《The CEO’s Second Choice》


 Chapter1 Elena Wiltshire, Student Of Law?

    Elena


    I stared at myptop, not believing what I was seeing¡­ Then I let out a shriek so loud that even my mother came running into my room.


    ¡°What in the world is going on, Elena?¡± She cried out, staring at me with eyes as big as saucers. I turn myptop screen around and point towards it, ¡°I got epted, mother! Harvard has epted my application!¡± I respond with glee, to a perplexed mother.


    She raised one expertly plucked eyebrow at me, ¡°Excuse me? Harvard, as in The States?¡± Fighting the urge to roll my eyes at her, I nodded and could not help but grin. Harvard Law School, my dream Uni has epted me! Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing could knock me off this high. I¡¯ve done it! I have proven to myself and my family that I could get somewhere without their influence.


    I mean, I could have chosen Cambridge or Oxford, but that would be too close to home and the Wiltshire name. I would immediately have been epted if they knew I was William Wilshire¡¯s daughter.


    My face hurts from grinning, and I look at my mother for a reaction, but as usual there is none. And it was not the Botox.


    ¡°Well now, we will have to see what your father has to say about this. The States, Elena? Why not Oxford? It is, in fact, your father¡¯s alumni.¡±


    Did I say nothing could knock me off this high? Well, my mother just shot a bazooka straight into it.


    I stare at her, a little discouraged. I expected this reaction and, prepared myself for it, but it didn¡¯t hurt any less. Never in my 20 years on this earth, had my mother been proud of me or showed it. The smile drops from my face and I sigh, ¡°Can¡¯t you just be happy for me for once, mother?¡±


    She looked at me as if I had trampled on her favourite Louboutins, ¡°I will be happy when I know you have rejected that eptance letter and studied closer to home. Come, you need to get ready for tonight¡¯s dinner party. The Dumont¡¯s will be joining us this evening.¡± With that, she turned on her heels and strode out of my room.


    I stare at her back and feel a tear slip down my cheek.


    My mother, Susanna Wiltshire, is an upper-ss socialite of noble blood so it will always be expected of me to follow in her footsteps. My twin sister, Eliana, slipped into the role much easier than I did. Where I was brash and spoke my mind, she was reserved and soft-spoken. A properdy.


    Speaking of which; a face pops into my bedroom door with a smile stered on her face, my mirror image. With a few alterations.


    Where she had soft honey-coloured curls set in a natural byage, I had more of a caramel tint to my byage. Where her eyes were baby blue and sparkling, mine was more of an icy steel. We both had heart-shaped faces, almond-shaped eyes and bow-shaped lips though.


    People have said we were blessed with our looks, my sister seemed to think so. Where she got stares and knew she was beautiful, I had the self-esteem of a rock.


    ¡°I heard the news!¡± She exims and rushes over to me, engulfing me in a hug. ¡°I am so proud of you, Elena! This is fantastic news!¡±


    Trust Eliana to be my hype girl. I smile against my better judgement and a giggle escapes from my throat. She let go of me and looked me up and down, her blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears.


    ¡°You get to live your dream instead of being forced to live the socialite life.¡± She says, knowing that would have been the bane of my existence. My bottom lip starts to tremble at her words, knowing my father would never allow me to study at Harvard. The sudden realization hits me.


    He would never agree to this. How stupid could I have been?


    Eliana¡¯s smile drops from her face and she regards me with concern, ¡°I was foolish, Eliana.¡± I start, ¡°Father would never allow me to move overseas when he could just have easily gotten me into Oxford. Me and my stupid dreams.¡±


    She offers me a thin smile then leads me back to my bed. ¡°You never know, Elena. Speak to him about it. Maybe he wants one of us to experience what the world has to offer.¡± She said, a knowing smile crossing her lips and I had a feeling she was hiding something from me.


    Call it twins¡¯ intuition, but I could always tell when Eliana was lying to me or withholding something. In this case, it was thetter.


    I decided to not push the subject but nod anyway. ¡°I will after this evening¡¯s dinner party. I am guessing Sebastian and his parents will be joining us?¡± I ask.


    Ugh, Sebastian Dumont. The most arrogant man God could ever have created. The man oozed self-righteousness and had an ego 10 timesrger than his body weight. The first time he came to our estate to visit Eliana, he didn¡¯t mistake me for her at all, normally people do. He called me ¡®podgy¡¯ and said he did not understand why people confused the two of us.


    Call me childish, but I never forgot that day. I had never been so embarrassed in my life. Of course, I never mentioned this to Eliana, I did not want her to think any less of her fiance.


    She nods happily, ¡°Yes, he is. Just a fewst-minute preparations and alterations that were made before the wedding. His parents wish to iron it out before the big day.¡± She says with calm as if she wasn¡¯t marrying the wealthiest CEO in the UK.


    ¡°Ah okay. I will be expected to attend then?¡± I ask with a grin, already knowing the answer. She gives me a sarcastic look, ¡°My maid of honour wants to sit this one out? I don¡¯t think so.¡± She responded and got up from my bed to leave my room. Then she turned around at the doorway and gave me another smile, ¡°I truly am so happy for you, Elena. You deserve this little bit of freedom. Speak to father after the dinner party. I am sure he will give you his blessing.¡± Then she was gone.


    I flop back down onto my oak four-poster and sigh out loud. Would my father honestly be okay with me studying overseas? If my mother was anything to go on, that would be a resounding no.


    I take my cell phone out of my pocket intending to call my boyfriend, Nichs. He had been my rock the past two years and was the one who encouraged me to apply at Harvard. This made no sense to me at all, because I wanted to be close to him as we were to be wed in a year¡¯s time. However, I started to realise that I needed to do this for myself, I needed to pursue my dream.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    However, on the fourth ring, I put the phone down as my call went unanswered. Weird, Nichs always answered when he saw it was me calling. I shrug and try to push my emotions down. I would tell him my newster on. The Dumonts would be here soon, I had better make myself look presentable.

 Chapter2 The Dinner Party From Hell

    Elena


    Dressed in a burgundy empire evening dress with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves, I put on my Mary Jane Louboutins and was ready to face the Dumonts. I left my hair to cascade in curls down my back and didn¡¯t bother with over the top makeup. I had no one to impress, so why bother with frivolities?


    As I descend our winding staircase, I spot my sister in the foyer. She was on the phone and seemed rather upset. The clicking of my heels alerts her to my presence and she kills her call. Turning to face me, she sters a fake smile onto her face and walks towards me and catches my frown. ¡°Wedding problems,¡± she answers with the roll of her eyes. I knew she was lying, but who am I to say anything? She clearly did not want to tell me what was going on with her.


    I offer her a tight smile, ¡°Eliana, you know¡­¡± I start, but decide against it with the shake of my head, ¡°Never mind. Is everything ready for this evening?¡±


    She looked relieved at my change of subject and nodded, ¡°The Dumonts should be here shortly.¡±


    Eliana looked nervous at this, where earlier she looked positively delighted to be seeing her fiance. We link arms and walk towards the dining area together. My sister rxed a bit in my arm, but as soon as we entered the room, she stilled.


    It seemed the Dumonts were here early.


    Snooty and pretentious, both Mirabelle and Spencer Dumont oozed elegance. Mirabelle was a raven-haired beauty who used to be a Prima Ballerina back in her day. She married Spencer when her dancing days ended. Spencer Dumont was the wealthiest man in the UK, with Sebastian set to inherit everything. Not that the man needed to inherit everything, he owned half of the country already. And by that I mean the majority of the buildings in the country belonged to Dumont Enterprises.


    ¡°Eliana, Elena,¡± Mirabelle greets us in her haughty voice. The woman had nothing good to say about Eliana but seemed to dote on me. How that worked, I would never know. Everyone always loved my sister. ¡°You are both looking gorgeous.¡± She gushes as she walks over to us and gives us both kisses on either cheek.


    ¡°Mirabelle, how are you?¡± I ask her, being as courteous as I could muster. ¡°You look lovely,¡± I say, taking in her beautiful emerald wrap dress.


    She rolls her eyes, ¡°As well as can be expected, I guess. Another dinner party that could have been a text-¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡± Came the voice of Mr Ego himself, Sebastian Dumont.


    Mirabelle rolls her eyes again, and this time it was aimed at her son. ¡°Fine, I will y nice,¡± she says and winks at me while giving Eliana a once over.


    My sister looks at me, ¡°How did you bewitch that woman? She despises me.¡± She said sadly, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for her. Eliana could charm anyone, but not her mother-inw to be.


    I stroke her arm, ¡°I am sure it will change after the wedding, love.¡± How was thisforting my sister? Because she just turned a pale green.


    Sebastian walks over to us and gives her a kiss on the cheek, ¡°Excuse my mother for the millionth time, love. She will warm up to you.¡± He says and Eliana nods robotically as if she had heard that line many times over.


    They had been together for three years, and Mirabelle seemed to dislike my sister more each day.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Came the voice of my father, boisterous Lord William Wiltshire, the second wealthiest man in the UK, second only to Spencer Dumont.


    We all took our respective seats at the dinner table; my father at the head of the table, Eliana and I next to him on opposite sides of the table, the elder Dumonts were seated next to me and Sebastian was seated next to Eliana. My mother was seated at the opposite head of the table.


    Dinner was served soon after and polite conversation was made, however, the air was fraught with friction. Something was going on and I have a feeling this was not just your average dinner party between influential families.


    ¡°Now, it is lovely to have you over again, Spencer and Mirabelle, but I fail to see why a dinner party was needed to discuss this. Surely a phone call would have sufficed?¡± My father, asking all the real questions now.


    We were currently seated in the parlour, having wine and our palette cleansed after a light four-course dinner.


    Mirabelle gets up from her chair, and I could tell she waspletely livid but sad. She gazes at everyone in the room and her eyes fall on Eliana. I followed her line of vision and saw my sister looking anxious, that green tinge to her skin again.


    ¡°William, Susanna, I am afraid wee bearing awful news this evening.¡± She said and looked straight at Sebastian, who had the same confused look on his face as everyone else in the room.


    Everyone except Eliana.


    Spencer stood up this time,¡±This marriage cannot be, Sebastian.¡± He said and his son frowns at the statement..


    ¡°What exactly is this about, Father?¡± He starts, ¡°I know you all hate Eliana but I love her and I will marry her in two months time. Your blessing given or not.¡±


    Mirabelle had a horrified look on her face and she looked towards Spencer, ¡°Tell him.¡± is all she says and sits down again. Spencer grins, ¡°Even better, I will have someone else do it for me.¡± He says and the parlour door opens.


    A man whom I have never met before enters the room and I hear Eliana gasp. I looked towards my sister and saw that she had gone deathly pale.


    What was going on?


    Echoing my thoughts, Sebastians asks the same question out loud. ¡°Uncle Robert? What exactly are you doing here?¡± He added.


    The man, Robert Dumont, looks towards everyone in the room. He was tall, well built and frankly, quite handsome. He ran his fingers through his curls in what I can only assume was frustration.


    ¡°Sebastian, you are being lied to.¡± He said and pointed towards my sister, ¡°Eliana has not been as forting with you.¡±


    Oh no. Oh heck no. Eliana, what have you done?


    Sebastian looks at my sister and frowns, ¡°What exactly does he mean by that, Eliana?¡± He asks but his expression showed that he did not wish to know. Eliana looks up at him with tears in her eyes, ¡°I am sorry, Sebastian,¡± she says.


    Gosh, was I in a soap opera right now?


    I take in everyone¡¯s expression; My father seemed livid, my mother looked put out of countenance. The Dumonts were upset and angry, whereas my sister seemed sad but ted? Was that even possible?


    ¡°Sorry? What are you sorry for? What have you done?¡± He asks, taking a step back from her.


    Eliana stood up and walked towards Robert Dumont, then faced us with a grim expression, ¡°I am in love with Robert and wish to call off this engagement.¡±


    Her statement sent literal shockwaves through us all. Sebastian looked as if his heart just got ripped out, my parents went ashen and me? I sat there with my mouth hanging open in a verydy-like fashion.


    Eliana, the poised and proper Wiltshire sister was going to cause an upper-ss scandal.


    Robert grinned and looked proud, ¡°But that¡¯s not all. Tell them the news, love.¡± He says in an incredibly sleazy way that I even got shivers.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Eliana gazed proudly at him, ¡°I am pregnant with Robert¡¯s child.¡±

 Chapter3 Excuse Me? MARRIAGE???

    Elena


    You could hear a pin drop.


    Eliana, my sweet sister, would be causing a scandal with her news. The worst type of scandal in the upper ss and nobility circles.


    Affairs and babies born out of wedlock.


    Sebastian had gone pale, my parents were reeling from this news and the Dumonts? Well, it seems that even they did not know thisst little titbit.


    Mirabelle walks towards them, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?! A child born out of wedlock, how shameful!¡± She shrieks and I could tell this upset her incredibly. ¡°I knew there was something about you that I didn¡¯t like.¡±


    Eliana throws her head back andughs, or rather cackles, ¡°Mirabelle, there will be no scandal. Robert and I will wed before the child is born. Then you will finally be rid of me.¡±


    I do not think I have ever heard my sister speak in such an acid tone, especially not towards Mirabelle Dumont. I could feel the shame radiating from where my parents were seated.


    Mirabelle goespletely red in her face, ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°Mother, you knew about this?¡± Sebastian finally speaks up and looks towards his parents. My eyes flicker to his voice and I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him. He maintains hisposure, but the hurt in his eyes was evident, something I think Eliana did not care to notice. Mirabelle shakes her head, ¡°I found out about the affair yesterday, the pregnancy is new.¡± She answers her son, her face dropping as she took in his expression.


    Sebastian scoffs then looks towards my sister, ¡°How long were you going to keep at this?¡± He asks Eliana, ¡°And you, uncle Robert, sleeping with your nephew¡¯s son as if we were in some sort of bad soap opera. What were the both of you looking to gain from this?¡±


    Sebastian was livid, but how he was keeping calm when his fiancee and uncle were just exposed was beyond my recognition.


    My eyes went towards my parents and saw the anger in their expression. Eliana had always been the golden girl, thedy set to marry into a prominent family and uphold the Wiltshire name. Now she would bring nothing to the family but scandal, something my mother absolutely despised.


    Robert suddenly spoke up, making us all turn in his direction, ¡°I have been urging Eliana for months toe clean and call off your engagement.¡± He says, taking Eliana¡¯s hand in his, ¡°We fell in love during my visitsst spring when I had helped with the Spring Ball. I am sorry this has hurt you, Sebastian, but the truth needed toe out. This is why I went to my brother and Mirabelle before an even bigger scandal engulfs the family name.¡±


    Oh, snap. The Spring Ball was in April ofst year, it was now September the following year with an Autumn wedding scheduled. My sister has been cheating on Sebastian for over a year now. Why had she said yes to him in June when she was in love with Robert?


    Sebastian strides towards the door, but my father calls him back and stands up, looking deeply ashamed. ¡°Mirabelle, Spencer, I am deeply sorry for this insult Eliana has caused to your family. She has undoubtedly tainted both our names, but we know in order to avoid an even bigger scandal, Eliana would have to wed Robert.¡± He says we all knew this would have to happen, even I did and I despised the upper-ss rule and regtions. I might be the rebellious heir, but I knew how to toe the line.


    Spencer nods, ¡°Indeed, she will. But now with that out of the way, what wille of Sebastian¡¯s supposed marriage? Our family¡¯s name will be left tainted because of this.¡± He gestures towards Robert and Eliana.


    Sebastian scoffs again, ¡°I will not be getting married, father-¡±


    ¡°But you must. If the public finds out about Eliana and Robert, we will be pariahs in our circles.¡± Mirabelle says, shaking her head and looking dismayed, then her eyes flicker towards me. ¡°Unless¡­¡±


    Unless? Unless what, Mirabelle?!


    The look in her eyes softens as she takes me in with a warm smile, Then she gets out of the armchair she was seated in and walks towards me, pulling me out of my seat.


    ¡°Unless we find a recement.¡±


    It took me a few seconds to register what she had just said. A recement bride. ME?? Horrified, I look towards her, ¡°Excuse me? A recement?¡± I ask, my voice a high pitched wobble then I look about the room.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Sebastian regards me then looks away.


    My parents nod, and look towards one another, their minds made up.


    Spencer stares at me but I could see him putting the pieces together in his mind.


    Eliana and Robert both stared at me, dumbfounded.


    Mirabelle was an ted ball of joy.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s perfect. We could tell the press that Sebastian and Elena were always together, and they got it confused because the girls are twins. IF everyone sticks to this story, we should be okay.¡± Spencer responds, a grin crosses his face as he stands up and walks towards his son. ¡°This needs to be done, Sebastian.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Sebastian says and stomps out of the room, then we hear the front door open then m shut.


    Was I just offered up as a pawn to appease families and social circles?


    ¡°Uhm, excuse me. Did anyone think to ask me how I felt about this?¡± I suddenly spoke up, having found my voice. They all turn towards me and I see my mother staring daggers before she walks over to me.


    ¡°Honey, this needs to be done. Your sister has insulted the Dumonts and we, as Whiltshires, need to make this right. Unfortunately, you do not have a choice in the matter. This marriage will be arranged and go ahead as scheduled.¡±


    My mother always cared about appearance more than me. What else did I expect?


    I sigh and my bottom lip trembles, then I look towards my sister who had an apologetic look in her eyes. ¡°I cannot do this, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I finally say and storm out of the parlour to the surprise of everyone present.


    Running up the stairs to my room, I hear my name being called behind me but I refuse to look back. This can¡¯t be happening! I just got epted into Uni! I had Nichs, I had a life nned for myself separate from the Wiltshire circles! They could not force me to marry, and to Sebastian at that. I despised the man, now I would be forced to marry him.


    I m my bedroom door then fall onto my four-poster as tears stream down my face.


    How would I tell Nichs that I could no longer be with him because I would be forced into an arranged marriage to a self-centred, egotistical CEO?

 Chapter4 Elena, The Depressed Heiress

    Elena


    A knock at my bedroom door draws me out of my reverie. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to hide in here forever. ¡°Elena?¡± came the voice of my father. This made me frown. He hardly ever came into my room. I would have expected it to be mother or Eliana to run after me.


    Not the head of our family.


    ¡°Come in, father,¡± I called out, then I sat up, straightening myself out as ady should. He then opens the door and pokes his head in. ¡°May Ie in?¡±


    I nod and grab a tissue from my bedside table to dab my eyes with. Did he honestly expect me to tell him he could not enter my room?


    My father takes a seat on my bed and takes my hand in his, ¡°Elena, I do not wish for you to go through with this marriage.¡± He starts abruptly, causing me to stare at him in surprise. Didn¡¯t he just agree with everyone downstairs?


    ¡°What do you mean by that, father? You just agreed with everyone downstairs that I should go along with this marriage to Sebastian.¡± I say, echoing my thoughts.


    He sighs, but gives me a sad nod, ¡°Yes, but it does not mean that I am happy with the whole thing. Eliana has shamed us with her actions, so we would need to make it right. We owe the Dumont¡¯s that. This is the only way to right the wrong.¡±


    Instead of facing the scandal, they would prefer to marry me off in my sister¡¯s ce. That¡¯s how little I mean to my family.


    I look up at my father and offer him a tight smile, ¡°I got my eptance letter from Harvard today,¡± I say wistfully, ¡°I wanted to studyw and got epted without the Wilshire name¡¯s sway.¡± I was so proud of this when I had received my letter earlier today. But now even this would be taken away from me, along with my freedom and Nichs.


    Oh my gosh, Nichs. What would I tell him? He was to be my betrothed when I returned from Harvard, now we would not be. Instead, I would have to marry a man who basically called me fat the first time he saw me.


    My father pats my hand, ¡°I am afraid that won¡¯t be happening right now, love. But perhaps we can ask them for an extension, for say 5 years?¡± He suggests, causing me to frown.


    An extension for 5 years?


    ¡°What do you mean by that, father?¡± I ask him, not quite grasping what he was saying.


    He offers me a warm smile, ¡°Marry Sebastian Dumont, stay married for at least 5 years then you have my blessing to go study abroad.¡±


    My eyes widened. Was this what the light at the end of a tunnel felt like?


    ¡°Do you really mean that, father?¡± I ask him, ted. I knew this was nothing, but a cleverly disguised bribe, but my dream and freedom were hanging mere inches from my grasp.


    My father gave me a smile, knowing he had won, ¡°Yes, poppet. I promise. After 5 years, you will be free to study abroad and make a name for yourself.¡±


    My mind had already agreed to his conditions, but my heart was stuck. I loved Nichs; He was the love of my life and my best friend. I would be choosing my career over him if I did this.


    Sebastian was thest person on earth I wanted to be married to, but if this meant my freedom and studying abroad, I would go through with it.


    Peering up at my father, I give him a small nod, ¡°Okay, I will do it. I¡¯ll marry Sebastian Dumont if I can study abroad after 5 years.¡±


    This seemed to appease him, so he gets up and walks towards the door, ¡°I will inform everyone downstairs. Join us for a nightcap when you¡¯re ready.¡± And with that, my father leaves my room.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I look down at my hands as I ce them in myp. Did I really just agree to marry the one man I despise more than anyone else?


    A jittery tone cuts through my thoughts, and I realise my cell phone is ringing. I pick it up and check the caller ID and my heartes to a stand-still.


    It was Nichs.


    I take a deep breath and decide to answer his call. There was no reason I had to ignore him, as I had always been forting in our rtionship.


    ¡°Hey, love,¡±


    ¡°Hey sweetheart, I¡¯m sorry I missed your call. Father had me sitting in on meetings with him,¡± Ah, that exins why my call had gone unanswered.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I was calling to let you know I got my eptance letter from Harvard today.¡± My letter, it seems like so long ago that I received it and I faintly remember how happy I felt thinking it had been my key to freedom.


    ¡°Honey, that is wonderful news! Shall I pick you up for a congrattory drink?¡± My sweet Nichs asks me, and I feel tears running down my cheeks again. I sniff and shake my head to get my bearings. Nichs must have heard me because his voice suddenly became serious, ¡°Love, are you alright?¡±


    Am I alright? No, I don¡¯t think I am. My life is in the midst of falling apart.


    ¡°Nichs, something has happened and I do not think we can be together anymore. I will not be attending Harvard either. I am so sorry, my love, but this is for the best.¡± I say with sadness and end my call.


    I take another tissue from my bedside table to wipe my tears and blow my nose. Then I take a deep breath and steel myself.


    Getting up from my bed, I saunter towards my dressing table and fix my makeup. I had better get used to looking my best in public, seeing as I, Elena Wiltshire, will be thedy of the family now.


    ***


    I straighten my back and poise myself to walk downstairs to face whoever was left of the wretched dinner party. The Dumonts, save for Sebastian, were still present and my parents. It appears Eliana and Robert had taken their leave.


    Mirabelle spots me and immediately gets up from her seat, beaming. ¡°My dear,¡± she gushes and draws me in for an embrace. ¡°I always wanted you to be the one to marry Sebastian, no offence, Susanna. But Elena always had that spunk I liked. She never pretended to be poised and proper.¡±


    Well, well, well. It appears I may have misjudged Mirabelle after all these years.


    I smiled at my soon to be mother-inw. What the heck. Was this really happening?


    ¡°Thank you, Mirabelle. I guess we will be more than family soon,¡± I tell her and she hugs me again.


    She seemed to be happier about this union than anyone else.


    I turn towards everyone, ¡°I will marry Sebastian in order to right this wrong and prevent a scandal.¡± I proim, to the delight of everyone present. My father smiled up at me and gave me a wink.


    The rest of the evening goes by in a blur, and the next thing I know I am showered and in bed.


    Tomorrow will be the first day of the rest of my miserable life.

 Chapter5 Wedding Dresses and Other Things

    Elena


    ¡°This one looks beautiful, Elena!¡±


    Can you guess where I am right now? What a way to spend a peaceful Sunday.


    Currently swaddled ince and silk, my mother and Mirabelle had kidnapped me so we could go hunting for a wedding dress. ¡°Why can¡¯t I just wear Eliana¡¯s?¡± I had asked, and both of them looked like I had spat in their faces.


    Okay, then.


    So here I was, being a doll to my mother and Mirabelle. After trying on at least 10 more dresses, I started losing my temper.


    ¡°Let me find my own dress, mother. Give me a few minutes,¡± I say in an exasperated tone to the surprise of the twodies with me. If this was going to be my wedding, I might as well choose the damn dress since I didn¡¯t get to choose the groom.


    I walk into the back section of London Bride Couture and sigh. This wasn¡¯t how I pictured myself when I eventually had to choose a wedding dress. I thought I would be a lot happier.


    Scanning the room, my eyes discard every single one of the poofy monstrosities. Just when I was about to give up, my eyes fell on a gorgeous dress; A-line with a princess waistline, a Queen Anne cor and a beautifulce illusion sleeve. The back revealed a diamond-shaped opening. The train wasn¡¯t too long either, and that got me giddy to try it on.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Slipping on the wedding dress, I found it fit perfectly. I stared at myself in the floor-length mirror and could not believe how beautiful I looked. My eyes started brimming with tears and I immediately looked around the room for my handbag.


    ¡°That one suits you better,¡± I hear a voice behind me, a voice I never thought I would hear, especially not in a bridal fitting room.


    I look up into the mirrors and spy a pair of honey-coloured eyes staring at me. Sebastian was standing in the doorway of the fitting room; dressed in a pair of ck jeans, a casual t-shirt and sneakers. He regarded me with a bored expression as I continued to dab my eyes.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say and straighten my back.


    He walked into the room and stood behind me. Our eyes met in the mirror and suddenly I felt nervous to be alone with him.


    As if he could pick up my anxiety, he chuckled, ¡°It makes you look less podgy,¡±


    If there was anything else that could have ruined my day further, this was it. My eyes ze with a hurt that I swallow down. I stare up at him and offer him a thin smile, ¡°Are you always so mean to people who have done nothing wrong to you?¡±


    I don¡¯t think Sebastian expected me to speak at all, because his eyes widened at my response. I forgot my sister was the reserved one, so she probably always let him take the lead.


    Not waiting for an answer, I turn to leave the room but he snatches my wrist and I turn my head towards him, horrified.


    ¡°I want this even less than you do,¡±


    ¡°Mr Dumont, they made me into an offering of appeasement, so you better suck it up and get used to me. Because I am just as pissed off as you.¡± I say through gritted teeth and Sebastian nched. I snatch my wrist away from him and saunter out towards my waiting mothers.


    Did I just poke the bear?


    When I got outside, they met my choice with thunderous jubtion and the rest of the day went by in a blur. Wedding arrangements here, refitting there that by the time we arrived back at the estate, I was nodding off in the Mercedes.


    My mother woke me up gently and I pulled myself out of the luxury car; today¡¯s frivolities really took it out of me.


    As I sauntered up the stairs into our mansion, I spotted a familiar figure in our foyer and I took a step back.


    Nichs, with his soft blonde hair and gorgeous green eyes, turned to look at me. Hurt was evident in his face as he offered me a small smile. ¡°Hello, love,¡± he greets me and my heart shatters anew.


    My mother scoffs next to me and whispers in my ear, ¡°Say your goodbyes and leave it at that.¡± Then she turned on her heel, greeting Nichs as she went upstairs.


    I walk towards him and gesture towards the back gardens, ¡°Walk with me,¡± I tell him and he slips his hand in mine. I didn¡¯t stop him, because frankly, I needed his touch right now.


    He brought my hand up to his lips and nted a kiss on the back of it, ¡°So tell me, what is this leaving me nonsense all about?¡± He asks me, trying to lighten the mood. We were walking towards the boxwood hedges when Nichs suddenly spun me around and kissed me. The familiarity of his kiss had me weak at the knees, and it left me out of breath when he suddenly let me go.


    ¡°Still wish to break up with me, love?¡± He says in a voiceced with desire. I peered up at him and he held me closer, kissing my hair. When Iy my head on his chest and inhale his Armani scent, I am suddenly brought back to the present. Pushing out of his arms, I shook my head and walked away from him.


    ¡°Nichs, there is something I need to tell you.¡± I start, wrapping my arms around my body. It was now or never, and this needed toe from me. He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me again, but I shrugged him off and took a few steps away from him.


    ¡°Something happened two evenings ago, my love. Something that will put a wedge between us forever.¡± Nichs frowns at this, then takes a step towards me. ¡°What do you mean by this, Elena?¡± He asks me and I sigh, then stare directly at him.


    ¡°We found out that Eliana has been cheating on Sebastian with his uncle, Robert. She is now pregnant with Robert¡¯s child. Thus insulting the Dumonts and shaming our family. They have made me take her ce in order to prevent a scandal from erupting.¡±


    I see Nichs taking in my words, then his eyes widen.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± He cries out, dumbfounded.


    I stare down at my feet and feel my lip trembling, ¡°I have to marry Sebastian Dumont in my sister¡¯s stead.¡±


    The tears that were brimming my eyes now fell freely down my cheeks. Nichs takes a step towards me and cups my cheeks in his palms. He nced down at me sadly, then nted a kiss on my forehead, ¡°I understand duty, my love. I understand it more than you ever could imagine.¡± He responded, and I had a feeling that he wasn¡¯t lying as he said this. He wipes my tears away and kisses my cheeks, ¡°I will wait for you, no matter how long.¡±


    I nce up at my beloved and realise that I loved him more than I could evenprehend. ¡°Five years, my father told me I need to stay married for at least 5 years then he would allow me to study at Harvard.¡±


    This seems to surprise Nichs, and an ted smile spreads across his face. ¡°Five years it is then. I love you, Elena.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Nichs.¡±


    With our feelings made clear, Nichs leans down and kisses me onest time. Our goodbye kiss rips a hole in my heart that I did not think could be repaired and I am left with a fragile longing.


    ¡°You would do well to get your hands off my fiancee.¡±

 Chapter6 Goodbyes and Promises

    Elena


    I spun around at the voice behind me and looked straight into the eyes of Sebastian. Anger red in his honey-coloured eyes as he took in the scene before him; Nichs cupping my cheeks and my arms around his waist.


    I feel the anger radiating off Nichs when he lets go of me and faces Sebastian, ¡°We were just saying our goodbyes. There is no reason to be rude, Sebastian.¡± He says, meeting Sebastian¡¯s angry stare.


    Wait, why the heck was he so angry, anyway?


    Stepping forward, I walk towards my supposed fiance and meet his gaze, ¡°Nichs was my intended before they forced me to marry you, Sebastian. I am saying goodbye to him, that is all.¡± I say to him and he peers down at me.


    ¡°Irrelevant. I will not have another Eliana as my betrothed. You will go with me right this instant as we need to discuss a few things regarding our pending marriage.¡± He says and turns on his heel, ¡°I don¡¯t like to be kept waiting, Elena.¡±


    I watch him as he strides away and immediately I¡¯m filled with a fit of burning anger. How dare he? Acting as if I belonged to him now! I almost stomped after him, when suddenly I felt a pair of firm hands on my shoulders. I turn around, looking up into Nichs¡¯ sad smile.


    My heart breaks anew, and I spin around, wrapping my arms around his middle. ¡°I am so sorry, Nichs!¡± I cry into his arms and feel him stroking my hair. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay, my love. We will just have to soldier on through it. I know you will be strong enough to survive this sham of a marriage, I will wait for you, this I promise.¡± He says, a gentleman if I ever knew one. I let go of him and met his gaze. ¡°I can¡¯t make you wait for me, Nichs,¡± I say, shaking my head, So let¡¯s agree to this; if after 5 years you find you still love me,e to me. I will always love you, I do not think my feelings will ever change.¡±


    ¡°ELENA.¡±


    Ugh. For a moment I forgot about Sebastian waiting for me.


    Nichs cocks his head towards the mansion, ¡°Go, he¡¯s waiting for you. I love you, Elena.¡± He says and gives me onest kiss on my forehead. Then he turned around and left me.


    I watch him walk away with despair filling my heart. How could he say he would wait for me when I just broke him?


    The sun was starting to set and it cast a warm glow over the gardens. Nichs and I would always have our tea in the gardens at sunset; this hour belonged to us. Now I would be spending the rest of my days as a wife to an arrogant CEO.


    I turn on my heel and walk towards the mansion where Sebastian was waiting for me.


    As soon as I step out of the boxwood hedges, I feel myself being pulled and mmed against the mansion wall.


    ¡°What the-!¡±


    Sebastian looks down at me and puts his palms on either side of my head, caging me in. His face was so close to mine, if he moved his head any closer we would kiss! His Tom Ford scent assaults my senses and I cower in submission. What was this all about?!


    ¡°Sebastian, what are you doing?¡± I breathe out and regard his honey-coloured eyes, which were currently filled with sadness mixed with anger.


    He bows his head, and his eyes close. When he looked at me again, he had hidden his emotions but the anger still radiated from him.


    ¡°Elena, you are aware of what your sister has done. Please do not make me regret this union.¡±


    I stare at him, confused, ¡°I thought you regretted it already.¡± I tell him as a frown crosses my face.


    He chuckles then pulls my chin up, making me look into his eyes, ¡°Indeed I do, trading beauty for a podgy recement isn¡¯t exactly what I¡¯m looking forward to.¡±


    This made me angrier than I ever thought possible, and I pushed him away with a lot more force than I intended. He looks at me with amusement ying in his eyes, ¡°How dare you, Sebastian! I know my sister has hurt you, but there is absolutely no reason for you to insult me at every turn. I have done nothing but be polite to you.¡± I exim, tears running down my face. This awful man, what did I ever do to him?N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    I walk towards him and my eyes sh with anger, ¡°What did I ever do to you?! Why do you always feel the need to hurt my feelings? Is it because I have my sister¡¯s face that you feel as if you¡¯re hurting her?¡± I cry out, horrified at my own honesty. Thestment seems to throw Sebastian off-kilter, and he stares at me in surprise.


    I turn around and stomp towards the mansion and stare at him out of the corner of my eye. I bet he¡¯s not used to people standing up to him. Good. He better get used to it.


    Running inside, I bolt up the stairs and m my bedroom door with angry tears stinging my eyes.


    Every time I try to give him the benefit of the doubt, he does this. Every single time I start to be okay with this whole thing, he does something that puts me off. I don¡¯t know what my sister ever saw in that awful man, but by gosh, I never saw it. He¡¯s a terrible person.


    With my face buried in my pillow, Iment for the days my life did not include being Sebastian Dumont¡¯s intended bride. I am aware a lot of girls would be ted at the prospect of being married to Sebastian, but not me. I despise him.


    There was a knock at my door, ¡°Elena, can Ie in?¡± It was my mother. Weird. She never asked for permission to enter my bedroom. I breathe out a strangled yes and clear my throat, grabbing a tissue from my bedside table.


    My mother pokes her head in and smiles at me. She then walks in and takes a seat on my bed, ¡°Elena, I am aware that you and Sebastian aren¡¯t the best of friends. I want to tell you a little story about my marriage to your father.¡± She started, and this actually made me take notice of her.


    ¡°Your father and I despised one another before we were married. We bickered and fought and only kept up the outward appearances of a happily married couple. Eventually, we got used to one another and fell in love, I could not be happier than I am now. You see, love, an arranged marriage does not have to signal the end of your life. Make the best of it while you can; umte knowledge, travel, and meet influential people. When the 5 years is over, it will prepare you for your own life.¡±


    I look up at my mother who, for the first time in her life, has given me sage advice. I smile at her then throw my arms around her. Her usual Chanel scent is burning in my nose, but I smile through it.


    When I let go of her, she had an odd look on her face. ¡°Thank you, mother. I will take your advice. Might as well make the best of things.¡± I tell her and she finally smiles as she gets up from my bed. ¡°Thank you, Elena. Sebastian has asked me to collect you, he is waiting for you downstairs. Please give it another go?¡±


    I look up at my mother and nod, a genuine smile crossing my face, ¡°I will be down shortly.¡±


    With that, she leaves my room and I sigh, walking towards my dressing table to fix my makeup. Then my heart sinks as her words suddenly hit me.


    Sebastian was still downstairs?

 Chapter7 What Just Happened???

    Elena


    After fixing up my makeup, I leave the confines of my bedroom and walk downstairs. Might as well strike the iron while it¡¯s hot. My mother¡¯s words are still ringing in my ears as I descend the stairs. Could I be the wife to Sebastian as she was to my father?


    I spot Sebastian¡¯s back and he turns around as soon as he hears the clicking of my heels. At this vantage point, I had to admit that he looked exceptionally handsome; raven hair that was a little long with a fringe that fell in his eyes. His facial hair was a medium stubble beard trimmed to perfection. Tall, yet broad and muscr. Think of Chris Evans.


    He looks up at me and an unfamiliar expression crosses his face when he takes in my stony expression. Was he going to try and intimidate or insult me again?


    Ie to a stop in front of him, ¡°Sebastian,¡± I say and he holds out his hand, palm up.


    ¡°Walk with me, Elena. I think there are a few things we need to discuss, and this time in a decent manner.¡± He says and a frown crosses my face, but Ice my fingers with his anyway.


    The walk through the back gardens at dusk is a strange one. Sebastian takes in the boxwood hedges and flowers intricately ced; and smiles. Then hees to a stop when we arrive at a bench.


    ¡°First and foremost, Elena, I apologise for insulting you on numerous asions. It was childish of me to call you names, I realise this now. I hope we can move past this and go ahead with this arranged marriage.¡±


    I look at Sebastian in surprise. He was apologising and lookedpletely genuine. Was mercury in retrograde suddenly? I nod slowly, ¡°Of course. We might as well make the best of this union.¡± I responded, ¡°Apology epted.¡±


    Sebastian smiles, but it does not meet his eyes, ¡°Marvellous. Your father has informed me of his 5 year promise to you; that you wish to study at Harvard. I will agree to this because having something behind your name, besides your name, is of the utmost importance.¡± He says, and I nched, my father told him this marriage would only be for 5 years and he agreed to it?


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised he mentioned that titbit, to be honest. Yes, I would like to studyw. I have been epted, but my father is arranging an extension for me for 5 years.¡± I told him and recognition shone in his eyes.


    ¡°You know, Elena, I think I might have misjudged you previously.¡± He says finally then continued walking. I frown at hisstment, then follow slowly behind him.


    ¡°What did you wish to discuss, Sebastian?¡± I ask him, remembering his line earlier.


    He turns towards me, ¡°Our marriage will be one for the public eye, so we would have to put on the appearance of a happy couple outside of our vi.¡± He started, this was obvious to me. Even my mother mentioned something simr. ¡°However, inside of our vi will be a different story. We do not have to sleep in the same bed or be close for any reason unless our parentse to see us.¡±


    Oh, thank God! They will not expect me to spread my legs for this man. Things were looking up already!


    I nod innocently at him, ¡°This I can agree with. Thank you for rifying, I was worried for a second. y-acting a happy rtionship might be a stretch as I hate lying or deceiving others, but I will try my best.¡±


    He raises his eyebrow as he mulls over my words, his eyes clouding over, then he suddenly snaps back.


    ¡°Although,¡± He starts and my stomach drops, ¡°If our families were to ask for an heir, we would need to rethink the situation.¡±


    Ah no! NO! NO! NO! I do not want to be in Sebastian¡¯s bed!


    I gulp ufortably and peer up at him. An heir. Our families would want us to produce an heir. ¡°I understand,¡± I answer, uncertain of what else to say.


    Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ck velvet box, ¡°I gave this to Eliana when I wished to marry her. I think it belongs to you now.¡± He says and opens the box, revealing a gorgeous engagement ring; a princess cut diamond in the middle with smaller diamonds surrounding it. Then he takes it out and slides it onto my finger.


    ¡°Perfect fit,¡± He says with a wistfulugh and looks at me. Something odd passes between us as he gazes at me. Then he clears his throat and cocks his head towards the mansion. ¡°Let us get you inside before you catch your death. It is slightly nippy this evening,¡± He says as he intertwined his fingers with mine, and leads me back into the mansion.


    I stare at the ring on my finger and feel myself blushing. The man had impable taste in rings. Wee to a stop outside the front door and he turns to me, ¡°I must bid you farewell, for now, Elena.¡±


    I smile at him, ¡°Of course, I will see you at our wedding then,¡± I start but then suddenly I frown, ¡°Why did youe into the bridal shop today, by the way?¡± I ask, remembering our banter from this morning.


    ¡°I was going to invite you out to supper this evening to discuss what we just had, but then my arrogance got the best of me. I apologise.¡± He replied and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I still could not believe that he had apologised to me earlier.


    ¡°You do know that seeing the bride in her dress before the wedding day is bad luck, right?¡± I say, trying to make light of the situation, but then Sebastian¡¯s shoulders slump and he gives a sad scoff. ¡°I would say I am bad luck already, don¡¯t you think?¡± He says sadly then turns to leave. I stare at the ring on my finger once more and sigh.


    Eliana, you havepletely broken a man who would have given you the world on a silver tter.


    ***


    Two weekster, I decided to be courteous and visit my fiance (Ugh) at his ce of work.


    They set up Dumont Enterprises in the heart of London, so I would go visit a few of my friends as well. I realisedst night that I had no bridesmaids, but my mother mentioned that the Dumonts have it all covered. Did I even want any of my friends at this wedding, even if it was fake?


    I decided against visiting them when wee to a stop outside of Dumont Enterprises. As I enter the building, I notice all the eyes on me. Frowning, I head towards the reception and ask for Sebastian. The receptionist gives me a once over and then scoffs.


    Wow. Rude.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I ask her, taken aback by her rudeness.


    ¡°Eliana Wiltshire, Mr Dumonts does not wish to see you.¡± She answers me, then resumes typing. Oh, they thought I was Eliana. But that makes little sense. Why would they treat me so coldly if no one outside of our family knew about the hidden scandal?


    ¡°I am not Eliana, that is my sister.¡± I say and hold up my left hand, ¡°I am Elena Wiltshire and Sebastian is my fiance. I wish to speak with him, please.¡± This woman, were they against Eliana here?


    Her eyes widen at my im and she clears her throat, ¡°Miss Elena! Oh, I am so sorry!¡± She says, sputtering and turning red. ¡°Mr Dumont is currently in a meeting, but you can head up to the top floor and they will buzz you in when he is avable.¡±


    I fix her with an icy stare, then head towards the elevator. Did people here really care about Sebastian that much? Was he a good boss to them after all?


    Shaking my head as the elevator opens, I spot a woman walking out of what I suppose was Sebastian¡¯s office. She turns at the door and I see Sebastian walking out, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her as if she was the only air he needed. This disy left me shaken to my core. Wasn¡¯t this the man who got mad when Nichs just hugged me?


    I clear my throat loud enough for them to hear me, and their heads whip towards where I stood. The woman in Sebastian¡¯s arms stared at me, then gently pushed him away and scurried off.


    I shake my head and stare after her, then my eyesnd on Sebastian. His eyes widen in surprise, then he walks towards me and grabs me by the wrist, pulling me into his office. He pushed me against the back of his office door, then ced his hands on either side of my head, caging me in yet again.


    ¡°Sebastian-¡±


    ¡°Shh, you do not get to speak, Elena,¡± He says in a stern voice, and I flinch at the bourbon on his breath. I peered up into his eyes and noticed that he was angry. Is my being here upsetting him that much?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did, but there are rumours going around about Eliana and her cheating ways. Someone tipped off the press.¡± He says through gritted teeth, ¡°I know it pissed you off at the prospect of marrying me, but you did not need to go this far.¡±


    Wait, the secret was out and everyone thought it was me?


    ¡°Why would I still be wearing this if I went to the press with my sister¡¯s sordid news?¡± I ask him, holding up my hand to show him the engagement ring. ¡°I would not do something like that, Sebastian.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the good sister, right?¡± He says, moving his face closer to mine. A blush creeps onto my cheeks and he pins me with his gaze.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Before I knew it, Sebastian¡¯s lips were on mine, his tongue begging for entry and I submitted to him, drowning in his kiss and his scent invading my senses. Our tongues yed and danced in unison, and Sebastian wrapped his arms around my waist as my hand snakes around his neck.


    I don¡¯t know what made me do it, but I suddenly pushed him away, out of breath and my face red with embarrassment.


    He looked at me and shed me a sly grin, ¡°Not so much of a good girl anymore, are you?¡± He remarks and I turn on my heel, running out of his office. I didn¡¯t stop until I reached the Maybach and I told the driver to take me home.


    In the backseat, my fingers fly to my lips and I realise I had just made a big mistake.

 Chapter8 Wedding Day Jitters

    Elena


    1 am The morning of my wedding day.


    My mother and Mirabelle have been fussing over everything all week and it was driving me crazy. They had my walk-in closet cleaned out yesterday and they delivered my clothes to Sebastian¡¯s vi in Kensington. My home from tomorrow.


    Heck, from today.


    I haven¡¯t been able to sleep a wink because of nerves. Sebastian and I have been keeping our distance from one another since our kiss in his office, not that I mind! He threw me for a loop with that kiss, and I haven¡¯t been able to think straight since it happened. At our rehearsal dinner, we were amiable, but as soon as it ended we went our separate ways. We barely made eye contact, and I think Sebastian was as awkward as I was.


    Rolling around under my covers, I sigh in frustration and decide to give up.


    The public had suspected something had happened, but the news outlets were too scared to report anything bad about the Dumonts. So now they were only rumours, which they were hoping the wedding would put to rest.


    Eliana has not contacted me since she left here with Robert, either out of guilt or she just didn¡¯t care that she basically ruined my life and future. We had always been close, I would tell her everything and vice versa. I knew something was wrong, I could feel it but Eliana refused to tell me. She probably thought I would judge her for her choices.


    I grab my phone from the bedside table and decide to check my emails. I haven¡¯t really kept in contact with everyone since this all transpired, so I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on with everyone.


    Opening my emails, my heart jumped into my throat.


    There was actually an email from Eliana, sent a few weeks ago.


    Elena,


    I know I am thest person you wish to hear from. Please know that I did not intend for all of this to happen, especially not for you to marry Sebastian in my ce. I love Robert with all my heart and want to spend the rest of my life with him.


    I was never in love with Sebastian, but I know he loves me dearly. It was a rtionship of convenience that mother arranged because of the Dumont name. She wanted our families to merge since we were born; she told me this herself. So when she set up the meeting three years ago, I went ahead with it to please her. She knew you would never agree to it because you were a lot more free-spirited than I was. Your stubborn nature kept you out of an arranged marriage, and now my choice will lead you into one.


    I am so sorry, Elena. I hope one day you can forgive me for what I have done.


    Your sister,Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Eliana.


    Tears were prickling my eyes as I re-read her letter, sent the day after he left with Robert. My sister felt the Wiltshire burden even more than me because she was seen as thedy of the family who would make my parents proud. As it turns out, she had never loved Sebastian. This would surely deal the final blow to him, as I know he absolutely adored her and worshipped the ground she walked on.


    I dab my eyes and take a deep breath, suddenly feeling exhausted. I would have understood if she came to me about everything and been there for her. She had been suffering for over a year now, and she probably felt all alone as well.


    Snuggling underneath my nkets, I exhale and close my eyes, willing sleep to take me.


    ***


    ¡°ELENA! Gosh, only you would sleep in on your wedding day!¡±


    Opening my eyes, I see the livid face of my mother peering down at me. I shoot up out of bed and run towards my floor-length mirror.


    IT¡¯S MY WEDDING TODAY AND I LOOK LIKE CRAP.


    Heavy bags took up upancy underneath my eyes, and my skin has lost its youthful pallor. I turn towards my mother, looking horrified. ¡°I hope the make-up artist can work his magic because I look like shit.¡±


    ¡°Language, Elena! You are ady now, soon to be a Dumont so you would need to act like one.¡± My mother exims as she walks towards me, turning my face this way and that. ¡°Did you not sleepst night?¡± she asks suddenly, a frown creasing her already taught skin.


    I shake my head, ¡°Wedding jitters, mother,¡± I respond and she sighs, a smile crossing her face. ¡°I understand. Elena, you do not know how strong you are for going through with this. Thank you.¡±


    Gosh, if I knew sacrificing my happiness and free will would get me my mother¡¯s respect and love, I would have done so long ago.


    Not.


    I give her a hug and sigh, ¡°Let¡¯s get this show on the road, shall we?¡± I say, returning her smile and she nods. ¡°Jean-Pierre and Sasha are downstairs waiting. I¡¯ll call them up when you¡¯re a bit more decent. Let¡¯s get you showered and into your corset and undergarments. A light breakfast will be brought up shortly.¡±


    Then my mother turns and strides out of the room. Ah. Is this how Eliana always used to get treated? My mother¡¯s love seems to shift whenever someone suits her needs. What a mom.


    20 minutester, I am showered and thered in highly expensive oils and perfumes. My mother helps me into my corset and I force down my light fruit sd breakfast; the nerves are killing me slowly.


    Sasha walks in first, frowning at my limp hair, ¡°Elena! Have you been neglecting your hair and eating junk?!¡± She reprimands me and I cower at her fierceness. She was 1. 55m, blonde hair in a pixie cut and blue eyes shimmering with anger. She may be small, but gosh this woman was hellfire on two legs.


    I nod then promise her to take better care of myself and tell her it was the stress from the past 2 months that was getting to me. She grudgingly epts my excuse, then gets to work on my hair.


    Two hourster, and my hair glowed and looked so much healthier: voluminous curls that were swooped to one side in a side path and jewelled hair clip pinned to the nape of my neck.


    Staring in awe, I thank her, and she wraps me in a hug, wishing me well.


    My mother then calls Jean-Pierre in, and he nearly faints at my bedroom door when he sees myplexion. He vigorously makes a checklist of the products I need to buy to bring my glow back, makeup and facial products included. My mother tells him to order them and have them sent over to Sebastian¡¯s vi within the week.


    As he gets to work on my face, I start to see my usual self emerge from under the stress lines and the airport luggage department under my eyes. That and then some Jean-Pierre makes me look beautiful.


    I stare in awe at my reflection in the mirror, ¡°Magnifique!¡± my mother gushes as nts a kiss on his cheek. ¡°You truly are an artist, Jean-Pierre,¡± I say and beam at him.


