"It's alright." Elijah Smith stood up with courtesy. He was about to shake hands with Clarence Cooper when he saw Ella Adams, wearing high heels and a bright smile, following behind Cooper.
Just moments ago, he had been wondering whether Ella had found a boyfriend, but now he saw her with his business partner. He knew exactly what this implied.
In a moment, a pain he couldn't define spread across his body, leaving him rigid for a quite a while. He then shook Cooper's hand in return, maintaining the courtesies.
"Mr. Smith, allow me to introduce..." Cooper stepped aside, gesturing towards Ella behind him, "This is Ella Adams."
"Ella, this is Elijah Smith."
Elijah Smith swallowed hard, remaining silent, his gaze fixed on Ella Adams.
Maintaining her calm facade, Ella could hardly believe what she was seeing.
How could it be him working with Cooper on this project? Destiny sure was a funny thing. She hadn't seen him in five years, but now their paths crossed so frequently.