten used to disappointment yet?'

She opened her eyes and stared at the dull, grey wall in front of her. She started the engine and left the parking lot.

In the Jin Province Trust Bank, Elena deposited all the money into her bank account. Then, she transferred 70,000 yuan to her mom's account. When she returned home, it was already 5 in the afternoon. The sun was setting, and darkness was descending over the busy city.

Once Elena opened the door, Mila rushed over and asked, "Did you get the money?"

Elena nodded as she put away the car keys.

"Did you transfer it yet?"

Elena nodded again. Mila gasped and pulled her over to the couch.

"You sent it already? Elena, based on what I know about your mom, I'm a little suspicious. I did some research, and found out that heart surgery is much more than just 70,000 yuan."

Elena looked at Mila with confusion.

"Are you saying that my mom lied to me about my dad's health?"

Mila looked down. "I know I'm not in the position to talk about your family, but I think you should just make sure. When they asked you for money while you were in Korea, you just gave it to them. Who knows what they did with all that money? However, now you also live in Jin Province. You should make sure, as 70,000 yuan isn't a small amount."

Elena thought about this. She did sacrifice a lot to get this money. She looked up at Mila and bit her lip.

"I guess it's time to pay my family a visit."