    He makes a show of taking a bow and collects all his things while my mother reminds him of the products that needed to be sent to Sebastian¡¯s ce. He nods at her, then nts a kiss on my forehead when he is done, ¡°Good luck, Elena. You were the obvious choice for this wedding, anyway.¡± He says in his lovely French drawl, then winks at my shocked expression. With a few more flounces, he leaves my room.


    What did he mean by that?


    Putting hisment out of my mind, I saunter towards my wedding dress, and slip into it, minding my hair and make-up. Good thing this dress had a zip on the side or I would need to ask my mother for help. Then I smooth the dress down and take a deep breath.


    I turn and face my floor-length mirror, noticing my mother linger at the door, looking highly ufortable. She was dressed in a beautiful powder blue evening gown that swept the floor, making her look as if she was floating. Sasha pinned her hair up in a Grecian updo braid with strands framing her face. She stands behind me and smiles, and I notice tears brimming her eyes.


    Wow, wonder what¡¯s got her in such a motherly mood today.


    Oh, wait. I¡¯m her one-way ticket into a powerful family, how could I forget?


    She eyes me with what I can only assume was pride and I gesture to my wedding dress, ¡°I guess I made an excellent choice, didn¡¯t I?¡± I say with augh and a tear falls down my mother¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Mother-¡±


    ¡°No, Elena. I am okay. This is your day, do not make it about me.¡± She says and I almost make a snide remark but hold my tongue. I nod with a tight smile and she looks at me again. ¡°This was going to be given to Eliana when she got married. It was mine and my mother¡¯s before me.¡± he says and hands me a red velvet box with an ornate W on the front. When she opened it, nestled in pillows of silk, was a beautiful blue sapphire teardrop ne. Diamonds were hugging the precious stone¡¯s shape and held together by white gold.


    I look up at my mother with my mouth agape. This was Nanna¡¯s ne. It was never going to be given to me on my wedding day, but Eliana. I was the second choice for Sebastian as well as my mother.


    Swallowing the bitter thoughts down, I allow my mother to put the ne around my neck and she beams at me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this wedding going then,¡± I say sadly as I slip on my Mary Jane Louboutin heels.

 Chapter9 Arriving At The Church

    Elena


    A flutter at my bedroom door gets my attention, and I see Mirabelle saunter in with a beaming smile on her face. This makes me want to break down, and I feel light at the same time; everyone is expecting me to be okay with this, but I am not. I know this needs to be done, but yet again I am everyone¡¯s second choice.


    ¡°Elena, darling!¡± she exims, taking in my wedding attire with her eyes filling up with unshed tears. ¡°You look beautiful, my dear. This dress altogetherpliments your body well.¡±


    I genuinely smile at herpliment. Ever since I found out she preferred me to my sister, I have been seeing a different side to her. She certainly wanted me to be with Sebastian, but cared about my happiness as well and felt ity with her son.


    In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Mirabelle and I spent a great deal of time together. She exined what they would demand of me as a Dumont wife and how the public would look upon me as Mrs Sebastian Dumont. The advice she gave me was invaluable and I would always be beholden to her.


    Mirabelle felt more like a mother to me than my own.


    ¡°Thank you, Mirabelle,¡± I answered with a crack to my voice and understood that I was close to tears. There was difort in my chest from holding in my emotions throughout the morning. Then finding out that my beloved grandmother¡¯s ne was never going to be given to me. At all.


    Mirabelle shakes her head as a wistful smile forms on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t even need to thank me, dear. You were exquisite without the dress and jewels.¡± She says then reaches into her handbag, ¡°I understand you already have something old and blue, so Ie with something borrowed. Sort of.¡±


    My eyes grew at this; I never expected something from the Dumonts for this wedding since they were already organizing the entire thing. She then pulls out a cherry wood box and nces towards me; ¡°Spencer¡¯s mother gave this to me; every mother-inw in the Dumont line has given this to her daughter-inw, and now it belongs to you.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    When she opens the box, my hand immediately flies to my mouth in astonishment. Embedded inyers of silk and velvet was the most beautiful bracelet I have ever seen; white gold with diamonds set in oval, marquise and teardrop shapes surrounded by smaller stones. It is sheer elegance in its simplicity.


    I peered up at Mirabelle and felt a tear run down my cheek when I saw her smiling affectionately at me. I couldn¡¯t help myself and enclosed her in a warm embrace. ¡°Thank you, mother,¡± I whisper softly, and she pulls away with a stunned look on her face. I had just called her mother, and it rolled off my tongue as easily as if she were my own mother.


    Tears were spilling down her cheeks as well, ¡°Oh, Elena! You have made me the happiest mother-inw!¡± She exims, ¡°We are ruining our makeup before the service has even begun!¡±


    This causes me to giggle uncontrobly, yet as I turn to grab a tissue from my dressing table, I notice my mother slinking out of the room with a bitter look on her face. She twists to look at me and smiles wistfully, ¡°I will wait downstairs,¡± she mouths and then she leaves. Did this disy really make her that sad? A few months ago, I didn¡¯t even exist to her as a daughter, so she did not have the right to feel sad when another woman treated me as such.


    ¡°Come, Elena. We need to attach your veil and get moving or we will undoubtedly bete!¡± Mirabelle says after correcting her makeup. She then fixes the bracelet on my wrist and attaches my veil. I stare at myself in the mirror and take a deep breath; my energy renewing.


    This small show of affection from her truly meant a lot to me. For someone to actually treat me as a daughter and not a burden had me feeling light on my feet for a change.


    Mirabelle walked towards the door then held out her hand for me to take, a gesture I heartily reciprocated. As we sauntered down the stairs, I finally dered, ¡°Thank you, Mirabelle. You do not realize how much you have done means to me.¡± I nced at her and she gave me a knowing smile, ¡°I know more than you realize, Elena. But let us not speak of anything that will spoil this momentous day and take it one day at a time. If anything troubles you, anything at all, please do not hesitate toe to me about it. I know how my son can be.¡± She answers with honesty and I nod, willing my eyes not to fill up with tears again.


    Mirabelle holds my hand and leads me out of our mansion. Then it suddenly hit me that this would not be my home anymore. The thought itself did not cause me to feel sad. In fact, it felt as if a weight lifted from my shoulders.


    I spotted the Dumont Bentley Premier limousine as it pulled up in front of us and I was reminded that I would live in opulence from today forward. Something I detested but learned I had to get used to. As the chauffeur opens the door for me, I breathe a sigh of relief at the ample space inside; for a second I had the impression of being stuffed inside in an overflow of fabric.


    As I ease myself in, the door opens next to me and my father gets in with a sour expression on his face. ¡°Good morning, Father.¡± I greet him as per usual and he shoots me a re. ¡°What is wrong with you, Elena?¡± he asks me with acid to his tone, causing me to frown.


    ¡°I don¡¯t underst-¡±


    ¡°You allowed that woman to overshadow your mother yet again.¡± He interjects, then looks away from me.


    Excuse me??? What???


    My mother had made everything about her yet again. Knowing I could never go against my father since he literally held my freedom in his hands after 5 years, I bow my head. ¡°I am sorry, father. I will apologize to my mother as soon as I see her at the church.¡±


    He then nods, then takes my hand in his, ¡°Our family is all we have, Elena. Even though you are marrying into this prominent family, you are a Wiltshire first. Never forget that.¡± He states, causing me to feel heavily gaslighted. Would I ever have the guts to stand up to my father? In the past, perhaps. But surely not now.


    We arrive at the old gothic cathedral and I peer up at the high arches. This building was absolutely beautiful, I never would have envisioned myself getting married in a church this borate.


    As wee to a stop, I spot the paparazzi and sigh as I adjust my veil. Darn it, this would be my life as a Dumont and it wasn¡¯t even legally myst name yet. The chauffeures to my side of the limousine and opens the door for me, my father already standing by with an outstretched hand. When I reach for his palm to get out, we are suddenly bombarded:


    ¡°Mr Wiltshire, is this Eliana or Elena?¡±


    ¡°Mr Wiltshire, is it true that Elena is a scapegoat in this wedding?¡±


    ¡°Mr Wiltshire, could you borate on the rumours surrounding your daughters?¡±


    ¡°Eliana, is that you?¡±


    The paparazzi were relentless in their questions to my father, but as usual, Lord William Wiltshire remained impassive. He holds out his right arm for me to take, and I do so with a smile I know he couldn¡¯t see. Holding me possessively, he nods to the bodyguards as they drive the paparazzi back.


    Walking up the cathedral steps, I noticed the multitude of cars parked in front and suddenly felt a panic attacking on. Who were all these people??? And why did my knees feel like buckling???


    I clutch my father¡¯s arm, and I feel him looking at me. ¡°I¡¯m right here, poppet. Forget about the others.¡± He says as if he could sense my anxiety. What was with my parents these days? They were extremely mercurial and had my head in a tailspin! A bad mood here, a praise there; if there was a reason to be happy that I was moving out, this was surely one of them.


    We pause in front of the massive wooden doors when suddenly they swing open and I hear The Wedding March being yed through the church organ.


    Show Time.

 Chapter10 A Dumont Wedding Ceremony

    Elena


    I keep my eyes straight ahead as the oak doors swing open and gulp down a breath of anxiety. This was it, I was getting married to the arrogant CEO Sebastian Dumont and there was no turning back.


    My wedding procession had started, now it would be my turn to enter.


    The attendees stood up as my father and I appeared at the doorway and I felt myself flush; the cathedral was packed with people I did not know. These were obviously people invited when Eliana would have married Sebastian, people of noble blood and prominent in high society.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trip, Elena. Don¡¯t trip.¡±


    I repeat over and over in my head, willing my self-confidence toe forward as we stride down the aisle. Keeping my head forward and feeling thankful for the veil covering my face, I see Sebastian waiting for me at the altar and my heart beats faster.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Why did this man have to look so dashing in a ssic charcoal grey three-piece Armani suit?


    His mouth was a thin line as he saw me walking towards him, and I immediately felt deted. If I had to put on a show, why couldn¡¯t he? Putting the bad thoughts out of my head, I ster a smile on my face and keep my head up high. I will push through this marriage. I will push through for 5 years, then I will have my freedom. The thought alone made me genuinely smile.


    Then I realized we had stopped walking.


    Oh, fudge. I look up into Mr Arrogant¡¯s honey-coloured eyes and see annoyance there. Ugh, this man would be the death of me. My father takes my hand and ces it in Sebastian¡¯s, then he nces at me and a wistful look crosses his face. Why did it take me being given away for them to suddenly act like parents?


    Sebastian then takes both my hands in his and we face one another; the first time since we kissed a few weeks ago. He smiles at me, then winks!


    The cheeky bastard.


    ¡°Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today into the house of the Lord so that in the presence of the Church and themunity your intention to enter into marriage.¡± The priest starts the ceremony, and both of us pay attention to what was being said.


    ¡°God abundantly blesses the love that binds you through a special Sacrament. He enriches and strengthens those he has already consecrated by Holy Baptism, so that you may have the strength to be faithful to each other forever and assume all the responsibilities of married life. And so, in the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions.¡±


    Oh, gosh. Here ites. My intentions were to run out of there as quickly as possible, Mr Priest, but here we are.


    ¡°Sebastian and Elena, (There was a murmur in the crowd as the priest said my name.) have youe here to enter into this marriage without coercion, freely and wholeheartedly?¡± The priest asks and I stop myself from giggling out loud. Sebastian shoots me a re and I immediately resume my poker face.


    The both of us answer, ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°Are you prepared, as you follow the path of marriage, to love and honour each other for as long as you both shall live?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± we answer in unison again.


    ¡°Are you prepared to ept children lovingly from God and to bring them up ording to thew of Christ and his Church?¡±


    This is where Sebastian and I both hesitate, but then I look at him and nod with a smile. ¡°I am,¡± I answer and he follows suit, a frown forming on his face. We both knew we had no intention of making this marriage work, so he shouldn¡¯t feel anything while these vows were being said. The priest then continues:


    ¡°Since it is your intention to enter into Holy Matrimony, join your right hands, and dere your consent before God and his Church.¡± He says and the both of us let go of the other¡¯s left hand. It was time for us to say our vows.


    ¡°I, Sebastian Dumont, take you, Elena Wiltshire, to be my wife. I promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honour you all the days of my life.¡± Sebastian says his vows with such honour that I almost believe him.


    ¡°I, Elena Wiltshire, take you, Sebastian Dumont, to be my husband. I promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honour you all the days of my life.¡± I repeat my vows to him with as much sincerity as I could muster. I hope God could forgive me for lying today, I would try my best to pay for this sinmitted.


    The priest motions for the ring bearer, ¡°May the Lord bless these rings, which you will give to each other as the sign of your love and fidelity.¡± He says and Sebastian and I both take the other¡¯s respective rings.


    Sebastian poses my ring in front of my finger and looks into my eyes, ¡°Elena, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.¡± He says, then slips the absolutely gorgeous wedding ring onto my finger.


    I look up into his eyes and feel a tear running down my cheek; it should be Nichs saying these vows to me. ¡°Sebastian, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.¡± I repeat robotically, willing my mind not to stray to the one person I had loved.


    Sebastian notices my change in demeanour and frowns, but I remain impassive and keep the smile on my face. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, Mr and Mrs Dumont. You may now kiss the bride.¡± The priest says and beams down at the both of us.


    Sebastian lifts my veil, then pins me with that stare of his. He cups my cheek and wipes my tear away with his thumb; then he lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me the same way he had in his office.


    In the church, in front of everyone!


    If this isn¡¯t him iming me as his, I wasn¡¯t sure what was. He swirled his tongue around in my mouth, then ended the kiss by gently biting my bottom lip. When he breaks away, I feel the blush on my face and he trails his thumb over my cheek again.


    The crowd burst into apuse at this and Sebastian smiles, ¡°I¡¯m sure they will believe we love one another now.¡± He whispers into my ear and I realize the kiss was all a show. Of course, it was, why did I think any differently?!


    Heces my fingers with his, and we walk up the aisle in a bombardment of confetti and praise. I looked around at all the faces and did not spot a familiar one. Where were my parents?


    Sebastian leads me back outside and into the limousine. The paparazzi got an excellent shot of him opening the door for me and giving me a smile as he closed the door behind me.


    I let out a sigh, then he got in beside me. What would happen now? Do we talk, do we sit in silence?


    Keeping my head up, I turn to him, ¡°You y your role well, Sebastian.¡± I tell him, meaning every word. ¡°Were you picturing Eliana as you kissed me?¡±


    ¡°Were you picturing Nichs as you were saying your vows?¡± He shoots back at me, shutting me up. ¡°I thought so.¡± He finishes and turns to look out of the window as we drive to our reception at his family¡¯s estate.


    I shake my head, then turn away from him as well. Feeling a tear falling down my cheek again, I quickly wipe it away andpose myself. The reception would go by quickly, it had to, or I would be miserable all evening. None of my friends would be here, I was all by myself in this world of wealth and opulence. Mirabelle had mentioned that I would need to attend balls and get-togethers so I could make a name for myself apart from Sebastian¡¯s.


    ¡°You look beautiful today, Elena.¡±


    My head whips around to Sebastian. Had he justplimented me?


    ¡°Not podgy?¡± I couldn¡¯t resist asking him, and I caught his smile as he stared out of the window, then he turned his head towards me. ¡°Not at all. The dresspliments your figure very well.¡± He says while pinning me with that stare of his, and I felt myself floundering, the blood draining from my face. Why was he causing me to react this way? I hated Sebastian, so why did his stare make me feel like a high school girl with a crush???


    Sebastian moves closer to me, then leans into my ear, ¡°Your kisses do something to me that I never thought possible¡­¡± He whispers and I feel the goosebumps forming on my skin. He looks into my eyes, then down to my lips again, and I feel his lips on mine for the second time today.


    This kiss was different; it was filled with a need I knew could never be sated with kisses alone. His lips were soft and warm as they met mine, his tongue teasing and begging for my submission.


    My heartbeat raced as I gave into this needy kiss of Sebastian¡¯s, then all hell broke loose.


    He pulled me into his arms and ran his hand down my back, finding the diamond-shaped opening there. Tracing his fingers down my naked back, I get a chill down my spine. The feeling of his hand on my skin seems to snap me back to reality and I push him away.


    He regarded me with surprise, then the both of us realized what had just happened and turned away from one another. We sat in silence until we arrived at The Dumont Estate, then Sebastian turned towards me. ¡°This changes nothing.¡± He states and I nod in agreement before he gets out of the limousine and walks over to my side to open the door for me.


    But as he takes my hand in his and leads me inside, we both knew this just changed everything.

 Chapter11 Stiff Wedding Reception

    Elena


    I hold on to Sebastian¡¯s arm as he leads me inside Dumont Hall. I notice that all our guests have arrived before us and frowned. Did Sebastian tell his chauffeur to take us the long way around or something?


    Seeing all these people here made me start to freeze up again, and I grip Sebastian¡¯s arm tightly. He stares down at me, ¡°Is something the matter?¡± He asks in that uppity tone of his and I roll my eyes into oblivion, ¡°Just nerves,¡± I admit, but refuse to make eye contact with him, not after what transpired in the limousine.


    ¡°Well, I am afraid you will have to get used to the public eye, petite paquerette. You are my wife now, so all eyes will be on you from now on, Lady Dumont.¡± Sebastian says with a smirk and my heart skips a beat at his impable French. Of course, his family had their roots in France.


    Dumont


    But why did he refer to me as a little daisy? I was very far from delicate or ady, that was more my sister¡¯s thing. My mother and grandmother always referred to me as the rebellious heiress, where Eliana was thedy. This shift in how I would need to portray myself had my head in a spin. How do I change my personality overnight?


    Oh, he called me his wife. I was Sebastian Dumont¡¯s wife. Lord help me.


    We arrive at the entrance and all our guests wee us; people who I would never recognize walking on the street. They wish us well, congratting us and praising my beauty; something I was not used to. Eliana had always been the beauty, not me.


    I mentally straighten my back and vow never topare myself to my sister again. There was no point in berating myself like that anymore. Eliana had a lot of expectations of her, and in the end, she was more of a rebel than I could ever have been.


    Sebastian turns to me and gives me a kiss on my cheek, ¡°I see your mother over to the side there. She is struggling to get your attention, go to her.¡± He whispers in my ear, his low voice sending shivers down my spine. I nod, then let go of his arm and walk over to where my mother was standing.


    For a former debutante and aristocratic socialite, my mother was behaving rather curiously. She lived for these events, yet now she was shying away from the crowd and keeping to herself.


    When I finally reach her, I engulf her in a hug and kiss her cheek. ¡°Mother, why are you here all by yourself?¡± I ask her, then see the disappointment in her eyes. Then I remember my discussion with my father this morning. ¡°Mother, I am so sorry for the disy with Mirabelle this morning. She was trying to take over and I should have stopped her.¡± I apologize, trying to sound as sincere as possible.


    My mother nces at me and shakes her head, ¡°If it was Eliana, she would never have allowed Mirabelle to take over as mother of the bride. But you allowed it, and it breaks my heart that you let her do it.¡±


    My mother¡¯s revtion had me shaking. Did she really justpare me to my sister? Everyone knew Eliana was her favourite, but she had never uttered it out loud.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    I nod sadly, ¡°I understand, mother. I honestly am sorry.¡± I say and I hear her scoff, ¡°This was supposed to be Eliana¡¯s day, she should have been here receiving the praise, not you.¡± My mother spits out and looks at me with spite.


    Feeling a rage burning hot in my chest, I opened my mouth and knew I would regret itter.


    ¡°Well, mother, she isn¡¯t. I am here repairing the tainted Wiltshire name and avoiding an even bigger scandal, consisting of the insult to the Dumonts. The least you can do is show me themon decency since I was not the one who opened her legs for her fiance¡¯s uncle.¡± I spit out, taking in my mother¡¯s fallen face as she peers around to see if anyone heard me.


    Years and years of feeling like second best, and that was all I could muster out. I held back my tears and turned away from her, stepping straight into Sebastian¡¯s chest. He seized me by my waist and held me against him. Peering up at him, he shoots me a smile and cocks his head towards the dance floor. ¡°It¡¯s time for our dance, petite paquerette.¡± He states with a yful voice and I detect the bourbon on his breath.


    I nod and he takes my hand in his and I notice that they have cleared the dance floor for us. We head to the centre of the floor, then Sebastian wraps one arm around my waist and takes my hand with his other. My heart was beating so fast, I felt faint.


    ¡°Rx,¡± he whispers in my ear and runs his palm up my naked back, then the music starts and my eyes fill with tears. I looked up at Sebastian in astonishment, ¡°How did you know?¡± I ask him incredulously and catch his mischievous smile. ¡°I made it a point to find out more about my prospective bride.¡± He answers me and I blink back my tears, grinning as I do so.


    We were dancing to my favourite song, ¡®A Thousand Years¡¯ by Christina Perri.


    Inhaling his signature Tom Ford scent, I feel my body rxing for the first time today as Sebastian glides me over the dancefloor. Forgetting where I was for just a few minutes, we danced and the entire world slipped away.


    When the music ended, Sebastian and I stared at each other blue eyes to hazel.


    Then I hear someone clearing their throat behind me, and I see my father smile at me. ¡°I know she is your wife, but do you mind if I have this dance with my daughter?¡± he asks and Sebastian nods, cing my hand in my father¡¯s. Then I watch him as he strides towards his mother.


    What was that look we shared just now? Was I imagining things developing between us?


    My dance with my father was incredibly tense, ¡°How are you feeling, poppet?¡± he asks me, and I smile at him. ¡°As well as can be expected, father,¡± I respond almost robotically and I catch his nod. The rest of the dance went on like this until Spencer Dumont cut in.


    ¡°Elena, I must say it is a pleasure to finally have you alone. How are you finding the wedding?¡± He asks me as surely as if he was talking about the weather. I smile my sweetest smile, ¡°It¡¯s lovely, Mr Dumont. Thank you for everything.¡± I say politely and hear him chuckle. ¡°Please, call me Spencer from now on. You are my daughter inw now.¡± He says and I smile at this. We filled our dance with polite conversation, and I realize that he was actually quite a pleasant person. We had two more dances after that, before I couldn¡¯t anymore, and asked to sit down.


    Gosh, that man could dance! Thest time I danced in heels was at my graduation ball, and I had blisters afterwards. I reach for a ss of champagne and walk towards the bridal table, feeling rather peckish. As I sit down, I watch Sebastian disappear into the crowd and shrug. I did not wish to spend any more time with him. The man had my head in a spin and I know it would be better to stay away than to get in too deep with him.


    Besides, we would be living past one another in his vi, anyway. I did not need to spend time with him there either.


    I get up from my seat and walk around the hall and sipping on my champagne, deep in thought. What should I do from tomorrow onwards? Visit friends? Gosh, Charlotte and Esme would kill me when they found out what I had been embroiled in for the past 2 months. I couldn¡¯t tell my two best friends what was really going on in my life. I had a lot to make up for and decided to call them in the morning with a brunch date.


    ¡°I see mother has finally given you Nanna¡¯s beloved ne.¡± I heard a voice behind me and almost dropped the champagne flute from my hand. That voice¡­ It couldn¡¯t be.

 Chapter12 Eliana, Marriages and Caught In The Act

    Elena


    Eliana beams at me when I turn to face her, my twin sister and double. I could not help myself; I threw my arms around her and inhaled her familiar Dior scent. ¡°Eliana!¡± I gush, not being able to control my emotions upon seeing my sister. She was a little puffy on the face and her belly was showing, but she still had the same air of poise around her.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in almost three months and you turn into a beautifuldy.¡± She jokes as she takes in my appearance and nods in appreciation. I give her a light p on her arm, ¡°You know as well as I do that this isn¡¯t exactly how I expected myst few months in Ennd to be.¡± I shot back a retort but then noticed her smile drop.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, Eliana-¡±


    ¡°No, I deserved that and so much more,¡± she starts and takes my hands in hers. ¡°Elena, I forced you into this life, and for that, I will be eternally in your debt. I did not expect the family to trade me for you if I had known that I would have rejected Sebastian¡¯s proposal.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    I look at my sister and a wistful smile crosses my face. She was lying, I could tell. But why would she need to lie to me? We used to tell each other everything before Eliana felt the need to be secretive.


    I return her smile and shake her head, ¡°You had to follow your own happiness, Eliana. I apud you for that. You and Robert have looked into the face of duty and spat in it.¡± I say with augh, ¡°And if the both of you are happy, then I am happy. I will have to make this marriage work, whether I want to or not as duty calls for it. I have forgiven you, Eliana. You can rest easy.¡±


    My sister looks at me with wide eyes and flounders over her words, ¡°Elena! No, you don¡¯t have to pretend to forgive me!¡±


    I shake my head, ¡°I am not pretending, Eliana. I have forgiven you. Now please rest assured, I do not hate you. You will always be my sister and the one I love above anyone else.¡± I say with sincerity and wrap her in my arms again. There was no point in wallowing anymore, I would take my mother¡¯s previous advice and make the best of this dead-end of a marriage.


    Eliana shoots me a naughty smile, ¡°By the way, I saw the way Sebastian looked at you when you had your first dance. Did something happen between the two of you?¡± She asks me, and I feel the warmth creeping into my cheeks.


    If our dance fooled Eliana, it must have looked like a genuine first dance shared between a couple who were in love.


    Shaking my head, I answer her, ¡± No not at all. We had to make it look real.¡±


    Elianaughs at my reply, ¡°Sure you did, heck you even danced to your favourite love song, and I just bet that was your idea as well.¡± She says then sees my blush deepen and bursts out into a fit of giggles.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± I cry out, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much already and Eliana just would not stop giggling. My sister then looks at me seriously before cing her hands on both my arms, ¡°If anything develops between you and Sebastian, please don¡¯t feel guilty. I never loved him,¡± she says then I could see she was contemting her next lines. ¡°And I do think he only proposed to me out of duty. There were subtle things I picked up all through our rtionship, Eliana. Sebastian is in love with someone else, and it was never me.¡±


    I frown at this revtion of hers, could it be true? Sebastian looked pretty broken up about the split, and whenever I looked into his eyes I could sense the betrayal there. However, I won¡¯t tell her this, she did not need to know.


    I spot Robert out of the corner of my eye and gesture to my sister, ¡°Does he treat you well?¡± I ask her.


    Eliana nods with a smile, ¡°He really does. I love him more than I ever could exin. We got married after I left the Wiltshire estate, you know. We had to.¡± She says but then frowns when he calls her over. ¡°I think he wants us to leave. There must be issues with Mirabelle and Spencer. My number is activated again, I will text you constantly. I love you, Elena, and wish you nothing but happiness.¡±


    After that, she strides off and I realize what she just told me. She is married to Robert now! WHAT?! Well, at least she was a Dumont now, something my mother had groomed her to be.


    I shake my head and decide to get away from everyone for a few minutes. This was a big mansion, so hopefully, I do not get lost in the process. Making sure no one sees me, I saunter up the massive staircase just off the foyer and make it to thending without tripping over my heels.


    I take a slow stride through the mansion hallways and am amazed at the modern furnishings and architecture. Dumont Hall was built in the 1880¡¯s I would have expected them to keep the original finishings, but whoever redesigned the mansion did so with impable taste.


    Hey, I might not like the stature I was born into, but I still know when to appreciate interior decorating.


    I pass by one of the bedrooms and stop in my tracks, my face going red.


    The soundsing from the other side of the door were clearly a couple in the middle of sex. Grunting, groaning and stifled moans echoed through the door and I found myself curious as to who would be so bold to have sex in one of the Dumont¡¯s smaller spare rooms. I tiptoe over to the door and slowly ease it open. The lights were on inside and my eyes immediately fell on the couple on the bed; then my smile drops from my face and I feel myself pale.


    I wish I had never opened it. I wished I had just walked past it and ignored the sounds of sex echoing through the door.


    Sebastian had a blonde on her knees in front of him while he took her from behind. Her head was thrown back in ecstasy and I recognized her as the woman from Sebastian¡¯s office. He grunted and groaned and I found myself frozen on the spot.


    Damnit, Elena! Look away! Turn around and close the door!


    I mentally will my body to move, but then Sebastian turns his head my way and our eyes meet, locking me in ce. The grin drops from his face when he sees me, but he continues to m into the blonde, over and over again. Finally, I found my bearings and ran out of the room as fast as I could, putting the dreadful scene behind me.


    I had just walked in on Sebastian having sex with his mistress.

 Chapter13 Bouquets and Garters

    Elena


    Was this the woman Sebastian was supposedly in love with? It would make sense since he keeps on going back to her. I walk down the stairs, feeling drained and despondent; couldn¡¯t this darn wedding reception be over by now? Scanning the crowd for Mirabelle, I find her chatting to another couple. I walk over to her, and motion for her from the side until I manage to get her attention.


    She smiles politely at the couple, then excuses herself before walking over to me. ¡°Elena, darling, is something the matter?¡± She asks me and I nod, ¡°It has been a long day, mother and it is 8 pm already. Can we please toss the bouquet and call the celebration to a close? I am exhausted.¡± I say and wait for her to reprimand me and tell me I am a Dumont now and have to ept the social standing thates with it.


    But it never came, Mirabelle just beams at me and nods her head, ¡°Of course, love. I understandpletely. Let me just find Spencer and Sebastian and inform them.¡± She says lightly as she pats my hand before disappearing into the crowd.


    This woman was a god sent. If anything good came from this marriage, it was my budding rtionship with Mirabelle.


    Fifteen minutester, Mirabelle calls for everyone¡¯s attention by tapping her champagne flute. ¡°Excuse me,dies and gentlemen. As the wedding of Sebastian and Elena draws to a close, the time hase for the bride to toss the bouquet!¡± Mirabelle exims, to the excitement of the otherdies.


    The smile drops from my face when I see Sebastian walking up to me. Mirabelle sees him and a sly grin shes on her face, ¡°Let us not forget about the garter!¡±


    I am screaming internally right now while smiling and wishing Mirabelle a slow death. I did not want Sebastian¡¯s hands on me after seeing where they were earlier. Why was she always trying so hard to get us together? I cannot stand the man!


    The single women all line up behind me, ¡°Ready?¡± I call, and a murmur of excitement ripples through the crowd. I fling the bouquet behind me and hear the women scrambling. Turning around with a smile, my eyes fell on the woman who caught it.


    It was the blonde Sebastian had on her knees, and she shed me a knowing smirk. My smile was a thin line, and I turned around, ready to leave. I was done with this evening, heck I was done with this damn marriage.


    But I feel a pair of arms around my waist; Sebastian pulls me close to him and I smell the bourbon on his breath again. Was he drunk?


    ¡°Not so fast, petite paquerette, the people want a show.¡± He whispers in my ear, and a wave of nausea crashes over me.


    ¡°Stop calling me that,¡± I say through gritted teeth, maintaining the smile on my face and gently pushing away from him. This man truly disgusted me. How Eliana kept up the pretence for so long, I would never know.


    I could tell that my words did nothing to him, but he goes down on his knees in front of me, anyway. The crowd heckles him as he takes my foot, slips off my heel and ces my foot on his knee. He grazes my inner thigh and I freeze up, shing him a re. This only causes him to chuckle as he pushes my dress up, showing everyone the garter on my upper thigh.


    ¡°Please get this over with, Sebastian,¡± I tell him through a forced smile, but all he does is wink at me and lower his head towards my garter.


    HE WAS GOING TO REMOVE IT WITH HIS TEETH.


    This could not be happening and right in front of everyone. RIGHT IN FRONT OF MIRABELLE. My eyes search for my mother-inw, but I see that she¡¯s one of the hecklers and roll my eyes at the excitement in her eyes. Thanks a lot, mom.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Sebastian grips the garter with his teeth, lightly grazing my skin with his teeth, and starts pulling it down slowly. It felt like hours, but he eventually pulled it all the way down and slipped my heel back on.


    What game was this man ying? After seeing him in a verypromising position earlier, I realize that his touch makes my skin crawl.


    He tosses the garter into the waiting bachelor crowd and a man I did not know caught it.


    After a few more congrattory pats and conversations, I bid goodnight to my parents and inws, then we left Dumont Hall. Sebastian holds the limousine door open for me and I mber in, not looking at him. I don¡¯t think I would ever see him in a different light after tonight. It was only day one of the next 5 years together and I already felt drained.


    Sebastian gets in next to me, and then we are off.


    The drive to his vi in Kensington was quiet and awkward. It finally hit me that I was now married to this man sitting next to me, a man I tried to ignore for thest three years after he had insulted my body type. Yeah, I didn¡¯t have a waif built like my sister, but I wasn¡¯t chubby or podgy as he called me. I had curves, my boobs were slightly too big for my body type and had to squeeze into jeans, but I was a decent size and happy.


    This silence was starting to drive me crazy. How long could the drive to Kensington possibly be??


    I feel Sebastian¡¯s eyes on me as I stare out of the window and a blush creeps onto my cheeks. ¡°Elena, I apologize for what you walked in on this evening.¡± He says, and I feel a burning in my chest that could only be described as anger.


    ¡°So I am not allowed to say goodbye to the man I love, but you get to have sex with any woman of your choosing?¡± I start, ¡°Double standards, Sebastian.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to apologize here, Elena.¡±


    ¡°Screw your apology. You clearly have zero respect for me as a person, to sleep with someone while our wedding was still in full swing downstairs? I know I mean little to you, Sebastian, but you could have spared me the disrespect.¡± I exim and realize to my horror that I was crying.


    My supposed husband regards me with surprise at my outburst. Yeah, he was definitely not used to any woman talking back to him. Well, he¡¯s going to be in for a treat the next 5 years then.


    This seems to silence him, and he takes a defensive stance, then nods. ¡°Understood.¡±


    I resume my staring out the window and sigh. This hurt me more than I cared to admit. Not the act itself, but the insult. Sebastian really had zero respect for me as a person, and it honestly hurt me to my core. A tear slips down my cheek and I quickly move to wipe it away. This was definitely not how I pictured my wedding day to go, and now I would spend my wedding night wallowing.


    A few minutester, we stopped in front of tall wrought-iron gates. Sebastian takes out his cellphone, taps a few numbers and the gate opens. He looks towards me, ¡°Only the two of us can open these gates with our cell phones. I have texted you the number to call when you want to get into our estate.¡± He exins.


    Our estate. Wow.


    As we enter the estate, I am blown away by what I see. The Wiltshire Estate was beautiful, but this was something else. Knee height boxwood hedges held in sweeping gardens on either side of a gorgeous moderately sized vi set in a French Provincial design. The vi wasn¡¯t too big and I actually think I am in love with it.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± I whisper, taking in the beauty of the home. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Sebastian remarks next to me, and I look at him, intending to respond with a witty remark, but I¡¯m taken aback at the shame I see in his eyes. Swallowing my reply, I look away from him before I forgive him for hurting me.


    The limousinees to an abrupt stop, and the chauffeur gets out of the car. He opens the door for me, and I marvel at the beautiful exterior yet again.


    The front door opens, and a butler steps out to wee us home, congratting us both as he does so. I was about to respond to him when suddenly I was swept off my feet!


    No literally, I am swept off my feet, Sebastian had picked me up. I put my arms around his neck unconsciously and looked at him wide-eyed and confused. ¡°Sebastian¡­?¡± I ask incredulously.


    He looks straight ahead, ¡°Carrying you over the threshold.¡± was all he said before setting me down once we were inside. If I thought the outside looked beautiful, it was nothingpared to the inside of the vi. There was a broad staircase to the left of the foyer, which opened up into a beautiful living room. They set the colour scheme in natural warm tones, feeling gorgeously homey. Sebastian spared no expense when it came to interior decorating; everything took my breath away.


    I would have to take a tour tomorrow, for now, I am exhausted.


    ¡°You have a beautiful home, Sebastian,¡± I tell him honestly, then look at him. He had pride written all over his face, which was understandable, this was his home.


    ¡°Thank you. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it.¡± He says and I roll my eyes at him, ¡°How very CEO of you,¡± I remark and hear him chuckle.


    Then I frown, ¡°I don¡¯t understand though, Eliana hated anything in Provincial interior design. She was more of a post-modern type. So why buy it if you knew your wife-to-be wouldn¡¯t like it?¡± I suddenly ask, confused. My sister hated what she called ¡®old-timeydesign¡¯ and preferred the stark contrasts of post-modern interior decorating. She wanted a home designed in bursts of colour, not the warm tones disyed here.


    Sebastian shrugs, ¡°I bought this home for me, Elena. I bought a mansion for Eliana and me to live in when we were to get married but sold itst month. She has never been here.¡± He says then walks towards the staircase, ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, I will be going to bed. Ilse will show you to your room.¡± He says and then proceeds to walk up the stairs, but then stops when he gets halfway. ¡°Oh, and Elena, never mention your sister¡¯s name in my presence again.¡±


    ¡°What an arsehole,¡± I whisper as I watch him disappear up the stairs.

 Chapter14 The Naked Heiress With Peanut Allergies

    Elena


    Ady appears from my left side and smiles, ¡°Mrs Dumont, wee to your new home. I am Ilse and am in charge of the help here in the vi. Please follow me.¡± She says and motions to the stairs. Ilse looked to be in her mid-50s, she was short and stocky and had her salt and pepper hair tied back in a bun. She wore half-moon spectacles and had a warm, motherly air about her.


    ¡°Thank you, Ilse,¡± I tell her as we walk up the stairs. She looks back at me with warm eyes and nods, ¡°You are wee, ma¡¯am.¡± She says and we continue to walk in silence until we reach what I assume would be my room. Ilse opens the door to yet another beautiful room. There was a queen-sized oak Jacobean four-poster bed in the middle, with silk hanging from the canopy.


    Wow, wasn¡¯t even a word to describe this room.


    ¡°This will be your room, Mrs Dumont. We hope you will be happy in your new home.¡± Ilse says and folds her hands in front of her. ¡°I am sure you must be quite tired, Ma¡¯am so I will leave you be.¡± Ilse starts then walks towards the bedroom door, ¡°My room is downstairs if you need anything, anything at all. I will serve breakfast at 7 am sharp, Is there anything besides peanuts that you are allergic to that I should be aware of?¡±


    How did she know about the peanut allergy? Sebastian¡¯s voice invades my thoughts, ¡°I made it a point to find out more about my prospective bride.¡±


    I shake my head, ¡°Just peanuts, I am deathly allergic to it.¡± I tell her and a worried frown crosses her face, ¡°Mr Dumont had us rece everything in the pantry yesterday and donated it. However, we will take extra care not to buy anything that would set your allergy off.¡± She says, and I could see her mentally making notes of this.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Ilse. I would appreciate that. I will give you a few EpiPens to keep around the vi in case I do identally ingest anything that would be considered dangerous.¡± I tell her and she nods, ¡°I must be off now. Your en suite is off to your left, I can only imagine how tired you must be after your long and eventful day. Do you need help to get out of your dress?¡± She asks me and I smile as I shake my head, ¡°Very well then, I will see you in the morning. Goodnight, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    With that, she takes her leave and closes the door behind her. I exhale and take a look around my bedroom as I walk towards the en suite bathroom. Ilse was right, this day had exhausted me right to my bones and could use a long, hot bath.


    I open the bathroom and realize that I would never stop being in awe of this vi. Arge octagonal spa bath was ced in the middle of the bathroom, with a separate shower off to the side. Beautiful light fixtures set off a warm glow all over the bathroom. There were two mirror vanities on either side of the room, one side had hair products, the other had luxury oils and creams. I walked towards the products and noticed that Sebastian had gone through the trouble of finding out which were my favourites.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I sigh sadly. Would I ever understand this man? On one hand, he was sweet and thoughtful, and on the other hand? He was a cold bastard who I would not touch with a ten-foot pole. A cheater, even though my sister mercilessly cheated on him with his own uncle.


    I zip down my dress, and it falls in a pool at my feet. Grabbing my favourite bath oils, I run a nice warm bath and undo my corset, marvelling at the freedom I suddenly felt after being constricted by it all day. I strip off my undergarments, remove my makeup, and let down my hair. Then I ease myself into the bath and let out a sigh.


    Today had really taken everything out of me. I could have gone forever without seeing Sebastian with another woman. Every time I try not to think about what he¡¯s done, my mind does an instant rey. I felt hurt, betrayed and disgusted, truly I did. How was he allowed to have lovers when I couldn¡¯t even kiss Nichs goodbye?


    30 minutester, I dragged myself out of the luxurious bath as I felt myself falling asleep. I dry my body off and discard the towel, then towel dry my hair as I walk out of the bathroom, closing my eyes as I walk.


    ¡°Uhm, Elena¡­¡±


    I open my eyes and see Sebastian staring at me with a shocked expression, his mouth agape. It was normal for me to walk around naked in my room after a shower or bath, and for a split second, I had forgotten that I wasn¡¯t at Wiltshire Estate.


    I was living with Sebastian now and was currently standing naked in front of him.


    I take the tiny towel I had in my hand and try to cover myself up, blushing straight to my roots. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to knock?!¡± I exim, mortified that he had seen me naked. Not even Nichs had seen me naked before, damnit!


    He looks away, ¡°I did knock, and when there was no answer I came in to see if you were okay.¡± Then he takes something out of his back pocket, ¡°Your cellphone, you left it in the limousine when we arrived. I just came to give it to you as well as the keys to the vi.¡± He says and I take a few steps towards him, taking my cell phone and keys from his hands.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± That was all I could say as I stood shivering in front of him. He then turns to leave the room, ¡°I am sorry for catching you like this, you must feel mortified. I will make a note not to barge into your room again. Good night, Elena.¡± He says then proceeds to walk out.


    As soon as he closed the door, I made a beeline for the walk-in closet and quickly threw on a pair of my silk pyjamas. Sebastian had just seen what no other man had ever seen before, not even my beloved Nichs. I know it seems like I¡¯m a prude, but I wanted to save myself for marriage. I was still a virgin and wanted to give myselfpletely to Nichs on our wedding night.


    A tear slips down my cheek as I think back to my blonde, curly-haired love. He was theplete opposite of Sebastian in every single way. He was kind, loving and caring, and didn¡¯t pressure me to have sex at all. We fooled around a lot, but he always respected my wishes. We met when I just turned 18, my parents had sent me to another heiress¡¯ debutante ball and he was the partner set up for me by our families. The only choice my mother had made for me that I was thankful for. Making him wait for me for 5 years was unfair to him, so I had to let him go; if we were still in love after then, then I would dly be with him.


    But for now, I had to do my duty.


    I sink into the soft bed and let out an audible sigh. If there was a bed in Heaven, this was it. Switching off the light, my eyelids close immediately and I felt myself drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

 Chapter15 Sebastian’s Truth

    Sebastian


    I walk out of Elena¡¯s room with my mind in a haze. The girl who I had teased mercilessly for being slightly curvier than her sister, was hiding an absolutely stunning body. Thest thing I expected to find was her naked on the other side of that door. Clearly, she was used to being naked in her own room, and now I had invaded her personal space.


    Walking towards my room, which was down the hall from hers, I internally reprimanded myself again for my stupidity earlier this evening. What had I expected to gain today from having sex with Sarah? She was easy and willing, but did I really want to keep the affair going?


    When I saw Elena¡¯s face through the doorway, the hurt disyed there mirrored my own from long ago. Instead of bursting in and acting like the firecracker that she was, she simply closed the door and walked away. Any trace of lust I felt had evaporated when I saw the look of betrayal in her eyes, and I immediately stopped what I was doing with Sarah.


    Elena was right, I had disrespected and insulted her on her wedding day. Even though it was not a real wedding to either of us, what I did was still wrong. If this marriage was to work, I would need to put in the work as well.


    I never would have thought that I would end up with Elena, of all people. I am sure she doesn¡¯t remember me from all those years ago, but I remember her as clear as day. It was Social Season about 3 years ago, and my mother had forced me to attend some or other masked ball for charity. I had just turned 20 years old at the time and was not interested in the social circles, but my mother advised me to attend as a Dumont representative.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I was standing at the hors d¡¯oeuvre table, fixing myself a ss of champagne, when I spotted the most beautiful girl I had everid eyes on. Soft brown curls framed her heart-shaped face, bright blue eyes and a gorgeous set of lips I immediately wanted to kiss. She looked to be about 18 and had taken her mask off for some or other reason and was arguing with her mother. Calling the wearing of masks ¡®stupid¡¯ but relenting and attaching it again. This disy of rebellion had made me want to get to know her, and when I asked a patron who she was, I was told she was Lady Eliana Wiltshire.


    Approaching her, I introduced myself as the Dumont representative and noticed her mother had gone pale, then excused herself. The girl named Eliana had a frown on her face at her mother¡¯s reaction but proceeded to talk to me, anyway. I asked her if she would like to walk with me and she obliged so I held my hand out for her to take and we walked towards the vast gardens.


    ¡°So, what brings you to this ball if you¡¯re not interested in being here?¡± I asked her as we rounded the boxwood hedges and walked towards the rose garden. She shrugged, ¡°It is sort of difficult to get out of a social event when it is being held at your estate.¡± She replied with a giggle and I suddenly felt dumb. Of course, The Wiltshire Charity Ball.


    ¡°Ah, forgive me. I am not too clued up with the social circles. My work tends to keep me busy.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what do you do?¡± She had asked, clearly not recognizing me, and for some reason, I preferred that.


    ¡°I own a fewpanies in London. We¡¯ve currently broken into the stock markets and are climbing each day. As CEO, things can get quite demanding.¡± I had told her and noticed the bored expression on her face. ¡°Something the matter?¡± I asked her with a grin on my face.


    She had blushed at this, ¡°No, not at all. I just find the business world very boring.¡± Her hand suddenly flew to her mouth, ¡°Oh! I do apologize, I didn¡¯t mean to insult you and your work!¡± I said with a chuckle, then took her hand in mine, ¡°Not to worry. I prefer honesty anyway, Lady Wiltshire.¡±


    shing me an apologetic grin, we continued to walk and made small talk. In those 2 hours spent with her, I had never felt lighter or freer. I could talk to her about anything, and she would reply with a witty retort. She made meugh as well. No other woman had been able to. Lady Eliana Wiltshire was definitely not your ordinary heiress.


    When it came time to say goodbye, the both of us seemed to struggle to do so. I told her I would visit her the following weekend, and she epted my invitation.


    She was on my mind the whole week that followed, and when I told my mother to set up a meeting with Eliana Wiltshire, she couldn¡¯t have more been happier for me.


    The day of our meeting came, and I was a ball of nerves. I would get to see her again and it gave me butterflies, strange but true. No other woman had this effect on me before, and I might just be a little infatuated.


    Arriving at The Wiltshire Estate, my Eliana greeted me at the door, but she acted strangely. She did not seem to know who I was and was confused by my being there. I tried to make a joke as she previously referred to herself as ¡®podgy¡¯ and she immediately took offence. Then, as another person descended the stairs, I realized something.


    Eliana had a twin.


    During my lunch with Eliana, I was so confused. Who had I met at the charity event?


    ¡°Were you present at the Wiltshire Charity Ballst weekend?¡± I had asked her and she shook her head, ¡°Oh, gosh no I wasn¡¯t. I was down with a terrible cold and had my sister, Elena, take my ce as the Wiltshire representative. You met her this morning, she weed you at the door.¡±


    Suddenly I wished that the ground would swallow me whole. I was on a date with the wrong sister, and this one was as boring as watching paint dry. We had nothing inmon, nothing at all. There was no connection between us, as there has been between the Wiltshire twin I had metst weekend. Even our food tastes differ.


    However, my mother wanted this union to work as it would bring about a useful connection for our family. So I had to keep up the pretence of being in love with Eliana for over 3 years and eventually proposed to her.


    Whenever I would meet Elena, we always argued and fought. There was never a pleasant conversation between the two of us, it was always banter, and I absolutely loved it. Elena still did not realize who I was. I never told her my name at the charity ball and I had kept my mask on.


    I think Eliana always suspected that my feelings for her were never true, which was why she found sce in my uncle. I must admit that it hurt to find out that she had been cheating on me for so long, but it quite relieved me to finally be rid of her.


    ¡°Unless we find a recement.¡±


    When my mother uttered those words at the dreaded dinner party, I knew what would happen. They were going to force Elena to take her sister¡¯s ce. I had agreed and stormed out, but deep inside, I was secretly happy; I was finally going to be with the twin I had fallen for so long ago.


    But Elena could not have looked any more disgusted. I knew she fiercely disliked me, but I did not know it was to a depth I could never reach. Seeing her kiss Nichs Addington in the gardens we walked through had made my blood boil and I had likened her to her cheating sister. But looking back, my ways hadn¡¯t been exactly pure.


    I had slept with Sarah countless times, even in my office, before Elena unexpectedly showed up. I was already so angry at the rumours flying around and insulting my name, that I pulled her into my office and forced her against the door. Being that close to her had done something to me, and after that stolen kiss, I knew she felt the same way.


    We ignored one another after that for obvious reasons, but seeing her walk down the aisle had done something to me. I did not want to feel anything for anyone again, not after the Wiltshire twin mix up and Eliana¡¯s betrayal, but Elena was stirring things up inside of me. Feelings of love and admiration got me into a loveless rtionship and almost a loveless marriage, I think it¡¯s why I have been keeping the affair with Sarah going. If I can get Elena to hate me, maybe I would start to hate her too. She was essentially the reason I had to court Eliana.


    That was my mindset until we kissed in the limousine again. She felt the connection as well; I knew she did, and I had just extinguished it when she walked in on Sarah and I.


    We just needed to keep this charade going for 5 years, then we could go our separate ways and never speak again. But in all honesty, did I want to let Elena go now when I finally had the right Wiltshire twin in my grasp?

 Chapter16 Three Months Later

    Elena


    Sebastian and I have been married for close to 3 months already and yet we live past one another. Thest time I saw him was when he had to rush out for an emergency at 4 am. I never asked what the emergency was because I couldn¡¯t be bothered.


    There is nothing lonelier than an arranged marriage, no matter what anyone says. The attraction that Sebastian and I shared before is all but gone, reced by a simmering dislike. Will I ever get used to feeling this way? Did I want to feel anything other than a dislike for Sebastian? I must be honest, it would be easier to not live with this heaviness in my chest 24/7.


    I had been trying to reach out to Charlotte and Esme Langford, my two best friends from high school, but they had been out of Ennd for thest few months or so. They had not been following Ennd¡¯s social news and did not know I was married now. We had a brunch date today, and I was on my way out to meet them.


    It was in the middle of Autumn and quite chilly outside, so I opted to wear a lovely cerise blouse that hugged my waist in a belt, thick ck leggings and stiletto ankle boots. My double-breasted ck coat ended off the look. With the weather as bad as it was today, I doubt I would be able to show off my blouse. Oh well, at least I knew I looked good.


    As I walked down the stairs, I was deep in thought and nearly didn¡¯t see Sebastian as he walked up towards his bedroom. The minute our eyes met, there was a pause, and I finally had a chance to give my husband a proper once over.


    Truth be told, he looked like shit. It looked like he hadn¡¯t been sleeping at all; his face was sunken in and he had bags under his eyes.


    ¡°Are you okay, Sebastian?¡± I ask him, an unwanted feeling of concern washing over me. What was wrong with him? ¡°You look like you haven¡¯t slept a wink.¡±


    He regards me with a scowl then walks past me, ¡°Mind your own business, Elena.¡± He says and disappears up the stairs. Wow, okay. Remind me never to show concern towards him again. But as much as I tried to push it down, I could not help it. Sebastian looked as if he carried the world on his shoulders and had no one to lean on.


    Should I be the bigger person and approach him?


    Ah, I¡¯ll put it out of my head for now. I had a brunch date with my best girls and could not bete. 30 minutester, I arrive at our favourite restaurant and immediately spot the redheads from across the room. They were beautiful, as usual, but looked like they had gotten a tan from being overseas for so long.


    ¡°Looks like I need to spend a few months in Greece, your tan is to die for,¡± I say as Ie up behind them, their responses being shrieked when they hear my voice.


    ¡°Elena!¡± I hear through hugs and kisses and they engulf me. Standing back, I look at my two best friends and realize how truly I had missed them. They were supposed to be my bridesmaids if I ever were to get married to Nichs. Now I had to exin to them why I was wearing a ¡ê1. 5 million diamond ring on my finger.


    We were finally seated after all the hellos and kisses, when Charlotte turned towards me, ¡°Okay, so I need to fill you in on EVERYTHING that happened to Esme and I over these few months! You will not believe¡­¡± and so Charlotte goes on to tell me what they had been up to. They were taking a gap year before they were to get married to the men their parents had chosen for them. The Langfords were old blood and wanted to keep it that way by marrying aristocratic people, simr to my family.


    After about an hour, Esme looks at me with a grim expression, ¡°So how have you been coping?¡± She asks me, and I couldn¡¯t help but frown at this question; did they know about my marriage to Sebastian?


    ¡°It has been difficult, I must confess. But I am keeping my head up and not allowing the predicament to bring my spirits down. Who knows, maybe this union will be good for the both of us.¡± I say and notice the confusion on their faces. ¡°Are you sure, Elena? It is a big step to have taken in such a small amount of time.¡± Charlotte says, taking my hand in hers.


    I nod, my eyes brimming with unshed tears. Esme takes a tissue out of her handbag and hands it to me. ¡°When we heard the news, we almost died. How could he do that to you? And we were out of town, so we couldn¡¯t even be here tofort you. The least he could have done was break things off with you before announcing his engagement!¡± She says, and I pause.


    Wait, were we not talking about the same thing here?


    I look at them, confusion clear in the frown on my face, ¡°What are you guys-¡±


    ¡°Mrs Dumont, your husband is outside and wishes to have a word with you. Could you please follow me?¡± The manager interrupts us, and waits for my answer.


    Esme and Charlotte both were wearing the same stunned expression on their faces; wide-eyed and mouth agape. I held up my hand before they could start, ¡°I will be right back and THEN we need to talk about things.¡± I say before I stand up and follow the manager out.


    Why was Sebastian here?Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I spotted his ck Rolls Royce Phantom as soon as I left the restaurant; the driver was waiting for me with the door open and smiled when he saw me. ¡°Mrs Dumont,¡± he greeted with a nod, which I returned when I got into the car.


    If there was one thing I mustmend Sebastian on, it was his impable taste. This car was gorgeous and screamed luxury. I could see why he went for someone like my sister; she too screamed luxury and good taste.


    I turned towards my husband, who was facing the opposite window. He was well dressed as usual and looked like he was on his way to a meeting of some sort. With his slicked-back raven hair, his hazel eyes stood out. He pushes a button and the clear ss partitioning suddenly turns white, offering us privacy, then he looks at me. ¡°Elena, I know I haven¡¯t been the best person these past few weeks,¡± he starts and I bite back a wittyment. Yeah, you¡¯ve been a sucky person, but do continue. ¡°Please know that it hasn¡¯t been on purpose. I would like to make it up to you, starting tonight; would you do me the honour of joining me for dinner this evening?¡±


    Woah, wait¡­ Did Sebastian just ask me out on a date?


    A blush crosses my cheeks and I feel myself nodding coyly, ¡°I would love that,¡± I tell him and mentally kick myself. Why was I sounding like a high school girl with a crush?


    Sebastian smiles at me and leans forward, taking my hand in his then turning it around and kissing the back. ¡°I know neither of us wanted this marriage, but we have to try and make it work or at least be civil to one another. I have stopped my affair with Sarah as I would like to be a better husband to you, yact or not.¡±


    This revtion has me stunned. Did he want to change for me? Put in the time to actually act like a husband? I don¡¯t exactly know what to say to this, so I just nod and a shy smile ys on my lips and I subconsciously bite it.


    This minor act seems to do something to Sebastian as his eyes drop towards my lips and his hand tightens around mine. But before he could react, he lets go of my hand, opens his door and walks out and around to open mine. Holding his hand out for me to take, I reciprocate and get out of the car.


    Sebastian pulls me closer to him and I inhale his yummy Tom Ford scent I had grown ustomed to. With one hand on my lower back and the other at the back of my neck, he lowers his head down towards me and nts a light kiss on my forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promised myself that I will not force any more kisses onto you, not until you ask me for it.¡± He said in a low voice that made my insides tremble.


    Good God, what was Sebastian Dumont doing to me?


    The blush that had crossed my cheeks earlier had now deepened, and I med it on the Autumn chill. He smiles down at me, then lets me go, ¡°7 pm tonight.¡± he says then gets back into the car. The chauffeur bows his head then they are gone, leaving me with a confused feeling in the pit of my stomach.

 Chapter17 Revelations

    The Langford sisters were looking at me as I walked up to them, deep frowns etched on their faces. I sat down. Then all hell broke loose.


    ¡°Forgive me, MRS DUMONT?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re married now, Elena?! Why didn¡¯t you tell us?!¡±


    I sigh, then nce down, ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly a decision of my own¡­¡± I say sadly, then go on to tell them what has been taking ce over the past 6 months, but not before swearing them to secrecy about Eliana¡¯s misdeeds.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, you¡¯re actually married to the dreamy Sebastian Dumont,¡± Esme says, swooning and I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes at her. ¡°Dreamy? Really?¡± I ask her, thinking of my husband as anything but dreamy. I had to admit that he was rather handsome but dreamy? Eh.


    ¡°Oh, please Elena. Don¡¯t tell me you have not felt yourself drowning in his gorgeous hazel eyes?¡± Charlotte asks, also clearly under the spell that was Sebastian Dumont.


    I shake my head, ¡°I don¡¯t like the guy, I never have.¡± I answer honestly. Deciding not to mention what I walked in on during my wedding reception, I swallow my shame down and look at them. Esme raised an eyebrow and sat forward, ¡°So have you two, you know¡­¡± she asks with a smirk and I immediately felt myself going blood red. ¡°No! Gosh, Esme, you¡¯re such a perv!¡± I respond as I smack her on the arm.


    The girls giggle at my mortification, and I mentally will my blush to go away. Damn it, why couldn¡¯t I just be confident about these things?


    ¡°I will merely be with him for 5 years anyhow, then I will be able to divorce him and study at Harvard. I have no desire to see him naked, thank you very much.¡± I add but they both look at me as if I have gone mad.


    ¡°Liar,¡± they say in unison and I am left floundering at my next words. I was not attracted to Sebastian in that way, not at all! I ignored their jests and continued.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°When I told Nichs about the whole situation, he promised to wait for me,¡± I conclude, reflecting back to our bittersweet goodbye at the Wiltshire Estate.


    The sisters looked at one another, and I realized something was amiss. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± I ask them while a frown crossed my face. Esme cleared her throat and drew my hand in hers, ¡°Love, haven¡¯t you seen the news? Nichs is set to marry Annabelle Thompson thising Spring. Their engagement has been in the works for thest year or so.¡±


    No. That can¡¯t be true. I shake my head, ¡°No, you must be mistaken. Nichs would never lie to me.¡± He wouldn¡¯t, he would never. He was the love of my life and promised to wait for me. Why would he lie about something like that?


    Charlotte has a bitter smile on her face, ¡°It¡¯s true, Elena. Our parents informed us when we were in Greece. We assumed you knew, that¡¯s why you always sounded so heartbroken over the phone. I am so sorry, Elena, but Nichs has been ying you like a fiddle.¡± She says, as politely as she could.


    This couldn¡¯t be true! Nichs was the sweetest and kindest person I knew, he would never lie to me. He told me we would marry when I came back from the States in a few years and drove me to study and pursue my dream!


    A lightbulb goes on in my head; he was the one who encouraged me to study ABROAD. He always told me I would get into Oxford solely on my name. However, if I made it into Harvard, I would be proving something to my family. Could his engagement be the reason he pressured me to study at Harvard?


    My bottom lip starts to quiver as everything slides into ce. ¡°I understand duty, my love. I understand it more than you ever could imagine.¡± He had told me this when I informed him of my arranged marriage to Sebastian. Was this his way of telling me that he knew what I was going through because his parents had already trapped him in an arranged marriage?


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± I breathed out and felt a tear falling down my cheek. My two best friends both get up from their seats and engulf me in a hug. ¡°We¡¯re so sorry, love. We had honestly thought they informed you about this.¡± Charlotte says, wiping her own tears away.


    I shake my head, ¡°I don¡¯t know why he would lie to me about this. He could have just told me and we would have called it quits, I would have understood that it was his duty.¡± I say wistfully, thinking back to all the times we spent together. Nichs acted as if nothing was amiss when we were together, meanwhile he had a fiancee waiting for him.


    ¡°I have to go,¡± I tell them, then stand up to leave. We said our goodbyes, promised to do this once a week, then we went our separate ways. I reach my Maybach and tell the driver to take me home.


    Nichs lied to me. The man I trusted and loved more than anything had lied to me.


    Taking out my phone while I still had the courage, I dial his number and wait for him to answer. It didn¡¯t take him long.


    ¡°Elena?¡± He asks with surprise to his tone and my heart crumbles at the sound of his voice. I couldn¡¯t afford to be weak now, I needed to know the truth.


    ¡°I guess congrattions are in order?¡± I ask, my voiceing out a lot clearer than I had anticipated, and I hear him sigh. ¡°You¡¯ve heard, then?¡± he says, and I could see that he was pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.


    ¡°I have been informed, yes. If I wasn¡¯t trapped in an arranged marriage, would you have told me about your betrothal to Annebelle?¡± I asked him, not sure if I truly wanted to know the answer to the question I had just asked. Would he continue to lie to me?


    ¡°Does it matter, Elena? You are married to Sebastian, who I am to marry should be none of your concern.¡±


    ¡°But it does concern me if we were together while your intended sat at home, hoping you were faithful to her. What was I to you, Nichs? A ything to keep you busy before your arranged marriage?¡± I eximed with a lot more venom to my voice than I intended.


    Nichs chuckled, ¡°You were a prospective cherry to pop, Elena. I was hoping you would eventually spread your legs for me before heading to the States, but we all know how that turned out, don¡¯t we, love? You would have made such a pretty notch on my virginal belt; the perfect end before I got tied down.¡± He says, and I am rendered speechless by the anger in his voice. This wasn¡¯t my Nichs, was it? This wasn¡¯t the man I had been in love with for over two years, the man to who I would have given my everything to.


    ¡°Cat got your tongue, Elena?¡± He asks me sarcastically. I did not want to talk to this man any longer, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to talk to him. The Nichs I knew did not exist, he had just made that abundantly clear.


    So I did what thest remnants of my dignity allowed, and I ended the call, blocked and then deleted his number.


    Even though I told him it would be unfair for him to wait on me, subconsciously I had hoped he would. Nichs was supposed to be my light at the end of a gloomy tunnel, but now I knew that there was no happiness and love waiting for me after 5 years, At least I still had my studies to look forward to after this. I would make something of myself without the love of a man.


    ¡°Elena Wiltshire, you will love yourself fiercely from this day forward and y every depressive thought from your mind. You do not need a man to make you feel loved or appreciated. Go forth and conquer.¡±


    I say this silent vow to myself as I input the code to get into the vi. Today would be the first day of the rest of my life.

 Chapter18 Sleeping Beauty and Her Sebastian

    Elena


    I take off my heels as soon as I enter the vi and breathe a sigh of relief. My heart still felt heavy, but I could not allow it to hold me down any longer. As much as I hated it, I was essentially a married woman now and needed to act as such even if my husband did not.


    ¡°Ah, Mrs Dumont, you are home. Are you hungry?¡± Ilse asks me as I enter the kitchen area, but I shake my head. ¡°I just came from brunch with a few friends, Ilse. I¡¯ll be fine for a while. Do we have headache tablets? I am not feeling too well and would like to go have ay down for a little while.¡± I said and I could see the worried frown that creased her brows.


    I absolutely adored Ilse, she was like a mother to me in a strange home. She showed me the love and affection I had never received from my own mother. The warmth that matched the vi.


    ¡°Oh, dearie. I will get you something that¡¯s non-drowsy. Go to your room and I will have it brought right up to you.¡± She says gently and offers me a warm smile which I had to return. I wrap my arms around her, ¡°Thank you, Ilse.¡± I say, then saunter up to my bedroom.


    Living with Sebastian had not been as bad as I originally thought it would be. He didn¡¯t bother me and I stayed out of his way. But living past one another was taking its toll on me¡­ I have to admit that I craved affection and conversation. From having Eliana and Nichs around all day, to suddenly having no one. Ilse was kind and spoke to me, but it wasn¡¯t the same. I felt isted here. This vi was like a mansion when you had no one to talk to.


    There was a knock on my door and I told whoever it was to enter; it was one of the helpers in the vi with a sealed paracetamol tablet and some orange juice. I thank her and she leaves with a fake smile stered on her face. This made me chuckle. She was the girl that had a huge crush on Sebastian and tried to be nice to me, but her facial expressions gave her away.


    Swallowing the pill, Iy down on my heavenly bed. This thing always made me drift off into the most peaceful sleep, although this time I think the reason for my drowsiness was this pill. I forgot to mention to Ilse that just a little bit of ¡®non-drowsy¡¯ paracetamol made me sleepy. I had such a low tolerance for everything, that even a ss of champagne made me tipsy.


    Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep,


    ***


    My sleep was gued by Nichs¡¯ kind face, our memories spent together all spilling into one canvas.


    ¡°Elena¡­¡± I hear him call my name, but the voice did not match his kind face. The Nichs I knew had a soothing and sweet voice, whereas this Nichs¡¯ voice was husky and dripped sex appeal.


    ¡°Elena¡­¡± I hear it again and force my eyes open this time, only to see the face of Sebastian staring down at me with a worried frown on his face. ¡°Elena, are you alright?¡± He asks me and I try to sit up, but he pushes me back onto the bed.


    ¡°Hey,¡­¡± was all I got out before flopping back down on the bed. I was really struggling to keep my eyes open. ¡°What did you give her?!¡± I heard Sebastian ask someone and realized that we were not alone. ¡°It was only a non-drowsy paracetamol tablet, sir!¡± Ilse replies with a concerned voice.


    ¡°Are you sure about that? She seems to be quite intoxicated.¡± Sebastian says as he touches my forehead, causing me to eventually open my eyes.


    ¡°I have a low tolerance for medication, Sebastian. I forgot to inform Ilse of this. I only needed something to take the migraine away.¡± I say, slowly sitting up and taking in the scene in my bedroom.


    Ilse was standing at the foot of my bed and Sebastian was sitting next to me; he looked absolutely worried. I frown at his expression, ¡°I am fine, I promise. Why do you all look so anxious?¡±


    Sebastian moves closer to me, ¡°Elena, it is 8 pm, you have been asleep for over 6 hours since you got home. I started to get worried when you did note down for our dinner arrangement but did not want to barge into your room again. So I asked Ilse to enter, and we found youpletely passed out and unresponsive.¡±


    This bit of news is what wakes me up, but I sit up a bit too quickly and fall forward into Sebastian¡¯s arms. ¡°Easy there,¡± he says as he slowly eases me back down onto the bed but I slowly shake my head, ¡°No, I need to get some air,¡± I say and try to get up again but I feelpletely helpless. He nods, then picks me up and carries me downstairs. ¡°Sebastian!¡± I cry out, finally realizing what he was doing, but feeling too weak to fight him.


    ¡°I am taking you to the conservatory,¡±


    The conservatory was on the other side of the vi, ¡°You can put me down, Sebastian, I am not an invalid!¡± I cried out, but he refused to and was now carrying me through the vi.


    ¡°Sebastian!¡±


    ¡°Elena, for the love of God, will you let me do this?! There is no way you would be able to walk without passing out. Just let me do this for you.¡± He says while looking straight ahead. All I could do is sigh in exasperation and ept defeat. ¡°Fine,¡± I mutter and start pouting.


    I caught the smile on his face when I said this and tried to hide my own smile. ¡°You are such a brat, Lady Wiltshire.¡± He says, and for some reason when he calls me that, I am taken back to a masked ball my family had hosted a few years ago. My mother forced me to take Eliana¡¯s ce because she had an allergic reaction and hit out in red blotches. I thought the whole masked ball idea was outdated and silly, but I still did it, anyway.


    There was a guy I had met at the ball, someone who I buried deep in my memories. We had this instant connection and spent the entire afternoon together. He promised to see me the following weekend but never pitched. I never got his name.


    I clear my throat as we arrive outside the conservatory and Sebastian steps inside. This was my favourite ce to sit on certain evenings when I couldn¡¯t sleep. During the day it doubled as a sunroom because of the ss ceiling, but I prefering here at night to watch the stars. The fragrance that the flowers gave off at night made me feel as if I was in the middle of a quaint cottage that housed a beautiful garden.


    Sebastian finally puts me down on the couch and I curl my legs underneath my body when he takes a seat next to me.


    Then I finally had a good look at him. He was still dressed in his evening attire, his Tom Ford suit and tie. He still had his beard in a light stubble trimmed to perfection, his thick raven hair slicked back on top and cut on the sides. Yet his hazel eyes were regarding me with concern.


    In short, my husband looked quite dashing this evening.


    I blush as I think this, then look away from him. He still looked tired, but I had a feeling he tried to look good for me this evening. ¡°You gave us quite a scare this evening,¡± He suddenly speaks up, causing me to look at him. I give him a thin smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. My headaches have beening back harder than usual, I just needed something to ease the pain a bit.¡± I say, finally admitting that I had a weakness. I have always struggled with headaches but never admitted it to anyone before.


    This causes Sebastian to frown, ¡°We will need to have that looked at, Elena. It could be serious.¡± He says, his brow furrowing even more. I shake my head and give him a sad smile.


    ¡°Then I guess you would finally be rid of your podgy wife.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what caused me to say that, but I was feeling pretty sorry for myself at that moment. Especially after today¡¯s events. Sebastian lets out a sigh then sits forward, cing his elbows on his knees and holding his hands in front of his mouth as if he was saying a prayer.


    ¡°Elena, I meant nothing by that. I was only teasing you, and it was immature of me to do so. Please do not refer to yourself as ¡®podgy¡¯ again, because you are not. You have the most perfect body I have everid my eyes on.¡± He says and I immediately wish the ground would swallow me up. I had hoped he wouldn¡¯t bring up seeing me naked.


    My face was aze with shame, then I heard him chuckle, ¡°Oh,e on, I am sure Nichs would have told you the same thing.¡± He says and I feel as if he just threw iced water over my body. Of course, he would think Nichs and I would have had sex by now, but I wasn¡¯t Eliana.


    I shake my head, ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t¡­¡± I said, feeling too embarrassed toplete the sentence.


    He scoffs at this, ¡°What? He neverplimented your naked body? The boy must surely be blind.¡± he says then sits back, regarding me with amusement.


    ¡°No, Sebastian, that¡¯s not what I meant. Nichs has never seen my naked body as you have.¡± I start, lowering my head, ¡°I was saving myself for him in every way possible.¡±


    It seems silly now to have done that knowing he only cared about having sex with me before moving onto his duty of marrying Anabelle Thompson. I was so blinded by him, and so dumb.


    ¡°Today I found out that he is engaged to another heiress and that I was his side fling all along. He only cared about ¡®popping my cherry¡¯ as he called it and yed me like a fiddle. I was none the wiser and was going to give him the most precious thing a wife could offer her husband.¡± I say and surprise myself by not bursting into tears.


    Sebastian leans over me and cups my cheek in his palm, pulling my head up to face him. ¡°Then Nichs is a fool to not see the value in the gem he held.¡±


    My breath caught in my throat and my heart was beating so fast in my chest with the way he was looking at me. He ran his thumb gently over my bottom lip and slowly moved his face closer to mine, but then chuckled and stopped himself. ¡°I apologize, I almost forgot about my promise to you this afternoon.¡± He says then lets go of my chin.


    I clear my throat, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for spoiling our first date,¡± I tell him, not meeting his eye.


    ¡°You ruined nothing, Elena. I prefer being in this conservatory with you to any high-end restaurant.¡± He says, causing me to smile and my heart felt lighter. We spent the rest of the evening in silence, watching the stars.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promised myself that I will not force any more kisses onto you, not until you ask me for it.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    That is what Sebastian had said earlier today, but the thing that was hanging on my mind was that when he was running his thumb over my bottom lip, I wanted him to ravage me.

 Chapter19 The Masquerade Memory

    Sebastian


    My body feels stiff.


    I opened my eyes to sunlight and felt a weight pressed up against me. I nce down only to see the sleeping face of Elena wrapped up in my arms. We had fallen asleep on the L-shaped couchst night; I was up against the armrest and she was lying on her side in between my legs with my arms wrapped around her. How did we get in this position?


    My heart starts to race when I realize that for the first time in years I had slept well; no nightmares had gued my sleep. Was it because I had Elena in my arms?


    I peer down at her again and my heart skips a beat; she truly was an exquisite beauty. How could I have been so foolish as to cheat on her with Sarah so many times? She was the woman I had dreamt about long after we met at the masquerade ball, the one who had not been scared to call stiff customs ¡®stupid¡¯.


    My rebellious heiress.


    And I had almost thrown it away for an office fling, all because I had needed to feel wanted by someone.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Last night she had confessed to me that she was a virgin, saving herself for her husband and one true love, and it had honestly made me see her in a different light. She was the pr opposite of Eliana in every way. The fact that no other man had seen what I had thrilled me; Elena was perfection in every sense of the word.


    Finding out the man she loved and saved her virtue for had been lying broke her spirit. So I would need to be there for her in every way possible, even if she didn¡¯t need me.


    I kiss the top of her head and draw her closer to me, her sweet perfume muddies up my mind and I close my eyes to savour the moment. She stirs in my arms, then snuggles deeper into my embrace. I realize then that she must be cold, and move to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom.


    ¡°¡­Sebastian¡­¡± I hear her voice call to me in a whisper and peer down, only to find her eyes closed and her eyebrows bunched together in a frown. ¡°¡­ can¡¯t¡­ feel¡­¡± She continues to mumble nonsensically in her sleep, then her mouth opens a bit and then she was fast asleep again.


    The whole thing made me smile. Was she dreaming about me?


    I see Ilse in the foyer and cock my head towards the top and she proceeds to follow me. I had a feeling that I waste for work and my first meeting for the day. As we get to thending, I walk straight to my bedroom andy Elena down, ¡°I need to shower then head out to work. Will you please keep an eye on her for me, Ilse? You and no one else.¡± I say to my trusted help, and she nods, ¡°Certainly, sir. I will go and fix her a nice oatmeal breakfast so she can get her energy back.¡± Ilse says, then nods to me as she walks out.


    She truly was a God sent.


    I cover Elena with my nkets then head towards my shower to get ready for the day.


    Elena


    I stretch out and realize that I was back in my bed; but something felt different, something smelled different. Wait, how did I even get back here? That¡¯s when I hear it: Sebastian¡¯s voice. I open my eyes and peer out from under the nkets, only to see him standing there glistening and with a towel around his waist.


    ¡°Yes, reschedule this morning¡¯s appointment as I will be inte. 10 am is fine, Anne.¡± He says then I hear him put his cell phone down on a surface in front of him and his footsteps retreat towards his massive walk-in. From this angle, I could see that Sebastian had an incredibly well-built body. No wonder his chest felt rock hard when he pulled me against his body during our dance at the wedding.


    I hear a flutter of clothesing from the walk-in, then hear him spritz on his cologne and his footsteps as he appears at the entryway. He had not buttoned his shirt up as yet and my mouth wentpletely dry at the sight of his chiselled chest. He had well-toned six-pack abs, a firm upper body and those yummy V lines and headed straight into his crotch area.


    Lord have mercy.


    I blush as I realize that I had been staring at him. ¡°You¡¯re awake, petite paquerette,¡± He says with a smile, calling me little daisy yet again. If he noticed I was staring, he mentioned nothing. He continued to button up his shirt, then walked towards the cab where he had left his phone. I nod, ¡°Yes, I am. Uhm¡­ How did I get into your bed, Sebastian?¡± I ask him, genuinely confused.


    He smiles at me, ¡°We fell asleep in the conservatory. I woke up about 40 minutes ago, then I realized that you were cold and that I was incrediblyte for work. I hope you don¡¯t mind me putting you here while you sleep. You looked so peaceful, I did not want to wake you.¡±


    I returned his smile. That was incredibly kind of him. ¡°Thank you, Sebastian. But I think I need to head to my own room,¡± I say while getting out of bed. But as soon as I took two steps toward the door, I saw stars and faltered, falling forward. I braced myself for the fall, but it never came. Sebastian lifts me up and puts me back into his bed, ¡°Easy, Elena. Your blood sugar must be low, seeing as you have not eaten since your brunch yesterday. Ilse will be up soon with your breakfast, but for now, rest in my bed for as long as you wish.¡±


    Why was Sebastian being so kind to me?


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say again as Iy back down on the bed and try to get my bearings. Sebastian smiles at me then grabs his suit jacket and speaks while he affixes his cufflinks. ¡°My sleep in has caused a dy in meetings, so I might be out a bitte this evening.¡±


    Why was he telling me this? It wasn¡¯t like I was going to wait up for him¡­


    I nod anyway, ¡°I understand. I apologize for keeping you up sote, Sebastian.¡± I say, but I only see a gentle smile crossing his face, ¡°It was worth it, Elena. I got to know you better.¡± He says before grabbing his briefcase and phone, then he walks towards me and nts a kiss on my head. ¡°I must be off. Have a lovely day, petite paquerette.¡±


    And with that, he was off.


    I watch as he retreats out of the room, and let out a breath that I did not know I was holding. My eyes scan the room and then it hits me again; I was in Sebastian¡¯s room. He had carried me up from the conservatory and put me into his bed.


    What happened that he suddenly felt the need to be so kind towards me?


    I snuggled deeper into hisforter and could smell the remnants of his cologne. Closing my eyes, I willed sleep to take me, but I was way too strung out to fall asleep again. A knock on the door roused me out of my thoughts; Ilse walked in with a tray and a big smile stered on her face.


    ¡°Good morning, Ma¡¯am,¡± she says as she approaches me.


    ¡°Good morning, Ilse. Please, you need to start calling me Elena. You¡¯re practically my mother at this estate.¡± I told her as I sat up and her hand flew to her chest. ¡°Oh, my. I couldn¡¯t!¡± she exims, yet again being overly dramatic, and all I could do was smile at her. She sets the tray down in front of me, ¡°You need to eat up and get your energy back, Mrs Dumont. Then we can move you over into your own room if you¡¯d like.¡±


    When she said that, a naughty smile crossed her face. What exactly was going through Ilse¡¯s head?


    ¡°Yes, I think I will go over into my own bedroom. I am dying to have a soak with the jets on.¡± I say as I spoon the yummy oatmeal into my mouth. The first bite was absolutely divine! This woman really knew how to make simple oatmeal taste like fine dining. ¡°Wow, this is delicious!¡± Iment and see her beaming at me.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr Dumont had these flown in from France. They¡¯re hand-rolled in a little cottage off the coast of Marseille with no danger of being cross-contaminated with peanuts.¡± She says and I nearly choke on the spoonful of porridge in my mouth. ¡°That must have cost a fortune!¡± I cry out. Yes, I was used to living in luxury, but when she exined it like that, it sounds like he moved mountains for a simple bowl of oatmeal.


    Ilse nods, ¡°Mr Dumont spared no expense and only bought the best so there would be no danger of your allergies being affected.¡± She says then turns on her heel and walks out. Stopping at the door, she turns around to face me, ¡°When you¡¯re done, you can leave the tray here and I will send for someone to collect it.¡±


    I nod and offer her a smile, which she returns, then she leaves the room. Polishing off the delicious bowl of oatmeal, I stood up from Sebastian¡¯s bed and stretched. My body was feeling a bit stiff after sleeping on the couch in the conservatory, but I felt oddly refreshed.


    And in a snooping mood.


    I look around Sebastian¡¯s room and note that there was nothing out of ce. My husband was a true perfectionist. Striding towards his walk-in, I am taken aback at the array of Tom Ford and Armani suits he owned, mostly in ck and charcoal. His closet was the same size as mine, but he owned things that cost more than the wedding ring on my finger.


    I might have misjudged Sebastian¡¯s wealth; the man could buy 10 estates simr to the one my parents owned and not bat an eye. I walk over to his vanity section and note that his collection of cufflinks was impable. Other than the cufflinks, he seemed to have no other disy of jewellery.


    His walk-in still had the remnants of his cologne and I breathed it in while closing my eyes, then I suddenly realized where I was and blushed. What the heck was I doing in here? Sebastian and his walk-in should not make me as curious as it did, so I turn around and turn to walk out, but then something caught my eye.


    On the shelf next to his floor-length mirror was an intricately made masquerade mask. Taking it off the shelf, I scrutinized it; it was ck and silver with a silk ribbon that tied around the wearer¡¯s head.


    Why did it look so familiar?


    A frown furrows my brow ¡°You¡¯re such a brat, Lady Wiltshire.¡±


    He took my hand in his and offered me a smile; ¡°Not to worry. I prefer honesty anyway, Lady Wiltshire.¡±


    I am suddenly taken back to the masquerade ball from a few years ago when I met the man I had an instant connection with. The man who promised toe to see me the following weekend and never did; instead Sebastian showed up asking for Eliana Wiltshire.


    ¡°I feel podgy next to my family at times, especially when we¡¯re at social gatherings.¡±


    ¡°Podgy? You cannot be serious.¡±


    ¡°But I am the Podgy Heiress.¡±


    My eyes widened, and a realization hit me like a bucket of ice-cold water; Sebastian showed up at my family¡¯s estate to see Eliana Wiltshire, but I was fumbling over my words because I had thought he was absolutely gorgeous.


    ¡°You are the Podgy Heiress, are you not?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?!¡±


    Oh my God.


    The man I met at the masquerade ball promised toe to see me, and he did.


    It was Sebastian Dumont.

 Chapter20 A Moment With The Bronte Sisters

    Elena


    I rushed out of Sebastian¡¯s room after putting the mask back where I found it. The man I had shared a connection with at the masked ball was Sebastian, who was also coincidentally the man I despised above all else.


    Did I still despise him, though?


    I sit down on my bed in a daze. Could Sebastian have felt the same way about me at the time? It would exin why he came to see me the following weekend, but he asked for Eliana Wiltshire, not me. Was he mistaken as to who I was?


    My mind was working overtime at what I had discovered and suddenly 5 years seemed even further away than before. Maybe this whole thing was an enormous coincidence.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Sebastian and I were always in the midst of banter whenever we met in the past. He disyed an open dislike towards me and vice versa. He couldn¡¯t possibly be that sweet gentleman from so long ago.


    I saunter towards my bathroom to have a soak and to forget that I found that damned mask.


    Two hourster, I feel refreshed and ready to tackle the day. However, there was nothing nned for that day, so I would be stuck indoors again. It waster Winter and a few months away from Social Season so there would be no morous parties to attend and show face to.


    Ugh, I needed to do something or I would go mad!


    I looked at my cell phone on my bedside table and an idea came to mind when I picked it up. My sister answered on the second ring, ¡°Elena!¡± She exims when she answers and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from you in ages, stranger. How have you been?¡± I ask her. I have been missing my sister something awful but felt as if I would bother her if I contacted her now. She was just starting her life with Robert, I did not want to be a reminder of what she would have been trapped in.


    ¡°I have been okay, the morning sickness has just started easing up. Robert has been fussing non stop!¡± She says with augh, and I suddenly feel my bottom lip tremble. My sister sounded so happy and content¡­ and now I would be bothering her with my problems. ¡°And you? How have you been?¡±


    Dying inside, but okay, sis, thank you.


    ¡°I have been well, missing you though. Would you care to meet up for brunch?¡± I ask her, praying she would say yes. ¡°I am going crazy here in the vi all by myself, and need to get out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, honey, I have missed you too! However, I am not in Ennd anymore as I live with Robert in Paris now. I am so sorry, Elena!¡±


    My heart sinks just a little more into despair.


    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s okay! Please let me know when you are back again? I miss seeing you.¡± I say, not giving away my disappointment and hoping she did not hear it in my voice either. Eliana sighs, ¡°Of course, love. I promise¡­¡± She trails off, ¡°Wait, what vi?¡±


    ¡°Sebastian¡¯s vi in Kensington. I moved in here after the wedding.¡± I say as I y with the stray lock of hair that fell over my shoulder.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know he had a vi in Kensington!¡± She exims, then I remember that Sebastian had told me he never brought Eliana here. Oops.


    We talk a little more, then say our goodbyes and promise to keep in touch. Then I throw my phone across the bed and let out a sigh. Gosh, I was feeling so depressed today, what the heck was wrong with me? I just spent the previous evening alone with Sebastian, opening up to him about myself, and yet I felt drained.


    The way he made me feel had me confused and my stomach in constant knots. I feel another headache starting and get up from my bed; being stuck in this room was not helping my disposition.


    I went over to my bookshelf and grabbed my well-worn copy of ¡®Wuthering Heights¡¯ as well as a fluffy nket from the edge of my bed, and headed downstairs to the conservatory. Noting the dark clouds looming over the ss ceiling, I knew it was a perfect day to spend with a Bront? sister.


    Yes, I know I am beingpletely transparent; a hopeless romantic trapped in a loveless marriage. However, I do find that reading distracts me from the duty of everyday life. I open the book to page 1 and find myself getting lost in the bittersweet love story yet again.


    During my afternoon in the conservatory, Ilse brought me tea and hot chocte to keep me warm,menting, of course, on how Sebastian had flown it in from God knows where because of my peanut allergy. I was starting to think she was trying to sweeten him in my eyes, and it made me smile. She cared for Sebastian and wanted to see him happy. Why did everyone suspect that his happinessy with me, though?


    ¡°¡®He¡¯s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made out of, his and mine are the same.¡¯ ¡±


    I hear Sebastian¡¯s husky voice behind me, quoting the novel¡¯s most famous line and turn my head to face him. Gosh, it was dark out already. Had I read the entire afternoon away?


    ¡°You¡¯ve read Wuthering Heights?¡± I ask him with a smile and put the copy of my book down on myp. He had his hands in his pockets as he walked towards where I was seated, giving me a gorgeous Jake Gyllenhaal lopsided smile.


    If my heart had a face, I would punch it right now for its irregr beat. That smile, oh my gosh.


    ¡°I have, more than once.¡± He says as he sits on the L-shaped couch next to me, leaning back and draping his arm over the backrest.


    ¡°I can tell by the way you perfectly quoted Catherine,¡± I say and hear his deep chuckle. What was happening to me? Sebastian was causing unwanted feelings to stir up inside of me. I did not want to feel this way, especially not towards him.


    ¡°Indeed. You have picked the perfect ce to read, and that book is an idealpanion to the dreary weather.¡± He says as he points towards the book on myp. ¡°Do you have a favourite Bront? sister quote?¡±


    Of course, I do, who didn¡¯t?


    I nod, ¡°¡®I am no bird; and no ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.¡¯ ¡±


    Sebastian smiles at this, ¡°Jane Eyre. Of course, that would be your favourite quote. You are known as The Rebellious Heiress.¡± He says, calling me the nickname my grandmother had bestowed upon me, and I smile sadly.


    ¡°And yet here I am, in an arranged marriage because of duty. So much for being a free human with an independent will.¡±


    I regret those words as soon as they leave my mouth, and I blush. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean that. I have been in an incredibly morbid mood today.¡±


    Looking over at him, I see his face was set in a scowl, but he says nothing and I sigh. ¡°I always seem to ruin the mood with my words,¡± I say as I cast my eyes down towards my hands sitting in myp.


    ¡°I prefer honesty anyway, Lady Wiltshire.¡±


    When he says this, my head snaps up and I look at him with a frown, my heart sitting in my throat. I can¡¯t let him know that I know it was him at the masquerade ball, I just can¡¯t. Whatever is happening between us cannot continue to grow.


    I do not know how to respond to this and stare at him. Then he gets up and walks towards the door, then stops at the entryway.


    ¡°¡®Silence is of different kinds, and breathes different meanings.''¡± He says, quoting Villette, and then he was gone. He knew God damnit, he knew.


    I ruined the mood between us again, but I had to. I cannot allow Sebastian to creep into my heart, not after Nichspletely crushed it. I think back to my Jane Eyre quote from earlier, realizing that I did not actuallyplete it.


    ¡± ¡®I am a free human being with an independent will, which I now exert to leave you.¡¯ ¡°

 Chapter21 The Rebellious Heiress Strikes Again

    Elena


    I got up from the couch and grabbed my things before heading back to my room. Sebastian had no emotion on his face when I made that remark. This was for the best, I knew it was. The two of us cannot grow closer, not when my freedom was only 5 years away. My studies and my new lifey across the ocean, not in this vi where I felt trapped.


    Passing Sebastian¡¯s room, I see that he left it ajar and I could hear his shower going. My mind goes back to his well-built body that I spied this morning and I groan inwardly. This attraction would never be extinguished unless I did something about it. He needed to despise me again, go back to calling me fat and screwing his employees.


    Wait, what? Did I really want him to go back to that woman?


    I sat down on my bed and an idea came to mind, so I grabbed theptop on my bedside table. This vi felt like an endless, snowed in prison, so I will escape to some sunny ce. I looked up different ces to visit where it would be sunny in February and found The Canary Inds to be a perfect fit.


    Lush beaches and gorgeous forests, it would be ideal for a breakaway, so I booked a ticket to leave tomorrow. Would I tell anyone? That answer would be a resounding NOPE.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I saunter towards my walk-in and grabbed one piece of luggage that would not be too heavy for me to sneak out tomorrow. I will buy a new wardrobe when I arrive there, so it should be easy. Packing some essentials and a toiletry bag, I stuff it underneath my bed and feel excited for the first time in ages.


    That night I could barely sleep due to the giddy feeling in my stomach. Sebastian would probably give me a scowl when I returned, it wasn¡¯t like he would care if I left for a little while. We had only really started talking two nights ago, before that we barely took note of one another. This marriage could go back to that again for all I care. Yes, it was lonely, but it didn¡¯t leave me feeling confused. I knew where I stood with Sebastian when he was ignoring me.


    I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take me, but all I saw was Sebastian¡¯s lopsided, sexy smile haunting my mind.


    ***


    6 am the next morning my flight leaves at 10 am. Sebastian had left early for work and now it was just up to me to get my bag downstairs. I wrote a note to Sebastian and left it on his bedside table; In it, I told him I would be back in two weeks¡¯ time and not to worry. Not that he would anyway.


    I pick up my luggage and handbag and slip downstairs, then I spot Ilse as she heads into theundry room. Perfect. Grabbing the Mercedes Benz key from the foyer stand, I rush out of the vi and nt the bag on the back seat. Then I call the driver and ask him to take me to Canary Riverside za Hotel. From there I would catch a taxi to London City Airport. The distances were crazy, but I had to throw the driver off my tail. I was a ball of nerves as we drove, hoping he would not see the lies written on my face.


    When we arrive at the hotel, I tell him to collect me at 1 pm again and he drives off, and I am left knowing that I would be long gone by then. A taxi pulled up 5 minutes after my driver had left and I mbered inside, then I was off to the airport.


    It was 9:30 when I arrived at the airport and my flight was already boarding. By 10 am, we were in the air and the ball of nerves in my stomach tightened. I was really doing this; I was on my way to The Canary Inds without Sebastian¡¯s knowledge!


    I switched off my phone for obvious reasons, but also because I knew it would be ringing nonstop if Sebastian caught wind of my actions. I then ordered mineral water from the hostess and exhaled slowly. The worst thing Sebastian could do was divorce me, and we all know he couldn¡¯t do that. I was merely going on a holiday; it wasn¡¯t like I was cheating on or betraying him.


    For the next 4 hours I sit inplete silence until we arrive at Tenerife South Airport and I catch a taxi to Royal Hideaway Corales Suites. Last night I booked a one-bedroom vi suite for 2 weeks in advance and they were all too happy to have Sebastian Dumont¡¯s wife there. I informed them about my allergy and asked them to let their staff know as it could be quite dangerous for me.


    I had a whole vacation nned for myself; beaches, art galleries, national parks. Might as well spend the money I was married into.


    As soon as I arrived at the hotel, they treated me like royalty. They waited on me hand and foot, and I hadn¡¯t even arrived at my suite yet. I felt severely jetgged as soon as I reached my suite and chalked it down to stress, nerves and excitement.


    Laying backwards on the bed, I breathed out a sigh of relief and a smile crossed my face. I felt a sense of freedom here, but I knew it would notst. Sebastian would catch me out on this soon enough if he hadn¡¯t already. I did not use the ck card he gave me to purchase the tickets and holiday, though. I used my own cards in my maiden name, so it would take him a while to get on my trail.


    ¡°Will your husband be joining you today, Mrs Dumont?¡± Thedy at the front desk had asked me as she handed me my keycard. I shook my head and frowned at her, ¡°No, he will not. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, we assumed he would because it is Valentine¡¯s Day weekend. We have a few special events nned for couples this weekend. If you would like a list, please let us know and we can slot you in immediately.¡± She had said, and I was honestly taken aback at this realization.


    Crap, it would have been our first Valentine¡¯s Day together as a couple. Did it matter, though? Would Sebastian have had something nned for us? I did not know if he was the romantic type or not, for Christmas he bought me jewels from Tiffany¡¯s. Not a lot of thought went into what he had chosen, either. I gave him handcrafted tinum cufflinks with his initials engraved on them. Ah, not a lot of thought went into my gift to him then either.


    I put the stupid holiday out of my head and look around for my cellphone, but could not find it. Eh. Shrugging, I slip into a sundress and sandals, grab my handbag and begin my vacation.

 Chapter22 Business or Pleasure

    Elena


    It was Saturday, day six of me being here, and I still could not find my phone. I did not want to know how pissed off Sebastian was with me by now. It was not deliberate; I hope he knew that. Why was I so worried about what he thought about me and my vacation? He probably had other women in his bed by now.


    I was terrible at remembering numbers, and I never had to call him before, so I just did not bother. I could not recall hispany¡¯s name either, so I could not call him at work to tell him I had lost my phone.


    It was dusk, and the sun was starting to set, so I decided to head out to a cocktail bar tonight and let my hair down. Obviously, I would not be drinking because of my low tolerance for alcohol, but I would sip on shandies.


    I took the elevator down to the lobby, and the hotel concierge greeted me. ¡°Benito, do you have a lost and found? I seemed to have misced my cell phone.¡± I ask him, still worried about the damn thing. But Benito shakes his head, ¡°We do not, Ma¡¯am but I will pass this along to the other staff to keep a lookout.¡± He answers me and I thank him before heading out. It was a lovely evening out when I headed to the cocktail bar close by.


    Dressed in a pair of shorts, a halter neck top and wedge heels, I felt the light evening breeze over my skin and a shiver went down my spine. The past week had been absolute bliss, I rxed more each day, and yet each evening my anxiety grew.


    I swallowed down another wave of anxiety and walked up to the bar area, ordering myself a non-alcoholic shandy. Tenerife was beautiful, I could certainly see myselfing here again if I needed to get away for some or other reason. The beaches offered freedom, the forest seclusion¡­ It was exactly what I needed right now.


    While sipping on my third drink, I feel a pair of eyes on me and nce up. Across the bar was a well-dressed man about my age and he was incredibly handsome. Blonde hair, green eyes and very well built. I meet his eyes and he offers me a flirtatious smile, which I return; he then took this as an invitation and walked over to where I was seated.


    ¡°Hi there,¡± he starts with the weakest intro line and I had to stop the scoff that almost escaped my mouth. He had an American ent and took a swig of the ss he was holding. ¡°Hi,¡± I answered with a pleasant smile, wishing this man did not take my smile earlier as an invitation. I took a sip of my shandy again so I would have something to do,


    ¡°Business or pleasure?¡± he asks, and I look at him in confusion. What kind of question was that? ¡°You being here, business or pleasure?¡±


    ¡°Oh, pleasure. I¡¯m on vacation. What about you?¡± I tell him, trying not to reveal too much about myself, but opening my mouth to speak seems to get his full attention. It must be my ent. ¡°It¡¯s different for me, a bit of both actually.¡± He answers suddenly with a sly smile on his face, and I take another sip of the shandy in front of me.


    ¡°I¡¯m Michael,¡± he says while holding out his hand for me to take, which I do. ¡°Elena, pleased to meet you,¡± I say and my eyes sh to my wedding ring and Sebastian was at the forefront of my thoughts again. I shouldn¡¯t be here in a bar with strange men, I¡¯m a married woman of high society.


    ¡°I should be going, my husband is waiting for me,¡± I say, then leave a tip for the bartender before I move to stand up. But as soon as I got off the barstool, I wished I had remained seated as my vision went incredibly blurry.


    Oh no, did they give me an alcoholic beverage by mistake?


    The man named Michael grabs me by the waist, ¡°Woah, easy there, Seems you had a bit too much to drink.¡± I heard him say, but he sounded so far away. I tried to shake my head to tell him I just had the one shandy, but he started leading me out of the bar. ¡°Is there anywhere I can take you, hun?¡± He asked me and I nod, ¡°Royal Hideaway,¡± I replied, my speech slurred and I heard him chuckling at my answer.


    ¡°So not only are you a gorgeous bitch, but you¡¯re a rich one too, and all alone. I¡¯ve been watching you all night and there¡¯s no husband waiting for you out here. Only me.¡±


    What? What was happening? I saw the Royal Hideaway, but Michael started leading me the other way towards what I could vaguely make out as the back of the cocktail bar. Oh, no. Oh, please God no!


    Before I knew it, Micheal had me up against a wall and was slobbering all over my neck. I tried to push him away, but I was too weak to do anything. My vision started blurring more before I heard Michael crying out my name.


    Then everything went dark.


    ***


    Sebastian


    I pace Elena¡¯s hotel room and punch the wall in frustration. The hotel staff said she left about thirty minutes ago, so she could be anywhere. Why couldn¡¯t I have arrived sooner? When I questioned the concierge, he told me she had lost her phone, so that would make sense why she had not contacted me since she left the vi almost a week ago.


    But it still begs the question, why did my wife feel the need to run from me?


    I leave the confines of the hotel and slowly walk around the area, showing pictures of Elena to passers-by, but no one recognizes her. There was a small cocktail bar up ahead, and I wondered to myself if she did not maybe go here for the evening. I didn¡¯t know Elena as the bar type, but it couldn¡¯t hurt to try.


    I enter the bar and head towards the counter, signalling the bartender over. ¡°How can I help?¡± he asks me with a genuine smile, and I hold up my phone to show him Elena¡¯s picture. ¡°Have you seen her?¡± I ask him, and see him pale a bit, but he shakes his head, ¡°No,¡± he answers me, then walks away.


    He was lying, and this made see red. What would he need to lie about? I jump over the counter and pin him to the wall.


    ¡°Do not bullshit me, have you seen my wife?¡± I ask him again through gritted teeth and take in his wide-eyed look of shock. This arsehole knew what happened to Elena, and for some reason, he felt the need to lie. Rearing my fist back to punch him, he holds up his hands in surrender and changes his tune.


    ¡°Yes! Yes, I have! She left a few minutes ago with some American guy. She was drunk and he helped her walk out.¡±


    Drunk? Oh no, that can¡¯t be. Elena would never get drunk, not while she was in a strange country and with her weak disposition. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Yes! They took a left up ahead!¡± The bartender cries out, and I let him go, rushing out of the cocktail bar and turning left, calling for my wife, but getting no response.


    ¡°Elena!¡± I called out again, hoping she could hear me ande back to me. These past few days have been nothing short of misery. The vi felt even colder without her there, and I wondered how I coped without her presence before.


    It was pretty dark on this side of the alley, and I wondered if the bartender was bullshitting me yet again. I was about to turn around to beat the truth out of him, but then I spotted a couple in an alleyway that I passed by.


    Something was off about the couple; the woman looked to be close to unconsciousness, but the man was pawing at her exposed chest. She lifts up her hand to push him away, then I see it and my vision goes red.


    Elena¡¯s wedding ring.


    I run faster than I ever thought possible and pull the bastard off my wife. ¡°What the-¡± He started, but before he could finish, my fist collided with his face repeatedly. This man was forcing himself on my wife, my Elena, and she clearly looked drugged.


    When I eventually pulled myself off of him, his face was a bloody mess and he was gurgling in his own blood. I take out my phone to call the police as well as an ambnce for Elena. When I pocket my cell phone, I go over to her as shey unconscious on the cold tar. Covering up her exposed chest and pulling her towards me, I inhale her familiar scent.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I never thought I would find her like this, vulnerable and nearly taken advantage of. I shudder to think what would have happened if I did not discover where she had run off to, or the hotel she had been staying in. What would have happened if I ignored my gut instinct and walked past the cocktail bar?


    My Elena would have lost her light and she would have med herself.


    I hear the sirens as they approach the alleyway. The police take in the scene with shock and proceed to take my statements as the medics load my wife into the ambnce van. As soon as the police were done, they request a rape kit on Elena and blood tests to determine if she had been drugged or not. I advised them to question the bartender because he looked guilty when I asked about Elena and they said they would follow it up.


    Sitting in the ambnce van, I eventually breathed a sigh of relief. I finally got Elena back, but this was not how I pictured our reunion to be. She has broken my trust andst remnants of dignity, and I was not sure if I could forgive her for this.

 Chapter23 Lost, Drugged and Punished

    Elena


    Ugh, the sun is too bright. Did I fall asleep next to the pool again? I slowly opened my eyes, trying to register where I was, but everything was too blurry. Gosh, did I get sunstroke or something? My throat felt absolutely parched and I could do with an ice-cold juice right about now. I try to sit up and blink back the blurriness, and thankfully it worked some.


    And now I wish it didn¡¯t; I was in a hospital room.


    How did I get here? What happened? I got up from the bed, intending to walk towards the bathroom I had seen and fall forward onto the floor hard. ¡°Ah, shoot,¡± I say, heavily disoriented and trying to get up from the floor, but my body would not reciprocate. I felt incredibly weak and dizzy from the fall. Tears prick the corners of my eyes at the uncertainty. Why couldn¡¯t I remember anything? Why did my body feel so weird?


    The door in front of me opens as I try to lift myself up again, ¡°Elena!¡±


    Was that¡­ was that Sebastian? A pair of strong arms pull me up from the floor and I immediately smell his familiar Tom Ford scent. ¡°Sebastian?!¡± I croak out with uncertainty and I look up into his eyes, those honey-coloured hazel eyes I was running away from. My bottom lip starts to tremble and I throw my arms around his neck, snuggling into his nape as he picks me up.


    Oh my gosh, I missed him. I missed him so much.


    As heys me back onto the bed, he looks at me strangely and I could feel something was off. He had concern for me in his eyes, but beneath that was something else, something dark. ¡°What day is it?¡± I ask him, confused at his appearance. He sits on the armchair next to the bed, ¡°It is 7 pm on Sunday evening. Do you remember anything, Elena?¡± He asks me as he rests his elbows on his knees and stares up at me.


    What? I had slept the whole day away?


    I tried to think back, but everything was all fuzzy. Why could I not remember anything? ¡°I left my room to go out and met the hotel concierge on the way. I asked him about my missing cell phone¡­ that¡¯s all I can remember. I¡­¡± What was wrong with me? Why couldn¡¯t I remember what happened? Tears ran down my cheeks for some unknown reason and I felt a shiver down my spine.


    Then it hit me; Sebastian was in Tenerife. He found me after a week of vacation. I look at him and shame washes over me.


    ¡°Sebastian, I-¡±


    ¡°Not now, Elena. We can discuss itter. For now, I need to tell you what happened on Saturday evening.¡± He says and regards me with an expression I never thought would grace his face; betrayal?


    ¡°I arrived in Tenerife on Saturday afternoon and eventually found your hotel after searching, but you had left for the evening. I searched the area for a few minutes and eventually found out that you left a cocktail bar with an American man.¡± He says, and I noticed the anger that shes in his eyes as his hands balled into fists. My eyes nced down towards his hands and I noticed that they were bruised. This made me frown, and he saw that I was looking at his fists in confusion.


    Wait, I left with someone? Why don¡¯t I remember this?All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He flexes his fingers again, ¡°This was caused by me beating the American unconscious as I pulled him off you.¡±


    My hands fly to my mouth and I shake my head, ¡°No! No, I would never!¡± I exim, horrified at what he was exining. I would never sleep with a random man from a bar¡ªheck, I had been saving myself for marriage after all this time!


    He nods sadly, ¡°I know that, Elena. You were drugged at the cocktail bar. The American had paid the bartender to slip something into your shandy.¡±


    As soon as he says this, I jump from the bed and blindly rush to the bathroom. I tried to empty my stomach contents, but nothing came out, so I painfully dry-heaved. Someone drugged me at the behest of a sexual predator who had done God knows what to me. I immediately feel Sebastian behind me, rubbing my back. I didn¡¯t want him to see me like this, but at this moment, I truly did not care.


    I fall back on the bathroom floor and feel Sebastian¡¯s arms folding around me in aforting embrace. Sobbing into his arms, I hold him tighter and let my emotions run freely. All the hurt, uncertainty, worry and anxiety all bubble to the surface as I hold onto him. ¡°Shh. C¡¯Est bon, petite Marguerite,¡±(It¡¯s okay, little daisy). Sebastian consoles me while speaking in French and I find myself calming down a bit.


    His voice truly was honey-drenched.


    I reach for the tissue paper and blow my nose. After discarding the tissue into the toilet, I turn to him, ¡°I guess you no longer have a pure bride,¡± I say, looking down as my lip trembles again. Sebastian pulls my chin up and looks at me with warmth, hiding anger, ¡°If that man had taken your virtue, he would be dead by now.¡± He says and I realise what he meant. He picks me up and carries me back to bed where I sat up and looked at him. I know he was upset with me. I didn¡¯t expect this; I expected nonchnce.


    ¡°You saved me,¡± I say incredulously. It felt stupid to say something so incredibly cheesy, but it was true; if it wasn¡¯t for Sebastian arriving when he did, I would have been vited in the worst possible way. Smiling at him sadly, I start with what I hope was the right thing, ¡°Sebastian, I needed to get away from you-¡±


    ¡°Elena, no not here-¡±


    ¡°No, you need to hear me out before I lose my nerve to finally be honest with you. I needed to get away because I was slowly losing my sanity being in that vi all alone. Then after 3 months, you started acting kindly towards me and treating me as more of a person. It was only two days and I already found myself growing closer to you.¡± I looked at him as I said this and noticed the surprise on his face, so I continued. ¡°I can¡¯t allow myself to grow close to you because after five years I need to leave this marriage. I want to do so without the guilt that I would be hurting you and losing what could be the best thing to happen to me.¡±


    I watch his expression darken at my truth, and I bring my hand up to his face, cupping his cheek in my hand. ¡°I cannot fall in love with you, Sebastian.¡±


    Sebastian sits back in his chair and regards me with annoyance, ¡°So you would rather run away from home with no prior notice? Having the household worried sick about you while you gvant around the canary inds?¡± He says, with such anger that I pull my hand back from him. Why was he so mad at me? I was only being honest with him¡ªdidn¡¯t he say he prefers honesty? ¡°I told you I would start acting more like a spouse, even though this marriage is fake, and you¡¯re still unhappy. If you want us to go back to hating one another, all you had to do was say so, Elena.¡±


    Okay, this is not how I pictured this going at all. He was taking it even worse than I could have imagined.


    I nod, ¡°Yes, it would make living with you easier.¡± I say, jutting out my chin in defiance and crossing my arms in front of me. Sebastian gets up from the seat next to me, ¡°Whatever the Bratty Heiress wants, she shall receive. I will be back with clothing for you. We are leaving Tenerife immediately.¡± He ordered and before I could protest, he had left the room.


    What the hell? I roll my eyes and sit back in bed. The only thing going through my mind was that I had just ruined whatever could have developed between Sebastian and I.


    ***


    As soon as Sebastian picked me up, I realised that he was not joking about leaving immediately. We were on our way to the airport and driving in silence. I stole a nce during the drive, but he only remained impassive and silent. Wow, okay when I said we should go back to how we used to be, he really meant to turn the coldness up a notch.


    We arrived at the airport but took a left towards the airstrip and the car came to a pause. The driver gets out to open the door for me and Sebastian walks up next to me. He takes my hand and leads me to his private jet.


    He owns a frigging private jet. Father¡¯s firm owns one, but we don¡¯t use it for personal use, we usually fly first ss when we go anywhere. He lets me walk ahead when we reach the steps of the jet, and I feel his eyes on my back. This flight will be a hell ride of 4 hours worth of silence.


    As soon as we took our seats, we were off.


    Sebastian turns to me, ¡°I forgot to mention, we have been invited to The Winter Ball on Friday.¡± He says and I groan inwardly. This was thest social event before the Social Season starts in March and everyone always tries to outdo each other with their attire.


    ¡°I see,¡±


    ¡°You are a Dumont now, so you need to dress appropriately. I have arranged for a designer from Dior toe past the vi on Tuesday to have a dress made for you.¡± He says and I roll my eyes at him and look away. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I answer as annoyance bubbles in my chest. God, this man is obstinate.


    Sebastian gets up from his seat and my heart drops when he goes on his haunches in front of me. I refuse to look at him, but he takes my chin in his hand and turns my head. ¡°Careful, Elena. Roll your eyes at me like that again and I will use my tongue to subjugate you.¡±


    If anything could shut me up, this was it. I felt the blush creep over my cheeks and he raised his eyebrow at me, waiting for my reply. When I nod my head, he gives me that incredibly sexy lopsided smile, ¡°Good girl,¡± he says before getting up and walking back to his seat.


    I was rendered speechless by his admonishment, so I decided to shut up the rest of the flight home. No one had been able to reign in my bratty behaviour like that before, so what made Sebastian so different from the rest?


    I resume looking out the window and close my eyes thinking of Sebastian and his tongue punishing me.

 Chapter24 Admissions and First Editions

    Elena


    We have arrived in London, and I forgot it was winter over here.


    The drive back to the vi in Kensington has my stomach in knots and I am fraught with nerves. Ilse will be so upset with me! She will give me that disapproving look until she was ready to forgive me, and I do not me her.


    Sebastian has not uttered another word to me, and I don¡¯t know if I was thankful for the silence or disappointed. His phone rings as we near the vi, ¡°Sebastian,¡± he answers his phone monotonously, and I am left wondering again what type of boss he was. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t forgotten about the dinner, Sarah. I¡¯ll be in the office in the next hour or two, bring the figures along and we can go over it while we wait for Darcy.¡±


    Excuse me, what? Sarah, as in his mistress?


    I couldn¡¯t help myself and started eavesdropping terribly. ¡°Yes, I am aware of the time. I said I would be in the office within the hour. If Darcy or his associates arrive before I do, keep them distracted. You are quite adept at doing that.¡± He continues his conversation and I feel the knot in my stomach twist even more. Gosh, I hope this wasn¡¯t jealousy. ¡°Thank you. I will see you soon.¡±


    He ends the call and pockets his cell phone, letting out an exasperated sigh. ¡°You are quite adept at doing that.¡± Hmm, and how.


    Ugh, I can¡¯t just let this go, I just can¡¯t. The brat in me would not allow it.


    ¡°Sarah is your employee?¡± I ask him, hoping he does not notice the jealousy tainting my voice. Sebastian chuckles and continues to stare out the window, ¡°Not exactly. She¡¯s my business partner at Dumont Enterprises. My COO and second inmand.¡± He answers and I am genuinely shocked by this. He didn¡¯t just have an affair with an employee, it was his damned Chief Operations Officer. That would mean he sees her daily and probably spends more time with her than me.


    The burning in my chest intensifies at this knowledge. What was wrong with me? I wanted this, I wanted us to go back to ignoring one another and can¡¯t go back on my word now. Sebastian and I got married out of convenience, not love. It is unfair for me to feel this way now. I cannot expect him to honour our agreement and not find pleasure elsewhere. He was entitled to it.


    ¡°I see,¡± was all I could say to his answer, and he pulled his phone out to open the gate. ¡°You can¡¯t have your cake and eat it, Elena.¡± He says as the cares to a halt in front of the vi door. I know that, Sebastian. But I cannot help feeling this way.


    ¡°I am not expecting anything. You are allowed to do as you please, Sebastian. This is a marriage of convenience, not love.¡± I regret the scathing words as soon as I utter them, but they don¡¯t cut as deep as Sebastian¡¯s eyes as he turns to look at me, cold and apathetic. ¡°I know.¡± He says, then opens his door and gets out, mming it behind him. The driver opens my side and I watch Sebastian¡¯s back as he walks up the steps of the vi, not even turning back to look at me.


    Letting out a sigh, I tell the driver to bring the luggage up to my bedroom and follow my husband inside. I hug my coat closer to my body, realising that the coldness outside didn¡¯t sting as much as hisst words in the car.


    I look up before I enter the vi and see Ilse standing at the door regarding me with disappointment. Gosh, I hurt this woman and she had done nothing but be kind to me. ¡°Ilse, I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°You had your reasons, dearie. I am just d you¡¯re home. We were all worried about you.¡± She says, interrupting my apology. Tears brim my eyes as I look at her, and she wraps her arms around me, rubbing my back. She leads me inside the warmth of the vi and closes the door behind her, ¡°I wish you would have told us where you went. Mr Dumont was up day and night looking for you, He barely came home.¡± She says, making me feel even worse than before.


    She was the second one to say I did not inform them where I was going, ¡°Ilse, I left a note for Sebastian on his bedside table informing him that I would return in 2 weeks. Did he not receive it?¡± I asked her with a frown and she shook her head as a look of surprise crossed her face. ¡°No! He did not receive any note, he would have told me.¡± She says while shaking her head. But then her eyes widen and she sighs. ¡°Melissa cleaned Mr Dumont¡¯s room that day.¡± She says and I could see this upset her, then it hit me.


    Melissa was the girl who had a crush on Sebastian and loathed me. Could she be the one who disposed of my note? ¡°You don¡¯t think she would have thrown the note away, do you?¡± I ask her as we sit down at the kitchen table. She walked over to the counter and I noticed that she was fixing a pot of tea. Ugh, I loved this woman.


    ¡°I do not want to specte, but I will ask her about it. I would need to inform Mr Dumont of this if she did do it.¡±


    ¡°No, Ilse, I do not want anyone losing their jobs on my ount,¡± I say, knowing Sebastian would fire the poor girl. Ilse shakes her head, ¡°If she did it, it was out of selfish needs and we cannot trust her to work here any longer.¡± She says and I finally understand. We could not have someone working here who put their selfishness over that of their employer.


    I nod sadly, signalling that I understood, and she offers me a smile. ¡°Did you have fun at least?¡± She asks me as she puts tea and biscuits in front of me. Wow, I realise that I was actually starving. Did I have fun over there? Did I let my hair down and enjoy my short-lived freedom away from Sebastian?


    The answer was no.


    I shake my head, and a tear falls down my cheek. Ilse looks at me sadly, ¡°If you need to get away, tell Mr Dumont instead of just leaving. He really does care about you, Elena.¡± She says, and I smile at the fact that she called me by my first name. I wiped my tears away, but more continued to fall, ¡°He can¡¯t care about me, Ilse,¡± I say, knowing it needed to be this way, but it did not hurt any less.


    Whatever Sebastian and I feel for one another was over; it needed to be over before it started.


    She doesn¡¯t say anything to this, and I finish my tea in silence before heading back into the solitude of my bedroom. Sebastian was on his phone again as I passed his bedroom door, but I did not stay to eavesdrop.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I open my bedroom door and breathe in the familiar scent; this was my home, and it sure felt like it. I missed this enormous four-poster bed with its heavenly mattress and fluffy nkets, and a smile crossed my face as I took off my heels and walked towards it. Everything was familiar and I can¡¯t believe I had run away from this.


    But then my eyes went to the only thing in my room that was not familiar; there was a gift boxying on my bed. I sit down and inspect the package, then Sebastian¡¯s familiar scent floats up from it. Was this from him? There was a note on top of the gift box and I started to read it, wishing I had just ignored the damned thing.


    ¡± ¡®Hering was my hope each day,


    Her parting was my pain;


    The chance that did her steps dy


    Was ice in every vein.''¡±


    Happy Valentine¡¯s Day, My Rebellious Heiress


    Oh. Oh no.


    Sebastian did indeed get me a Valentine¡¯s Day gift, after all. I smile wistfully at the Jane Eyre quote and remove the top of the box. Whatever was inside, they had wrapped in ayer of silk that I peel back; then my heart explodes with whaty inside.


    It was a first-edition set of Jane Eyre!


    How did Sebastian get this? Thest one was sold privately at an auction years ago. Gingerly taking the first book out, I open it and smell the lovely scent of a well-read book. This was the best gift I could ever have received, and I wasn¡¯t even here to receive it. How would I ever repay Sebastian for this? These books were invaluable to me, and it meant so much that he went to such lengths to get them for me.


    Swallowing my ego, I walk out of my room and head to his. I needed to thank him for this precious gift in person. A text just wouldn¡¯t do. Not that I have a phone yet, shoot, I need to get on that soon.


    I raised my hand to knock when I heard his voice on the other side, ¡°I will meet you at the hotel afterwards. Yes, the usual time.¡± My heart drops as I realise that he was no doubt talking to Sarah, nning to meet up with herter this evening. But before I could walk away, he opened the door and stood in front of me and regarded me with confusion.


    ¡°Elena?¡± He asks with a furrowed brow, ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    Giving him what I had hoped was a warm smile, but I had a feeling that it looked more like a grimace. ¡°I just wanted toe to say thank you for the gift,¡± I tell him, gesturing towards my room when he does not register my appreciation. ¡°The Jane Eyre first editions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that. Gosh, I had forgotten I bought those. You¡¯re wee, Elena.¡± He says, and we stood in his doorway, locked in a stare. I broke it first, then cleared my throat, ¡°Let me let you go. Thank you again, Sebastian. You do not know how much it means to me.¡± I tell him and I turn around to walk away. I feel his eyes on my back, willing him not to call me back because I knew I would not be able to resist his call.


    ¡°Elena,¡±


    I pause, my hand reaching for my door handle, and I turn my head to look at him, ¡°Yes, Sebastian?¡± I answer with my voice barely an octave above a whisper.


    ¡°I, uhm -¡± It looked like he was contemting his next words, but then I saw the resolve return to his eyes, ¡°I hope you have a good day.¡± He said, then he walked away from me for the second time today.

 Chapter25 Cruelty and The CEO

    Elena


    Sebastian did note home that night, I know because I stayed up all night reading the set of books he got me. I know that he didn¡¯t take the Phantom because I heard the Bugatti start up and speed away, but not return and I stayed up until 2 am reading.


    Something which I deeply regret now as I realise the designer from Dior would be here at 9 am. I drag myself out of bed to have a cold shower that would wake me up. Ugh, I never learn from staying up sote to read; I always regret it the next day.


    After my shower, Ilse informed me that the designer had arrived and showed her into my room. A beautiful, petite blonde woman with the face of a pixie enters and introduces herself, ¡°Mrs Dumont, lovely to meet you, Meghan ck.¡± She says with an American ent. I offer her a smile and shake her hand, ¡°Please call me Elena,¡± I say and she nods then immediately dives into the aspects of the dress. She takes my measurements and listens to my likes and dislikes and what I amfortable with wearing.


    Three hourster we have the design of a dress ready; It would be a rose gold ballgown with a sweetheart neckline that did not show too much cleavage. Since it was winter, we decided on a long-sleeved shawl/bolero with a red sleeve that ended just below my elbow and had a Queen Anne neckline.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you bring this to life, Meghan!¡± I exim as I see her out of the vi. She turns around to give me a hug, ¡°You will wear it beautifully. I¡¯lle to deliver it myself on Friday morning. See you then, Elena.¡± She says as she leaves.


    I did not expect the time to fly so quickly as we worked on the ballgown, and now I was starving. I walk towards the kitchen area and the smell assaults my senses; Ilse was busy cooking a lovely meal for lunch, and I could not wait to sample it. ¡°Hmm, Ilse, that smells divine!¡± Iment as I saunter into the kitchen.


    She turns to see me and smiles, ¡°I assume you worked up an appetite with that smalldy?¡± She asks me, referring to Meghan. I giggle at this, ¡°Oh, definitely. I could just about ughter a good meal right now.¡±


    ¡°That makes two of us,¡± I hear behind me and my heart starts thumping faster. I turn around in my stool at the breakfast nook and see Sebastian as he strides into the kitchen, fully dressed in a suit. It did not look like he changed since yesterday and it affirmed my suspicions; he did note homest night.


    ¡°Wee home, Mr Dumont,¡± Ilse says in her singsong voice and Sebastian returns her greeting as he takes a seat next to me. He turns his head towards me and smiles, ¡°Good morning, Elena,¡± he says and I could still smell the whiskey on his breath.


    ¡°Good morning. Late night?¡± I ask as sarcasm drips from my question, and I hear him chuckle. ¡°Veryte. I might just decide to sleep in a bit this afternoon to remove the stiffness from my body.¡± He says, winking at me and I feel a bout of nausea washing over my stomach. I stood up from my seat, ¡°Excuse me, Ilse, but I have suddenly lost my appetite.¡± I say and walk out of the kitchen.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    We have not gone back to how we used to be at all, Sebastian was never like this. Before, he would ignore my presencepletely and not make idle chit chat to gauge my jealousy. I run up the stairs but feel myself being pulled back by my wrist just as I reach thending. Sebastian pulls me towards him, ¡°What is your problem, Elena? I thought you wanted us to go back to how we were before, and that is what I¡¯m doing.¡± He says as he grips my wrist tightly. I shake my head and look at him, ¡°No, Sebastian. You used to be cold and aloof towards me. Now you are simply cruel.¡± I tell him as I try to snatch my wrist back.


    ¡°Cruel? Do you want to know what cruelty is, Elena?¡± He starts as he walks towards me and my back hits the wall. My heart beats faster as he pins me with that stare of his that I can¡¯t escape, ¡°Cruelty is wanting to offer someone the world only for them to spit in your face. Cruelty is meeting the most amazing woman at a ball and forging an instant connection with them, only to find out they gave you the wrong name and you end up trapped in a loveless rtionship for years because of duty.¡± He has me up against the wall now, and he cups my face in his hand, ¡°Cruelty is slowly falling in love with that woman, only for her to choose her freedom over the love you would have offered.¡± He says as he runs his thumb over my bottom lip.


    I am rendered speechless by this admission; Sebastian just admitted he was falling in love with me, something I had been fighting against all this time. This wasn¡¯t fair, why couldn¡¯t he keep his big mouth shut! Does he not know this changes everything?!


    A tear drops out of the corner of my eye as I take in his words, ¡°That was you,¡± I say, referring to the masquerade ball mix up. I still wasn¡¯t certain after all this time, and now he had admitted it.


    He nods, ¡°It was, but it makes no difference now. My heart is closed to you from this day forward, Elena. I¡¯d much rather be the billionaire yboy and chauvinist I am made out to be than be left wracked with this feeling of rejection any longer.¡± He says and steps away from me, turning on his heel and heading to his bedroom.


    I remain where I am, shocked at what had just transpired. How do I move forward from this? I feel a wave of burning anger in my chest and race to his bedroom. I will not allow him to get away with making me feel like this! I burst through his door without knocking and see his startled expression while he takes off his shirt.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± I cry out as I walk towards him and shove him hard, ¡°How dare you tell me these things now when you know I cannot feel anything for you! You were the one who did not have the backbone to tell my family that you chose the wrong twin, so don¡¯t you dare me your unhappy years with my sister on me!¡± I exim as angry tears stream down my face and I shove him once more.


    ¡°You cannot tell me you have fallen in love with me and expect me to move on after that, Sebastian! Why could you not just have stayed silent?!¡± Sebastian regards me with a burning anger of his own and grabs my wrists after I shove him again, ¡°So the bratty heiress finally speaks her truth,¡± he says as he pulls me closer to his chest, gripping my wrists tightly.


    I rolled my eyes at him, ¡°I have always spoken my truth, you just never cared to listen.¡± I tell him and see the growing mischievous fox grin on his face and he cocks his head to the side. Why was he smiling like that?


    ¡°What did I say about rolling your eyes at me, petite paquerette?¡±

 Chapter26 No Punishments?

    Elena


    My heart dropped.


    ¡°Oh,e on. You couldn¡¯t possibly have been serious about that?!¡± I cry out in surprise, trying to pull my wrists out of his grip, but he tightens his fingers. ¡°Do you know me as a person who goes back on their word, Elena?¡± He asks, still wearing that naughty grin that I want to p off his face.


    Sebastian slowly walks me backwards. ¡°I warned you about rolling your eyes at me. Your parents obviously never punished you for misbehaving when you were a child, hence your bratty behaviour.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a brat!¡± I tell him, and I feel his bed behind my legs. He was standing so close to me right now that I could feel the heat emanating from his skin. Chuckling, he shakes his head then looks at me with that stupidly sexy Greek God smoulder in his eyes. ¡°By saying that you have just proven that you are a brat who needs to be punished.¡±


    Before I knew it, Sebastian threw me backwards on the bed and Inded with a squeak, escaping my throat. Then he was on top of me with his palms next to my head, looking down at me with amusement in his eyes. I push against his chest, ¡°Get off me, Sebastian!¡± I say, but no matter how much I shoved him, it was as if I was pushing against a wall.


    ¡°Not until I put my tongue to good use,¡± He says and I feel the mortification re in my cheeks. Excuse me, what? I do not want this! Sebastian was being aplete jerk!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± I start, ¡°I don¡¯t know where that tongue has been.¡±


    Thisment seems to surprise him, and his eyes actually widen, ¡°Thest thing these lips touched was my wife¡¯s forehead as she slept in my bed.¡± He whispers, then gets up from on top of me. He holds his hand out for me to take and I do, but as he pulls me up, he draws me towards his chest again.


    ¡°I will not touch another woman until our five years together is through, Elena. I may be cold, but I am not heartless. Not anymore.¡± He says before letting me go and striding towards his bathroom, ¡°You can stay if you would like to see me naked,¡± then I see his hands working his crotch area and I literally ran out of the room.


    Me? See Sebastian naked? Psssh.


    Maybe a little voice answers from the deepest recesses of my thoughts. Geez, I couldn¡¯t even trust my own mind around him. I open my bedroom door and stomp inside, mming the door behind me.


    How could he do this to me? I know I haven¡¯t exactly been the easiest person to deal with, yes I can be a brat at times, but it does not warrant his behaviour. I have a feeling that he stayed out all night because he knew that it would bother me or re up my jealousy.


    ¡°Thest thing these lips touched was my wife¡¯s forehead as she slept in my bed.¡±


    How could I believe these words? WHY should I believe them? Also, what did it matter? He could have whoever he wanted and sleep with whoever he wanted, and it wouldn¡¯t bother me one bit.


    These thoughts run through my mind as I pace my bedroom floor, worked up and angry. I needed to find something to do with my spare time, truly I did. Then I made up my mind and sauntered towards my walk-in.


    I put on myfy long-sleeved ck sweater dress with the cowl neck, slip on a pair of nude stockings and ck thigh-high stiletto boots. Then I grabbed my Louis Vuitton handbag and left my room. Passing by Sebastian¡¯s room, I stop and knock. ¡°Sebastian?¡± I call, waiting for an answer. He doesn¡¯t answer and before I could knock again, the door opens and Sebastian regards me with a raised eyebrow.


    My eyes grew at the sight of him; he was still dripping wet from his shower and his body glistened. ¡°Yes, Elena?¡± he asks with an annoyed tone and I stop my eyes from straying north and clearing my throat. ¡°I¡¯m heading out for a little while,¡± I tell him, and he steps back, crossing his arms in front of him. Gosh, this minor act looked extremely sexy as I noticed how his muscles flexed when he did it.


    ¡°You cane and go as you please, Elena. There is no need to inform me.¡± He says, eyeing me with amusement. I was seriously fighting the urge to roll my eyes, but I remained polite. ¡°Just in case you think I am jetting off somewhere again, I chose to inform you,¡± I tell him before turning on my heel and walking towards the staircase. I heard his bedroom door close behind me and breathed a sigh of relief.


    I needed to get out of the vi for a bit, so I decided to go down to my favourite little coffee shop in Camden Town. I hadn¡¯t been there in months and missed the homey vibe it gave off. ¡°Where to, Ma¡¯am?¡± Lionel, the driver, asks me. He was the one I tricked into dropping me off at the hotel before heading towards the airport. ¡°Camden Town, Lionel. There¡¯s a coffee shop I wish to visit for an hour or so. And don¡¯t fret, I won¡¯t be running off again.¡± I tell him and see the smile spread on his face.


    The majority of the household seemed to have forgiven me for ¡®running away¡¯. Ilse has yet to ask Melissa about the note; she hasn¡¯t been to work since I returned to her vi and I think I know why.


    Lionel takes about 30 minutes to get to the coffee shop, and I feel a sense of relief when I see the quaint little building. ¡°You can park out front, Lionel. I will be about an hour or so.¡± I tell him again as I get out of the car. The icy chill bites my skin and I shuffle into the coffee shop, inhaling the sumptuous fragrance of freshly roasted coffee.


    ¡°Elena!¡± The barista named Lisa walked up to me with a surprised look on her face and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I used to be here every day at 3 pm with Nichs as he helped me study and n my trips around Massachusetts while attending Harvard. Those were happier times which I now realise were lies and meant absolutely nothing to him.


    ¡°Hey, Lisa. How have you been, hun?¡± I asked her, and we exchanged niceties as she led me to a table by the window. I ordered my usual cuppa and a slice of Banoffee pie. As she leaves, I take in the ce with a smile on my face; this was a ce where I lived out the happiest of my days. Most of it was with Nichs, but the rest was spent on my own.


    I pull out my second volume of Jane Eyre and open it to the ce where I had fallen asleepst night. Reading and coffee; my favourite pastimes. But as I tried to focus on the pages, all I could think about was Sebastian¡¯s admissions of love. He haspletely ruined my ns where I ignore him for the next five years, by confessing his feelings for me. Perhaps if I continue to ignore him, he would eventually tire of me.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Lisa brings out my coffee and pastry and I thank her before resuming my pretend reading. I read the first two lines about 8 times over, before closing the book in frustration. ¡°Ugh, forget it!¡± I exim softly to no one in particr.


    ¡°Does Mrs Reed offend you that much?¡± I hear a voice from one table over and my head turns to see who it was.

 Chapter27 Coffee Shop Blues

    Elena


    A pair of blue eyes regard me with curiosity and a dimpled smile, and I could do nothing but smile as my self-esteem drops once more. I must look crazy to this beautiful neer.


    I shake my head. ¡°No, I have a bit too much on my mind to read at the moment. Came here to take my mind off things but the silence just fills my head with more questions.¡± Okay, why was I telling this absolutely gorgeous blonde-haired Adonis everything?


    As he stood up and walked towards me, I noticed that he was actually quite tall, had long blonde hair that was not tied up and was dressed in all ck; the same as me.


    ¡°May I join you?¡± he asks me and I gesture to the chair in front of me. ¡°Please do,¡± I answer, grateful for thepany.


    He sits opposite me and I get a whiff of his cologne, one I could not quite ce. It wasn¡¯t as sexy and overwhelming as Sebastian¡¯s, but it would definitely remain in your senses.


    Ice my fingers underneath my chin and look at him. ¡°What brings you to this quiet side of Camden Town?¡± I ask him as I pick up my cup. He sits back in his chair and I see something sh in his eyes. But then it was gone.


    ¡°I guess you could say I¡¯m hiding from responsibility,¡± He says with a smile and I notice those dimples again. Chuckling at his honesty, I put my cup down and looked at him. ¡°Oh, this would be the perfect ce to do it then. The baristas here are sworn to secrecy.¡± I tell him, and he gives me augh.


    He sits forward then and reaches his hand over the table. ¡°Elijah,¡±


    ¡°Elena, pleased to meet you,¡± I say, taking his hand to shake it, but he surprises me by turning it around and kissing the back of it. What surprised me even more, was that I had offered my left hand and my wedding ring was nowhere to be seen.


    Oh, crap. Where was it?


    ¡°Oh, the feeling is mutual. So, what did who do to you that poor Jane Eyre is suffering?¡± He asks me, purposefully fishing as he leans back again.


    What do I tell this man whose name sounds simr to mine?


    I lightly shrug, ¡°With all due respect, sir, I came here to escape, not reminisce.¡± I tell him as politely as I could possibly muster and in turn, I receive a chuckle. ¡°Fair enough, I respect that,¡± he starts, then points to my discarded book, ¡°You must be a serious Bronte fan if you¡¯re reading the first edition of Jane Eyre.¡± He says and my eyes immediately widened at this.


    ¡°You could tell it was a first edition just by looking at it?¡± I ask him, impressed by his keen eye. He nods. ¡°It¡¯s a hobby of mine to appraise invaluable collectables. And that book is one of the rarest copies. Three volumes, yes?¡± he asks and I nod, ¡°Thought so. I lost the bidst week when mypetitor bid over 50 million for it. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to outbid them, so I gave in. Only to find out today that mypetitor would be a beautiful woman who frequents coffee shops.¡±


    Eh, WHAT? Sebastian paid over 50 million pounds for this??


    Suddenly his thoughtful gift seemed a lot more thoughtful than I previously imagined. My husband went out of his way to buy this for me for Valentine¡¯s Day and I had run away from him.


    ¡°By the look on your face, I can tell that you weren¡¯t aware of this.¡± He says with a chuckle and I nod my head, ¡°Not at all!¡± I exim, picking up my book with a lot more care than before. ¡°This was a gift¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, whoever gave you that loves you a great deal, Elena.¡± He says and offers me a smile and I nch at his words. Sebastian can¡¯t love me, we have discussed this before; the both of us need to move on and forget the other existed to ensure a smooth separation in five years¡¯ time.


    I shake my head. ¡°No, I doubt that. So, do you read anything the Bronte sisters wrote or were you just looking to ce this in a ss case?¡± I ask him and heughs out loud. ¡°Oh, my dear, I am an avid reader. I own every first edition the Bronte¡¯s published and read them as often as my work allows me a gap.¡± He says, and I frown at this.


    ¡°You¡¯re a busy man then, I assume?¡± I ask, noting that he didn¡¯t fit the corporate type with his long hair and a stubble beard.


    ¡°You could say that,¡± he says with a chuckle. ¡°I am currently not where I should be and I have a feeling I will get caught out soon.¡±


    What exactly did he mean by that? As if seeing my confusion he adds, ¡°I am needed in a meeting I do not wish to attend, with people I have no intention of doing business with.¡± He said and I understood.


    ¡°Ah, a rebellious CEO?¡± I ask, thinking back to my own nickname. He shes me a smile that rivals even Sebastian¡¯s lopsided Jake Gyllenhaal smile and I find myself swooning.


    Woah.


    ¡°You can call me that,¡± he saysughing, ¡°however, you would be the first to. I am usually called tardy.¡±


    ¡°Tardy people rarely amass invaluable collectables, or read ssical literature,¡± I tell him, and I am almost scared to admit that this man has impressed me with his mind, the first one to ever do so.


    ¡°Well-¡±


    ¡°Elijah! There you are!¡± a voice bellows through the coffee shop and my eyes go to the door, only to see a sturdy, well-dressed woman walk towards us. I look over at Elijah and see him hanging his head in defeat. Does this mean they caught him out?


    ¡°I, lower your voice,¡± he tells her as he moves to stand up. The woman looked like she was about to burst a blood vessel with how red her face was. ¡°How did you find me this time?¡±


    The woman named I holds up her phone. ¡°You seem to forget that you have a tracker installed, idiot. We need to go, Dumont Enterprises are not happy with this.¡± She says and my heart stopped.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Did she just say Dumont Enterprises?


    Her eyes nce my way, and I see her pale. ¡°Hi,¡± I greet her with a smile, and she looks dumbstruck. Why was she looking at me like that?


    ¡°We need to go, Elijah. Right now.¡± She says and starts walking out. Elijah caught the look on her face and frowned. Then he turns to me. ¡°It was lovely escaping with you for a while, Elena. But it seems that I may have screwed up royally this time and have to leave. I hope whatever is ailing you will ail you no longer.¡± He says, then takes my hand in his again and kisses the back of it.


    ¡°I hope we meet each other soon,¡± I say, surprised at my words and I catch his smile. Then he turns around and walks out of the coffee shop. I sigh at the odd exchange, then pack up my things and pay the barista before walking out.


    What an odd afternoon.


    ¡°Home, please Lionel,¡± I tell the driver, and he returns my request with a nod. Who was this Elijah I just spent the afternoon with?


    As if hearing my question, my phone rings and I see Sebastian¡¯s name on the Caller ID. I fumble with the phone at first as it was rtively new, but eventually answer it.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Elena, where the hell are you now?¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice was filled with a fury that confused me. ¡°Eh, I¡¯m on my way home now. Where do you get off-¡±


    ¡°Who were you with this afternoon?¡± he interrupts what would have been a snottyment and I nch; how did he know I was with someone?


    ¡°No one in particr. I went to a coffee shop in Camden Town and spent the afternoon there trying to read. Why? What is this about?¡± I ask him, genuinely confused. Where was this angering from? I told him I would be going out this afternoon. What was he so upset about?


    ¡°WHO were you with, Elena?¡± he asks again and I sigh. ¡°No one at first, but a patron in the coffee shop joined me after a while and we chatted but he left just before I did.¡± Did someone tell him I was having coffee with a guy? Is that where this wasing from?


    ¡°Just someone? Or were you aware that you were sitting idly and having coffee with one of my fiercest rivals, who in fact, did not pitch for our merger this afternoon?¡±


    I almost dropped my phone at this. WHAT? Was that why the Idy looked like death as she took me in?


    ¡°I am needed in a meeting I do not wish to attend, with people I have no intention of doing business with.¡±


    Oh god, Elijah still said this, and they mentioned Sebastian¡¯spany before I left.


    ¡°Go home, Elena. We need to discuss this tonight.¡± He says before killing the call. I look at my phone, dumbstruck and wondering what I had just done. I never intended to have Elijah join me in the coffee shop. In fact, I didn¡¯t even know he existed before this!


    I looked out of the window and hoped that there were no paparazzi outside the coffee shop while we were inside. Can you imagine the scandal this would create? The CEO of Dumont Enterprises¡¯ wife on a coffee date with Elijah¡­ who? I didn¡¯t even know who Elijah was.


    ¡°Lionel, do you know who Dumont Enterprises¡¯ rival is?¡± I ask the driver, hoping he would know, and I strike gold because he nods. ¡°Of course, Ma¡¯am. Everyone does,¡± he starts and I roll my eyes,¡± Not me, Lionel. I do not know. ¡°Somersett Incorporated. Owned by the viinous Elijah Somersett. By viinous, I mean everything Mr Dumont ever worked for, Elijah Somersett has staked his im on.¡±


    Oh. When he puts it like this, I understand Sebastian¡¯s anger. Does he think Elijah has staked his im on me?

 Chapter28 Tell Me To Leave, Elena

    Elena


    I¡¯ve been pacing my bedroom floor since I realised that Sebastian might be home soon. Damnit, why am I so nervous? I did nothing wrong!


    Staying in my bedroom won¡¯t help, so I decided to go down to the conservatory and take my mind off things. I traded my boots for my fluffy baby blue slippers and opened my door to leave my room, but someone blocked me from doing so.


    Sebastian had his hand poised to knock on my door when I opened my door and my heart nearly dropped into my stomach. ¡°S-Sebastian! How long have you been standing there?¡± I ask him as I feel my face flush.


    But all he does is smile at me. ¡°Not long. May Ie in?¡± he asks me and this causes me to frown. ¡°Sure, I was about to head to the conservatory to wait for you, but I suppose my room is warmer.¡± I was babbling. Why was I babbling? And why was he smiling at me like that?


    I stepped back as he entered my room and suddenly I felt self-conscious; he was in my personal space and I allowed it. I close the door and follow him in, and he turns towards me with that same odd smile as before. ¡°Do you know why I call you Little Daisy, Elena?¡± He asks me. I had always wondered why he called me this but never thought to ask him why, because every time we were around one another, we bickered.


    Walking towards my bed, I turn around to face him and lean against the four-poster canopy. I shake my head, ¡°No, but I always wondered.¡± He then walked up to me until we were a few inches apart. ¡°Because the flower represents innocence, purity and new beginnings,¡± he says and he peers down at me. ¡°That and your signature perfume is ¡®Daisy¡¯ by Marc Jacobs.¡±


    This made me feel stupid. ¡°You know my favourite scent?¡± I ask him as I look up into his soft hazel eyes, and he smiles at me again. ¡°I know more about you than you realise, Elena, but I also don¡¯t know you at all.¡± He says with sadness in his voice. Why was he acting this way? I thought he would be mad at me because of the whole Elijah thing, but instead, he¡¯s acting like this.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Sebastian? You¡¯re behaving rather oddly. Are you not upset with me because of this afternoon?¡± I ask him, curiosity itching in my bones. But he just looked down at me and brought up his hand to cup my cheek. ¡°I am not upset with you, Elena. I¡¯m more upset with myself.¡± He replies, making me even more confused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I say, and he put a finger to my lips to silence me. ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand. Just know that I am not upset with you, so you can calm your heart.¡±


    Yeah, calm my heart with you standing in front of me like this.


    Sebastian brings his forehead to mine and sighs. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I can keep this up, Elena. There is an ache in me that cannot be filled until I see you, touch you, or even bicker with you. Since our first kiss in my office, you have gued my senses relentlessly, and I knew I had to have more of you.¡± He breathes, and I am rendered speechless by what he has admitted. How do I respond to this?


    He draws back and then looks down at me. ¡°When I was told you were seen out with Elijah Somersett, my heart just about shattered. Elijah has been a thorn in my side since we attended the same private school. Everything I gained throughwful means, he has found a way to buy out. Everything, including the woman I nned to marry.¡± He says, and I look at him with a frown.


    ¡°Eliana?¡± I asked, not sure what he was talking about, but he shakes his head. ¡°Not at all. I was 18 and in college with my then-girlfriend at my side. We had been together since we were 17. She was my everything, and I had nned to propose to her as soon as we turned 20. She was my best friend and knew all my ns for the future, all pending transactions and merges I was toe into when I turned 20. Only to find out that her brother was Elijah Somersett. And that they had stolen all my business partners from me before I could even legally attain them. Her name was I. I Somersett.¡±


    I, was that not the woman that collected Elijah from the coffee shop today?


    My eyes widen at this act of betrayal. ¡°So she never loved you?¡± I ask, and he shakes his head and looks down. ¡°She loved me, but she loved her brother more. He made her get close to me, but what she didn¡¯t expect was to fall in love with me.¡± He says and looks back up at me, ¡°So you can understand how I felt when I heard you were having coffee with Elijah Somersett.¡±


    Oh, my God. I canpletely understand now. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around his waist andy my head on his chest. Listening to his heart beating frantically, I realise now that he is just as nervous about being alone with me as I was with him.


    Sebastian wraps one arm around me, and with the other, he strokes my hair. ¡°I am not a business deal Elijah thinks he can acquire or buy out, Sebastian. I am your wife.¡± I say, surprised at my own words, and I feel his hand still at my words. I inhale his delicious Tom Ford scent and close my eyes.


    What would happen if I stopped fighting my feelings for Sebastian? What would happen if I gave in to him?


    ¡°Elena,¡± he starts, letting go of me and peering into my eyes, ¡°I am truly sorry for disrespecting you on our wedding day. I never intended to hurt you or have sex with Sarah that day. I wanted to fill the emptiness inside me, and she was willing to make me feel. I needed to feel something, anything, but this dull ache inside me. Not that it makes up for anything, or excuses my behaviour. I did nothing with herst night, either. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hurt you again, so I drowned my sorrows in bourbon and passed out.¡± He says and smiles wistfully, running his thumb over my bottom lip.


    I hold his gaze for what felt like the longest time, before he leans in closer to me, his lips inches from mine. ¡°You do not know how much I am holding back from being this close to you,¡± he says, and my heart skips a beat. I feel his breath on my lips and breathe out a sigh.


    ¡°Kiss me, Sebastian.¡±


    As soon as the words left my mouth, his lips were on mine, begging for entry, and I acquiesced. Feeling Sebastian¡¯s soft lips on mine sent my mind into overdrive. His tongue traced mine in a graceful and soft manner, and I feel myself melting into his embrace. His hands gripped my hair as our kiss grew more intense, and I drew myself closer to him, not wanting to let go. I taste what must have been bourbon as we kiss, and it drove me to near insanity.


    I¡¯m not sure how long we kissed for, but when he let go of me, we were both out of breath. Sebastian had his forehead against mine again as he tried to catch his breath. ¡°Tell me to leave right now and we can go back to living separately. I promise no more mind games or underhandedments to rile you up or test your jealousy. Tell me to leave, Elena, and you will have your wish.¡± He says, and I am surprised at this.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Did I want Sebastian to leave? Did I want to go back to meaning nothing to him and living the next five years in loneliness? I look into his eyes and steady my heart as I answer him.

 Chapter29 Complete and Utter Surrender

    Sebastian


    I wait idly as Elena battles her inner voice. What would her answer be? Iid my heart bare for her. Now all I needed was for her to decide if she would allow my feelings for her to grow or wither.


    She looks up at me, her beautiful blue eyes gleaming with unshed tears and I realise there that Elena wasn¡¯t just pushing me away before, she was pushing away what she was feeling for me. She shakes her head, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave. Sebastian. I am done fighting this, I am done with it. Every day I wake up with this ache in my chest that I cannot ease, the ache in me that you can only fill.¡± She says, repeating my earlier admission to her. ¡°You echoed my feelings perfectly when you said that and I realise now that I am being selfish by telling you to go back to how we were in the past. You have done so much for me, even though I behave like a spoiled brat at times.¡±


    This made me smile, a bittersweet one, but a smile nheless. She wanted to move past this and start acting on her feelings, the same as me.


    ¡°Are you certain, Elena? There will be no turning back after this, no leaving me for the States.¡± I asked her, not wanting her to feel pressured as I stood there with my hand on the back of her neck, caressing her hair. She shakes her head, ¡°I don¡¯t want us to go back after this. I¡¯m yours, Sebastian, and I am willing to walk this road with you, even if it is after five years.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure what it is about this admission of hers, but my mouth was on hers and I im her again, this time as my wife andpanion. She moans lightly into the kiss, and the sound, which was innocent to her, ignited my desire to a fierce peak. Elena had no idea what she did to me, no idea how her touch, her kiss, drove me into a lust-filled state of furore.


    We stood at the foot of her bed, but I picked her up as we kissed and turned around to sit back on the bed. She was straddling me as we continued to kiss, and my hands were feeling every inch of her body through her dress. My hands strayed downwards and I lifted her dress up further; I was dying to feel her bare skin on mine.


    I break the kiss and move towards her neck, nting gentle kisses and using my tongue to trace circles at the base of her neck. ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± She breathes out my name with a tone of desire,pletely consumed by the moment, and I feel the hardness straining against my pants even more.


    What this woman could do to me with a mere kiss.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I lifted her dress over her head and she didn¡¯t protest, instead, she immediately resumed kissing me. I ran my fingers over her naked back and caressed her soft skin, wishing it was my tongue instead of my fingers. Breaking off the kiss, I trail kisses over her neck and chest, stopping just above her breasts. Her heart was racing. I pull her closer to me and deepen the kiss as my hands stray to her bra with the intention of unsping it.


    My eyes peer up at her for a reaction, but all I see was Elena¡¯s head thrown back in anticipation. I take this as my cue and unsp her bra and take it off, discarding it next to the bed. Then I look at my wife and marvel at her perfection.


    She looks down at me and I see the gorgeous blush on her cheeks and the desire in her eyes. ¡°Vous ¨ºtes exquise, Elena. Parfait,¡± (You are exquisite, Elena. Perfect) I tell her as I lower my mouth to her breast, running my tongue over one of her nipples and caressing the other. The moans escaping her were enough to send me over the edge and I was so close to just ripping off her remaining clothes and burying myself deep inside her.


    But I couldn¡¯t do that, not with Elena. She was pure and untouched and needed to be treated as such.


    ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± She whispers my name once more and I look up at her,pletely besotted and amazed that this woman chose me. I wasn¡¯t a second choice this time, she wanted me as much as I wanted her.


    ¡°Elena, you need to tell me what you want,¡± I tell her as I continue to worship her body, nting kisses on every inch of her exposed chest. I feel her shake her head and I look up with a frown; did she not want this?


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t. I can¡¯t say it out loud. It¡¯s too mortifying.¡± She says and I smile, understanding now why she was shaking my head. ¡°All you have to do is tell me what you want, love. Just say the words.¡± I say gently, urging her to express herself to me while running my tongue over her nipples.


    She inhales sharply. ¡°I¡­ I want you, Sebastian. I want¡­ all of you.¡± She says through hitched breaths as I twirl my tongue around her nipple and suck gently. I smile as she says these words and breathe out a sigh of relief. She wanted this as badly as I did, needed it as much as me.


    I turn her around andy her back on the bed, taking in her gorgeous body once more. She wore nude stockings, so I slowly removed them, kissing her legs as I pulled them down. I watch her expression and notice she had her head thrown back; her cheeks were also zing a cherry red. Smiling at her pure reactions, I spread her legs and lowered myself down on her. I kiss her mouth once more, relishing in the feeling of her soft lips on mine.


    Then I move to lie next to her and caress her t belly, my hands dipping in at her perfect curves. ¡°You are so beautiful, Elena,¡± I whisper in her ear as my hands go lower, ending just above her panty line. I did not remove this yet, as I saved the best forst.


    I wanted to feel what I did to her, and I was not disappointed; her underwear was soaked.


    Running my finger down her wanting slit, I look down at her again. ¡°Sebastian, please¡­¡± She begs for me to continue, and I could not help but oblige. I pull down her underwearpletely and toss it to the side before positioning myself in between her legs again.


    I cannot put into coherent words the perfection that lies in front of me; Elena had me salivating, so I lowered my mouth to her throbbing mound and worshipped her most intimate part with my tongue.


    Her cry of surprise set me off, and I knew that this had never been done to her before. No other man has tasted Elena¡¯s sweet nectar before, and this made me feel absolutely powerful. No man has, and no man ever would again.


    I keep her writhing body down as I run my tongue over her soft folds, caressing her taut clit with my tongue and working it in a rhythm I could tell she enjoyed. Her body was starting to shake beneath me, and I realised, to my surprise, that she was already close to her orgasm. A wolfish hunger overcame me then, and I continued to work my tongue around her clit repeatedly. Elena was moaning so loudly at this point, that I think she has forgotten to be shy. Her cries of ecstasy had me reeling, and I felt the moisture at my tip as my hardness continued to painfully strain against my pants.


    Then Elena called out my name in the sexiest moan I had ever heard and knew she had reached her first orgasm.

 Chapter30 Little Deaths

    Elena


    OH


    MY


    ABSOLUTEText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    GOD


    What is Sebastian doing to me? Was that¡­? Did I just have my first orgasm?


    Hees up from in between my legs and stares down at me, a naughty, fox-like smile on his face. ¡°You taste exquisite,¡± He says, and he licks his lips, making me feelpletely mortified. I bring my hands up to my face to cover my embarrassment as I wasid bare for my husband, but he moves them away. ¡°No,¡± he says while shaking his head. ¡°You are beautiful, Elena. Do not hide from me. I want to drink you in, every little expression on your face I wish to remember.¡±


    Gosh, was he always such a smooth talker?


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he says andys back down on top of me, steadying himself with his palms next to my head and leaning down to kiss me. I tasted myself on his lips and wondered what he found so exquisite in the taste. Then it urs to me that Sebastian was still fully clothed. I push him away and he looks at me with a frown, but I smile at him and sit on my knees. Then I take his tie and pull him towards me, seeing the cogs turning and setting into ce. I undo his tie and set it aside, then I unbutton his shirt, peering up at him through myshes. My fingers were fumbling to undo the buttons, but he was patient with me until I got to thest one and I finally had a chance to look at his body.


    Sebastian¡¯s body was immacte; toned and muscled to perfection. I ran my fingers over his chiselled chest and brought my lips closer to him, kissing his body as he had mine. Listening to his groans made me smile because I knew my touch did to him exactly what his touch did to me. I looked up into his eyes, and we kissed as heid me down onto the bed yet again. He made quick work of disposing of his pants and shoes, but as soon as he pulled down his jockey briefs; I paled.


    Oh my God. How was that¡­ How was that going to fit inside me? Not only did Sebastian have the body of a Greek god, but he was incredibly well endowed.


    He takes in my expression and chuckles. ¡°We¡¯ll take it slow, love. If you wish to stop, at any time, just say the words. This is all about you and yourfort right now, not me and my needs.¡± He tells me, and my body rxes some more. I nod and he smiles down at me before lowering himself down again. He holds my gaze and kisses me gently, savouring every twist and stroke of his tongue ying with mine.


    Then he lifts himself up and looks at me before taking himself in his hand and lowering his body down. He rubs his tip against my opening, then back up to my clit again and I rx a bit, which is what I think he was aiming for. Then he stops at my opening and pushes gently, parting me where no other man has before. He looked into my eyes, and I could see the worry there. I cup his face with my hands and nt a kiss on his lips. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I want this, I want you.¡± I tell him and I feel him smile against my kiss. He pushes inside me and I let out a gasp, then he withdraws again, then he pushes inside even further, and I feel myself tear in two.


    I was literally tearing.


    I choked back a cry as he pulled out again, then slowly pushed back in, and I could not help but feelpletely full in myher regions. Gosh, this was ufortable. And painful. ¡°I need you to rx, love, or this will be extremely painful.¡± He tells me and lowers his head to my breasts. Taking my nipple in his mouth again, twirling his tongue around it and gently sucking as he slowly continues to push and withdraw. I felt myself rxing a bit and realised that something was pushing past the burning pain of my hymen being torn.


    It was another orgasm building.


    I close my eyes and wrap my arms around his lower back as he continues to thrust gently inside me. He groans and closes his eyes. ¡°You feel amazing, Elena. So incredibly tight and all mine¡­ all mine.¡± He whispers his dirty talk, and I feel it heading straight to my core. Sebastian braces himself on his elbows and brings a hand in between us, trailing lower and finding my clit. With his finger, he starts rubbing it in circles, immediately reigniting the lust inside of me. ¡°Oh¡­ oh my¡­¡± I breathe out, not entirely sure how to express myself in this situation as yet. He thrusts a bit faster as he rubs my clit and I feel my orgasm steadily building.


    Sebastian¡¯s groans are the fuel that brings me to the cusp of my orgasm. He pins me with that look that I love, and his eyes darken. ¡°Come for me, petite paquerette.¡± He whispers in my ear and that was all I needed; I am pushed over the precipice and falling as I call out my husband¡¯s name as he slowly thrusts inside me.


    As the remnants of my orgasm ebb away, I feel Sebastian stiffen and let out a groan, whispering my name.


    He opens his eyes and regards me with what I could only describe as wonder as he slowly withdraws from me. I let out a whimper as he pulls outpletely and his brow furrows. ¡°I am sorry, my love,¡± He says with a wistful tone, and I shake my head. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, I wanted this, I wanted to give this to you, and I don¡¯t regret it.¡± I tell him, and I see his expression soften a little. He nods, then moves to pick me up and carries me to the bathroom. With the flick of a button beneath the light switch, the octagonal spa starts to fill up. Wow, almost four months of living here and I wasn¡¯t aware of this little button.


    When the bath is filled, he lowers me inside, then gets in behind me, pulling me close to his chest. Holding me close, he lets out a sigh of contentment. Then it all hits me; Sebastian and I had just shared the most intimate thing. He has been my first. Tears sting my eyes as the thought overwhelms me.


    ¡°Elena?¡± he asks with concerncing his voice when he hears me sniffling. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, love?¡±


    What was wrong? I didn¡¯t even know¡­ did all girls feel this way after offering their virginity to someone who meant a lot to them? Did all girls feel sopletelyid bare to that person afterwards?


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯m just feeling so overwhelmed. You were my first and¡­¡± I say, trail off as tears stream down my face and he draws me closer to him under the scalding water. He kisses my hair. ¡°You do not know how it makes me feel knowing you were willing to give me something so precious, Elena. In our time spent together this evening, my feelings for you have grown deeper. I am more in love with you now than I was when I woke up this morning. Thank you.¡±


    I turn around and gaze at my husband, my heart swelling at his words, and my bottom lip quivers. He draws my head closer to him and kisses my hair, and that¡¯s when I realise it. This feeling I have been trying to fight for thest few months, ever since our first kiss in his office, our first dance at our wedding I had always known.


    He was my stubborn, hard-headed, egotistical husband and I was unmitigatedly in love with him.

 Chapter31 The Morning After

    Elena


    I woke up the following morning in Sebastian¡¯s arms and couldn¡¯t stop the smile from spreading across my face. Sebastian was holding me tightly to his chest, his breathing calm andboured. Last night I had given myself to himpletely and without judgement, and I did not regret it one bit.


    I peered up at him as he slept and my heart felt full; how did I fight what I was feeling up until now? Why did I not just admit it to myself? I snuggle closer into his embrace and breathe out a sigh; then I feel a sudden pressure in my abdomen and know I needed the loo. And I needed it badly.


    Lifting his arm from my waist, I swung my legs around the bed but did not expect the sudden pain to shoot up from myher regions.


    ¡°Ow!¡± I cried out as my feet hit the floor and Sebastian immediately sat up in bed, a look of concern crossing his face. ¡°Elena?¡± he asks, regarding me with worry. I turn around and shake my head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, love. I just didn¡¯t expect the after-effects of our trystst night.¡± I tell him, as a blush sweeps across my cheeks.


    Gosh,st night will forever be imprinted in my memory.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elena. I-¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t you dare apologise. I gave my body willingly, Sebastian.¡± I interject his apology, wanting to hear nothing of it. He chuckles, a deep throaty chuckle stillced with sleep, and I find myself falling even harder. Gosh, my husband was gorgeous.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± he starts, ¡°can I at least get you an Advil?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I frown at this and shake my head, ¡°No, it would probably just knock me out until tomorrow and I wish to savour every feeling, even if it is this ufortable burning.¡± I say truthfully and see the smile that lit up his face.


    Then he pulls me back towards him on the bed and kisses my forehead. ¡°I am thankful for choosing the wrong twin first,¡± he says and I look at him in confusion, but he just smiles at me. ¡°Because I know now that I was always meant to be with you, it was always you, Elena, and that won¡¯t ever change.¡±


    This causes me to smile and I lean in and kiss him, ¡°You have a way with words, Mr Dumont,¡± I say andy my head back down on his chest. He lifts his arm and strokes my hair and it urs to me that I had never felt as content as I did now whileying in Sebastian¡¯s arms. It took me almost four months, but I let go of my fear and jumped; he was always at the bottom to catch me.


    A shrill ringing cut through our moment, and I realised it was Sebastian¡¯s phone. Oh, shoot! It was a working day for him!


    He sighs and gets out of bed and I marvel at his pert butt, feeling a blush burning my cheeks as I stare. ¡°It¡¯s all yours, petite paquerette,¡± He says as he feels my eyes on him and I immediately cover my head with theforter. Sebastian chuckles then answers his phone, ¡°Dumont,¡± and I took this as my cue to go to the loo.


    I enter the bathroom with a big smile as I remember our shared bathst night. It was such a normal thing to do but felt so intimate. He bathed me gently, washing every inch of my body as I protested, but he stood firm and told me to stop being a brat.


    Ugh, that man.


    After our bath, Sebastian removed the blood-stained covers, and I helped him put on clean sheets before weid down to sleep. The both of us passed out soon after; tuckered out from our lovemaking and shared emotions. He was so gentle with me, right from the kiss at the foot of my bed to the actual deed. He only had myfort in mind, and it made my heart swell even more.


    As soon as I was done, I headed to have a refreshing shower to wake up. The area between my legs was still a bit tender, so I tried not to be as rough there. Whilethering up my hair with shampoo, I feel Sebastian¡¯s arms around my waist and lips at my neck.


    ¡°You truly are beautiful,¡± he says as he nts kisses in my neck and I feel it slither all the way down to my core. I give a light moan. ¡°Hm, you better remove any impure thought from your mind, Sebastian. I am in no way ready for round two!¡± I say as I rinse off my hair.


    He chuckles. ¡°As much as I would love to bury myselfpletely inside you, I know better than to do that now, love. We will wait until you are ready.¡± He says, and this makes me smile. How did I not see this side of him before? Was I so blind by my ambition that I almost missed the best thing that was mine?


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him and he spins me around before his lips are on mine and we share an intense kiss. No one has ever kissed me the way he kisses me, where I am swept off my feet and feel worshipped like a Goddess. Sebastian¡¯s kisses did that to me.


    He breaks off the kiss and draws his forehead to mine. ¡°Hm, you have made me the happiest man alive, Elena.¡± He says, then opens his eyes to look at me; whaty behind them was nothing but love.


    This was the man I met at the masquerade ball, the man I had an instant connection with and who actually listened to my opinions on things. The man I had fallen in love with at our first kiss.


    Speechless and smiling, I grab my loofah andther it up before I proceed to wash him as he did mest night. There were no protests from him, as there was with me. He just took it with a content expression on his face. Gosh, had my rejection of him really yed with his emotions that much?


    I started to rinse him underneath the flowing water. ¡°Was the call work-rted?¡± I ask him suddenly, and I peer up at him. He nods, ¡°It was Sarah. The Somersett¡¯s wish to have another meeting this morning to discuss the merger.¡±


    Ah, two names I did not wish to hear while naked with my husband; Sarah and The Somersetts.


    My lips were a thin line as I nod, then I remembered the line Elijah had uttered: ¡°I am needed in a meeting I do not wish to attend, with people I have no intention of doing business with.¡±


    ¡°You know Elijah has no intention of doing business with you, right? He sort of said it in passing before he knew who I was.¡± I tell him as I recall the conversation, but all he does is shrug. ¡°I have no intention of having him anywhere near mypany, but this merger with him and my offshootpany would be profitable on both sides.¡± He says, bored with the conversation already.


    I frown. ¡°You¡¯re a billionaire already, Sebastian. What could you possibly need with more money?¡± I ask him. He had enough money to live happily on, yet he probably made millions daily.


    But Sebastian only chuckles, ¡°The wealthy stay wealthy through hard work, Elena. For every billion I make, I donate 100 million, so I¡¯m not just working for myself.¡± He says, and I am blown away at this. Sebastian was a phnthropist?


    ¡°I never knew that! And how often do you reach 1 billion?¡±


    ¡°Daily.¡±


    My eyes widened at this. Oh my gosh! Maybe he wasn¡¯t the cold-hearted man I had initially thought he was. Sebastian had a heart of gold hidden under the billionaire yboy disguise, one I never even knew about.


    I wrap my arms around him and silently wonder if this was what pure joy felt like.

 Chapter32 Thoughts On The Future

    Elena


    After our shower, I wrap a towel around myself, and Sebastian grabs one as well. I dry my body and suddenly feel very self-conscious while doing this normal thing because his eyes were on me. Willing him to look away, I dry my hair and hear him sigh.


    ¡°You know, there is no need to sleep in separate rooms any longer,¡± he muses as he dries himself off and my eyes go to him. It made me think, though; was I ready to sleep in the same room as him, share everything including a bathroom and closet?


    Heck yes, I was.


    I smile. ¡°Can we arrange for my things to be moved over to your room today unless there¡¯s a room in this vi with arger walk-in?¡± I ask him as a joke but then catch the naughty smile on his face and I raise my eyebrow. ¡°Oh my gosh, there is, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Of course there is. We can have the staff move things over today unless you would want to wait for a while?¡± he asks, a little defeated, but I shake my head. ¡°I am ready for this marriage, Sebastian, and to start my life with you. There¡¯s no need for us to be separated,¡± I answer and catch the shy smile on his face. Oh, Sebastian can get shy? I shall file this little tidbit away forter use.


    I give him a peck on his cheek and head towards my walk-in, contemting what I would wear today. Eternally thankful for the heat in the closet as it was pelting down with rain and it just looks miserable outside.


    Sebastian stands at the doorway and looks at me, ¡°Iw truly what you want to study, Elena?¡± he asks me and this question caught me off guard. I never really thought about it since Nichs brought it up. He had always said since I knew how to debate well, I should consider studyingw. Then he mentioned Harvard, and it just stuck.


    ¡°I am not sure, entirely. Nichs was the one to broach thew subject, and it just stuck with me. I think I wanted to impress him so much that I allowed him to mould me into something I wasn¡¯t. Harvard was his idea as well.¡± I say as I slip on my bra and panties before walking up to my thick ck stockings and sliding them on.


    ¡°Then I suggest you think long and hard about your real future, love. Not the future Nichs chose for you. I have the means and capital, all I need is your dream and I will bring it to fruition. I know you will never be the socialite type and I do not expect you to be. You are ambitious and I will not allow you to stay at home and do nothing when your soul yearns to be free.¡± He says as he crosses his arms over his chest.


    This truly made my heart melt, and I was close to tears. What did I truly want to do with my life? I will most certainly need to think this through. He¡¯s correct in saying that I was not the socialite type. I couldn¡¯t stand the formality of being an heiress of noble blood. So what should I study?


    ¡°I will think it over for a while, think I¡¯ll visit the coffee shop again today to contemte my choices,¡± I say, the coffee shop would be perfect. The quiet there would definitely help me clear my mind, not to mention the sumptuous smells.


    Sebastian nods, ¡°Then I will see you this evening and we can discuss it,¡± he starts and walks over to me, nting a kiss on my head. ¡°Enjoy your day, love.¡±


    Then he turns around and walks out as I slip on my thick ck button-down, wrap dress and thigh-high stiletto boots. Today would be a day of reflection then. I waspletely stumped as to what I wanted to do with my life. After being set on Harvard for so long, only to realise that it wasn¡¯t even my dream at all.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I head over to my dressing table and grab my hairdryer. My wet hair was giving me the shakes, and I needed to get this day started. Afterwards, I flop down on my bed and sigh, really contemting what I wanted to do with my life from here on. Nichs suggestedw. The subject never had a pull for me before, but the more he talked about it, the more he won me over. He was also the one to suggest Harvard, so if I did not want to be awyer, what was my passion?


    It was then that I realised that Nichs had a say in almost every aspect of my life, something I had never thought about until now. I was so blindly in love with him that I let him decide my entire future.


    Well, I wasn¡¯t going to get anything done on an empty stomach, so I hopped off my bed and headed out of my room for breakfast. As I walk towards the stairs, I catch Sebastian on thending, and he turns around when he sees me. He was dressed, as usual, in his Tom Ford attire and looking more gorgeous than ever. Then a grin crosses his face and he picks me up, spins me around and nts kisses on my cheeks.


    This made me giggle so much that my stomach hurt. ¡°Sebastian!¡± I call out, but he continues to kiss me. I catch Ilse as she runs to the staircase, but when she sees us her hand flies to her chest and she beams at us looking close to tears. I think she was the one who rooted for this rtionship more than anyone. Bless her.


    ¡°Would you like to join me for breakfast in town, Elena?¡± he asks me after kissing me silly. I gently push him away, but he pulls me closer, and I drown in the scent of his yummy cologne.


    Oh, my. I will never tire of this man.


    ¡°I would love that, but first we¡¯ll need to run it past Ilse. I would hate to have insulted her if she cooked breakfast already.¡± I saw as I cock my head towards the woman who doubled as our mother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, lovies. Go out and enjoy yourselves!¡± We heard the little eavesdropper yell, and it caused us to chuckle. Sebastian then takes me by the hand and leads me out into the chilly morning.


    This would be our first day out as an actual couple, and it had mepletely giddy.

 Chapter33 Day Out With Sebastian

    Elena


    ¡°If those reports are not on my desk by the time I get to the office, we will have to rethink your position, Agatha.¡± I listen to Sebastian as his phone rings for the millionth time. They needed him in every aspect of his job as a CEO, and he made it look so easy. I never realised it before, but my husband was an incredibly busy man. And yet, somehow, he always made time for me. Not just today, but before when he would pop home to bicker with me for some unknown reason.


    The thought alone makes me smile and I move over to his side of the car, straddling him. There was no other way to cuddle in the Phantom because of the middle barrier, so I took advantage of this.


    Sebastian looks up at me with wide eyes and I lean down to nuzzle him while nting gentle kisses on his neck. He stifled a groan, and I smiled against his skin. ¡°Thank you, I will see you then,¡± He says ending the call, and I knew I was going to get it.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    He pushes the button to block the partition ss and pulls my head up. ¡°Are you trying to distract me while I am working, petite paquerette?¡± He asks me in a low voice that went straight to my core.


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± I start, ¡°I truly hate being ignored.¡± Batting my eyes at him, but all he does is spank my bottom and move me over to my seat. I look at him with a wounded expression, but he just chuckles. ¡°I would love nothing more than to take you in this car, Elena. But you have to heal. I promise tonight I will show you exactly what your bratty behaviour almost made me do.¡± He says and winks at me, then his cell phone rings again, but before he answers it, he gives me a hungry kiss that satisfies me for the moment.


    30 minutester, we reach Camden and arrive outside a high-end restaurant. Wow, gourmet for breakfast? I was just in the mood for a yummy omelette.


    The chauffeur opens my door while Sebastian gets out from the other side and takes my hand in his. I hear a camera click and only just noticed the three paparazzi in their cars. Did they follow us?


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get used to it now, my love. They¡¯re relentless when ites to our family.¡± Sebastian says and brings my hand up to his lips to kiss it.


    The paps never bothered me when I was with Nichs, but Sebastian had a bigger social presence, so it was to be expected. Not to mention that he was a billionaire who owned half of London.


    ¡°This is one of my favourite ces to get breakfast when I have a little time in the morning,¡± he tells me as we enter. Sebastian leads me to a private table at the back and I realise that this was a table marked specifically for him. ¡°Do you actually have time to have breakfast in the morning?¡± I asked him in an amused tone, to which he chuckles. ¡°I always have time for my lovely wife,¡± he responds with a wink that has my heart singing.


    He really has a way with words.


    We order our breakfasts, then Sebastian turns to me. ¡°You know, Elena, we could always get you into Oxford ifw is what you really want to study. Of course, that would mean you would get in with influence, but does that all matter now that you¡¯re married to me?¡± He says, but I look over at Sebastian with my mind made up. I had thought about it on my way here and wondered if he would think it a crazy idea.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± I start and see I had hisplete attention. ¡°I noticed how you were handling your staff over the phone on our way here, so I was wondering if I would be able to sort of shadow you for the day to see how you run things?¡± I ask him, uncertain of what his answer would be, but I see a big smile spreading over his face. ¡°You would want to spend the entire day with me in a corporate environment? I thought you found the business world boring.¡± He says with a chuckle, recalling what I had said at the masquerade ball.


    I roll my eyes at him. ¡°Yes, I would. On the surface it seems boring, I must admit. But from what I¡¯ve gathered, you run your business with an iron fist and I would love to take a peek on the inside if I may.¡±


    Sebastian regards me with¡­ awe? ¡°By all means, love. It would mean I get to see you all day, so why not? You won¡¯t intrude.¡± He answers me, and I immediately perk up. I would get to see my husband as he slips into his CEO persona and couldn¡¯t wait!


    ¡°You know, Social Season is almost upon us as well, so everyone would expect us to attend all the parties.¡± He adds and looks at me with amusement.


    Ugh, Social Season. I hated it because of my mother¡¯s constant faffing when April came around. She used to put us all on strict diets straight after Christmastime. Eliana took it all in her stride, but my mother was never happy with me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate Social Season for the parties,¡± I say and look down at my hands in myp, ¡°My mother would stuff me into corsets from February because I was ¡®too curvy¡¯ and hoped the other families wouldn¡¯t notice I was ¡®fat.''¡± Shame washes over me as I remember all her insults and reprimanding as if it was my fault God made me curvy.


    Mother of the year.


    Sebastian gets up and walks over to me. He goes down on his haunches and lifts my chin to face him. ¡°I would never force you to attend these events if you did not want to. We can rescind all our RSVP¡¯s.¡± He says and I smile at his thoughtfulness. ¡°There is nothing wrong with your body, Elena. You are perfect to me, inside and out. Your mother wasn¡¯t raising children, she was grooming brides and heirs.¡±


    Hisst line really surprised me; I never thought of it that way.


    I shake my head. ¡°Thank you, love. But I am a Dumont now. I will need to keep up my public appearance and I am looking forward to it for a change; because I will have you by my side.¡± I say, and he lifts his head up to kiss me.


    It was true. I was looking forward to stepping out as a Dumont this year with Sebastian and Mirabelle¡¯s support. They were more my family now than my own, and they treated me as if I was a human, not just an heir.


    Sebastian walks over to his seat again and takes my hand in his as our breakfast arrives, and we eat in silence. ¡°Wow! This is delicious!¡± I exim as the silky smooth omelette hits my tongue. Now I know why he makes time toe here. The food was amazing!


    Before Sebastian could answer, his cell phone rang again, and he rolled his eyes. Oh, my! Was I rubbing off on him?


    I giggle but then feel a shiver up my spine and a pair of eyes on me so I scan the restaurant. Being out with Sebastian meant eyes would always be on me, but this felt different, and I knew why.


    Nichs was sitting across the way with his fiancee, and he looked peeved off.

 Chapter34 Touchy-Feely Nicholas

    Elena


    Why was he looking at me like that?


    Annabelle was chatting away, and she was clearly in love, yet his eyes were on me. I offer him a kind smile, then break his gaze and focus on the man sitting opposite me. Sebastian sounds like he was putting out yet another fire at Dumont Enterprises, his voice was low but extremely firm.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that, love.¡± He says as he pockets his phone and looks at me.


    ¡°Duty calls, I understand.¡±


    The more I watch him, the more I fall in love. ¡°Well, that was Irene, my PA. My day isn¡¯t too busy, but I have moved the meeting with The Somersetts to 8 am this morning, and that¡¯s,¡± he says as he looks at his Patek Philippe timepiece, ¡°in half an hour¡¯s time so we had better finish up here if you wish to see your husband in action.¡± He finishes with a wink that made me giggle.


    I am feeling all giddy inside and polish off my breakfast. ¡°You are certain you want to spend the day with me, Elena?¡± Sebastian asks as he calls for the bill, and I frown at him. ¡°Of course I am. I cannot stay cooped up in the vi for another day longer! How will I find my calling if I don¡¯t venture out into the world? Who knows, I might like the corporate world.¡± I say confidently and hear him chuckle.


    ¡°Alright, then I cannot stop you. Let¡¯s get going.¡± He says and we both stand up, but I find I needed the loo then and tell him before heading towards the restroom. How would I look bursting for the toilet while Sebastian was busy negotiating a merger?


    I find that I was struggling a bit because ofst night. Was it normal to be so sensitive in yourdy bits after your first time? I suppose some have it worse than others.


    After finishing up in the restroom, I proceeded to walk out but felt my wrist being pulled back and I turned to face whoever it was.


    Nichs regards me with a re, and I am filled with trepidation. ¡°Nichs, lovely to see you,¡± I say, biting back my sarcasm, but his lips were a hard line. What did he want? I had absolutely nothing to say to him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand to see you with him,¡± he says through gritted teeth, causing me to scoff. ¡°Excuse me? You can¡¯t stand seeing me out with my husband?¡± I ask him, cing a hand on my hip and raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Elena. Everyone knows your marriage is a sham. Might as well get divorced now instead of in five years.¡± He says as I could feel the venom behind his words. If he had told me this any time before Sebastian and I admitted our feelings to one another, it might have hurt me. But I had a newfound confidence in my marriage that I could not wait to show off.


    ¡°Who said anything about getting divorced in 5 years?¡±


    Nichs¡¯ eyes widen at my statement and he moves to grab my wrists again, but I pull them out of his reach. ¡°Please, Elena, I am still willing to wait for you after 5 years. I still love you.¡± He says with pleading eyes, but all I do is regard him with distaste.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t love you, Nichs. Not anymore. There won¡¯t be a virginal notch to add to your belt after 5 years, anyway. So put the idea out of your head. Go to your fiancee and try to act like an engaged man, God knows she deserves better than what she will end up with.¡± I spit out and turn to walk to my husband, but Nichs pulls me back and I see the fury in his eyes. ¡°You let him touch you? After 3 years with me, and you let him have what was rightfully mine?!¡±


    ¡°You would do well to get your hands off my wife, Addington.¡± I hear the sexy voice of my husband as he saunters towards us, hands in his pockets. Breathing a sigh of relief, I snatch my wrist back from Nichs¡¯ grasp and walk up to him. His expression was stony but demanded respect to which Nichs submitted. With another dirty look thrown my way, my ex walks off.


    Sebastiances my fingers with his and brings my hand up to my lips to kiss it. ¡°I saw him following you but knew you could handle yourself. What I didn¡¯t bank on was his persistence.¡± He says as we walk out of the restaurant and open the Phantom¡¯s door for me. So my husband has faith in me, that was refreshing to know!


    I lean over the barrier between us and give him a kiss, smiling as he breaks it. ¡°What was that for?¡± He asks with a coy smile on his face and I shrug. ¡°Do I need a reason to kiss my husband?¡± I say as I bat my eyshes at him, but he just shakes his head with a smile as his phone rings once more.


    Sebastian was always the one for me. I cannot believe I was so blind to it this whole time, and for what? A dream to study abroad that wasn¡¯t even mine.


    Just as he kills his call, the cares to a stop outside Dumont Enterprises and I suddenly realise how nervous I was. I would shadow Sebastian in what would be important meetings. Did I really think this through? Oh well. It was toote to turn back now; Sebastian opens the door for me and I am blinded by shes of light.


    It seems the paparazzi followed us from our breakfast date.


    I straighten my back and Sebastian slips his hand into mine once more, leading me inside of his domain. He would revert to his CEO persona soon enough, and I was dying to see that side of him in person.


    The first thing I noticed was all the eyes on me as we stepped into the lobby. Looks of surprise and envy were all over his employees¡¯ faces. Some even shot daggers at me! Geez, this man was the wet dream of every female here.


    And he was all mine.


    ¡°They¡¯re staring at me,¡± I tell him in an amused tone, but all he does is chuckle as he leads me into the elevator. He was clearly used to the gawking women in here but seemed to ignore it altogether.


    We reached his floor and headed towards his office and walk towards his PA¡¯s desk. ¡°Good morning, Irene. This is Elena, my wife.¡± Sebastian introduces me to his PA, who immediately gets up and shakes my hand firmly. Nice, I like thisdy.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Mrs Dumont,¡± she says with an honest smile, which I return. Then she turns to Sebastian, ¡°Your schedule has been updated, synched and sent to your phone, sir.¡± She says, and he gives her a nod as a thank you. Then Sebastian lead me into his office, which I didn¡¯t get to look at properly, as he had me against the door.


    As he closes the office door behind us and again pins me up against it with a naughty grin, ¡°Feel familiar?¡± He asks, and I actually giggle out loud. This man will be the death of me. ¡°You made me fall in love with you in this position,¡± I tell him and see the surprise in his eyes. Then he leans forward and kisses me softly.


    ¡°Sebastian!¡±


    A voice came from the other side of the door, giving me a fright. Sebastian sighs and opens the door and a blonde bullet flies inside. ¡°Where the hell have you been? I have been trying to call you for thest half an hour! The Somersetts have been waiting for us in the boardroom. We need to sort this out before¡­¡± She trails off as she finally sees me. Her eyes widen as she takes me in, and I smile sweetly. ¡°Hello, Sarah.¡± I greet her and she regards me with nothing but¡­ jealousy?


    ¡°Eliana oops sorry, Elena. Lovely to see you again,¡± she says with a spoilt giggle, obviously trying to rile me up but I remain impassive andce my fingers with Sebastian¡¯s, who looked clearly amused at our exchange. This woman was going to be a thorn in my side, that was for sure.


    ¡°Now then, Elena, shall we head to the boardroom?¡± He asks me and Sarah makes a show of coughing. ¡°Excuse me? Why is she joining us?¡± She asks with her hands on her hips and gesturing towards me. Sebastian sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. ¡°Stop being a bitch, Sarah. My wife will be shadowing me today to gain some knowledge of the corporate world. Now, let¡¯s get this meeting over with.¡±


    My eyes widen at his reprimanding of Sarah and I stifle augh. She was not used to Sebastian shutting her down. ¡°Very well, this way.¡± She says and straightens her shoulders before walking out. I stand on my tiptoes and nt a kiss on Sebastian¡¯s cheek, ¡°Thank you, love.¡± I say without an exnation, but I could tell he knew what the thank you was for.

 Chapter35 The Merger and Unwanted Thoughts

    Elena


    Sebastian opens the door leading into the boardroom and I brace myself as my eyes fall on the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Adonis sitting at the table. He turns his head and looks at my husband with an impassive stare until his eyes fall on me.


    Surprise registers on his face as he takes me in, and I could feel the anger bristling from Sebastian while he leads me inside. ¡°I hope you haven¡¯t been waiting long, Elijah, I.¡± He shakes Elijah¡¯s hands as well as I¡¯s. I look at Sebastian¡¯s ex-love and notice the longing in her eyes as she stared at him.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Not at all, Sebastian. I am sure you wish to get this over with; as am I. So, let us start.¡± Elijah says in an all business-like voice, not the carefree voice he presented to me in the coffee shop.


    ¡°Very well. I hope you won¡¯t mind my wife sitting in on this meeting. She wishes to gain some corporate knowledge and what better way to start than with a merger of Britain¡¯s most powerfulpanies?¡± Sebastian says as he looks at me with so much pride that I blush. Elijah nods at this. ¡°Certainly. Now, Sebastian¡­¡±


    The meetingsted a better part of THREE. FRIGGING. HOURS.


    Good God, I had a feeling that Sebastian was good at negotiating, but it did not prepare me for this; every counter Elijah had, Sebastian had a better deal. Every hypothesis Elijah brought up, Sebastian squashed, and it went back and forth like this. Testosterone was thick in the room as the two Alpha males battled it out in a debate of wits.


    In the end, they came to an amicable agreement that satisfied bothpanies.


    ¡°Ah, Sebastian, I have not debated like this in a long time. You truly know your stuff.¡± Elijahpliments my husband as they shake hands once more. Sebastian smiles at this. ¡°I could say the same about you, Elijah. You had good points with certain things so I am quite interested to see what we wille up with in the future.¡± Sebastian says and I could tell he was truly excited by this.


    And here I thought both of them did not want this merger. Perhaps now they could put the past behind them and move forward.


    Elijah turns to walk out and I see I pull Sebastian to one corner; this left me with a burning in my chest I could only attribute to jealousy. I moved to walk over, but am stopped by a voice.


    ¡°Easy, Elena. Your husband only has eyes for you.¡± The husky voice of Elijah came, and I turned around to stare at him. Gosh, was every business executive in this town as Alpha as Sebastian and Elijah?


    ¡°I know that,¡± I answer him, and a chuckle escapes his throat. Turning to him, a thought crosses my mind. ¡°Why were you truly in that coffee shop, Elijah?¡± I ask him, suddenly feeling emboldened by my jealousy. He shrugs, ¡°I told you, running away from this very meeting.¡± He says, and I frown.


    ¡°So us bing acquainted there was mere coincidence?¡± I ask him, not believing him at all, but he nods.


    ¡°I truly did not know who you were, Elena. When I told me afterwards, I was just as surprised as you.¡± He says, then leans down to whisper in my ear, ¡°How Sebastian ended up such an exquisite beauty is beyond me. If only I had met you first¡­¡± He whispers in a breathy voice that sends shivers down my spine.


    I blush at this and step away from him, not meeting his eye after thatment, and move to walk over to Sebastian. But he grabs my wrist and straightens his back. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing in the corporate world when literature is your first love. This is not the environment where you would prosper in Elena.¡± He says, and I look at him in surprise. How did this man know what type of person I was just from spending an afternoon with me?


    I nod and walk over to my husband waiting husband, who was already wearing a murderous expression.


    ¡°Think nothing of it, love. He¡¯s trying to get to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s working,¡± He says through gritted teeth and I cup his cheeks in my palms, ¡°Don¡¯t show it, then he will know that I am your weakness,¡± I say, and surprise registers in his eyes before he nods.


    The following meeting wasn¡¯t as testosterone-fueled as the first one from this morning, but I got to see my husband in action and what a sight it was. He was not a billionaire for nothing; the man knew how to get things done, how to negotiate and n and put fires out. In short, it was a lovely sight to behold.


    ¡°Get your fill of the corporate world?¡± He asks me on our way home and I nod sleepily, ¡°Oh, absolutely. It was lovely watching you, I have learned so much just from this one day.¡± I tell him truthfully, and he draws my hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. ¡°I¡¯m d, love. Although you seem all tuckered out. Dinner, bed and bath for you when we get home.¡± He says, and I smile as I close my eyes, feeling myself drift off.


    ¡°Oh, were the rooms changed today?¡± I suddenly ask, remembering that we were supposed to sleep in the same bedroom from tonight. But Sebastian nods. ¡°Of course, I had everything sorted out for us already.¡± He says with a frown as if I had doubted him, but I just smile sleepily at him, knowing I would sleep next to him tonight.


    We arrived at the vi a few minutester and I couldn¡¯t be happier seeing my home. I haven¡¯t been out gallivanting in a while buting back here at the end of the day always made me happy.


    I get out of the Phantom bleary-eyed and lean into Sebastian. How did he do this every day without feeling as dead on his feet as I did? He definitely has a higher tolerance for the corporate world.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, love,¡± I start, trying to put into words the thoughts that I have been mulling over in my mind ever since Elijah¡¯sment this morning. He turns to me as we walk up the stairs and waits for me to continue. ¡°Law is definitely not my forte, neither is the corporate world; that will be your area of expertise. I know I love books and reading, so perhaps join the Faculty of English at Oxford as an undergraduate and see from there? I could attend an open day and learn some more about what the subject would entail.¡± I tell him my idea and notice the smile spreading over his face.


    ¡°That would be perfect for you, my love. I didn¡¯t think the corporate world would suit you at all. But literature, most definitely. We can talk about it more when you¡¯ve had some rest.¡± He says as we step into our unused bedroom. It looked simr to our separate rooms, only muchrger with our walk-in merged. I am sure the bathroom looked just as luxurious. Sebastian heads towards the bathroom and runs me a bath as I mull over today¡¯s little adventure.


    Literature was my first love, and Elijah had pointed it out before Sebastian did. Why was I letting him invade my thoughts? He had no business being on my mind as I stood in my marriage bedroom undressing. The way he had looked at me gave me a shiver down my spine, and I wondered what that look could mean.


    I just didn¡¯t know it yet, but Elijah would y a bigger role in my life than I originally expected.

 Chapter36 Early Morning Lovin’

    Sebastian


    I gaze down at Elena as she sleeps and my heart just feels full. She had chosen me, out of everything else, she had chosen me. Today I felt like the most powerful man alive with her by my side. She made me feel proud when I was in my meetings, and I could feel the stares of envy pointed straight at me. She was my Rebellious Heiress, my Queen.


    She suddenly stirs and moves her head to the side while mumbling something incoherent, and a smile spreads over my face. Elena was the most beautiful woman in the world and I had the privilege of now calling her my wife, my real wife. Her words of eptance are still on repeat in my head, as well as her calling out my name in ecstasy.


    Last night was beyond what I can put into coherent words. It was beautiful; it was passionate and dare I say; we made love. She made me feel like no other woman has before; she made me feel loved.


    I am never letting her slip through my fingers again; Elena is the love of my life, I realise this now. Whoever wants toe in between us will have to rip her love from my cold, dead fingers.


    I saw how Elijah was staring at her during our merger, and it had pissed me off to the point where I wanted to call off the meeting. However, that would have been extremely unprofessional, so I had to grin and bear it for three hours. He wanted her. I could see it in his eyes, and she was none the wiser. I would need to keep her away from him at all costs, or I would surely lose her to him. Not that I did not trust her, it was him I was worried about. He had the type of mind Elena would find interesting, and I could not afford for that to happen.


    I don¡¯t think my heart could recover from losing two women I had loved to the same malicious guy.


    Elena


    I stretch as the rays of a new day peek through the curtains;st night I had slept like that princess who finally had the pea removed from under her mattress. I smile as I feel my husband¡¯s arm around me and then I blush¡­ ahem¡­ his hello-good morning member was pressed against my lower back. I snuggle deeper into his embrace, ignoring the obstruction in my back, ¡°Hm, keep wiggling like that and I might just have to unsheathe this sword.¡± I hear him mumble behind me and I burst into a giggling fit.


    ¡°How vile, Mr Dumont!¡± I tell him as I try to control myughter, but he just pulls me closer to him and silences me with a kiss on my neck. ¡°Oh¡­¡± I trail off as I feel him nibbling my ear lobe and breathing on my neck.


    Wait, morning sex? Was I ready for this?


    I feel his hand trail over my breasts, grazing my nipples through the fabric and I let out a stifled moan. What was this man doing to me? He pulls down my nightie, taking my breasts in his hand. Then he proceeds to y with my nipples, squeezing and pulling them gently as his tongue is working circles in my neck.


    ¡°Sebastian..,¡± I breathed out at the sensation, then he was on top of me, iming my mouth as if it was for the first time. I feel the wolfish hunger in his kiss and I match his desire with my own, needing this, craving this. While we kiss, I am oblivious to him pulling my underwear down until he slowly inserts his finger inside me, testing my wetness.


    ¡°You¡¯re so ready for me, my love.¡± He whispers out as he pops his finger into his mouth, tasting me. Gosh, how could something so filthy look so sexy? Then he lowered himself down and inside me.


    This sensation was distinct from the first one; I felt full with him inside me. There was a dull pain, but I forgot about it as soon as he started slowly thrusting in and out. Oh my gosh! This feltpletely different to losing my virginity. This was¡­ Amazing!


    I wrap my legs around his waist and hear him groan as he thrusts deeper inside of me. We kiss as if the world did not exist, iming each other¡¯s body with each stroke and thrust. I could feel myself slowly building, but when he angles his stroke differently, I feel him hit a spot I never even knew existed and cry out my orgasm before I even knew I was close to the precipice.


    ¡°So beautiful,¡± Sebastian says with a husky voice as he continues to take me, my orgasm slowly ebbing away, then I feel him stiffen and find his own release inside of me.


    He opens his eyes and stares down at me with a sleepy smile before kissing me on my forehead and getting out of bed. My blush deepens when he picks me up and carries me over to the bathroom. I don¡¯t think we would ever shower separately anymore, and the thought alone made me smile.


    Sebastian turns on the shower, and the both of us wash the other; a ritual we developed since the night before. A ritual I have grown to love because of the intimacy that surrounds it.


    As soon as we were done, we headed into our shared walk-in and proceeded to get ready for the day. His yummy Tom Ford scent overwhelmed me as I watched him slip on his cufflinks. ¡°Meghan ck should be here with your dress any minute now,¡± Sebastian said suddenly, and I looked up at him with a frown. ¡°Meghan ck? Who¡­¡± Then I remembered that The Winter Ball was tonight! ¡°Oh! Ipletely forgot about the ball.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Sebastian chuckles and shakes his head. ¡°I thought as much. I¡¯ll be home by 5 pm this afternoon, so we can leave at 7 pm. Would you be ready by then?¡± He asks me and I nod my head, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make sure I am, love.¡± I reply as I slip on my underwear and sweater dress. His eyes were entirely on me as I was getting dressed, and I wondered what was on his mind. ¡°Is everything okay, Sebastian?¡±


    As soon as I asked him this, his expression darkened and I could tell something was wrong. So I walked over to his side and wrapped my arms around him. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the matter?¡± When I asked this, he peered down at me with a scowl, ¡°Elijah will be at the ball tonight as well.¡± He says, and my brows furrow. Why was he worried about Elijah being at the ball?


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I admit while shaking my head. From what I¡¯ve seen, I assumed that Elijah and Sebastian were back on good terms. A smile spread over his lips and he kissed my forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, love. I¡¯ll see you this evening.¡±


    With that, he grabbed his briefcase and cell phone and strolled out of our bedroom. Thispletely baffled me; why was Sebastian worried about Elijah being there this evening?

 Chapter37 Ball Gowns and Self Acceptance

    Elena


    ¡°Elena! Lovely seeing you again!¡± Came the cheery voice of Meghan as she saunters into the vi. She was dragging a garment rack behind her before she enveloped me in a hug. Her Dior scent was lovely, and it brought a smile to my face. ¡°Lovely to see you as well, Meghan. How was the flight over?¡± I ask her, and we make polite conversation. We had bonded over the dress design, and I quite liked her.


    ¡°You need to see how this dress turned out! Oh, you will be in absolute love!¡± She says with excitement to her voice that causes me to get hyped up as well. We walked over to the garment rack and as she unzipped the dress, my heart rate rose. It wasn¡¯t just beautiful, it was exquisite! The rose gold shimmered in the light sweetheart neckline that would amplify my modest bosom, and the long-sleeved shawl/bolero with Queen Anne neckline would keep the chill away. The dress had me melting!


    ¡°I¡­ I do not know how to express my feelings right now!¡± I tell her with tears in her eyes and wrap my arms around her again. She smiles and giggles at my response. ¡°I wish I got this response from all my other clients!¡± She says as I let go of her and we walk up the stairs to the master bedroom.


    Meghan frowns when she steps into the bedroom. ¡°We weren¡¯t in herest time, were we?¡± she says, clearly confused. I chuckle. ¡°No, this is Sebastian and my room. Come into the walk-in and we can get this started!¡± I tell her and she follows me in.


    20 minutester, she was the one with tears in her eyes as she regarded me with wonder. ¡°You make this dress what it is! On a mannequin is one thing but on you¡­ gorgeous!¡± She gushes as she walks around me, taking the dress in. I stared at myself in the mirror and could see what she meant. My curves were not hidden away, instead, they were entuated by the waistline and hugged my bodyfortably. ¡°I will definitely use you again, Meghan. Thank you for this.¡± I say, and we hug once more.


    She helps me get out of the gown and we walk down the stairs, ¡°Ready for tonight?¡± She asks, and I nod. I had no choice but to be ready, and this time I would not be alone; I would have Sebastian at my side. He loved my body and worshipped it, whereas at every other Winter Ball my mother would make rudements about my weight and curves.


    How did I put up with it for so long? Was it because she was my mother and had a say in my entire life? If there is one thing this marriage has taught me, it is that you need to remove all the toxic people from your life. I have not spoken to my mother since I left our wedding reception. Her behaviour there proved to me that she never thought of me as a daughter.


    ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be, tonight will be different, I can feel it,¡± I tell her, and she offers me a smile. We said our goodbyes, and I wandered to the kitchen, as I suddenly felt peckish.


    ¡°Ah, Mrs Dumont! Would you like some breakfast?¡± Ilse offers me as I take a seat in the breakfast nook. I nod, ¡°Please, Ilse! A full English, if you don¡¯t mind! I am ravenous and feeling brave this morning.¡± I say, and I notice the big smile on her face.


    I watch her as she prepares the food with a smile, the smell of garlic mushrooms making my mouth water! As she ced my food in front of me, she sighs, ¡°It is lovely to see you and Mr Dumont smiling and in love! It has brightened up the entire household!¡± She says with glistening eyes while beaming at me. I couldn¡¯t help it. My bottom lip trembled, and I enveloped her in a hug. ¡°Thank you, Ilse! I am done fighting what I feel for Sebastian, and ever since I gave into my feelings, I feel a thousand times lighter!¡± I say with honesty and she nods, not needing a further exnation, and she leaves me to eat in silence.


    After breakfast, I headed back up to the bedroom so I could do some research about Oxford. I would still love to get a degree behind my name, even if it was only English Literature. After about 5 hours of vigorous searching and reading, I discovered that there would be an Open Day with Oxford Alumni who have made a name for themselves in English Lit. If I am happy and taken by the course, I have to write the admission tests and submit a paper. Seems easy enough.


    The next Open Day was in a month¡¯s time, so plenty of time to get myself ready. When I submitted my admission to Harvard, I did not have this feeling of contentment over my heart as I did with the prospect of studying at Oxford. I was trying to run away from a life where I had the tools to make something of myself, but I am only realising this after moving away from my family.


    It seems that they were the ones keeping me tethered to the life of an heiress.


    The next few hours pass by in a blur and at 4 pm, Jean-Pierre and Sasha arrive to beautify me. ¡°Elena!¡± Jean-Pierre gushes in his gorgeous French ent as they walk into my shared room with Sebastian. They regard me with curiosity, until Jean-Pierre speaks up, ¡°So¡­ you and Sebastian¡­?


    I blush at this and both he and Sasha shriek, ¡°Oh my gods, you naughty minx!¡± Sasha says as we walk towards the bathroom to wash my hair. These two!


    ¡°Yes! Sebastian and I are together¡­together.¡± I say, not sure of how to put it into words. I have told no one about this yet, tonight they would all see. Jean-Pierre shes me a sly look as Sasha wets my hair at the basin, ¡°How is he in bed?¡± He asks, and I nearly jump up from my seat, but Sasha pushes me down and res at him. ¡°How rude, Jean-Pierre!¡± I cry out, but all they do is giggle at me.


    Dare I tell them about this morning? No! Definitely not!


    ¡°I am only curious as to how billionaires are in bed,¡± he says, feigning innocence and shrugging. This causes me to giggle uncontrobly, and Sasha directs her re at me. ¡°Sorry! Sorry!¡± I apologise and she sits me up, wrapping a towel around my hair.


    I stand up and look at them both. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I do not think I will ever tire of Sebastian Dumont,¡± I say with a sly smile, and both their jaws hit the floor. Sauntering out, they skitter after me and that was the end of that conversation.


    They¡¯re used to me being the outspoken and rebellious one, so the fact that I was keeping quiet about something like this really bothered them. They spent the next hour trying to get me to reveal more, but my lips were sealed!Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    After making me look gorgeous, they help me into my ball gown and I turn to look at myself in the mirror. Eliana was always the rose, the properdy¡­ the beautiful one. But tonight, I will be all of those. The dress, my hair and makeup all brought my look together. Does love do this? Does happiness cause you to see yourself in a different light?


    My transformation can attest to this.


    ¡°Exquise,¡± I heard my husband¡¯s silky voice behind me and knew he had arrived home. He must have taken the Phantom today because I didn¡¯t even hear his car pull up. I turn around to face him and he walks towards me, smiling, with eyes full of love. This made me blush and my eyes darted to Jean-Pierre and Sasha in the doorway; their eyes were as big as saucers.


    He kissed my cheek and his familiar scent had me aching for him, an ache I did not even know existed in loins!


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± He asks and I nod, then I take in his attire, noting the gorgeous three-piece Tom Ford suit and how well it clung to his body. ¡°I am,¡± I answer him, then I walk towards Jean-Pierre and Sasha. ¡°Thank you, loves. You have really done an exceptional job on me today!¡± I tell them and embrace them both. Jean-Pierre shakes his head. ¡°We only entuated your beauty, Elena.¡± He says as he grabs his implements and they wave goodbye.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, you know,¡± Sebastian says behind me and I smile, feeling beautiful for a change. Tonight I would notpare myself to anyone. Tonight I would be Elena Dumont, heiress and Sebastian Dumont¡¯s wife.


    Sebastian slips his hand into mine and we walk out, ready to face the public as husband and wife.

 Chapter38 The Midford Winter Ball

    Elena


    The Midford Winter Ball was always thest event before Social Season kicked off. They would expect me to attend all these events as a Dumont Representative, and somehow, I knew I could do it.


    ¡°By the way, love, I thought you might want to know that Sarah¡¯s family hosts this ball. She is a Midford.¡± He says, and my eyes widen at this. Sarah Midford? So not only did Sebastian screw around with his business partner, she was a Midford as well.


    This bothers me some, as he could easily have married her instead of me. Where I was literally royalty, she had a powerful name and family. They hailed from Australia and settled here over ten years ago. They did not have the same pull as The Wiltshires or Dumonts, but the name demanded respect.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you settle for someone like Sarah, Sebastian?¡± I blurt out without thinking, and I see the scowl forming on his face. Damnit, I surely know how to put my foot in it. He sighs. ¡°Because as much as Sarah and I shared a bed at times, we can not stand one another. Her alpha female disy in front of you the other day was just that; a disy. We loathe one another, Elena. If it wasn¡¯t for alcohol, I would never have touched her in the first ce.¡± He says, and I found that I believed him.


    Every time I caught them together, he had bourbon on his breath.


    Sebastian gets out of the car when we arrive and opens my door and I get out. He takes my hand in his and we saunter inside Midford Hall. This family loved putting their wealth on disy and were extremely arrogant in doing so.


    Heads turn to face us as we walk in, and I catch the envy radiating from every heiress and socialite in the room. Gosh, was Sebastian that attractive? I nced up at him with a swoon and decided that he was most definitely that attractive.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention, love, Oxford has an open day in about a month¡¯s time which I will be attending, Oxford Lit Alumni will be attending. I am hoping to pique one of the Alumni¡¯s interests enough for them to mentor me.¡± I say, telling him about my day, and I see the warmth in his eyes. He nods. ¡°I am sure you will pique all of their interests, love. I am so very proud of you.¡± He says and nts a gentle kiss on my forehead.


    The forehead kisses he gives always mean more to me than a deep and passionate one, and I am sure he just cemented our marriage in front of the others.


    We spent the next few hours socialising and for once; I felt free. As if I could take on the world with Sebastian at my side. ¡°Elena, darling!¡± The voice of Mirabelle came, and I turned to face her. Oh, my gosh, I have missed this woman!


    ¡°Mom!¡± I say, wrapping my arms around her in a warm embrace and taking in her lovely scent. She looked beautiful in her deep burgundy gown and I told her as such, but she waved me off. ¡°Oh, psh, you are the gorgeous one, this dress! Dior?¡± She asks and I nod. ¡°How could you tell?¡± I ask her, impressed by her keen eye, and she shes me a smile. ¡°Because I use Dior, Meghan is a God sent and her work is impable.¡± She admits and I smile at this, having seen her and my dress, I knew this to be true.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re drinking wine. Will I be getting a grandchild soon?¡± She suddenly asks me and I, in a verydylike fashion, sputter and choke on my wine. I cough and dab at my mouth with a napkin. ¡°Uhm, not any time soon as I will be studying for the next 3 years,¡± I tell her honestly.


    Children? NOW? I do not think so; I am in no position to be a mother while my husband works and sees the world. I will make a name for myself so my future children could be proud of their mother for being more than an heiress.


    Mirabelle pouts. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long, dear. I would like to enjoy my grandchildren while I am still in my prime!¡± She says and takes a sip of her champagne. This woman, I love her to bits but she also made me want to pull my hair out. ¡°I won¡¯t, mom. I promise.¡± I say and nt a kiss on her cheek, to which she smiles. Her eyes shine with unshed tears as she looks at me, ¡°You remind me so much of my Michelle,¡± she says before walking off and leaving me with one question on my mind.


    Who is Michelle?


    I look around the room and see my best friends, Esme and Charlotte as they stood and chatted to their respective fiancees. They see me and I wave, smiling warmly at them, and they blow kisses at me, causing me to giggle. When Sebastian left to talk to some investors, they had immediately pulled me to one side requesting I tell them everything since they heard all the rumours surrounding our marriage. So I told them everything, with them shrieking in all the right ces; especially when I told them I was no longer a virgin. They looked so happy for me and wished me all the happiness ever. Esme would leave for Australia as Steven Midford was her intended. Charlotte would stay here because her fiancee was a Lord up in Kensington, which meant I would see her more.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I feel intense eyes on me and scan the room again, my eyes falling on Nichs. Rolling my eyes, I look away from him and walk over to the other side of the hall to find adies¡¯ room. I never thought seeing Nichs would sicken me to the point of nausea, but that was how I felt now. He deceived me, all to get me into bed then ship me off to The States.


    I feel a rough grip on my wrist as I turn the corner and spin around to face my assant, ready to push him away. Nichs pins me to the wall and peers down at me. ¡°Did you truly mean what you said?¡± He asks me and I can smell the vodka on his breath. This scared me even more, as Nichs never used to drink alcohol.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Nichs?¡± I ask him as terror creeps into my heart. What was he going to do? He res down at me. ¡°Did you give Sebastian what was mine to take?¡± He says in a low growl and I try to push him off me, to no avail. I knew I would not be able to overpower him because he works out daily, so I was basically pushing against a brick wall.


    ¡°That has nothing to do with you!¡± I cry out, looking around for help, but there was no one around. Where was the Midford staff?! He moves his face closer to mine and I feel my blood run cold, ¡°Oh, but it has everything to do with me, Elena. Your virginity was mine to take and now that you have given it up to someone unworthy, I will just have to sample you as I never could before.¡± He says, and I feel his lips on mine as he forces his tongue inside my mouth. I try to push him away, but it is useless. Nichs rips the front of my gown and paws my breasts, squeezing them painfully, and I cry out in pain, with tears streaming down my face.


    He removes something from his pocket, and I feel my dress rip open even more.


    ¡°Your body is mine, Elena!¡± He says in a low growl as he separates my legs with his foot and he pushes against me again. I could feel his arousal through his pants and whimper as he refused to budge from in front of me.


    ¡°Nichs, please!¡± I beg him through sobs, but all he does is force more kisses onto me. I mped my eyes shut when suddenly I felt him being wrenched away from me. I hear blows and punches and Nichs crying out in pain. I didn¡¯t dare to open my eyes, in case this person wanted to finish what Nichs started.


    ¡°How dare you touch Lady Dumont! You are not even worthy of being in her presence!¡±


    My eyes flew open at those words. That voice, the voice of my saviour was¡­

 Chapter39 Elena’s Protectors: London’s Wealthiest Men

    Elena? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Elijah!


    I take in his blonde hair that had fallen out of the ponytail he had it in, and his bloody knuckles from punching Nichs, who was now curled up in a ball on the floor. Elijah looks at me, then looks away as he takes off his suit jacket. He walks towards me with downcast eyes and covers up my torn dress.


    I could do nothing but stare at him in a daze while my tears kept on falling. Nichs had sexually harassed me and was about to do God knows what if Elijah didn¡¯t step in? I couldn¡¯t help it. I threw myself into his arms and he held me as I sobbed for my lost dignity. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay, Elena. He will not get away with this.¡± Elijah says, trying to console me as I wept.


    Then he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. ¡°Sebastian, I need you toe to the hall leading to thedies¡¯ room. Something has happened.¡± He says, then pockets his phone again.


    The reality of his words hit me; Sebastian wasing here, and he would surely murder Nichs.


    ¡°Sebastian will kill him,¡± I say in a whisper, and Elijah nods. ¡°As well he should for touching you. I would kill him myself, but you are Sebastian¡¯s, and he would want to do it for your honour.¡±


    Just as he says this, I see my husband round the corner and stop in his tracks. He takes in the scene; My torn dress covered by Elijah¡¯s jacket, Elijah¡¯s bloody knuckles as he held me and Nichsying in a heap on the floor.


    His mind puts two and two together then he loses it. As he runs towards me, Elijah lets go and my husband wraps me in his arms; then I start sobbing hard. ¡°What happened here?¡± He asks Elijah through gritted teeth, and I feel the anger radiating from him. Elijah walks towards Nichs and pulls him to his feet as he lets out a whimper. ¡°I caught Addington here sexually harassing our Elena. He tore her dress to shreds, and he looked like he had other things on his mind as well, didn¡¯t you Addington?¡± Elijah says as he faces Nichs.


    ¡°Her virginity was not yours to take! Besides, she wanted it!¡± Nichs calls out in a pathetic whimper and Sebastian lets me go. He walks over to Nichs and punches him repeatedly in the stomach, thennds one on his nose.


    I turn to look at Nichs with a burning anger in my chest. ¡°That¡¯s a lie and you know it!¡± I scream as tears of anger now flow down my cheeks. How dare he!


    ¡°I will ask Sarah to get the surveince tapes and we will see for ourselves, not that I believe a word of what you¡¯ve said, Addington. For now, let¡¯s get you home, love.¡± Sebastian says as he walks back to me and hugs me tightly. He looks towards Elijah and holds out his hand. ¡°Elijah, I have no way to thank you for what you¡¯ve done today. I owe you a debt, my friend.¡± He says, and Elijah takes his hand with a smile.


    ¡°I have wronged you greatly in the past, Sebastian. Consider the debt paid.¡± He says as he shakes my husband¡¯s hand. Sebastian nods. ¡°I will have this returned to you in the morning. Again, thank you, Elijah.¡± He says as he gestures to Elijah¡¯s coat that was covering my beautiful, torn dress. I nce up and Elijah and I see a sh of something in his eyes hurt? Regret? I didn¡¯t have time to figure it out, as Sebastian pulled me towards the exit.


    What Nichs did to me is on repeat in my mind. The man I used to love and adore wanted to rape me because I gave myself to another. How did I not see the predatory side of him before? Or did I see it, and know it was there, but then push it out of my mind?


    All these questions run through my mind on the drive home. Sebastian had me on hisp and his arms around me, apologizing profusely for leaving me alone. As if it was his fault I had a rapist for an ex-boyfriend. ¡°My love, this is not on you. Nichs is unhinged because I told him I am no longer a virgin. I thought by telling him that, he would leave me alone but it just made him feel more possessive of me.¡± I tell him with honesty and feel the angering off him in waves.


    ¡°I should have been there, not Elijah.¡± He says with hurtcing his voice, and I peer up at him. ¡°I would have been thankful even if it was a server pulling him off me, Sebastian. The fact that it was Elijah has no effect on me.¡± Didn¡¯t it, though? Elijah saved me from a fate I would not wish on any woman, and I was eternally thankful to him for it.


    He nods then. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this has happened, love. I am making this about me and my ego when something terrible was done to you. Addington will pay for this, that I can promise you.¡± He says and holds me closer, kissing my forehead.


    We spent the rest of the drive home in silence with one another. Sebastian called Sarah and exined what happened and why he needed those surveince tapes. She said she would get back to him with it in the morning.


    When we arrived at the vi, Sebastian carried me up the stairs and into our bathroom. He pushed the button to fill the spa and took Elijah¡¯s jacket from my body. He bristled with anger as he took in the damage to my dress and how far Nichs got with his assault to my body; blue marks were forming on my breasts where he gripped me.


    ¡°He will pay for this, Elena.¡± He repeats through gritted teeth and kisses the aching spots on my breasts. With the spa filled, I bent down to remove my underwear. But Sebastian shook his head and said he wanted to do it for me, so I allowed him to. When I waspletely naked, he lowered me into the spa bath and got in behind me. Wey like this for a while until he finally spoke.


    ¡°I thought my greatest threat tonight would be Elijah and his advances towards you. Never in my life would I have dreamed this would happen to you, love. I am so sorry I was not there to protect you from what happened. I promise to be a better husband from here on and a better protector.¡±


    The tears that were brimming my eyes fell free as his admission hit my heart. Even if Elijah tried to flirt, I would have shut him down. ¡°My love, if Elijah flirted with me, I would have to shut him down. I am yours. That won¡¯t change until one of us is no longer of this world.¡± I say and peer up at him, nting a kiss on his cheek. ¡°I am not I, my loyalty lies with you and only you.¡±


    He stiffens at this. Okay, maybe I took it a bit too far with the I bit, but he needed to realise that I was with him for life. Kissing my forehead, he sighs. ¡°You should not have gone through what you did tonight, and we will work through the repercussions together.¡± He says. And this made me frown. ¡°Repercussions?¡± I ask and he nods.


    ¡°What you went through must have been extremely traumatic, Elena. It will eat at you until you work through it, and I will be by your side, never wavering.¡± He says, then I finally understand what he means. And he was right. I loved Nichs, and he betrayed me in the worst possible way.


    I nod and he holds me close again, ¡°I love you, Elena.¡±


    Did I hear that right? Did he just admit that he loves me??? I am so stunned that I could not respond to him, and I think he must take it as me not loving him back. Afterwards, he gets out of the spa and wraps a towel around himself before heading towards me and wrapping one around my shivering frame. We head towards the walk-in, and I soak up the warmthing from the vents on the floor. Tonight I opted for fluffy pink pyjamas and Sebastian headed to bed before me. He was quiet as we got dressed, and I wondered what was on his mind.


    I climb under the heatedforter and snuggle into Sebastian¡¯s arms, releasing a sigh as I finally feel home.


    Sebastian admitted that he loved me. I think I had always known this, but we never pushed the subject. Saying it woulde naturally, but it didn¡¯te to me at all when he said it. I was so stunned by him saying it that it rendered me speechless.


    But do I love Sebastian? The answer was a resounding yes.


    ¡°I love you too, Sebastian,¡± I admit to him as I drift off to sleep and feel him letting out a content sigh.

 Chapter40 Oxford Open Day

    Elena


    It was the Oxford Open Day, and I was a ball of unrepressed nerves. Thest month has been extremely hectic in terms of my mental health and I finally realise now that what happened to me was not my fault. Nichs has been a sexual predator since high school, and after my story hits the news and media outlets, so many other girls havee forward with their own stories, some even with stories that yed out while I was still with him.


    It seems I started a #MeToo movement among the wealthy upper ss.


    As it turns out, there was no video footage of what urred between Nichs and I. It had been erased but Sebastian and Elijah¡¯s statements coupled with my torn dress and photos of my bruises were enough to prosecute him. But Anabelle¡¯s statement was what surprised us all; what she had to say cemented Nichs¡¯ fate, and the Addington¡¯s became pariahs in the social circles. Sebastian financially crippled them by causing their stocks to drop. I would like to say that I was sorry for them, but I was not; Mr Addington knew what his son was capable of because they were so much alike.


    Yes, that is exactly what I mean.


    My phone was ringing somewhere on my desk and the caller ID told me it was Anabelle calling. Yes, you read that right. We have be quite close over thest month or so, especially after we found out how alike we are. To top it off, she was enrolled in Oxford at Exeter College in the same course I was thinking of applying for! That I could rte to someone on such a deep level astounded me; Sebastian calls us soul sisters because of how alike we were. But, where I¡¯m brte, she¡¯s a perky blonde with bright green eyes, with a tall, waif-like body. Also, she admitted to me that she was actually a lesbian who had to hide what she was from her family as she needed to produce an heir to continue the line; she was an only child.


    ¡°Hey, Belle,¡± I answered my cell phone and perched it in the crook of my neck as I continued to get my things together. ¡°You¡¯rete, babe. The alumni are trickling in and I think you will be most impressed at the oue.¡± She says and I mentally curse my tardiness this morning. I was on light anti-anxiety medication and my mind was all over the ce now.


    ¡°I am leaving as we speak! Down the stairs and out the door!¡± I exim and she giggles. I will most definitely bete; it takes about an hour to get to Oxford Uni¡¯s main campus from Kensington, and again I reprimand myself. My scattered mind will have to be brought up at my next appointment with my doctor.


    ¡°Good, because I am rather lonely here all by myself,¡± she says.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even be there, you tart, you¡¯re already enrolled in the course!¡± I say with augh as I get into the Maybach and we leave the estate. Anabelle giggles, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it! You want to catch the attention of at least one alumnus and I will get nowhere on the Thompson name alone; I need good backing if I want to be a published author. These guys will be brutally honest in their review of me and ignore my family name, that¡¯s all I want.¡± She says, and this made me smile; Anabelle was as ambitious as I was and really well-read in ssic literature; she truly was my soul sister and was steadily bing my best friend. After the thing with Nichs, no one wanted to be associated with her, so I approached her and apologized for my role in her loneliness. But she wasn¡¯t bitter at all. She was just relieved that our stories were heard and believed.


    ¡°Just leave an alumnus for me, please I will be there soon!¡± I ask her in jest, and we say our goodbyes after that.


    Thest month has been hard, but also enlightening. The two girls I thought were my best friends havepletely cut me out of their lives because of the scandal with Nichs. I thought we were closer than that, but they revealed that they were friends with me because of my name alone. This hurt me deeply, but Sebastian says that it was for the best; actual situations often revealed people¡¯s true intentions.


    Speaking of Sebastian, our marriage has been steadily improving in all aspects. We still make love almost every evening (and morning if I must be terribly honest) and his mother¡¯s queries of children have been on the increase.


    I am terribly sorry, but I do not think it wise to bring a child into a world where their mother was trying to improve herself for the better. Our marriage was still new, and we needed to get to know one another properly first; Sebastian agrees with this wholeheartedly. The whole arranged marriage and popping out heirs for the family was extremely medieval, and I refuse to conform to their expectations of me.


    They didn¡¯t call me The Rebellious Heiress because I liked conformity.


    Fifty-five minutester, we arrived at Exeter College. I told the driver that I would be there for a while so he could take a break as he waited for me. I make my way over the lushwns and I look down to pull out my phone, but as I do so I bump smack bang into someone. I faltered and brace myself for the fall, but it never came as the other person grabbed my wrist and I steady my feet.


    ¡°Oh, my gosh! I am so sorry-¡± I start to apologize, but as I look up I find myself staring straight into the clear blue eyes of Elijah Somersett. My mouth goes dry as I notice the slight smile ying on his lips and he lets go of my wrist. ¡°Elena?¡± He asks with a curiosity to his eyes and I nod and return his smile. ¡°Hello, Elijah,¡± I responded, and suddenly felt incredibly awkward.


    Why was I always running into this man? He may have saved me from a horrendous fate, but being around him makes me nervous. After my ordeal, he came to see me at the vi, with Sebastian¡¯s permission, of course. He apologised for seeing me naked when Nichs was assaulting me, a gesture I thought was incredibly sweet. He and Sebastian have made ns to open safe houses for abused women and are calling them Daisy¡¯s Home a secret homage to me. The two are getting along so much better now, and I thought his attraction to me would have ceased, but it has not. He still looks at me with longing, so I tried to stay clear of him.


    Elijah gives me a warm look. ¡°And what might you be doing here, Jane?¡± he asks, referring to me by the character of my favourite book; a nickname he started calling me recently. I cross my arms in front of me. ¡°I could ask you the same question, Mr Somersett. Here to brush up on your ssic Lit?¡± I ask, but all he does is chuckle.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± he says before cocking his head towards the entrance. ¡°Join me, the lecture is about to start.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I follow Elijah inside and I marvel at the beauty of the old building; it is visually stunning! ¡°Wow!¡± I remarked out loud and heard Elijah chuckle at my awe of the building. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that you were interested in applying to Oxford. Is this a recent development?¡± he asks me as we make our way down the halls. I shake my head. ¡°No, it has been on my mind since my shadowing of Sebastian; I decided the business world was not for me,¡± I say and I am taken back to his words in Dumont Industries¡¯ board room:


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing in the corporate world when literature is your first love. This is not the environment where you would prosper in Elena.¡±


    He gives me a dimpled smile and a slight nod, ¡°I knew that already,¡± he says before wee to a stop outside the lecture hall. He opens the door for me and we enter the room together. This was when I noticed all the eyes in the room that were trained on me, especially Anabelle¡¯s in the back row.


    ¡°I will speak with youter, Elena. Enjoy the Open Day.¡± Elijah says his goodbye with a smile and touches my upper arms. I return his goodbye with a nod before heading over to Anabelle. She gawked at me as I sit down. ¡°How the hell do you know Elijah Somersett?!¡± she exims in a hushed tone and I shrug as a frown ys over my brows. ¡°He¡¯s Sebastian¡¯s business partner and the one who saved me that night from Nichs,¡± I say and her eyes widen at my response.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s also a top alumnus here and currently the one who will be giving us this lecture.¡± She says and now it was my turn for my eyes to widen. Was that why everyone¡¯s eyes were trained on me as we walked in?


    ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡± Elijah starts. Could I possibly ask him to be my mentor? This thought runs through my mind as he delivers his 2-hour lecture and by the end, I was more impressed by this man than ever before.

 Chapter41 Never Touch Me Again

    Elena


    I walk up to Elijah at the end of the lecture with Anabelle in tow and shake my head. ¡°Very sneaky, Mr Somersett. Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were the alumni delivering the lecture this morning?¡± I ask, and he tries to hide his smile. ¡°I guess I wanted to surprise you. Did it work?¡±


    Did it work? More than.


    ¡°Well, I was certainly surprised, yes. Your lecture was very well thought out and spoken, I think I might just take this course after all.¡± I say and I see him turn serious at this. ¡°It¡¯s not easy though, Elena. Exeter will test you proficiently, and if you fail, it takes quite a while toe back from it.¡± He says, and I am taken back at the honesty of his words. Surely it wasn¡¯t that difficult?


    ¡°Are you speaking from experience, or are you only trying to scare me from applying?¡± I ask him, crossing my arms in front of me, ¡°Anabelle has enrolled, and she is extremely happy here.¡±


    ¡°Miss Thompson is a prodigy from what I have heard,¡± He says and turns to Anabelle. He holds out his hand for her to take and kisses the back of it. ¡°Lovely to finally meet the beautiful Anabelle that has the lecturers here in a t spin. I have read your manuscripts and essays and I must say, you have a brilliant mind. Following in the footsteps of your grandfather?¡± He asks,pletely ignoring me and focusing his attention on Anabelle.


    She nods shyly. ¡°Yes, or trying to. He has always been my inspiration growing up and is the reason I chose ssic Lit as my major.¡± She says and Elijah nods. ¡°Ah, I see, perfect choice. I wrote my dissertation on his works when I finished my degree here. He truly had a brilliant mind, very much like you,¡± He says,plimenting her again and I feel an unknown burning in my chest.


    What was wrong with me? Was I feeling jealous of this exchange???All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Mr Somersett, but I am quite the novice at this,¡± Anabelle says honestly and I turn to look at her. I shouldn¡¯t be feeling the way I do. Anabelle deserves this so much. She was trying to get out from her grandfather¡¯s shadow and thought this would be the best ce to apply, but everyone was alwaysparing her to him.


    ¡°I could be your mentor if you wish? There are still a few good years left in me and I wouldn¡¯t mind offering my time to you.¡± Elijah offers and my heart drops at this; I was going to ask him to be my mentor, and I think he knew. Was he doing this on purpose?


    Anabelle perks up at this, ¡°Oh, truly? I would love that!¡± She exims as she tries to contain her excitement. This actually made me smile and realise that I was being silly for feeling jealous. Anabelle deserves the attention, and so much more than I. Elijah smiles and takes a card out of his breast pocket. ¡°These are my details. Please do not hesitate to contact me whenever you would like to pour over your work or need a helping hand. I will always be avable.¡± He says, and Anabelle nods with a smile. It was then that I thought maybe he could fall in love with Anabelle and forget about me. This would make our rtionship so much better, and I would stop feeling awkward around him.


    If only Anabelle weren¡¯t gay.


    My heart feels lighter somehow as I took their exchange in with a smile; Anabelle looked so happy this was the first time in weeks that I have known her. Elijah¡¯s attention seemed to renew something in her spirit, and for that I was thankful.


    During their conversation, Anabelle¡¯s phone rings and she excuses herself as it was her mother on the line. When she walks away, Elijah leans into me and whispers in my ear, ¡°That feeling in your chest is just a snippet of how I feel every time I see you with Sebastian.¡± He then walks away from me, leaving me pissed off and confused.


    I turn around and walk out of the lecture hall, not wanting to be close to this man any longer. I don¡¯t want Elijah, not at all! But I couldn¡¯t help but feel intrigued by him and his charm. Would I ruin what I have with Sebastian for him? Definitely not. Sebastian was my home, my love and my future. Elijah was an unwanted distraction who has hurt my husband at every turn. Just being intrigued by him felt like a betrayal.


    ¡°Elena, wait!¡± I hear Anabelle call behind me as she trots in her heels to get to me. ¡°What was that back there?¡± She asks me with a frown, and I shrug. ¡°Elijah Somersett wants to mentor you and I think you deserve it so much,¡± I told her, but she shook her head, a bit upset. ¡°Not that, Elena,¡± she starts. ¡°You know exactly what I am talking about; there¡¯s a sexual tension between the two of you and everyone can feel it.¡±


    ¡°Uh, no, I think you misread that; Elijah screwed Sebastian over in the past. There is no way I would be attracted to someone like him.¡± I say and she scoffs, ¡°I said nothing about an attraction, but I think you have just admitted it to yourself.¡± She says and ces her hands on her hips. ¡°Are you sure you want to go down that road, Elena? Think about what you have to lose if this keeps up between you and Elijah.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything for Elijah, Belle! I love Sebastian, he is my home and husband, I would never even think of betraying him like that, especially not with Elijah!¡± I exim and walk away from her.


    How dare she! But Anabellees up behind me and grabs me by the wrists. ¡°Elena, I am only saying these things because I am your friend, your real friend who would hate to see you walk down a path of ruin. Even though I can see how incredibly sexy Elijah is and his mind intrigues me a lot, however, I would stay clear of him. He is not called a man whore for nothing; he has bedded so many heiresses and socialites with his slick tongue, and I don¡¯t want to see you fall victim to his charms.¡± She says, and I am utterly shocked at what she has said. I had no idea Elijah had such a bad romantic reputation and I would definitely stay away from him knowing this piece of information.


    I sigh, ¡°Thank you, Belle,¡± I say and wrap my arms around her. ¡°I really mean that, thank you. I can be such a brat sometimes that I don¡¯t even realise when someone only has my best interests at heart.¡±


    Anabelle only gives me a knowing smile. ¡°You¡¯re wee, babe. Now please tell me you will consider enrolling? Exeter will be so much better with you here!¡± She says, but I had already made up my mind; I would most definitely be enrolling here.


    I tell her this and after a few more minutes of chatting;, we say our goodbyes and go our separate ways. When I arrived at my car, I told Lionel to take me to my coffee shop in Camden Town so I could spend the day working on my essay. The coffee shop would provide me with a sense of serenity as I typed away at myptop.


    When we arrive at the coffee shop, I noticed that it was surprisingly quiet for a Wednesday. But feeling thankful as well. There was no way I could deal with a crowd right now; not when I was in a creative spiral, as I was now. So I ordered my regr and was about to getfortable with myptop when my phone rang. I take it out of my handbag and smile.


    It was Sebastian.


    ¡°Hey, love,¡± I say when I answer the phone and can feel his smile through the phone. ¡°Hey, baby. How did things go at Exeter?¡± He asks and I sigh, what a tale. ¡°Where do I start? For one, Elijah was there as an alumnus and gave a lecture. Why didn¡¯t you warn me that he was an alumnus? Then he goes and offers to be Anabelle¡¯s mentor, which is an amazing thing for her if she wants to get out from her grandfather¡¯s shadow. But in the end, I have decided to apply and enrol.¡± I tell him and wait for his response.


    ¡°Ah, love, itpletely slipped my mind. I¡¯m sorry. But this is good news. How do you feel?¡± He asks. His jealousy of Elijah was long gone as our love deepened. ¡°A bit stressed, I must admit. My essay needs to blow them away, but I ampletely stumped as to what my subject matter could be.¡± I admit as I close myptop again. Gosh, what could I write about?


    Sebastian chuckles. ¡°I am sure you¡¯lle up with something, love. For now, I need to go to my next meeting. Dinner tonight?¡± He asks and I immediately get excited at this. ¡°Of course, anything to see my sexy husband in a tailored suit!¡± I say and hear him chuckle again.


    ¡°I love you, Elena.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, babe. See you tonight.¡±


    We say our goodbyes, then the smile leaves my face as soon as I see myptop again. Ugh, what could my written work be about? I contemted the Bronte sisters, but I was certain it had been done to death already. So I just decided to pack up rather and leave for home; I would get nowhere sitting around like this.


    ¡°Leaving so soon?¡±


    I roll my eyes and sigh out loud at the voice behind me. Ugh. ¡°Are you following me, Elijah?¡± I ask as I turn around to face him. I shoulder myptop bag, pick up my handbag and pocket my cell phone. Wow, I was carrying a lot of things.


    Heughs at my question, ¡°Now why would you think that?¡± Uh, maybe because you¡¯re here now after saying you get jealous of my husband and me together? I scoff at his questions. ¡°I have other things to do, Elijah and I have to leave. Have a lovely day further.¡± I say and move to walk past him, but he grabs my upper arms and immediately I freeze up.


    My heart starts beating frantically as I nce down at his hand on my arm and I feel a bead of sweat running down my back. My breathing bes ragged and I start shaking; the beginning of a panic attack.


    ¡°Elena?¡± Elijah asks in a worried tone and lets go of my arm so he can face me. He leans down and sees my bottom lip tremble. ¡°Elena-¡±


    ¡°Never touch me again,¡± I say in a low voice and make my way towards the door, practically running towards the parked Maybach. As soon as I get in, I do my breathing exercises and manage to calm myself down without relying on my meds for a change.


    I spot Elijah as he exits the coffee shop then tell Lionel to leave immediately; there was no way I would allow him to put his hands on me again. Yes, he was my saviour that night but it gave him no right to touch me without consent. The only man I allowed to touch me in any way was Sebastian. And he would want to know about what just happened and that Elijah was definitely not his friend.

 Chapter42 Just A Small Gift..?

    Elena


    Curled up in bed as the day¡¯s events y over in my head. I truly wanted this position at Exeter, but Elijah has put me off going. I refuse to do online courses because I am tired of being stuck in this vi all day. Urgh!


    I changed my mind about going out tonight. I¡¯m not interested in being around people right now. Today has been more disappointing than anything else and it all had Elijah¡¯s name written on it. I have grown so tired of his advances. How much longer will he continue to pursue me when he knows that I am Sebastian¡¯s?


    A knock on the door sounds and in walks my husband with a worried frown on his face. ¡°Is it safe to enter?¡± he asks, and I smile as I sit up from the safety of my fluffy nket. ¡°Only for you, love,¡± I answer and he walks in after closing the door behind him. He sits down next to me on the bed and takes my hand in his. ¡°What happened after our phone call?¡± he asks, holding my gaze. I sigh at this question. How do I answer him? Where do I start?


    ¡°Elijah happened. He followed me to my coffee shop and continued to harass me there. He seems to think that I feel something other than admiration for him, which is not the truth. As I left, he grasped my upper arm to stop me and it sent me straight into a panic attack.¡± I said, and I could see the anger rising in his eyes. ¡°It seems I am not quite over the Nichs ordeal.¡±


    He takes me in his arms and holds me in a tight embrace. ¡°I will handle Elijah, leave that to me. The thing that bothers me the most is that it seems you are heading into a depressive spiral, my love. I have noticed it over the past few weeks and it is something we need to work on before you can¡¯t pull yourself out of it. In the past you would have handled Elijah without being this bundle of self-pity and tears, so now I am stepping in.¡± He says and before I could get mad at his words, he stood up and pulled me to my feet, then he threw me over his shoulder!All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sebastian!¡± I call out, but all he does is give my bottom a smack and walk downstairs with me slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.


    Oh, my gosh, I am mortified! The staff all cheered us on as we walked through the vi, but all I could do was cover my zing face. My eyes fall on Ilse and my heart feels full; she had her hand to her chest and unshed tears in her eyes. My mother, for all intents and purposes!


    Someone opens the front door and Sebastian leads me to the Phantom. He puts me down before opening the door, climbing in and pulling me on to hisp. ¡°Sebastian, what the heck are you doing?!¡± I exim, but all he does is smile at me before cing a blindfold over my eyes. ¡°Stop being such a brat, Elena and just trust your husband.¡± He said and then we were off. The worst part was that I couldn¡¯t hear anything except my and Sebastian¡¯s breathing; another perk of this vehicle, so I couldn¡¯t even listen or get a hint as to where we were going.


    ¡°You do realise that I am in my pyjamas, right?¡± I ask him and hear him chuckle. ¡°And you look as beautiful as you do in a ballgown, my love.¡± He says as he rubs the small of my back in circles and nts a kiss on my shoulder. I sigh at this. Where was he taking me?


    About 30 minutester, the vehiclees to a stop and Sebastian opens the door to let me out. I still heard nothing but our footsteps as we walked. Then Sebastian led me up a staircase and onto anding. Curiosity was wing at my chest, and I was steadily growing annoyed, so I ripped my hand from his. ¡°Sebastian, I¡¯ve had enough of this game. Where am I and where are you taking me?!¡± I exim, then the light blinds my eyes as he takes off the blindfold and kisses my forehead.


    ¡°On our honeymoon.¡± He says, and I am momentarily silenced and dazed before looking at our surroundings; we were on his private jet.


    I look at Sebastian with a shocked expression on my face, but all he does is chuckle and lead me over to our seats. ¡°What¡­how¡­¡± I stutter, and he wraps his arms around my waist. ¡°I figured you need some time away from Ennd, so I will be taking you away for a few weeks.¡± He answers me. My jaw must have hit my chest at lightning speed because heughed and pulled me into a hug and sighed.


    ¡°I love you, Elena, and I want the best for you. But you¡¯re not at your optimal at the moment and I cannot fault you for that. You need a change of scenery and what¡¯s better than our vi in The Cayman Inds?¡± He says and I frown at this. ¡°Excuse me? Or vi in The Caymans?¡± I ask, confused. As far as I know, we didn¡¯t have a vi there. Sebastian smiles and hands me a ss of champagne. ¡°Yes. I bought onest week,¡± he says, ¡°I figured since we didn¡¯t even have a proper honeymoon, we might as well have one now. So I bought this vi for you when you need to get away from everything again. Of course, I will apany you whenever I am able to.¡±


    He bought me a vi in The Cayman Inds. Of course, he did.


    I was so shocked at this that I downed my champagne and walked over to the window. How do I show appreciation at such a romantic gesture? How could I possibly thank him for what he has done? I look over at Sebastian and my lip starts to tremble, ¡°Thank you,¡± was all I got out, and he wraps me in another embrace. ¡°I would do anything to see you smile, my love. Your light has been dimmed because of something that was not your fault, and we need to get it back. I will always be here for you, no matter what happens.¡± He says and kisses my forehead lightly.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I tell him, letting out a sigh and suddenly feeling lighter and a bit guilty at growing annoyed at him. A few months ago, I never would have pictured myself with Sebastian like this. In fact, I loathed being in his presence because of his constant teasing, but now I couldn¡¯t picture my life without him by my side. This makes me feel guilty¡­ guilty for feeling attracted to Elijah when I have everything I could ever want in Sebastian.


    What is wrong with me?

 Chapter43 Dumont Honeymoon Done Right

    Elena


    Our first week in Little Cayman was heaven! The vi he bought was luxurious and had all our needs catered to. It was a five-bedroom log vi with floor to ceiling windows, lush gardens, an indoor pool if needed and Jacuzzi on the terrace. Why Sebastian felt the need to buy a flipping 5 bedroom home, I would never know. Sebastian had all his appointments done via Zoom and Skype video calls, so he was basically still working, but ying at the same time. He was right in what he said back in London; I have not been myself since the thing with Nichs happened, and I was allowing myself to get dragged under the weight of it. I really wasn¡¯t doing well and hiding it, even from myself, but he saw right through it. I decided to do my written work on oppressed female authors, who without them, literature would not be what it is today.


    It¡¯s amazing what a break from your daily routine can do to you. My inspiration is back in full force and I can already feel the heavy cloud over my heart lifting. I close myptop for the day and stretch. Sebastian has been in online meetings all day. Apparently, Somersett stocks were falling due to one of Elijah¡¯s old employeesing forward with her sexual harassment story against him, so in turn, Dumont Enterprises were losing stocks as well.


    I walked into his study with a cup of coffee and could see the frustration on his face. He looks up when he sees me and shakes his head. ¡°Well, what the hell do you expect us to do in this situation, Elijah? The woman has proof and is currently pregnant with a child she says is yours.¡± Sebastian says to who I can only assume is Elijah on the other side of the screen. I ce the cup of coffee down next to hisptop and move to walk out, but he gestures with his eyes for me to have a seat.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I nod and hear Elijah sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say except that it was consensual. I would never force myself on any woman. My past conquests can attest to that.¡± He says and I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes. Yeah, right. As if his pursuit of me was consensual. Sebastian caught this and smiled. ¡°What about the child? If it turns out to be yours?¡±


    ¡°Then I will im custody over my own flesh and blood, but I can promise you that it was not one-sided. Video footage in my office can also provide me with the evidence needed.¡± Elijah said and Sebastian chuckles. ¡°Sick bastard. Oh, well get that all together, and we can go forward with this. We will not leave you behind if you can prove that this is all bull because she wants money, but in the meantime, you need to keep your public appearances to the minimum.¡± Sebastian advises, and they agree on it before ending the call.


    I walk over to him and sit on hisp, ¡°Sounds like a big PR problem,¡± I say, and he nods. ¡°You don¡¯t even know half of it. If he proves this woman has lied, then it¡¯s the end for her. Elijah will drag her until there¡¯s nothing left.¡± Sebastian says and pinches the bridge of his nose. I could tell this thing was bringing him down, and now it was my turn to get him out of his mood. I take him by the hand and lead him out of his office.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asks with an amused expression and I shrug. ¡°You¡¯ve spent most of our so-called honeymoon in that darn office, so now I am imposing an off day. My written work has been submitted, so I think I deserve some time with my husband.¡± I say and lead him out of the vi. We barely spent any time together since we touched Little Cayman soil and truth be told, I missed him. He chuckles at my reply. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am you do. Where to?¡± He asks. Where to? Hmm. ¡°Well, this vi has its own private beach, so why not explore it for the day?¡± I ask and I swear I could see him perk up at this.


    Our walk along the beach ended in us making love in a cove we found! I know, it was dirty, but the entire experience was breathtaking and one that would stick out in my mind as one of the best memories I¡¯ve had with Sebastian.


    ¡°Do you have any other siblings?¡± I ask him during our walk back, and I feel him stiffen at my question. We stop walking and Sebastian turns to face me with a sombre expression, which causes me to frown. ¡°Sebastian? Did I say something wrong?¡± He shakes his head, ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. Obviously, you wouldn¡¯t know about Michelle.¡± He says, and I am immediately taken back to Mirabelle¡¯s words at the Midford Winter Ball.


    ¡°You remind me so much of my Michelle.¡±


    I raise my eyebrows. ¡°Your mother mentioned that I remind her of Michelle, but never borated on who it was,¡± I said, and a wistful smile crossed his lips. ¡°She would say that, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± He says and sighs before taking my hands in his and looking down. ¡°Michelle was my younger sister. We were inseparable up until her death.¡±


    ¡°Death?¡± I ask, nching at his words, but all he does is nod. ¡°Car ident when I was 13. My father had given us permission to take a driver out and go to the mall for a few hours. It was on a Saturday afternoon, not a time you would expect a drunk driver to be out and about. Well, we were lucky enough to meet one.¡± He says and I could see a tear slip out of the corner of his eye. Oh, my sweet Sebastian! This must be difficult for him to talk about!


    ¡°She passed away in my arms while we waited for the paramedics. The worst part was it happened on my birthday. I had promised to take her to a movie and spend the day together with her because the following week they would send me to Westminster. It took me years to get over the guilt of what happened, but I eventually realised that the fault did noty with me. But the driver who decided driving around intoxicated on a Saturday morning was a splendid idea.¡± Sebastian concludes his story, and I wrap my arms around him, holding him tightly. ¡°I am so sorry, my love. I didn¡¯t know anything about this. But you¡¯re right, it definitely was not your fault, you only wanted to spend time with your little sister before being sent away to school.¡± I tell him as his story echoes in my head.


    I cannot believe I used to think of Sebastian as an unfeeling monster. When he loves, he does so with all his heart. He sighs in my arms and strokes my hair, ¡°Thank you, love.¡± He says and moves out of my embrace, taking my hand in his. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s have some supper and watch a movie together.¡± He suggested and knew I would perk up at this. Movies have be our thing, and we have vowed that Wednesday would be our weekly date night. I lean into his arms as we walk and couldn¡¯t help but smile. I know a little bit more about my husband and it was a glorious thing.

 Chapter44 Elena Dumont, College Student?

    Elena


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!¡±


    Sebastian stumbles into our bedroom, and his eyes fall on me as I jump on our bed. He frowns, ¡°What the hell, Elena!¡± He asks with a scowl as he takes in my widened eyes. ¡°Did you see a spider again?¡± I stopped jumping and hopped off the bed into his arms, but I couldn¡¯t get my words out. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Exeter¡­ Got¡­ In¡­¡± I say throughboured breaths, but I see the cogs turning in his head when he realises what I have said.


    ¡°You got into Exeter?¡± He exims and I nod so much I swear my head would have fallen off. He picks me up and swings me around while I giggle with glee. I got in! I got into Exeter with my own written work! No help from anyone except citations and I got in. Tears of happiness stream down my cheeks and Sebastian kisses them. ¡°I am so proud of you, Elena,¡± he says and kisses my lips softly. My bottom lip trembles when he says this and I legitimately ugly cry! ¡°Oh, baby!¡± My silly husband says and wraps me in a warm hug.


    I couldn¡¯t get any words out at that moment, it all just came out as gurgles, and I ampletely mortified. Sebastian leads me over to our bed, and I eventually calm down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I start as I dry my tears with a tissue. ¡°It¡¯s not the fact that I got in that I am his bag of tears, it¡¯s theirments about my written work.¡± I turn on myptop to face him, and he reads out loud.


    ¡± ¡®Dear Mrs Dumont, what a pleasure it was to read your take on women in our literature world. It certainly was refreshing to read and see things through a fresh pair of eyes. Incredibly written and indeed thought-provoking, brilliance at its best. It will be my pleasure to wee you to Exeter thising Autumn.¡¯ ¡±


    Sebastian looks at me with pride shining in his eyes and wraps me in another hug. ¡°That is indeed something to be proud about, my love.¡± He says and kisses my forehead. ¡°I always believed that you have a brilliant mind, not just a pretty face.¡± I smile at him, ¡°Thank you,¡± I say and blow my nose, then I frown. ¡°Wait, what are you doing at home?¡± I asked him, It has been three months since our honeymoon. Unfortunately, we had toe home because of this Elijah scandal. They have proven that the woman was lying about the harassment, but the child¡¯s paternity has yet to be determined.


    ¡°I came to see if you would like to join me for lunch, but I see a celebratory dinner would be apt.¡± He says and kisses my cheek. I shake my head. ¡°We have the Summer Fable tonight, remember? Your mother has been pestering me toe, and it is thest social event for the summer hosted by our family.¡± I remind him, but he rolls his eyes. ¡°I forgot about that. Okay then, lunch?¡± He asks, and I nod. ¡°Let me just grab my coat and shoes, and I¡¯ll see you downstairs. Oh, and I have to pay my tuition, I¡¯ll be down soon.¡± I say, and he nods, giving me a kiss on the head before leaving the room. I sigh, then pull out my phone to call Anabelle, who answers on the third ring. ¡°Hey Leen,¡± she says, calling me my unusual endearment. ¡°Hey, tart, guess who¡¯s a college student as of a few minutes ago,¡± I tell her to a resounding shriek on the other side of the phone. ¡°No!¡± she says and I giggle. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid you have to put up with me from October.¡±


    ¡°Thank The Pope!¡± she says, and we banter a bit before saying goodbye. She would be meeting us at the Summer Fable tonight with a date her parents chose for her. Poor Anabelle, I wish she coulde out, but her family responsibility would never allow her to. In our way of life, happiness came a hard third.


    I slip on my heels and run downstairs to meet my husband, who was waiting downstairs. Things were starting to look up for me somewhat; my self-confidence was returning, my marriage was going well, and I got into an excellent school to further my career! Somehow I think I deserve this no matter how fleeting it may seem.


    ***


    ¡°Elena, for thest time, you look beautiful!¡± Sebastian calls from inside the bedroom. I was currently in two minds about a dress I chose, and we would bete if I didn¡¯t get a move on right now. ¡°Ugh, fine!¡± I exim and stomp out of our room. He takes me by the hand and leads me to the Phantom.


    I have such an uneasy feeling about tonight and I just can¡¯t exin it. I think it¡¯s why I have been putting off from leaving the vi. I looked at Sebastian and noticed that he was on his phone once more, he should stitch the darn thing to his ear. The scowl on my face must have been clear because he put his phone down and looked at me. ¡°Everything okay, love?¡± He asks as a frown forms on his face. I shrug, ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I say and cross my arms in front of me while looking out of the window. What the heck was wrong with me? It was like there was a pit in the stomach that just would not let up.


    We arrived at Dumont Hall in full attendance. As usual, all eyes were on me and Sebastian as we walked in. I don¡¯t think that I will ever get used to this the stares and admiration. I have no idea how my sister used to cope with it. Speaking of Eliana, she has given birth to the most ADORABLE little girl in existence. I will visit them in two weeks¡¯ time along with Sebastian, and I am pretty sure they will be shocked at how things have turned out between us no one is more surprised than I am. The look on Eliana¡¯s face would be priceless, though!All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Elena,¡± Came the voice of Anabelle behind me as Sebastian gets swept away in business conversations again. I breathe out a sigh of relief when I see her. ¡°Ana, thank God,¡± I say, and wrap my arms around her. Next to her stood a very dapper-looking man; tall, suave, and reeked of wealth. ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet Thomas Hurley,¡± She says as she introduces me to him, Then she adds with a razorde gulp, ¡°my fiance.¡±


    I ampletely taken aback by this. Her parents have set her up to be married so soon after the Nichs debacle? She could see the confusion on my face and smiled with a shake of her head that only I could see. ¡°The Rebellious Heiress, lovely to finally meet you,¡± He says as he takes my hand and kisses the back of it, his lips lingering for a second too long. This already sent goosebumps of disgust down my back, not to mention the filthy look in his eyes. ¡°Charmed,¡± was all I could get out before I looked at Anabelle again. ¡°Can I steal you for a moment?¡± I ask, and she nods again. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, Thomas.¡± She thenced her arms with mine as we walked away.


    As soon as we were out of earshot, she broke down. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I can do this for, Elena. I am being shoved from pir to post by my family because they require an heir out of me.¡± She says while dabbing the corners of her eyes. ¡°Thomas is lovely and my childhood friend, but I don¡¯t know how long I can put up with the pretence.¡± I looked at my friend and my heart broke for her. To be of different sexuality and forced to marry someone she doesn¡¯t love all for the sake of duty.


    ¡°I wish I could say something that could help you right now, but I know there would be nothing to help how lost you feel. So please know that I will always be here for you, no matter what happens.¡± I tell her and wrap her in another hug, She smiles when we break apart, ¡°Thank you, Elena, I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Ana,¡± I respond, and we head back to her waiting fiance, and he smiles when he sees me again. Ugh, I dislike this man. We continue to make small talk until a business associate pulls him to the side. All of a sudden, I hear a voice calling my name from behind and I turn to see my mother inw, dressed in a beautiful mauve gown. ¡°Mother,¡± I greet her as we kiss cheeks. ¡°Elena darling, Anabelle,¡± she says as she greets my friend as well.


    ¡°You are looking extra exquisite this evening. Glowing. Is there something brewing that you have not informed me about?¡± She asks me with a grin, and it took every ounce of willpower to not roll my eyes at her insinuation. Again with the baby hints. No matter how much I exined the situation, she was still pushy.


    ¡°Mirabelle, please. There is no baby and there won¡¯t be. Please stop pestering me about it, Sebastian and I will have children, but for now, please allow me to live my life and see my dreams through. I cannot do this, I refuse!¡± I exim and storm out of the hall. I really do not know what has gotten into me, but I have had enough of it! ¡°Elena?¡± Came the voice of Anabelle, who has followed me outside. I look at her with tears welling in my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± I saw as the corners of my mouth pulled down. She shakes her head. ¡°I understand, more than you think.¡±


    No, Anabelle, you don¡¯t. I shake my head. ¡°I will be a terrible mother. My own mother never showed me any love growing up, so how would I show it to a child? I would ruin them with my unloving presence, and they would grow up jaded and looking for love and eptance in all the wrong ces. I would only make them suffer, Anabelle, therefore I do not want any children.¡± Finally, I it admitted out loud, and a heart-wrenching sob escaped my throat. ¡°Oh, Elena,¡± Anabelle says as she wraps her arms around me and attempts tofort me. It doesn¡¯t help, nothing will help this hollow feeling in my chest.


    I sense Sebastian and look up into his soft hazel eyes. He must have heard everything I had just said, and I immediately felt guilty. He knows how I feel now; he knows I do not want children. How will this end up for us?

 Chapter45 Heirs, Shmeirs

    Sebastian


    ¡°I will be a terrible mother. My own mother never showed me any love growing up, so how would I show it to a child? I would ruin them with my unloving presence, and they would grow up jaded and looking for love and eptance in all the wrong ces. I would only make them suffer, Anabelle, therefore I do not want any children.¡±


    As soon as I heard these words fall from Elena¡¯s mouth, I knew things would be different between the two of us. She had never been this honest with me in the past regarding this. And for what reason? Did she think not having children was a deal breaker in our marriage?


    She looks up as if sensing me, and the moment our eyes meet, I see the guilt cloud her eyes. Oh, Elena, do you not know that I would love you even if you chose not to bear my children? I walk towards her and Anabelle and thetter look at me before giving Elena a kiss on the forehead and taking her leave. Elena doesn¡¯t break my eye contact until I smile at her. ¡°Do you hate me now?¡± She asks, not meeting my gaze again.


    I walk towards her and wrap her in an embrace. ¡°No matter what you say, I would still love you, Elena. But I will not forgive you for saying that you would ruin our children¡¯s lives because you would be unloving. If you can love a cold, unfeeling person such as myself, who¡¯s to say that you could not love your own child?¡± I tell her, and she visibly nches at my words. She looks visibly confused and shakes her head. ¡°You¡¯re not cold and unfeeling.¡± She says, taking my bait.


    I smile and cup her cheek with my palm, ¡°Neither are you, petite paquerette. You have shown me so much more love in the past few months than anyone has ever shown me, I included. The warmth and love you have brought into my life and home are unparalleled. I don¡¯t know what I would do without you in my life, Elena, and I do not me you for not wanting children right now. I would never think of forcing you into it, but please, never call yourself unloving again, because that is a lie.¡± I say and watch as unshed tears brim her eyes. Leaning closer to her, I kiss her forehead. ¡°I love you,¡± I whisper and feel the slight tremble of her body as she sobs.


    I will have to speak to my mother about pestering Elena about grandchildren if this is the reaction she would have when asked about heirs. I had always assumed that children woulde at ater stage, I never would have thought Elena would be this averse to the idea. I kiss her forehead again and take her hand in mine, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, my love.¡± I say, and lead her to our waiting vehicle out front. No doubt, my mother will be calling on me tomorrow.


    We reach the Phantom and I get inside while pulling her into myp; I think Elena would need all the love she could get right now. I don¡¯t push the subject during the drive home, but I could tell she wanted to again, which is proven when she speaks again. ¡°Your mother corners me about children every time she sees me and this evening I just snapped and told her she would not be receiving one any time soon. I mean, I have told her that I wish to focus on my career for now, but she just doesn¡¯t listen and I am not sure what else to do.¡±


    I stroke her hair and kiss her head before letting out a sigh. ¡°Oh, my love. I am sorry for my mother¡¯s part in this. I know she can be quite persistent and think it¡¯s her old Prima Ballerina attitudeing through at times. Tomorrow I will sort this out with her. Please don¡¯t fret. However, we will have to speak about this properly at some stage, my love, because an heir will be requiredter on in our marriage.¡±


    ¡°That I understand, Sebastian, and will have to make peace with it. I just do not appreciate being nagged about it at every turn. I love you, I love your family but I will have children when I am ready to, even if I know that I will be an awful mother.¡± She says, still adamant and breaking herself down. ¡°Elena,¡± I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. ¡°You are not Susanna Wiltshire. You will be a loving mother and pour every ounce of your love into our child, love you never received while growing up. Please do not break yourself down, my love.¡± I say, and she looks at me with tears welling in her eyes. ¡°You think so?¡± she asks, still not believing.


    I nod and smile at her. ¡°I vehemently do,¡± I answer and wrap my arms around her again while inhaling her strawberry scent again. Elena, you have no idea how much I love you, and I think I will have to work on showing you again.


    Elena


    Sebastian holds me close and I breathe out a sigh. We spent the rest of the drive home in afortable silence and I think back to my words spat out to Mirabelle. Cringing, I know I will have some patching up to do tomorrow, but as far as I¡¯m concerned I was correct in my statement. They will not force me into popping children out just because I married into a powerful family, that¡¯s Eliana, not me. Heirs, shmeirs.


    We reach our vi, and I feel unusually ted to see it. Social Season drained me this year and I think it had more to do with the fact that I was a Dumont now. I dragged Anabelle to every one of the regattas, balls, formals and derbies and I swear the poor girl got just as bored as I did. The eyes on me, the t conversations and people sucking up to me pulled the joy out of me and I think I might just require another trip to The Caymans. Heehee.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Sebastian leads me up the stairs while I slip my heels off. Thank God this was thest event until next year. I don¡¯t remember how I used to do this for so long, but then again Eliana was the one dragged to most of these instead of me. I noticed that a dead calm enveloped my husband as we walked, and I started to worry a bit. Perhaps he was still mad at me? We don¡¯t speak even when we reach the room, but Sebastian pulls me into the bathroom and I wonder what he was up to now. He removed the pins from my hair until my curls cascaded down my back and kissed the nape of my neck. I feel a shiver run down my spine as he does this, then he pulls down the zipper on my dress and caresses the skin on my back.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve forgotten how much you¡¯re loved, Elena, and I am sorry for being a bit ck in that department as ofte. So please allow me to show you.¡± He says and that night he showed me over and over just how loved I was.

 Chapter46 Elena In Paris

    Elena


    Mirabelle refuses to even speak with me after what happened at the Summer Fable and I decided not to push it. She would forgive my outburst sooner orter. We are currently on our private jet to visit my sister in Paris. Sebastian would be working this side as well as it was his biannual visit to Dumont Enterprises this side. I haven¡¯t seen Eliana since my wedding and truth be told; I miss the prim and proper Wiltshire twin and could not wait to see her! A few hourster, wend and make our way to Sebastian¡¯s vi in the French countryside. We would go sightseeingter on and I could not wait!


    Sebastian¡¯s cell phone beeps, indicating an iing call, and I immediately tune out. This would be his work for some reason or another. They always seem to need him. I guess that¡¯s the life of a CEO.


    I was aplete and utter ball of jegged excitement, nearly bouncing off the vehicle walls. Not only would I be visiting my sister for a week, but the following week I would be starting at Exeter! Was my lifeing together or what?! I have been keeping in touch with Anabelle as well and her marriage is, unfortunately, a-go for next April. I felt sorry for my best friend because she was the one losing her identity in her arranged marriage. Not to mention that her mother wants her to drop out of uni before the marriage so she could focus on her social life and being a wife to Thomas.


    That is the only part of the heiress life that I despise duty.


    After we arrived at the vi, Sebastian had ay-down for an hour or two alongside me, then we were off again. I couldn¡¯t sleep properly because I was so excited at the prospect of seeing my sister again after so long. As soon as we get to their mansion, I spot my sister on the front steps, waiting for us. ¡°Wow, she looks different,¡± Sebastian remarks, and I see what he means. Eliana looked¡­ happier and her bodynguage wasn¡¯t as poised as it used to be in London. The car didn¡¯t evene to a proper halt before I shot out and ran to greet her, much to my husband¡¯s chagrin.


    ¡°Eliana!¡± I call and see the tears in her eyes as well, before wrapping her in a hug. She smelled so familiar and like home! ¡°Elena, oh I¡¯ve missed you!¡± she exims, and I feel her tears as they hit my shoulder. We broke our hug and looked at one another. ¡°You look as beautiful as ever, Eliana,¡± I start, ¡°and happy, you look so happy!¡± She giggles through her tears and wipes mine away while shaking her head. ¡°You were always the natural beauty and being married to Sebastian seems to have brought that out more.¡± She says and looks at my husband, sighing. ¡°Hello, Sebastian,¡± she says with a smile and he wraps her in a hug as well, something I think she was not expecting.


    She looks up at him with wide eyes and he chuckles. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Eliana. You followed your happiness and I could never fault you for that, even if your happinessy with my uncle.¡± He says and this seems to turn her tears into sprinklers because she wailed! Oh, Eliana, was the guilt truly eating at you all this time? I watch the former lovers as they hold one another and feel the tears run down my cheeks as well.


    These two have a history, I realise that and respect it. But they also have unresolved issues stemming from their yact rtionship, which is why I do not feel jealous of this. They let go and Eliana led me inside as Sebastian¡¯s phone rang yet again. ¡°Sorry, my love, I will have to see youter on. There is an emergency meeting at Dumont Enterprises that require my attention.¡± He says with an apologetic smile when he returns. I shrug at this, as it is nothing new to me. ¡°I understand. Hurry back,¡± I say and he kisses me goodbye before leaving.


    I turn around and see Eliana¡¯s eyes, which had widened to dinner te circumference. ¡°What was that?!¡± she exims, leading me to chuckle. Ice my arms with hers and we walk towards the back terrace. I told her of my journey with Sebastian and it was as if I was telling a love story because my sister was all tears and tissue.


    ¡°That¡¯s absolutely beautiful, Elena,¡± she says as she dabs her eyes and smiles at me. I think I might have just made her week! We continued to chat a bit before we walked up to the nursery so I could see little Morgan, and what a cute sight she was! I watch my sister with her daughter and my heart absolutely melts at the sight of her with her child. This wasn¡¯t Lady Wiltshire anymore, and I was so happy about that. I sensed no chip on her shoulder or heaviness in her heart; she was free. Free of my mother and I have to say that I felt the same. My mother kept us under her thumb for far too long, Eliana especially, and now my sister finally had her happily ever after.


    ¡°How does it feel, being a mother?¡± I suddenly find myself asking and her head whips up to meet my gaze. She smiles wistfully. ¡°That¡¯s not something I can readily exin,¡± she says with augh. Then she looks down at her daughter again and takes her tiny hand, nting a kiss. ¡°I¡¯m not sure who coined the phrase, but it¡¯s like watching your heart right outside your body, constantly, daily and feeling the love grow with each passing day. It engulfs you and also terrifies you.¡± She says, but I don¡¯t understand at all. Would I ever?


    I watch her and sigh. ¡°Mirabelle wants me to start falling pregnant, but I don¡¯t feel ready yet. And I am starting at Exeter in a few weeks so I cannot wee a child right now. It would be unfair to them,¡± I admit to her, but all she does is smile sadly at me. ¡°No one is ever ready to be a parent, Elena. But I understand what you¡¯re saying and where you areing from. Don¡¯t allow them to bully you into bringing a child into the world. It¡¯s your body.¡± She says andys her daughter down for her afternoon sleep. Sheces her arm with mine and we walk downstairs yet again. ¡°How does Sebastian feel about having children?¡± She asks me and I think back to our conversation two weeks ago. ¡°He epts my decision, but knows we will have to produce an heir in due time,¡± I say, but she shakes her head. ¡°If you only think of a child as an heir, you will never know the true meaning of motherhood, Elena. That is Susanna¡¯s mindset, not ours.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I nch at this. Wow, I have never thought of it that way. The way I have been referring to a child was definitely our mother¡¯s mindset. Realising this cements my earlier notion about having children and equating them to my upbringing¡­ Now I definitely do not want any. At all. But then I look at Eliana and how shepletely adores her daughter and my mind changes again. Am I capable of giving love like that?


    I ponder this even after Sebastian collects me from Eliana¡¯s ce. ¡°Pleasee around again, Elena. I truly have missed you.¡± She says and I hear Sebastian¡¯s phone ringing again even though he has juste from Dumont Enterprises. ¡°I¡¯ll be here every single day-!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Are they okay?¡± I hear my husband¡¯s worried voice cut through my sentence and my ears perk up. He looks at me with a deep frown etched in his brow, then pales. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll take the jet out and be there as soon as possible. Thank you for letting me know.¡± He says and kills the call. Fear creeps into my heart when he looks at me, and I feel my world slipping away at his next sentence.


    ¡°My parents have been in a car wreck,¡± he says in a daze, and I rush over to him. I look up at him with worried eyes. ¡°Are they okay, my love?¡± I ask, needing to know. I haven¡¯t made peace with Mirabelle yet! I need to make peace with her! But all Sebastian does is shake his head sadly and lead me to our waiting vehicle.

 Chapter47 Death In The Family

    Sebastian


    The air is thick with mourning. And sick curiosity.


    Elena and I are leading the funeral procession as we leave the church for the cemetery. She has been quiet ever since we came back from Paris and I have to admit that it was jarring. Where our vi used to be filled with her voice andughter, now there was¡­ nothing. I know it has to do with not making peace with my mother before the ident. Elena has a soft heart, so this is affecting her more than it has me. I have never had a proper rtionship with my parents, but they doted on Elena, my mother even more so.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When we arrive at the cemetery, Ice my fingers with hers and hold her close. The Dumont tomb isn¡¯t too far into the cemetery and we reach it sooner than I anticipated. My eyes fall on Robert and Eliana as they take up the front with me. Robert looked crushed at this. And I know he wasn¡¯t faking it because Eliana has said he has been hitting the whiskey harder than usual. Our eyes meet and I see nothing behind his own but pain. I never knew that he and my father were that close, which just goes to show how close I was with him. I almost knew nothing of Spencer Dumont. He only taught me from a young age how to be business savvy and I must say I was thankful for his tutge. Without my father¡¯s lessons instilled in me, I wouldn¡¯t be where I was right now. I send up a thankful prayer to him and God for giving me a father as amazing as him.


    The preacher takes centre stage in front of the tomb and starts his sermon as my parents¡¯ caskets get wheeled inside and ced in their respective slots. I held Elena close and felt her body tremble with sobs and as soon as the pastor ended his sermon and the tomb closed, Elena fell to the ground and a loud wail emanated from her. Oh, love! I held her as she continued to sob. ¡°I didn¡¯t make amends, Sebastian! I didn¡¯t apologise and now I will never get the chance to!¡± She exims and what else could I do butfort my wife as she let out her pain. ¡°Shhh, my love. It¡¯s okay, It¡¯s okay, Mother knew, she knew but she was just stubborn.¡± I tell her and Elena looks up at me. ¡°Really?¡± she asks, looking so small.


    I nod sadly, it was true. My mother nned to invite us over for supper when we got back and apologise to Elena in person. I tell her this, and it seems to make her sob even louder. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mirabelle!¡± she calls out and I continue to stroke her hair and kiss it while whispering assurances. I looked up and caught Eliana¡¯s eye. She seemed shocked at her sister¡¯s mourning, but then again I understood why. My mother never liked Eliana when we were together. Robert, on the other hand, has sat down and is currently sobbing silently, understanding Elena¡¯s tears all too well.


    ¡°Come, my love. Let¡¯s go home.¡± I tell her as she wipes her tears away and blows her nose. She nods and holds out her hand for me to take when she gets up and we make our way to the waiting Phantom. Elena was in more pain than she let on and I am not sure I can do much more than be there for her. Their deaths took a lot out of her, but she didn¡¯t know what this meant for us now.


    The reading of my parent¡¯s will was a day ago, and they named me the sole beneficiary in all of Dumont Enterprises, even our Paris branch. But I have handed Paris over to Robert when before he was only CFO, now he was CEO and Paris Dumont Enterprises belonged to him. When I did this, he looked shocked, as if he did not expect it but it was the least I could do after my father barely left him anything. What made me so special in my father¡¯s eyes that he left his legacy to me? My mother left her gems and Dumont Castle to Elena, as well as her library collection hidden in The Alps. I haven¡¯t told Elena this yet, but I will soon.


    In short, Elena was now married to the wealthiest man in The UK, if not Europe.


    I take her hand in mine across the centre console and bring it up to my lips. She looks over to me as a sad smile crosses her lips, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being so dramatic back there, love. It only hit me then that I would never see them again and¡­ and I-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologise for your pain, Elena. I know you loved my parents, I understand.¡± I interject and kiss the back of her hand again. She sighs and nods, and I hand her another tissue. Hopefully, Elena could heal from this. ¡°Mirabelle was like a mother to me, she epted and loved me as I was.¡± She whispered. I look at her and decide then to tell her about my parents¡¯ will. ¡°My love, they read the Dumont will yesterday.¡± I started and could see the confused frown on her face. ¡°My father named me beneficiary in all of his businesses and finances.¡±


    Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open at my statement, ¡°And my mother has left her jewels, Dumont Castle Estate and personal library in The Alps, to you.¡± Her hand flew to her mouth, and new tears started to cascade down her cheeks. ¡°She¡­ she did that?¡± Elena asks between sobs and clutches her chest when I nod. My mother loved her collection of first editions. It was her first love after ballet. ¡°She did, love. She knew how much you loved books and wanted to leave her most prized possession to you.¡±


    ¡°Mirabelle,¡± she sobs again and I motion for her to move over to myp, which she does. I wrap my arms around her tiny frame and kiss the side of her head. Hopefully, knowing my mother loved her that much helps her healing process. She sighs as she leans into me, and I knew I had helped her some. ¡°I love you,¡± she says, and I feel a small smile spread across my face. But then she suddenly shot up and looked at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°Wait, does this mean that you¡¯re, like, the wealthiest man in the UK?¡± she asks, causing me to chuckle. ¡°Yes, I guess so,¡± I replied with a nod and felt her giggle, which exploded intoughs. ¡°Oh, my¡­ Oh, this.. This is gold! My mother will be so pissed!¡± She exims, which made me frown with curiosity. As soon as she calms down, she faces me. ¡°Her daughter is married to the most powerful man in the country, which in turn makes her daughter more powerful than her. Watch her try to suck up to me now.¡± She says. Then I understood and smiled at thement. Susanna Wiltshire will shudder when she discovers this.


    ¡°You¡¯re already more powerful than Susanna ever could be, my love. You are not following heiress protocol and living your dream. I think that takes more guts than doing what she has been all her life; follow orders and care about social image.¡± I tell her and see how her expression changes. She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me into a light kiss, which grows with intensity when she turns around to straddle me. Behind Elena¡¯s kiss was urgency and the need to feel safe and in control again, but I knew we could not make love here, and especially not now, so I broke off the kiss. She looks up at me with a wounded expression, but I only kiss her frown.


    ¡°Tonight, I promise. I don¡¯t want you looking back to today and feeling guilty for making love to me at my parent¡¯s funeral.¡± I tell her and see her nch at this, but then she nods. ¡°Thank you, love.¡± She says as we arrived at Dumont Hall for the after-tears. She moves over to her seat and waits for me as I walk around to open the door for her. When we walk in, I sense a renewed energy in her, and couldn¡¯t help but think I was responsible for it.

 Chapter48 Exeter!

    Elena


    I flop face down on my bed.


    Today was my first day at Exeter, and I just about burnt thousands of calories due to my anxiety and nerves. I do not know if being anxious burns calories, but it burns something all right. My brain, for one. Anabelle is in a different league to me altogether, her sses are intense English Lit, like I would not cope in her position. But since she¡¯s a literature prodigy, its chump change to her.


    At least one person had the courage toe and talk to me. His name was Isaac McGowan, and he was such a refreshing sight! Yes, he was from the MacGowan n of Scond and disgustingly well off, but he did not feel the need to suck up to me or try to impress me with his stories or wealth. I suppose it helps a lot that he was t out gay. Ah, I am a homosexual ma and I love it!


    ¡°Rough day?¡± The amused voice of my husband came as he walked over to me and all I did was groan like a ma. Heughs and turns me over. ¡°I swallowed more than I could chew,¡± I say while I felt sorry for myself and only realising afterwards that I had said that sayingpletely wrong when Sebastian burst outughing. I groan again and grab a pillow to hide my face, but he pulls it away. ¡°I can¡¯t even English properly,¡± I say, fighting to keep the pillow on my face, but he pulls it away in one swift move and gets on top of me.


    ¡°Oh, my love, it was only your first day and I¡¯m sure it was overwhelming, but don¡¯t allow it to discourage you. Find your niche and go with it, but don¡¯t give up.¡± He says and kisses my forehead. ¡°Come, Ilse has made your favourite supper. I asked her to set a table in the conservatory so you can tell me about your day.¡± He says and pulls me out of the room, and I reluctantly follow him.


    After Spencer and Mirabelle¡¯s passing, things have been pushed onto us so I have had to deal with starting uni and Dumont appointments. I have essentially be the Dumont matriarch and it scared me more than I wanted to let on. With Sebastian taking over his father¡¯s position as the worldwide Dumont Enterprises CEO, I barely see him either, so him being home now was actually a surprise in itself.


    He also took the time to spend a meal with me in my favourite spot, and it made me extremely happy. I look up at him as we walk and smile, moving closer to him. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± I say and feel his arm snake around my waist, then he kisses my forehead. ¡°As I have missed you, my love.¡± He says with a smile and I realise we have reached the conservatory.


    When we walk over to the set table, I notice the effort that went into the nning of this supper. Sebastian pulls out a chair for me and I sit down, then he walks around and takes his ce opposite me. He regards me with a warm smile before Ilse brings out our meal, and it was indeed my favourite! The whole 3 courses were all my favourite dishes, including the palette cleanser and wine. We chat about my day and even though I am droning on and on, he still has that smile on his face. The one that I fell in love with.


    ¡°So what made today so special, my love?¡± I ask him as curiosity eats at me, but he only shakes his head as a coy smile spreads across his face. ¡°Four years ago today, I met someone who would change my life forever.¡± He says, and I frown at this. Huh? Who exactly? ¡°When I got asked to go to The Wiltshire Masquerade Ball as our family¡¯s representative, I never intended on falling in love or meeting you, but I did. Even as I was with Eliana for those years, the only one that had my heart was you. After years of being jaded and angry with the world, I fell in love only to never be able to have the person I loved. Then you decided to love me and Elena, you do not know how much you have changed me.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    While he was speaking, tears of happiness ran down my cheek, and my bottom lip wouldn¡¯t stop quivering. He better stop being so mushy right now or I will ugly cry!


    Sebastian gets up and walks around to me, taking my hand in his, ¡°Thank you for loving me, Elena Dumont.¡± He says, before I knew it, my arms were around his neck and I was ugly crying, as ruefully predicted.


    He wipes my tears away and kisses me. I found myself melting into his kiss; it was full of love and longing. I truly missed his soft lips on mine, teasing me and tasting the bourbon he had earlier. He picks me up and carries me over to the daybed, which I see has been made up for this asion, and continues to kiss me whileying on top of me. Moaning into his kiss, I pull him closer to me, deepening our kiss. Then he separates from me and continues to nt light kisses on my neck. ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± I whisper his name and feel his hands all over my body, caressing me, touching me, teasing me. Suddenly sitting up, he picks me up and I straddle him while he zips down the dress I had been wearing and discards it on the floor.


    He nts kisses all over my neck and unsped my bra before taking one of my nipples into his mouth and pulling gently with his teeth. Wow, we have not been this passionate in a long time, and I am loving it! I unbutton his shirt and feel his naked chest beneath my hands after I pull it off, worshipping every inch of him with my lips as he did me before unbuckling his belt as I go on my knees in front of him. He looks down at me with surprise when I take him in my hands, realising what I was about to do.


    I havee to the conclusion that I am somewhat of a sexual prude and started looking up different ways to please my husband, and well let me tell you SOME PEOPLE ARE SO DARN FREAKY. Wow, I would be way too embarrassed to do any of those things with Sebastian, so I opted for this instead.


    When I take him in my mouth, he lets out a groan filled with so much want that I felt myself growing even wetter than I already was. ¡°Elena¡­ wow¡­¡± he breathed out and I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the fact that I was making him crumble, as he usually did me. I found a rhythm I could feel he enjoyed and marvelled at the sweet taste of him in my mouth. He ran his fingers through my hair while letting out sounds of pleasure, fullyced with desire and need, sounds that were leading me to touch myself. ¡°Screw it,¡± I heard him say as he picked me up and mmed me onto his waiting shaft.


    Oh, my gosh I forgot how good this felt! I straddled him as we continued to make love and kiss wildly, soft lovemaking leading to passionate lovemaking and culminating in an explosive orgasm on both ends. I cry out his name when I reach my peak and he does the same, groaning into my chest as I feel him shudder inside me.


    He looks up at me with zed eyes and a satisfied smile. ¡°You¡¯re wee and thank you for loving me in return,¡± I say, referring to his earlier statement of love, and I lean down to kiss him again. Wey down on the day bed, wrapped and entwined in one another, and yet again, I was happy to have gone to that masquerade ball.

 Chapter49 A Real Friend Wouldn’t

    Elena


    ¡°Ugh, you simply must, Elena,¡± Isaac says yet again in that Scottish ent of his that I love so much. He was currently trying to convince me toe to the MacGowan Biannual family gathering. ¡°I already told you I hate these things!¡± I say, yet again, but he only rolls his eyes, then smirks devilishly. Oh, no. I know this smile all too well. This smile got me in trouble in my second week here at Exeter when he made me ask a professor for their number just to slip it to him. Did I forget to mention that he was a naughty bastard?


    ¡°Well, Edgar Cooke will be there, but I guess you hate these things too much toe,¡± He says and turns to walk away. But I grab his wrist and pull him back. ¡°Excuse me, tart?¡± I ask him and see his grin growing to superviin levels. ¡°Yes, Edgar Cooke will be there. You know, your favourite author and all. Did I forget to mention that he¡¯s my godfather? And I asked him toe as a favour but it¡¯s okay I¡¯ll tell him to leave it and revoke your invitation.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°The heck you will!¡± I exim, knowing this was only a ruse to get me toe, but I admit defeat and give in, taking my invitation from him. Heughs and kisses my cheek. ¡°You¡¯re going to Hell for bribing me like this, Isaac. Shame on you!¡± I say with a pout, but he only flutters his amazingly long eyshes at me andces his arms with mine as we walk to our next ss.


    Isaac was a tall, sophisticated guy who made red hair look extremely sexy. He had piercing blue eyes and a fashion sense that could put me to shame I suppose being openly gay does that to some of those that were out of the closet. He had a little fan club of females trying to turn him straight but, as he said ¡°I am as straight as a screw, lovies.¡± We clicked on my first day here and I am so thankful to him for befriending me.


    ¡°Canny wait! It will be brilliant, I promise.¡± He says, and I sigh. Then I remembered something. ¡°Will Anabelle be there?¡± I ask and see him roll his eyes. I couldn¡¯t understand why he did not like Anabelle. There was just a weird atmosphere around these two when they were in the same room together. So much so that I never invite them to the same thing together. ¡°Nae, and I will not have her there.¡± He says with such acid behind his tone that I stop to look at him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve had enough of this, Isaac. Will you tell me why you hate Anabelle so?¡± I ask, having grown tired of their pettiness with one another. Anabelle was exactly the same when I spoke about Isaac to her.


    Isaac sighs. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t you dare hate me afterwards, okay? Ever since I met her, I knew she was a bampot, Elena.¡± He says and I frown at this newest term of his. ¡°Shady. I knew she was a shady bitch, and I have seen the way she is when you¡¯re not there. There is something poisonous about that mingingss and I have been meaning to talk to you about it. Watch out for her. An actual friend would never try to lead you down the wrong path. And with the advice she gives you, from what you have told me, she¡¯s been trying to sabotage you at every turn. Now, I am not saying these things to get you to stop being friends with her. All I am saying is to watch your back when she is around and keep your ears open. She tends to give herself away a lot.¡±


    I look at Isaac, and my face drops immediately. Was this true? Did Anabelle really mean harm to me? I think back and can¡¯t remember her ever being poisonous to my face but behind my back? Isaac hugs me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elena. I didn¡¯t want toe to you with this yet. I was waiting until I had proof, but I do not think I will have any proof. She¡¯s just too good at what she does and how she goes about things. Again, watch her when you¡¯re together and you will see what I mean. Come up with an idea you love and watch her shoot you down.¡± He advises and I think I will take this to heart. I nod. Isaac would have no reason to be against me. The MacGowan¡¯s and Dumonts were distant rtives from Mirabelle¡¯s side from what we have found out, so we were essentially family, not to mention that his family was the second wealthiest in Europe. So what would he have to gain from sabotaging me?


    The day goes by in a blur and when I look again; it was time to go home. I walk towards my waiting Phantom in a daze until I hear a voice calling my name. When I turn around, I see Anabelle¡¯s blonde curls bobbing as she tries to catch up to me. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been calling you for ages!¡± She says, a tad out of breath, but I only offer her a thin smile. ¡°Sorry, hon, the mind is elsewhere today,¡± I told her, which was essentially the truth, but what I don¡¯t mention is that it was her fault. Then I perk up and decide to try Isaac¡¯s idea out.


    ¡°Say, Ana, Sebastian and I have a g to attend this evening. What do you think of my mauve knee-length off the shoulder Dior dress? I haven¡¯t worn that one yet and Meghan ck is dying to see me in it!¡± I ask her and see the cogs turning in her head. But she takes the bait. ¡°Oh, that one! Definitely! The colour goes so well with your skin tone and would couple well with Mirabelle¡¯s rubies.¡± She says and I give her a put on an exciting smile. ¡°Shoes?¡± I ask and wait for her answer. She stood with her hands on her hips. ¡°Hmmm, the grey Jimmy Choo wedge, I reckon. I have always loved you in those heels!¡± She says, and I pretend to think about it. ¡°So, not the ck Mary Jane Louboutin then?¡± I ask, and she immediately shakes her head with a disgusted look on her face. ¡°Definitely not! They do not match the mauve dress at all!¡±


    I give her a hug and another ¡®excited¡¯ smile. ¡°Thank you, Ana. Well, I¡¯ve gotta be off. See you tomorrow?¡± I ask and she nods before kissing my cheek and waving goodbye. I get into the vehicle and sigh sadly. What she has advised would be considered a fashion disaster as per Meghan ck. The mauve Dior she sent was in error as it does not match my pale skin tone, she also advised me NEVER to wear wedge heels with a short evening dress and ck Louboutin would go with any dress, especially the short mauve one if it had matched my skin tone. Also, the rubies she mentioned looked hideous.


    Realization hits me worse than I expected, and I feel tears welling up in my eyes. Isaac was right. How many times has Anabelle tried to sabotage me and seeded? Was she the one who leaked my fight with Mirabelle to the press? It would make sense since she was the only one present, but I would never have thought it was her. She was like a sister to me, my best friend. Who also now proved to be my worst enemy.


    The tears that welled in my eyes now fell free as I mourned the loss of what I thought was an amazing friendship.

 Chapter50 Down With The Sickness

    Elena


    I haven¡¯t been feeling the best thesest few weeks. A stomach bug has me in the grips of its wrath and I cannot cope. Sebastian has made an appointment for me to see our family doctor and I am currently sitting outside waiting for my turn to see her. It¡¯s been almost 6 months since my Exeter enrollment, and I must say things are starting to look up. I am breezing through the assignments, and my professors all seem to have taken a shine to me. This is what surprised me most!


    Sebastian doesn¡¯t seem surprised at this. It is as if he sees my potential where I see nothing but faults, and I love him so much for that. After his parents¡¯ passing, he has thrown himself into being the Dumont¡¯s head and I barely even see him. I miss him, but we sort of have this thing between us where we would leave brief notes for the other when we know we won¡¯t see each other for a while. It sets me at ease since he was the one who started it as well.


    Our lives were slowly adjusting to being The Dumonts as Spencer and Mirabelle were, and I sort of forget that we are now the wealthiest couple in all of Europe when I¡¯m out and about, then I see the paps and I am brought back down to reality. Remember when I used to say I hate duty? Well, I have had to adapt now and know I will have to quit uni soon enough because of it.


    Sometimes the guilt of never having made peace with Mirabelle gets to me. I never gave her the grandchild she craved, and now I don¡¯t think I ever will. Sebastian says his mother would have spoken to me in the following days, but now I would never know. She was like a mother to me, and I couldn¡¯t even give her a stupid grandchild. Was I selfish in my decision, though? I don¡¯t think I was.


    ¡°Mrs Dumont?¡± The nurse calls, and I stand up and nod. She gestures to follow her into the doctor¡¯s office, and I do. Dr Grace sees me and smiles, ¡°Elena, love. How are you?¡± She asks, and I take a deep breath to stop my nausea. ¡°I think I have stomach flu or something. For thest two weeks or so I haven¡¯t been able to keep anything down.¡± I tell her and she nods before checking my blood pressure and taking blood and urine samples. My vitals seemed fine, so she would run tests. ¡°And it¡¯s only been for thest few weeks that you¡¯ve been feeling this way?¡± She asks me, and I nod. ¡°Thest two or so weeks, yes,¡± I reply and she nods, while a frown covers her brow. She looks at my file and the test she has conducted, then nods again, a smile on her face.


    ¡°Elena, you don¡¯t have stomach flu of any kind. You¡¯re pregnant, love.¡±


    The moment she says these words, my entire world falls away and my heartes to a standstill. Pregnant?! ¡°But¡­ how? How is that possible if I am on the pill?!¡± I exim, my voice going a higher pitch than usual, but Dr Grace only chuckles. ¡°The pill is 99% effective, but there is the 1% that fall pregnant while on it. Other factors usually contribute to its inefficacy like stress and other medication taken while on the pill.¡± She exins and asks me to lie down on the hospital bed so she could conduct a 4D ultrasound.


    She applies a gel to my abdomen before cing the transducer and moving it around. Then a smile spreads over her face. ¡°I am not sure how you are not showing because from what I can see, you are at least 10 weeks along, Elena!¡± She exims as she moves the object along on my stomach and moves forward to turn dials on the machine.


    That¡¯s when I hear it; tiny thumps.


    ¡°Do you hear that? It¡¯s a heartbeat. You have a tiny human growing inside of you and that is its heartbeat.¡± Dr Grace says with a beaming smile and I am not sure what it is about this, but tears well up in my eyes. I haven¡¯t looked up at the screen yet, because I know if I do, then it would make it real, it would make it so real. ¡°There it is. Look, Elena, it¡¯s your baby.¡± She eggs me on and I eventually relent.


    I never understood the term ¡®love at first sight¡¯ until Iid my eyes on that screen. How? How was I feeling like this when I haven¡¯t even met this baby before? This was an image on a screen and yet my heart felt full of love for him or her. The tears that welled up in my eyes when I heard the heartbeat were falling freely down my cheeks. Dr Grace looks down at me with a warm smile, ¡°I know, trust me I do.¡± She says before she removes the transducer from my stomach and wipes the gel off.


    I get up from the bed and pull my shirt down, wrapping my coat around my body. Dr Grace hands me an ultrasound image and pats my hand. ¡°I think there are a few things we need to discuss. Come, sit down.¡± She says and exins the ins and outs of a 10-week old baby. Afterwards, she hands me some vitamins and folic acid as well as a script for other antenatal products to ensure a healthy growing baby.


    Leaving her office, I felt as if I was in a daze. I was pregnant, and I have fallen in love with the little human inside me when before I detested the fact of falling pregnant. When I get to the Phantom, I block out the screen and remove the ultrasound image from my handbag. I gaze down at the little face and fingers and cannot believe how developed a foetus is at this stage; it was almost a whole baby! Tears fell down my cheeks again, and I found myself hugging the image to my chest. How was I not disgusted or angry at myself for this? How was I so happy and light? I had a child growing inside of me and I felt ted!


    How did my mother not feel this way about me all my life? How did she resent me just because I was different and did not toe the line like Eliana? I wipe my tears away and am taken back to Sebastian¡¯s words a few months ago when I revealed that I did not want children. ¡°You are not Susanna Wiltshire, you will be a loving mother and pour every ounce of your love into our child, the love you never received while growing up.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    How did he know me so well? Because this is exactly how I felt! I loved my baby already and I haven¡¯t even met him or her. Oh, gosh, is this what motherhood feels like? A constant overflowing of love?


    I tell Lionel to take me to Dumont Enterprises. I needed to surprise my husband with this news, of which I think he will be even more ted than I am! A few minutester, I was outside his building. ¡°Good day, Mrs Dumont!¡± His staff greets me and I return their smiles with warm ones of my own. The receptionist, Rosy, tells me that I am more than wee to go up and wait for him as he would be avable for another 15 minutes before his next meeting. I gave her a nod and told her not to tell him I was here because I had a surprise for him before going up to my husband¡¯s office. How would he react to this? Oh, gosh, what if he changed his mind about having children? I push the thoughts out of my head and walk out of the elevator to his office door. Rosy said he was avable, so I opened his office door without knocking.


    And wish I never did, because Sebastian had I Somersett wrapped up in his arms. He sees me and lets go of her. ¡°No, Elena, it¡¯s not what you think!¡± He shouts after me, but I am already making my way to the open elevator door. I turn around to see his face before the door closes, and as soon as it opens again, I rush out of the building.


    Sebastian and I were entangled in what seemed like a passionate embrace as I walked in.


    No tears came. I don¡¯t know why, but I did not feel like crying. Is this what shock felt like? ¡°Where to, Mrs Dumont?¡± Lionel asks me and I think of where to go next. The vi was out of the question, so was my coffee shop. These were ces he would think to look for me first. A ringing broke through my shock, and I saw that it was Sebastian calling me. I kill the call and switch the phone off before I let out a breath and look at Lionel again.


    ¡°Heathrow, please. And don¡¯t you dare tell Mr Dumont where you have taken me or I will fire you.¡±

 Chapter51 Licking My Wounds in Tenerife

    Elena


    I scan the horizon and let out a miserable sigh. How did ite to this? I went from being the happiest woman in the world to the most depressed all within the space of an hour. Sebastian and I wrapped up in one another¡¯s arms a sight I never thought I would see. What happened that he needed to seek refuge in her arms? Was I not a good wife? Did I not treat him well? Did the money and power eventually go to his head?


    Well, I could wonder about it until I was blue in the face, and still note up with a viable answer. Tears still did note as I ran my hand over my belly. I was about to tell him the news that I was pregnant with his child, a child Mirabelle begged me for and instead, I ran straight into heartache. A small part of me wondered what would have happened if I let Sebastian exin what I had walked in on. What excuse would he have dreamed up to take the image away? And would I have been stupid enough to believe him?? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    I would always be a beautiful fool for him and he knew it.


    Hugging my coat closer to my body, I walk back inside my room at The Royal Hideaway andy down on the soft couch. Would Sebastian find me here? I bought tickets to different ces and booked into different hotels, but in the end, I came back to the first ce I had ever run away to Tenerife. I have switched my phone off since I left London 3 days ago and didn¡¯t dare to switch it back on. Why would I? Just so I can get more lies spewed to me from Sebastian and Anabelle? Everyone I loved and cared for has betrayed me, lied to me, made a fool of me, and for what? What did I ever do to deserve this?


    Regarding Anabelle, I haven¡¯t officially broken my friendship off with her even after 5 months of me finding out she was a snake. I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it, even though I knew she hated me. Which begs the question as to why exactly she wanted to see me fall. What exactly did I do wrong except expose Nichs?


    My head hurts, I need to stop overthinking things and focus on the present. I had a baby growing inside of me. There was no time to wallow and feel sad. Maybe a walk along the beach would help clear my mind, so I grab my sunsses and call an Uber to take me to ya La Caleta beach.


    The moment the sea breeze hits my face, the nausea evaporates and with a smile on my face; I walk along the rocky coast to make my way to the hidden beaches. I don¡¯t know what it is about Tenerife that I love so much and apart from being roofiedst time; I loved it here. I felt¡­ free and unguarded. Sebastian would find me soon enough and race here, this I know, but for now, I could embrace my pain and think of what to do next. Again my thoughts swerve between hearing him out and just not forgiving him for the sight I saw. The mere touch of another man, besides Isaac, repulses me to the point of a near panic attack, so what made his embrace with I so special? Why was she even there???


    I think my sadness has turned to anger because for the rest of the way I am filled with a burning in my chest that I cannot exin. I gave Sebastian all of me, ignored other men¡¯s advances and gave him the most intimate part of me. Only for him to turn to his ex-lover for some or other reason. Was I really that receable? Was I still truly the second choice in everyone¡¯s life?


    I ponder these thoughts as anxiety has me in its grips once again when I realise that I was alone on this beach. Or so I thought. In the distance, I spot a speck standing at the edge of the water gazing into the horizon. Should I turn around? Should I run? Maybe this person was dangerous. I mean, I was all alone on this beach with a stranger standing in the distance. Instinctively, my hands flew to my belly as I walked, but somehow I couldn¡¯t stop being drawn towards this person. The closer I got, the more familiar the speck got until it was the shape of a tall, handsome Adonis with long, curly blonde hair.


    ¡°Elijah?¡± I whisper, incredulous and shocked at this revtion. As if he could sense my presence, he turned around and when his eyes fell on me, a confused frown crossed his brow. ¡°Elena?¡± he asks in a breathless voice as I slowly walk towards him. What was he doing here? I hope he wasn¡¯t following me or setting this up to look like a coincidence!


    I can¡¯t help but smile as I walk up to him, he seems to have that effect on me. He returns my smile and turns to face me, meeting me halfway. ¡°How are you, Elena?¡± he asks, as if he was just meeting me in the coffee shop we both love to frequent. I shrug, ¡°I¡¯m fine. How are you?¡± I try to make casual conversation, but he only shakes his head. ¡°You¡¯re not fine, I can tell.¡± He says with a sigh and a sad smile crosses his lips before he looks away from me again. What was going on with Elijah?


    ¡°It was lovely seeing you again, Elena,¡± is all he says, then turns around to walk away from me. Wait, what? In all the time that I have known Elijah, he would think of any excuse to talk to me, but I haven¡¯t seen him since the coffee shop fiasco. So what was up? Curiosity gets the better of me, and I follow him. ¡°Elijah, what¡¯s the matter?¡± I ask him, and he stops in his tracks. ¡°I am keeping away from you, as promised to Sebastian. If you would excuse me,¡± he says without turning to face me, but I wasn¡¯t having any of it. There was something wrong. I run after him and grab him by the wrist, ¡°Elijah, don¡¯t lie to me.¡± I urge, not letting go as he peers down at me with sad eyes. I could tell that he was close to letting me in, battling between being honest or being an ass, but when his shoulders slump I could tell it was the former that won. ¡°I¡¯vee here to mourn my wife.¡±


    Eh? What? Sorry? Wife???


    He sees the confused look on my face and lets out a sad chuckle. ¡°This was our beach, we met here 10 years ago when I was in town for an urgent meeting. The only reason I came to this beach was to get away from everyone, but I ended up meeting the love of my life.¡± He says, retelling what seems like a tragic love story. We walk as he continues to ry his story ¡°What a firecracker she was, challenging me at every angle and always needing to have thest say; sort of like another rebel I know.¡± He says with a chuckle, and I immediately knew he meant me. ¡°I think that is why I felt so drawn to you for the longest time. You remind me so much of my Irina.¡± I peer up at him when he says this, ¡°Why have youe to mourn her? What happened?¡± I ask him and see how he stiffens at my question. This must be extremely difficult to talk about, and it left me with a guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elijah, you don¡¯t have to answer me,¡± I say but he only shakes his head.


    When he looked at me again, tears were brimming his eyes and he looked so¡­ lost. The look on his face made my own heart begin to ache! ¡°She hid her cancer from me until it was toote to do something about it. She wanted to pass away as God intended her to, with no doctors or treatments and only with me at her side.¡± He admits and faces the ocean with his hands in his pockets. I clutch my chest as tears well in my own eyes. How could a man like Elijah keep a hurt like this hidden for so long under the guise of ego? ¡°It has been years after her passing and I still cannot forgive her for doing that, for showing me the beauty of love and ripping it away after we barely started our lives together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how bitterness starts, Elijah, with the unwillingness to forgive,¡± I say, but only get a scoff from him in return. ¡°I know that, Elena. But I cannot help the darkness that clouds my mind when I am reminded of how utterly alone I am when I could have done something to save her. I loved her, and now she has left me. You wouldn¡¯t understand, Sebastian has never betrayed your trust.¡± He says and continues to walk from me, but this time I do not follow him. I wouldn¡¯t understand, hey? My shoulders slump at the thought, and I decide to turn around and head back to the hotel.


    I wouldn¡¯t understand, right? Sebastian would never betray me with someone else. He loved me too much; he told me so, right? I was pregnant with his child right now and we were building an empire together. He wouldn¡¯t betray me, right? RIGHT?!


    Falling to my knees, the tears that never came when I think back to him in I¡¯s arms now fell. My sunsses dropped from my face and I see Elijah¡¯s worried eyes peer down at me. He takes me in his arms, and for some reason, I am not repulsed by his touch, instead, I amforted. Holding me close, he strokes my hair, ¡°Elena, what happened? What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asks as he strokes my hair, but all I do is lean in closer for morefort until his cologne invades my senses. I wonder what would have happened if they did not give me to Sebastian as appeasement. Would I have met Elijah?


    I peer up at him and he wipes away my tears and cups my cheek in his palm; it was only then that I noticed how beautifully broken Elijah was behind his blue eyes. He strokes my cheek and pins me with that icy gaze of his as he leans in close, nting a kiss ¨C

 Chapter52 He’s Actually A Gentleman

    Elena


    On my forehead?


    ¡°Elena, in the past nothing would have given me more pleasure than ripping you from Sebastian¡¯s life and kissing you right now, taking you and passionately making love to you. Knowing it would devastate him when he found out, I had imed yet another one of his conquests. However, I cannot and will not do that, because I see Sebastian as my brother. Ever since he showed to be the only one in my corner after my scandalst year and the birth of my son, things have shifted into a different perspective for me.¡± He says, and I am openly shocked at this revtion of his. Sebastian had never mentioned that he and Elijah had grown closer, not once. He stood up and held out a hand for me to take. ¡°Come let¡¯s go and you can tell me what has happened that you needed to run away and seek sce in the man who used to be your husband¡¯s rival.¡±


    I take his hand and he lifts me up, letting go as soon as I get to my feet. Then he gestures towards a vi close to where we stood. ¡°I live over there. We won¡¯t be bothered as this strip of beach belongs to me.¡± He says and I decide then and there that the lifestyle of the wealthy will never again surprise me. He bought a frigging beach. Was that even possible?


    We walk in silence as Elijah leads me into what appears to be his holiday home and, as usual, it is beautiful. The decor was gorgeous and immacte; so very Elijah in everything. We reach his terrace and he pulls out a chair for me to take before sitting opposite me. ¡°Now, Elena. I do think you were about to kiss me on the shore if I did not pull away or stop you. Do you mind telling me what¡¯s going on?¡± He asks and before I could stop myself, I blurt out, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant,¡± Elijah regards me with a shocked expression, but clears his throat and continues. ¡°Then why do you look as if your world has ended? A child is a gift, a precious gift that-¡±


    ¡°Because I caught my husband with your sister in his office.¡± I spit out and see the cogs turning in his head. Then he shot up and mmed his fist on the gorgeous oak table. ¡°What?!¡± He exims and starts pacing the terrace. ¡°Are you certain, Elena? Dead positive?¡± I nod sadly and look down at my hands, my wedding ring glistening in the Tenerife sun as if it had no idea it might be taken off soon. Elijah stops pacing and looks at me, guilt written all over his face as he gives me a wistful smile.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to go this way, I¡¯m sorry, Elena.¡± He says and gets down on his haunches in front of me. Excuse me, what? What wasn¡¯t supposed to go which way now? I frowned and shook my head and he tried to take my hand in his, but I pulled it away. ¡°What the heck are you talking about, Elijah?¡± I ask, hoping that this wasn¡¯t another person lying to me as everyone seems to dotely. He sighs. ¡°Before my son was born and my scandal hit the public eye, I used to be a scoundrel. I was incredibly jaded by Irina¡¯s death and tried every which way to separate you and Sebastian, but nothing seeded. Then I sent in my sister to attempt to seduce him, bear in mind, this was before my scandal. After Liam was born, I only had eyes for him and my heart grew full with the love I thought I had lost with myte wife. I called everything off with I, but she is so obsessed with Sebastian that she cannot see past reason and refuses to let go. She banded with your poisonous friend, Anabelle, to create discord in your life, but I put a stop to it. Currently, I should be in a mental home I sent her to.¡±


    I am certain my mouth is agape right now. Elijah nned all of these things in advance in order to break up Sebastian and me?


    ¡°How long has she been in the mental home?¡± I ask, needing to put the pieces together myself. I knew Elijah couldn¡¯t be trusted, but this? This is a bit too much for me to handle! ¡°Sincest July. I put strict instructions to not let her check herself out unless I was present, so now the centre won¡¯t exist when I¡¯m through with it. No one called to let me know or to verify that she was to be let out, so I do not understand.¡± Elijah sways and falls backwards on his bottom. He runs his fingers through his long hair in frustration, and I hear a low growl escape his throat. Then he takes his phone out of his pocket and frowns before he puts it to his ear.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found your wife, and she is heartbroken. What are you doing with my sister?¡±


    Eh. Did he just give my location away?! I look at him in shock, but he shakes his head as a stern expression crosses his face. ¡°Yes, but you had no right to do that, Sebastian. I is unhinged¡­ Oh, okay, I see. Then I will keep her here. How long? Hm, okay, I understand.¡± Elijah kills the call and pockets the cell phone before looking at me. ¡°Sebastian is in Tenerife already and is heading here. He has taken I back to the mental home. I think you need to hear what he has to say, dove.¡± He says and gets up from the terrace floor. ¡°Come inside, he will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Dove?¡± I look at him and he chuckles. Did he seriously call me a bird? ¡°Yes, dove. Come, I will make you some tea. Are you nauseous?¡± He asks me, but I shake my head and watch him continue to brew the tea. My nose is immediately filled with the sweet scent of raspberry, which somehow produces a calming effect on me. He brings a tray closer and smiles, ¡°Raspberry leaf tea,¡± he says and I offer him a small thank you before he takes a seat opposite me. We sit in silence for a while until I hear the doorbell ring. I look up at Elijah and my lip trembles again. Was I really going to allow him to exin himself to me? Did I want to hear his exnation?


    ¡°Elena,¡± as soon as I hear his voice, my bravado crumbles to dust, and a sob overtakes my body once more. Elijah excuses himself, and I hear him pat Sebastian on the back. A shadow falls over me, but I dare not look up at him. I know if I did that I would fall for whatever he had to say, whatever excuse he had I would take it readily. ¡°Elena, please look at me,¡± he begs while taking my hands in his. But I refuse. Sebastian gets on his haunches in front of me, ¡°Please, Elena, what you saw¡­ it was nothing. There is nothing going on between me and I, you have to believe that. She came to my office and begged me to love and be with her, but I adamantly refused, and when I called security, she clung to me and would not let go. What you saw was me trying to pry her off my body, my love. I would never betray you like that, never.¡±


    I turned my head and looked at him as he begged me to believe him, but all I saw in his eyes were the remnants of pain and misery. Sebastian was telling the truth. I knew he was but that image will forever be burned in my mind. ¡°I took her back to the mental home as I continued my search for you. I never would have thought you would be with Elijah.¡± He says, but I shake my head at this. ¡°I wasn¡¯t with him, I found him on the beach when I came down to clear my thoughts,¡± I say and notice the smile that grew on his face. ¡°Your voice,¡± he says and puts his head in myp. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, Elena. Please believe me when I say I would never betray you. You¡¯re my life and my entire world.¡±


    ¡°Not for long,¡± I say, and his head shoots up at this statement. He frowns as sadness finds its way into his expression, but I shake my head and give him a wistful smile. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, Sebastian. Soon it won¡¯t just be me you will need to love.¡± I say and see his eyes widen in surprise. Then he does something I have never seen him do before.


    His face crumples up and he cries!


    ¡°Sebastian?!¡± I exim, shocked, as his head falls in myp once more. He grabs me by the waist and nts kisses on my abdomen, leaving traces of tears on my dress. Was he really this happy just because I was pregnant? Did he truly want children that badly? He looked up at me, and all I saw was love in his eyes, love for me and our unborn child. What else could I do but forgive him? Elijah admitted that his sister was unhinged and obsessed with Sebastian, and he just proved it by what he admitted to me. I sigh and a smile spreads on my face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for running away,¡± I finally say, and his grip around my waist tightens. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you doubt me, my love. That was not my intention at all. I would never betray you for as long as I live.¡±


    Doubt is an awful thing. It creates unrest and tears marriages and families apart, where at the root of it ally the unwillingness to talk things through. If anything, thesest two days taught me to not be hasty and hear someone out instead of jumping to a conclusion. I could have done serious damage to my marriage if I stayed away for longer, thank God that I had such a stubborn husband.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I look down at Sebastian, ¡°I love you,¡± I say and he gives me that smile I fell in love with before saying, ¡°I love you too, petite paquerette¡±

 Chapter53 8 Month Waddle

    Elena


    I don¡¯t walk anymore, guys. I waddle now and belong with the penguins.


    ¡°Look at you working that waddle, Mrs Dumont.¡± Isaac jests as I walk towards him in the cafeteria. I shoot him a death re, but all he does is blow me a kiss and pat the empty seat next to him. He looks disgusted at my te full of junk food. ¡°What?!¡± I ask him as I stuff a burger into my mouth. ¡°What are you feeding my godchild?! I sent you a list of healthy alternatives. What have you done with it?¡± He demands as he points a manicured finger at me but I shrug as I eat a chip. ¡°Prolly ate it too, I dunno,¡± I say, much to a dissatisfied Isaac who huffs his disapproval.


    I am currently 8 and a half months pregnant and the heaviest I have ever been! How did some women do this more than once? Yeah, in the beginning, it was cute and all with baby kicks and tumbles, but now? Now I was hot and heavy and just needed to give birth before I eventually popped like a balloon. Sebastian is loving me like this though and said I need to do it at least four more times. That¡¯s when I immediately sent him the numbers of a divorcewyer and mental institution.


    Ha. No.


    ¡°So, did you speak to your professor?¡± Isaac asks me, referring to me asking for an extension due to my maternity leave, which starts tomorrow, and I nod. ¡°Yes, 6-month extension on all assignments. I will try not to work from home, but you know me.¡± I say, and he gives me another disapproving look. ¡°If you don¡¯t rest up, I wille and disconnect your inte myself, Dumont. Don¡¯t you dare put my child at risk!¡± He says as he takes a sip of histte. I smile at this. I love Isaac so much he¡¯s like a brother to me, which is why I made him Godparent to my baby. The only one who is constantly in my corner and tells me when I¡¯m being overdramatic or wrong. No one has done that before, and I love him for it. Anabelle, on the other hand, has made herself scarce since I revealed my pregnancy and seems to be hanging out with the other upper elite of Exeter. No skin off my nose, though.


    ¡°Okay, fine, no work until I am back at school. Scouts honour.¡± I say as I hold my hand up and see him nod with a satisfied smile. Today would be myst day at Exeter until my child was born and after. Sebastian has been hinting that I will have to leave school after the baby is born because my responsibility would be so much more than handing in essays. I told him that I would think about it, but maybe I could handle it all who knows?


    Isaac looks at me with a grin. ¡°Sooo, have you thought of names yet?¡± he asks me and I sit back, thinking about Sebastian and my conversation a few weeks ago. He wasn¡¯t happy with the names I chose and I wasn¡¯t happy with the ones he chose. It was like a total rollercoaster ride, so annoying. I groan, ¡°Sebastian wants Ingrid if it¡¯s a girl and Leonardo if it¡¯s a boy, but those names are GHASTLY!¡± I moaned,ining about the name choices, but this time I was doing it out loud. Isaac nches and makes a vomiting gesture. ¡°I, on the other hand, like the names Esmerelda and Marshall,¡± I say with pride, but Isaac bursts outughing. I look at him,pletely mortified.


    ¡°You both suck bollocks at choosing names!¡± He says betweenughter and immediately my cheeks re up in embarrassment. I cross my arms in front of my chest. ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± I say, jilted and holding my head up high. I happened to like those names. How dare he shoot me down! He shakes his head, ¡°I don¡¯t but I feel as if there is no love in those names you two chose. Are they significant to you? Do they hold importance?¡± He asks. I looked at him with wide eyes and wondered. Those names are pretty but held no meaning to me or Sebastian. Isaac was right, as usual. We both sucked at choosing names and would have to choose carefully. Leaning in towards him, I wrap my arms around his waist and sigh. ¡°Thank you, Isaac. I never thought of it that way.¡± I say and see him beam down at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Now, let¡¯s get to ss, Esmerelda Ingrid.¡± He says, and I burst outughing. Oh my word, those names really do not match me at all!


    The rest of the day went by way too fast and when I looked again, I was heading to my Phantom. I look to my left and notice the two bodyguards Sebastian had arranged for me. Ever since his parent¡¯s ident was deemed a homicide, he has been extra careful when it came to me. In my husband¡¯s mind I needed different drivers, changed periodically during the day and all on call, I never knew who I was going to get and neither did they.


    The car and crash site had been looked over again and foul y was discovered, but no one could figure out why. Sebastian was the first choice because he inherited everything, but they let him off because there was no evidence. Which begs the question, who killed Mirabelle and Spencer Dumont?


    ¡°Leen!¡± I hear Anabelle¡¯s voice behind me, and a shiver goes up my spine. stering on a fake smile, I turned to her. ¡°Hey, Ana,¡± I greeted her, and she wrapped me in a tight hug before handing me a small box. ¡°I got this for you. Figured you would like something sweet and don¡¯t worry, no peanuts!¡± She says, and I take the homemade cupcake from her. ¡°Thank you, Ana, and you¡¯re absolutely correct!¡± I respond with a giggle, then her smile drops a bit. ¡°Yourst day, then?¡± She asks and I nod, ¡°Yeah,¡± was all I could say and she offers me an apologetic smile. ¡°That¡¯s a pity, you¡¯ll be missing out on a lot of important modules and I know how much school means to you.¡± She says, clearly in a fake apologetic tone, but all I do is shrug as another unwanted smile crosses my lips. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no worries. Professor Peterson and the dean have given me a 6-month extension so I don¡¯t miss out on anything important.¡± I say smugly and notice how the smilepletely slips from her face.


    ¡°Hm, must be nice being you,¡± she says then caught herself, ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll see youter. Bye, Leen!¡± she says and scurried away as fast as her stilettos could take her. She must have thought that I didn¡¯t catch thatment, but I did. Was Anabelle jealous of myst name and stature? It sure seemed that way now. I look at the cupcake box in my hand and get into the Phantom when the door is opened for me. Hmm. I wonder?


    I grab thetex gloves from the middlepartment, take out the Nima sensor from my handbag and break off a piece of the cupcake Ana has given me. Then I stuff it inside the capsule and screw it closed before I insert the capsule inside the sensor. After I switch it on, it didn¡¯t even take 30 seconds before a message popped up on the screen. I smiled sadly, realising just how much Anabelle hated me, and I still haven¡¯t figured out why.


    Two words ended our friendshippletely, and I vowed never to let her in my life again, not after what she has attempted to do. I looked down at the sensor I held and sighed wistfully before telling the driver to take me home.


    PEANUT FOUND.


    Sebastian


    Meeting, meetings, meetings.


    Is this what my father did all day when he was alive? Meetings every second of the goddamn day? This is truly soul-crushing, and I am tired. I have barely seen Elenately and I miss her terribly. She looked even more beautiful while pregnant; she glowed and looked serene and happy. Gosh, I love her so much. It was almost our two year anniversary and I could not wait to remind her of how much she meant to me. I¡¯ve put in my leave and we will spend 2 weeks together. That¡¯s final.


    A burst at the door alerted my attention to my PA, and I frowned. I was currently in a meeting with some very important investors. What is wrong with her? ¡°Agatha? What in the world are you doing?¡± I ask with a disapproving look on my face, but what I saw on hers was a crazed look and there were tears in her eyes. ¡°Agatha?¡± I ask, getting up from my seat and walking towards her, but the next words she spoke broke my world apart and sent me into a dark pit.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mrs Dumont, sir! There has been a car wreck¡­¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter54 The Evils Around Her

    Sebastian


    No, no, no, no, no. This can¡¯t be, I refuse to believe it! My Elena¡­


    Without so much as a backward nce, I shot out of the boardroom and sprinted to the car. I yelled at the driver to get to the hospital they had taken Elena to and told him to step on it. How did this happen? I made sure she had round the clock protection from ex-military bodyguards and sporadically swapped her drivers out. I also had her Phantom checked every day for tampering, so how did this happen?!


    I am a ball of unrepressed nerves, yelling at the driver to hurry so I could see her. She¡¯s pregnant, for crying out loud! I clutch my chest as a phantom pain seizes me in a panic. This cannot be happening! I cannot lose Elena or lose my child! Leaning with my elbows on my legs, I grip my hair out of frustration and feel the tears welling up in my eyes.


    Elena is the love of my life. I will not lose her!Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Ever since I discovered that my parents¡¯ car had been tampered with, I have been on high alert. There have been many attempts on my life as well, but I did not want to let Elena know about this because she would have been in non-stop panic mode. Elijah has been looking into this from a different perspective but found nothing as well. So who would want us all dead?


    I put it out of my mind and decided to call the family to let them know. As expected, Eliana wailed and had to put Robert on the phone. They would be on the next flight out. Susanna and William Wiltshire were more difficult to get a hold of. Where the hell were they? I shrug and remind myself to try againter. Then I call Elena¡¯s friends, Anabelle and Isaac, to inform them as well. What was weird about the exchange with these two was that Anabelle took a while to respond to what I had said, whereas Isaac burst out crying and said he was on his way. Could Anabelle have been in shock? I know she was very close to Elena, but she did not even say she would be over to see Elena. Hmm, odd.


    We arrive at London Bridge Private, and I rush inside. The nurses knew who I was and informed me she was in ICU but had no further information at present. I know they were only doing their jobs, but at that moment I could not contain my emotions. My shouting was heard throughout the hospital until my own bodyguards restrained me and led me to the private wing Elena was in. They gave me a light sedative and told me to wait outside until the doctor came out.


    Waiting, this was the worst part. The negative thoughts were running rampant through my mind right now. I put my head in my hands as a sob wreck through my body. I cannot go through life without her by my side. I refuse to live a life without Elena in it! Sudden anger coursed hot through my veins when I realise that someone had targeted my Elena with intent to kill. I stand up and falter because of the sedative when my eyes fall on Elijah as he saunters towards me. ¡°Easy, bud.¡± He says as he grabs my forearms and sits me back down. I look up at the man who has be my best friend in recent months and my bravado shatters.


    Another sob wrecks me, and I feel Elijah¡¯s reassuring arm on my back. ¡°I know how you¡¯re feeling, mate. The pain, that constant pain gripping your chest and the fear ying on your mind knowing you might lose the one person who has ever loved you without judgement.¡± He says, and what else could I do but nod and ce my head in my hands. ¡°But our Elena is not like my beloved wife who had given up on life. She¡¯s a fighter and will return to us, filling our lives with that rebellious spirit of hers. Trust in the doctors, and trust in her fighting spirit, Dumont. She needs you right now.¡±


    I look up at the man who I had oncebelled as my fiercest rival, and I could not help but notice the sincerity in his eyes. Nodding, I get up and clean up my eyes and nose. He is correct; Elena needs me right now, and I cannot falter. She will not die, she couldn¡¯t! Not with the life she had nned for herself, and definitely not with her rebellious spirit. She would look death in the face andugh; that was my Elena.


    A flutter down the corridor caught my attention, and I saw her friend Isaac sprinting towards us. He reaches us,pletely out of breath, andposes himself before looking at me with tears in his eyes. He grips my shoulders. ¡°How¡­ How is she? Is she okay¡­? What happened? I just saw her at Uni, we were just texting!¡± He stutters out in his broken Scottish ent and crumbles to the floor in a fit of sobs. Elijah looks at me with a confused expression, but I get down on the floor with Isaac. ¡°I know,¡± I say, and ce my hand on his shoulder. ¡°She is still in theatre, so I am not aware of how she is doing as yet. Let¡¯s ce our trust in the doctors, okay?¡± I tell him, repeating Elijah¡¯s earlier statement. He looks up at me and nods as I hand him a tissue. This was Elena¡¯s best friend and I could see why; he loved her fiercely.


    I pull him up from the floor and he takes a seat a few ces down from Elijah, who suddenly asks, ¡°Has anyone contacted Anabelle?¡± I was about to answer when Isaac suddenly spoke up in a voiceced with poison. ¡°That cunt better not show her face here or I will kill her myself.¡± Woah. I nch at hisment and walk to him, watching the anger in his face. This confused me, weren¡¯t they all a big band of friends? I look at him with a frown. ¡°Why would you say something like that, Isaac? She¡¯s Elena¡¯s closest friend-¡±


    ¡°The hell she is! She tried to kill Elena today!¡± He cries out and gets caught in another wave of sobbing. But I only heard thosest six words. Anger like I have never felt before gripped my chest and I tried to contain it, but I think Isaac could feel it as it rippled off me. ¡°What did you just say?¡± I enunciate each word through gritted teeth and notice his shocked expression at my change of attitude. He removes his phone from his pocket and scrolls a bit before handing it to me. ¡°Read this. Elena sent this to me an hour ago after leaving Uni. I take the phone and read their conversation:


    Elena: Hey, tart. You will not believe what just happened. (sad emoji)


    Isaac: (reading emoji) I¡¯m here, luv.


    Isaac: If u don¡¯t tell me now, I am marching over to your vi, Esmerelda Ingrid. Suspense is killing me over here. Wat is wrong?


    Elena: (crying emoji) Anabelle came to say goodbye to me when I walked to my car. She handed me a cupcake she had baked as a sweet treat, then got all spiteful with me when I told her about my extension. She scurried away after I caught herment of ¡®must be nice being you.¡¯ You were so right about her! And this proves it:


    Elena then sent a pic of her Nima scanner with the words PEANUT FOUND showing.


    Elena: I looked all over my car and could not find my Epi anywhere, not even the spare in my handbag. She tried to kill me, Isaac.


    Isaac: (shocked emoji and angry emoji) That absolute cunt! I will kill her myself! Heading over to u rn!


    Elena: It¡¯s okay, luv. I just need to be alone right now, ok? I will speak to Sebastian about this and see what he says. Supper?


    Isaac: (huffing emoji) ok, but only because u asked. Def supper, our fav?


    Elena: Yes, our fav. See youter, tart. Love you (heart emojis)


    Isaac: Love you x forever Esmerelda Ingrid (heart and in love emojis)


    I look at the phone then hand it to Elijah, who had the same deadly expression on his face after reading the conversation. He gives the phone back to Isaac and nods, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of little miss Anabelle. You stay here with your wife and join meter.¡± He says and strides out of the ward with the anger bristling off him in waves. I looked at Isaac again, who bore an expression of guilt. This wasn¡¯t his fault at all. In fact, I am d he showed me these messages and I told him so. He sighs, ¡°I cannot lose her, she¡¯s like a sister to me and the baby, my godchild!¡± he says as another wail escapes his throat. I pat his shoulder and start pacing the floor. Anabelle tried to kill Elena. Was she behind this wreck, as well?


    Thinking about the wreck, I made a note to go to the crash siteter on and inspect the Phantom. No way this was a random ident, not with everything that has happened and everything I know now. If this was Anabelle¡¯s fault, I will have no problem taking her down, along with her family. Even if it was not, she still tried to harm Elena and will pay for it. Thank God I got her the Nima sensor. It was literally a lifesaver. I sigh and run my hand over my face before I sit back down, lost in my own depressive thoughts and sadness.


    Suddenly I heard a baby¡¯s cry pierce the air.


    I shot up and ran to the theatre door, only to stop myself from entering. My child! My child was born! Isaac lets out another wail and clutches his chest, and I knew how he was feeling. One down and hopefully safe, and one more to go. I pace the floor again, knowing I would not be able to sit down now that I knew they had removed our child from her womb. A little ball of hope lights up in my chest. I know hope can crush you slowly, but it is all I have right now. Still eyeing the door as I pace, I look at the time and realise that it was close to 6 hours since they admitted her. I sent Isaac home and told him I would keep him updated as soon as I knew what was happening.


    Then the light above the theatre goes off and I patiently wait for the doctor to make his appearance.

 Chapter55 My Kin

    Sebastian


    With bated breath, I wait until the door opens. As soon as the doctor walked out, his eyes fell on me and a grim look crossed his face.


    No. Please no! I step back, thinking the worst possible thing¡­ Was she gone?


    He walks towards me and folds his hands in front of him. ¡°Mr Dumont?¡± He asks, and I nod. ¡°I am Dr Harris and I oversaw the surgery on your wife¡­ she was in an incredibly terrible crash that could have been fatal, were it not for the type of vehicle she was in and the fact that your driver swerved in time. She has multiple broken ribs that just missed her internal organs, the force of impact crushed her legs and will require multiple surgeries and physio to correct them. She is also severely concussed and we fear some damage has urred. We have done an MRI on her and are currently awaiting her results. The next 48 hours will be crucial, Mr Dumont. We are hoping she does not slip into aa in that time, but rest assured, she is under the best care here.¡± Dr Harris tells me but all I got from that was that my Elena was alive!


    ¡°Thank you, doctor, I appreciate it.¡± I say, eternally thankful for saving my wife. ¡°And my child? How is he?¡± I ask, needing to know if both my kin are safe. When a smile crosses his face, my heart soared. ¡°Your baby is safe and in good health. We have ced him in an incubation chamber in her private ward. Would you like to see them?¡± He asks and I swear I could have hugged him right there! He saved the loves of my life, and I was not eternally in his debt. I chastise myself at this sliver of hope because Elena was not out of the woods yet, but clung to the fact that she was still here. He leads me one room over and opens the door.


    My heart breaks at the sight before me; Elena with tubesing out of her, her legs raised in ster and her fire¡­ gone. A tear slips down my cheek as I take her in and slowly walk towards her. My Elena, my little daisy and the love of my life. I lift her hand in mine and kiss it, noting how warm she felt when it reached my lips. ¡°Elena¡­¡± I breathed out, sobbing as I held her hand. How could this happen? I made sure everything was safe, made sure no harm could possiblye to her, and yet she was almost ripped from my grasp.


    ¡°Would you like to see your son, Mr Dumont?¡± Dr Harris asks me as if he needed to. Then I realised what he had said, ¡°Son?¡± I ask him and he nods with a smile. He gestures with his arm and I followed him towards the far end of the room where a nurse was overseeing the incubation chamber.


    Elena described this feeling, the love at first sight, but I never experienced it as she had. I must be honest. But now¡­ The moment my eyes fell on my child, everything else fell away. He was perfect! Absolutely beautiful! Elena and I had made this precious being, and I swear I would have fallen to my feet and thanked God that he was safe. I wished I could hold him close to me right now, but Dr Harris mentions that he is also under observation, unfortunately, as he was born a few weeks early. They did not want to risk anything at this point.


    ¡°You can stay for as long as you wish, Mr Dumont, as this wing belongs to your family. I am only a button push away.¡± Dr Harris says before he leaves and I thank him again for what he has done.


    I breathed out a pent up sigh as more tears fell. My kin was safe for now, and it made me the happiest man in the world. I snap a pic of my son and send it to Isaac and Elijah and inform them of Elena¡¯s condition, something which Isaac was grateful for, but Elijah was curiously silent. Hm. Dialling his number, he answered on the second ring. ¡°Got her,¡± was all he said before I found myself sprinting out of the hospital room.


    Anabelle Thompson, you will pay for this if it¡¯s thest thing I do.


    I stationed two bodyguards outside Elena¡¯s room and asked them to allow no one except Dr Harris and a nurse inside until I arrive, then I leave for Elijah¡¯s ce. He had Anabelle with him and I have never wanted to strike a woman as much as I did now. She attempted to kill Elena, even going as far as removing her Epi-Pens from her car and bag. What did Elena ever do to her that she hated her this much? I guess I¡¯ll find out soon enough.


    I arrive at Elijah¡¯s mansion half an hourter and pull out my cell phone. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I say and the gates swing open, allowing me ess. A few minutester, I walked into his mansion and made my way to his wine cer, where he was currently keeping Anabelle prisoner. As soon as my eyes fell on her, a wave of anger overcame me and I saw red. ¡°Easy, mate,¡± Elijah says and pulls me back because I was heading straight for her. Her terrified eyes regarded me with fear, and her bottom lip trembled.


    ¡°Sebastian? Why am I here? How is Elena?¡± She asks, but as soon as my wife¡¯s name left her mouth, I lunged at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you DARE speak her name!¡± I exim and push her up against the opposite wall. ¡°We know about the cupcake you gave her, Anabelle so do NOT act like you give a damn now,¡± Elijah says as hees up behind us and I see Anabelle nched at his words. Looking visibly nervous, Anabelle tries to feign ignorance. ¡°Cupcake? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking abou-¡±


    ¡°Stop lying!¡± I exim and punch the wall next to her face out of frustration and anger. This girl¡­ if she did note clean now, I would not be responsible for my actions. I bring my hands up to her throat and squeeze. ¡°Tell me why you want Elena dead,¡± I say through gritted teeth and see the terror in her eyes as I tightened my grip around her neck. She shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she sputters out. ¡°I love Elena!¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Elijah¡¯s frustrated voice came from where he stood. He was getting just as impatient with this woman as I was. If he thought I was intimidating when angry, she has not seen Elijah in his element. ¡°Tell us why you want Elena dead, Anabelle, and we might just let you live.¡± He finishes and her eyes widen at his threat. I must admit that I am quite surprised at his choice of words as well, but knowing Elijah, he meant every word. Did I forget to mention that the mother of his child has disappeared?


    Anabelle looks at me with pleading eyes, ¡°Please, Sebastian!¡± She continues to sputter and beg, bringing me that much closer to the edge. She was slowly turning blue, so I let go of her and pushed her hard against the wall. ¡°Enough!¡± I exim and run my fingers through my hair in frustration. This was going absolutely nowhere. Elena needed me and yet I was here attempting retribution. So I turn my back to her and walk to Elijah as she continues to cough. ¡°Why¡­?¡± she mumbles finally, and I slowly turn around to face her. Her head was down and she was shaking her head. ¡°Why is it always Elena?!¡±


    She pulls at her hair and shakes her head, dropping to the floor. ¡°Nichs, you, the professors at uni all besotted with the perfect Elena! Why doesn¡¯t anybody ever choose me?! What is wrong with me?!¡± Anabelle wailed and continued to pull at her hair. Ah. So this was it. Jealousy was the driving force behind her actions. Isaac had suspected as much, so did Elijah, but this girl clearly did not know Elena as well as she thought she did. My wife never thought of herself as beautiful or perfect. There were days when I had to force her to get out of bed while her depression got her down and her anxiety made her feel as if she wasn¡¯t good enough. Some days turned into weeks, especially after the Nichs incident.


    ¡°So you would drive a car into my wife out of jealousy?¡± I ask her slowly, but then she looks at me with a confused frown. ¡°What? I dunno what you¡¯re talking about.¡± She says with a puzzled tone, ¡°I only gave her the peanut cupcake this morning.¡±


    I looked at Elijah and wondered if I should trust her word. ¡°No, Elena is currently fighting for her life at London Bridge Private because someone drove into her with deadly intent. We believe that person was you or hired by you.¡± I exin but she continues to shake her head. ¡°No! That wasn¡¯t me!¡± She repeats over and over, making my head spin. I sigh and stride out of the room. When I reach the front door, I send Elijah a text saying that we would be heading back to the hospital and to do with Anabelle as he pleased.


    I needed to be with my wife and son right now, and not surrounded by trash.

 Chapter56 Comatose

    Sebastian


    It has been almost 2 weeks since Elena¡¯s ident, and she still has not woken up. Her MRI scan this morning showed the swelling on her brain has gone down, so now it was technically a waiting game. She was breathing on her own now at least and has shown signs of early responses to light and touch. But that was about it. My son, who I haven¡¯t named yet but who the nurses have started calling Lucky, has left his incubation chamber and I finally got to hold him. There is no other feeling than that of holding your child for the first time. The absolute love and adoration I felt just multiplied Elena and my love created this. This precious little boy was ours.


    ¡°How is my son doing today?¡± Isaac¡¯s cheery voice follows his boisterous entry into the hospital room. He leans in to give me a hug and I chuckle and shake my head as I usually do when I see him. He was such an odd yet refreshing person to be around. Theplete mirror of Elena in every way but gender; I think that¡¯s why I thought of him as my little brother. I could tell that he cared dearly for my Elena and would rather die than see harme to her. ¡°He¡¯s doing well today, just had his bottle and burps, now he¡¯s passed out,¡± I say as we look down at the sleeping miracle. Isaac sighs, ¡°Elena is going to wallop me for having met her child first,¡± he says with augh and I couldn¡¯t agree more! ¡°Well, I think she will forgive us this time,¡± I say and see a wistful smile on his face as he looks towards her bed.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I miss her so much, Sebastian.¡± He says, wiping a stray tear away that has fallen, and I ce a hand on his shoulder, nodding in agreement. I know how he feels and felt it a thousand times more. She is my everything, seeing her like this breaks my heart, that I couldn¡¯t be of any help at all crushed my spirit daily. Apart from providing her with top-ss doctors and medical care, I was a sitting duck in her hospital room. Isaac nts a kiss on her cheek and say his goodbyes to his godchild and as well as me.


    Did I mention that Elena¡¯s sister hasn¡¯t evene to see her? The one person she was closer to than Isaac and she never even bothered toe and check up on her sister, who had almost died. How was Elena¡¯s ident weeding out all the bad from her life?


    Elijah had Anabelle arrested for her hand in Elena¡¯s attempted murder, and she was currently awaiting trial. The cupcake she gave to Elena stilly on the floor in the Phantom, and tests proved that there were peanuts present.


    Susanna and William Wiltshire are still missing. Any attempts made to contact them have proved futile and there was no evidence of them having left the country. Wilshire Estate has stood empty for over a week now with none of the workers having seen them enter or leave the home. Eliana has not heard of them either, so a missing person¡¯s report has been issued in their stead.


    This entire thing has my head in a spin; two of the most powerful families in all of the UK were being targeted. This has been proven by the recent spate of attempts on my life, my parent¡¯s death, the Wiltshire¡¯s being missing and now Elena¡¯s ident. The car that was rammed into Elena¡¯s Phantom was not registered to anyone, so it was a dead end. The driver of the vehicle had fled the scene. No hospitals admitted a seriously injured person on the day they admitted Elena, so it led to another dead end. To say that it frustrated me does not even cover it. Between being the CEO of my empire and a new father, I was starting to buckle under the pressure needed. I so wished Elena could be here and share in all of this. My life was lonely without her. I missed her smart mouth; she was the only person who could challenge me and get away with it.


    A knock at the door alerted me to Elijah¡¯s presence. He has been instrumental in this investigation into the targeting of Britain¡¯s wealthy. There has been no threat to his life thus far and we were both hoping it would stay this way. He walks over to me. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± he starts, which could never be a good thing because nine times out of ten, his ¡°thinking¡± was correct. ¡°Eliana and Robert, where have they been in all of this?¡± I frown at this and shake my head. ¡°Whatever it is that you¡¯re thinking, it¡¯s no go.¡± I start, but he holds up his hand. ¡°Think about it, someone tried to kill you, and if you had died your money would go to Elena. Kill Elena after you¡¯ve died, the empire automatically falls to Robert, correct?¡± He says, and I answer with a slow nod, not liking where this was headed. ¡°But Elena was pregnant. Her giving birth to your heir would be an obstacle in Robert gaining all that wealth. So¡­¡±


    ¡°Kill Elena and the baby in one go.¡± I finished his sentence which tasted bitter in my mouth. ¡°Exactly. Take the Wiltshires out of the equation and Eliana would inherit that legacy as well. It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense, Sebastian. Think about it.¡± He says with conviction and it seriously made me think.


    Eliana and Robert? Could it be? ¡°I¡¯ll do some further investigations into their whereabouts over thest few months, something is bound to turn up,¡± I say, and he returns my reply with a nod. We exchanged a few more ideas when his phone rang and he excused himself. Being alone with Elena made Elijah¡¯s words echo in my mind. Could it be? Robert¡¯s disy at my parents¡¯ funeralst year was a tad odd. Could he have been mourning the loss of the Dumont wealth to me? Did my father know something about Robert that I didn¡¯t? Hm. I need to get to the bottom of this.


    Pulling out my cell phone, I called my parents¡¯wyer to find out a few things and by the end of the conversation; I was even more confused than before.


    Three months before their death, my father changed the beneficiary of his will to me only, whereas before it was Robert who would have inherited everything. The entire Dumont legacy would have belonged to him instead of me. Dumont Enterprises in London would still have been mine, but not the worldwide conglomerate. This would exin why my father excluded Robert from the entire will, but the reason was not given. Did my father discover something amiss with his brother? I need to look into this before I put my family at further risk, so I decided to call Elijah with this update.


    ¡°That is definitely something to be wary of. See what else you can dig up on your uncle. I¡¯ll attempt to do the same.¡± He says after I inform him of the new information I had gathered. This was starting to look like family against family if his concerns proved to be right, and if that was the case, Robert and Eliana had no idea who they were up against. I have already brought down 2 of Britain¡¯s wealthy who tried to harm my family, I have no qualms of doing it to my own.


    I walk towards Elena¡¯s sleeping frame and sit down next to her, taking her hand in mine and cing a light kiss on the back. Fourteen days without her voice, fourteen days without her infectiousugh or hearing her say ¡®I love you.¡¯ Sighing, I hold her hand and close my eyes. ¡°I miss you, petite paquerette. Pleasee back to me.¡±


    At first I think I am imagining it, then it happens again she was squeezing my hand and when I looked up, two blue eyes regarded me with confusion. ¡°Elena!¡± I call out and jump from my seat. I ced kisses all over her forehead and went to ce one on her lips, but then I saw the tears brimming her eyes. Frowning, I asked, ¡°Elena?¡±


    She starts hyperventting and I press the button next to her bed to call the nurses and doctor in case of emergency. Looking up at me with sad eyes, my heart breaks anew at the pained expression on her face. But then she says three words that changed everything.


    ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡±

 Chapter57 Dazed and Confused

    Elena


    It¡¯s dark¡­


    Where am I?


    Where is Sebastian?!


    Wait, who is Sebastian?


    Everything¡­ Everything hurts so much. Why can¡¯t I move? Was someone holding my hand? It feels so warm and familiar. ¡°I miss you, petite paquerette. Pleasee back to me.¡± Uhm¡­ Who was that? Was that Sebastian? Why do I keep thinking of that name? I can¡¯t open my eyes, why can¡¯t I open my eyes?! They feel so heavy. I need to¡­ Need to get up, I need to move! Maybe this person can help me, wait I can move my hand now and¡­ and my eyes can open! I move my hand again and finally, my eyes start adjusting to the light. A pair of hazel eyes look at me with a shocked expression and immediately jump up and start kissing me and calling me Elena.


    Elena? Was that my name? Who is this?


    ¡°Elena?¡± He asks again and I feel tears falling down my cheeks. I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t know where I am or how I got here or who this man was! He pressed a button on the bedside table, then looked down at me with pained eyes. Who are you? I think but notice that I actually spoke in a gravelly voice and see his expression change again. Was he mad? Was he sad? ¡°Why am I here? What happened?¡± I struggle to talk again because of my parched throat, but he moves closer to me and strokes my hair. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay, Elena. The doctor is on his way.¡± He says, trying to reassure me, but I don¡¯t feel it working. ¡°No¡­ no¡­ why am I here? Who are you?! I exim, feeling the pain coursing through my body. ¡°It hurts¡­ it hurts!¡± I cry out just as the door bursts open and hospital staff scramble in.


    ¡°She says she¡¯s in pain,¡± the man who held my hand tells the doctor, ¡°and she doesn¡¯t know who I am.¡± I noticed that thest part of his sentence held a lot of sadness. Was this person someone special to me? I looked up at him but felt no familiarity, none at all. The doctor and nurses continue to check what I could only assume were my vitals and ask me questions as they do so. I couldn¡¯t answer him when he asked me my name, but I¡¯m guessing it is Elena from what the handsome guy called me earlier. After a few more tests and questions, he injects something into my drip and walks over to the man with hazel eyes.


    ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± I say and before I could hear anything, they drift away and darkness takes a hold of me once more.


    Sebastian


    She just said my name, I am sure she just said my name!


    ¡°Temporary amnesia due to the crash. I was hoping this would not be the case, but her MRI this morning showed that she might have a slight case of amnesia. There was no visible inmmation, so I do think she will be okay. We will need to give her time to adjust.¡± Dr Harris says, and I am partially relieved. Temporary amnesia? I hope so¡­ The nk look in her eyespletely shattered me. Her beautiful blue eyes, which used to be filled with so much love and adoration for me, were now devoid of any emotion.


    ¡°Why is she unconscious again?¡± I ask when I see her eyes close once more. ¡°I have given her something for the pain. Her body is still adjusting to waking up, but she will not slip back into heratose state. Leave her to rest, for now, she will need it.¡± Dr Harris tells me and checks on her once more before leaving.


    Then I am left in the room with a wife who didn¡¯t know who I was.


    I should have expected this; the car crash was serious and close to deadly. She would have suffered some brain damage in the process. Walking towards the bed, I sit down in the seat next to her and sigh in frustration. She woke up, and after all this time and all the waiting only for her to not remember me or anything at all. What do I do in this situation? I suppose the only thing to do is wait for her memories toe back.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Iy my head on the bed next to her and feel my chest tighten. He said temporary amnesia, right? So my Elena would not be gone forever¡­ would she?

 Chapter58 Return To Memory

    Sebastian


    Everything I have tried does not work. It is like my Elena is here, but she is not. The stories I tell her of our times together don¡¯t seem to jog her memory at all. The doctor thought it unwise to introduce our son to her so soon. He said it might be too jarring and we could lose her further than we already have. I also did not mention her parents or sister, since the former might be dead and thetter might be the one who caused it.


    I am currently in our bedroom, sitting in our shared walk-in and staring at her clothes. They all still smell like her, even though they are clean and washed¡­ they still had her scent on them. The ache in my heart hasn¡¯t let up since she woke because when she looks at me all I see is emptiness there is no love in her gaze. Sighing, I kill the light and walk out into our bedroom and sit down on her side of the bed. Would I ever make love to her in this bed again? Would I ever feel her embrace, the curve of her hips against me, her hands caressing my back?


    Would my Elena return to me?


    My eyes fall on her bedside table, and a possibilityes to mind. Could it possibly work¡­? An idea forms in my head so does a smile, and I grab her precious belongings off from her bedside table and put it into a paper bag. I would get her back, one way or another.


    Elena


    It¡¯s been two days and the strange man, whose name was Sebastian, has been sitting at my bedside and telling me about the life I had forgotten. My name is Elena Dumont and I am an heiress of some sort. Sebastian is my husband. I was in a terrible car crash about two weeks ago and I have been in aa ever since. I don¡¯t remember any of this. How is it possible? Not only that, but I can barely move my lower body and I am an invalid for all intents and purposes. All day Iy here with my thoughts, frustrated that I cannot remember anything and from all I have learned, my life was an amazing one filled with love and happiness.


    I see the disappointment in his eyes every time he tells me something, and I do not remember it. He tries to hide it, but I can tell it shatters him every time he tells me a story and I do not share in his excitement. But I cannot help it; no matter how much I try, I just cannot remember and it frustrates me to no end.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The door to my room suddenly opens and Sebastian pops his head in, wearing that gorgeous smile I like, and somehow it feels familiar. ¡°Hey, Elena,¡± he greets me and I return his greeting with my own smile. I could see how I fell in love with him; he was absolutely stunning and so kind to me, his patience alludes to how much he loved me. He walks in with that grin on his face and carries something in his left hand. ¡°I brought this for you, I thought you might need somepany while you recover.¡± He says and hands me the package. I take it from him and see that it is a paper bag. Frowning, I remove its contents, and my eyes grew.


    ¡°First edition of Jane Eyre!¡± I say with excitement, then I nch. Why was I excited about this? I look up at him and see the smile forming on his face. ¡°I knew it,¡± he says and sits down on the chair next to my bed. ¡°I knew you would remember your favourite book, even if you forgot everything else. Literature used to be your sanctuary.¡±


    The corners of my mouth pull down in a grimace. I was close to tears yet again, and I looked down to hide my shame with my hands. He was still trying to get me to remember, even if I was disappointing him every time he tried. Suddenly I feel Sebastian¡¯s hand on my chin, tilting my face upwards and he shakes his head. ¡°You are beautiful, Elena. Do not hide from me. I want to drink you in, every little expression on your face I wish to remember.¡±


    When he says this, I am taken back to a memory¡­ Sebastian on top of me, kissing me and worshipping my body. I look into his eyes and sense home as I ce my hand on his chest and pull him closer with his tie. However, his scent hits me, and a wave of familiarity washes over my senses. ¡°Tom Ford¡­¡± I murmur and see his eyes widen¡­ Then I kiss him and I feel my whole body ignite with nostalgia. This kiss felt so¡­ familiar! He tries to guide me, but I do not need his guidance, for I know¡­ I know the feeling of his tongue, his soft lips, the way he moans when I nip his bottom lip. I know¡­ I remember this¡­


    I break off the kiss and look into his beautiful hazel eyes, which were now shining with unshed tears. ¡°You remembered¡­¡± he whispers out and I nod. ¡°You said that¡­ the first time we made love,¡± I say as shes of that night y over in my head. Standing against the canopy of my four-poster bed with him in front of me telling me to make him leave¡­ I remember and I feel what I felt that night. The moment I gave in to him.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I say suddenly, then see his eyebrows raise in surprise. My hands went to my mouth. I wasn¡¯t sure why I said that! But it seems to do something to him because then he pulls me in for another kiss. This time the kiss was filled with need. I felt how much he missed me with this kiss, how much he needed me to remember the love we shared. But¡­ but I don¡¯t. I push him away and he looks down at me again, then registers as I shake my head. ¡°Please be patient with me. I remember that night, but only in shes. I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t quite recall the love we shared, but by the memory alone it was all-consuming. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I say, apologising yet again for being unable to remember.


    Sebastian smiles and runs his fingers through my hair, ¡°You remembered the most important milestone in our rtionship; the night we finally gave in to our feelings for one another, That¡¯s a win for me.¡± He says and kisses my forehead before sitting down again. He regards me with a look I can only interpret as love. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to-¡±


    ¡°Elena!¡±


    My head whips to the door and I see a man with curly red hair and wide blue eyes saunter in. I looked at Sebastian but he just had a smile on his face, then I looked at the redhead again and frowned. He was crying as he walked over to me andy his head down on the space on my left. ¡°Oh, Elena! I missed you so much!¡± He sobs, and I put my hand on his head.


    ¡°Silly, tart,¡± I said softly before I could even think what that meant, but his head shot up and he looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to call you that!¡± I say, feeling mortified, but the redhead only shakes his head. ¡°You used to call me that all the time!¡± He says, wailing so much Sebastian had to walk around tofort him as well. He looks at me,


    ¡°Elena, this is Isaac. He¡¯s your best friend.¡± The man named Isaac looks up at me and nods happily, then he takes his hand in mine. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, Elena! You may not remember me now, but I will never, EVER forget our friendship. You¡¯re the straight love of my life,¡± he looks to Sebastian, ¡°no offence, Sebbie.¡±


    Sebastianughs heartily at thisment and shakes his head again. He nts a kiss on my forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to catch up. See you tonight, love.¡± He says before turning around and sauntering out. ¡°Je t¡¯aime, Sebastian,¡± I say in familiarity, yet again my mouth operates before my brain does, but Sebastian stops in his tracks. What did I just say? He turns around to look at me, then gives me that smile again. ¡°Je t¡¯aime aussi, petite marguerite,¡± he replies and walks out, closing the door behind him.


    Isaac looks at me, fanning himself. ¡°God, Sebastian speaking French is the hottest thing I have ever heard.¡± He says, causing me to giggle. ¡°That was French?¡± I ask, a bit confused, and he raises his eyebrow at me. ¡°Ya, it was. Didn¡¯t you remember that?¡± He asks, but I shake my head. What exactly did I tell Sebastian? Isaac sees the look on my face, and his expression softened. ¡°You said, ¡®I love you,¡¯ Elena,¡± he starts, ¡°and he responded with, ¡®I love you too, little-¡±


    ¡°Daisy,¡± I interjected as another memory took hold, causing my heart to question everything I thought was good about the man who called himself my husband. Sebastian with a blonde on her knees while he ploughed into her from behind.

 Chapter59 Secrets

    Isaac


    As soon as I step out of Elena¡¯s hospital room, the mboyancy leaves my body and the smile drops from my face. I walk down the halls until I reach the exit and get into my Mercedes. Then I pull out my cell phone. ¡°Still nothing, but it¡¯s as we suspected. Attempted murder and from what I¡¯ve overheard between Dumont and Somersett, there have been numerous attempts on Dumont¡¯s life over thest few months.¡± The Scottish ent immediately drops as my usual Cockney one takes over. I give my report to my superior on the other end and await his response.


    ¡°Hm, and you¡¯re positive this was not the Thompson woman¡¯s doing? She did try before.¡± The voicees from the other end, but I shake my head to no one in particr. ¡°No, Thompson was way too clumsy to attempt something like this. This goes deep into the older families. I¡¯ll report back when I find out more. They all trust me.¡± I say as the burning in my chest starts again, but I push it down. I cannot allow this to interfere with my mission.


    ¡°Good. Has she regained her memories?¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°No, she has not, but she¡¯s remembering more as she progresses,¡± I say, recalling Elena¡¯s endearment earlier. A huffes from the other end. ¡°Good. Don¡¯t screw this up again, MacGowan.¡± Then the call dies, and I am left staring at the phone.


    The mission was simple; get close to Elena Dumont and do not allow anything to happen to her until we find out who was behind the murdering of the upper-ss elite. I failed the first mission, even though I weeded Anabelle out of her life. I never expected it to be Anabelle, but someone closer to Elena and since she has not made an appearance since they admitted her sister, she was looking guiltier by the day.


    Eliana Dumont.


    It felt as if this mission into the Dumont¡¯s lives was preordained. Elena and I clicked immediately and there was this instant connection, one neither of us could exin.. Well, I would be lying if I said I couldn¡¯t exin it. Elena and I were family, yes, but she wasn¡¯t aware just how close. She never caught the way my blue eyes shone in the sunlight and how they mirrored herspletely.


    I was a bastard, for all intents and purposes. Susanna Wilford was to marry William Wiltshire when she turned 21 but had an affair with her cousin, my father when she was only 18. She fell pregnant during one of her trysts with my father and Magnus Wiltshire; her intended father-inw, paid my father 3 Billion Pounds to take the child and not mention anything again. This would have ruined the Wilford¡¯s and Wiltshires, so my father agreed, seeing as he was the one who got Susanna pregnant. His wife was barren and weed the child, even though it was a product of his affair.


    Of course, I was the child.


    Elena is my half-sister and for thest year I have been trying to protect her from harm, but in the end, I failed. I was told not to get too close to Sebastian because he would figure me out immediately, but he hasn¡¯t yet. Partially because he has been so caught up with Elena¡¯s ident and amnesia. But I have a feeling once he gets to know me that he would put two and two together. But for now, I need to figure out who was behind the attack on Elena¡¯s life before they decide to strike again. I pushed down the guilt burning hot in my chest and started my car; I had a mission toplete and could not allow my feelings to get in the way.


    Elena


    This entire day, that memory yed over and over in my head. Sebastian seemed so kind and sweet to me, and I could tell that he loved me deeply. So where did that memorye from? Did I walk in on Sebastian cheating on me? Should I ask him what is going on or keep quiet? I know keeping quiet would eat me alive, so perhaps I should juste clean when he arrives. Honesty is the best policy, after all.


    The nurse has just returned me to bed after my sponge-down, but Sebastian still has not returned. I wanted to see him again, but I was too scared of what I would say because at this moment I wasn¡¯t his wife. I just looked like her. A knock at the door alerted me and as soon as his head peeks in the door and I see those gorgeous honey eyes, I feel myself faltering how did he have this effect on me when I don¡¯t even remember him?


    ¡°Hey,¡± he says with that stupidly gorgeous smile of his that I couldn¡¯t help but return. ¡°Hey,¡± I say, unsure of what else. He walks in with what I can only assume was food because of its glorious smell, and I perk up. ¡°Hungry?¡± he asks, and I nod with glee. Apparently, this was a high-ss hospital wing, but it was still hospital food and it sucked. ¡°I¡¯m dying for something that I¡¯ll regretter,¡± I say, literally salivating, and I see Sebastian blink in surprise. Then he chuckles. ¡°You sounded just like my Elena there,¡± he says, swivelling my tray towards me and cing the food on top of it. We ate our meal in silence, a meal which was apparently my favourite take away and I could see why. Oodles of calories and I didn¡¯t care at all.


    When we were done, Sebastian discards the empty containers and hands me a fruit juice. ¡°You¡¯ve been very quiet since I returned. Is everything okay?¡± He asks me and for some reason, I feel as if he could see right through me. I look down and sigh, ¡°I had another memory sh today,¡± I say and look up, brushing the tear away that had fallen down my cheek. ¡°You in a tux, and a blonde woman on her knees.¡±


    As soon as I say this, Sebastian pales and sits down. He leaned forward and ced his elbows on his knees,cing his fingers in front of his mouth. ¡°Of all the memories to return, it had to be me at my worst.¡± He says with a wistful scoff and looks up at me. ¡°Our marriage, Elena, wasn¡¯t exactly a normal one. Our families arranged it and we had to adhere to their rules. You used to hate me,¡± he says andughs sadly. ¡°Until I stopped being an arsehole and admitted that I was in love with you. The connection we shared¡­ couldn¡¯t be exined and it still can¡¯t. I have tried my best to make up for what you walked in on, me at my most despicable.¡± He says, guiltcing his tone, and I could not help but believe him. The look in his eyes alone shone with regret and convinced me of his honesty.


    I nod, ¡°That would exin it,¡± I say sadly, and he takes my hand in his, looking up at me apologetically. ¡°You must have been so confused during the day, I am so sorry Elena.¡± He says, ¡°I have tried my best to do right by you and our son for my wrongdoings before we fell in love. I hope you can see that one day.¡± Smiling, I nod again, but then¡­ wait¡­


    The smile drops from my face. He said¡­ he said¡­


    ¡°S-son? I have a child?!¡± I exim and I see his eyes widen as he realises his error. I have a child! This would exin the cut across my lower midsection that no one could exin to me. Then I gasp, ¡°Was I pregnant when the ident urred?¡± Oh my gosh, I don¡¯t think I want to know! But I need to¡­ I need to know. Sebastian runs his fingers through his hair in frustration, then gets up and walks away! ¡°Sebastian!¡± I called after him. Did I scare him off with my reaction? What was happening?!


    Before I could freak out any longer, Sebastian entered the room again, and he was cradling something. Oh, my gosh, was this my baby?! He walks towards me, ¡°Yes, love. You have a son and he was still in your womb when the ident urred.¡± He says as he looks down at the bundle with nothing but the purest love. Then he looks up. ¡°He¡¯s very lucky to be alive. Would you like to hold him?¡±


    I feel a wave of fear wash over me. What if I drop him? What if I hurt him? Or even worse¡­ What if I don¡¯t feel anything when I see him? Sebastian looks at me with an encouraging smile, and I nod. He leans over and ces the little thing gently in my arms¡­ Then I look down and see his perfect little face. My heart melted right on the spot and I felt the tears as they streak down my face. This was my baby, a child borne from Sebastian, and my love. I look up at my husband and I feel it all flooding back¡­ every feeling, every touch, every caress, every kiss, Exeter, Elijah, Sarah, Anabelle, the cupcake.


    ¡°Sebastian¡­?¡± I say in a whimper, and he immediately wraps his arms around me. I look back down at my son, who proved to be the key in unlocking my memories, my miracle and blessing, and I kiss his little forehead lightly. ¡°I love you already,¡± I whisper to him alone and hold him closer to my chest as small sobs wreck through my body.


    ¡°I remember,¡± I whisper, holding my child tightly, then I look up at Sebastian, ¡°I remember!¡± I cry out and see his eyes widen before he wraps his arms around me again and kisses my hair repeatedly. We sat like that until the nurse came in and told us that the baby needed to rest.


    ¡°Aaron,¡± I suddenly said, recalling a name I saw in a baby book once. Back then it didn¡¯t catch my eye, but now things were a lot different. ¡°It means blessing, exalted¡­ miracle. His name is Aaron.¡± Sebastian looks down at me with pride and nods, ¡°Aaron it is.¡±


    As soon as the nurse leaves, Sebastian makes his way over to me and kisses me fiercely. I return his kiss with the same passion and feel his trembling fingers as they caress my face. We break our kiss and when I open my eyes; I see his were brimming with unshed tears. He cups my face in his palms, ¡°Truly, you remember?¡± he asks in a strangle choke and I nod. ¡°I remember¡­ it all. The car that hit us, I remember the driver¡¯s face.¡±

 Chapter60 The Enveloping Darkness

    Elena


    It¡¯s as clear as day. We were nearing the vi, just turning the bend with nothing around us but the forest. I put my cell phone back in my handbag after texting Isaac and something to the left caught my attention. I screamed for Simon to move out of the way and luckily he heard me, but it wasn¡¯t enough. When the other car hit us, I saw him. Francis, one of our drivers.


    The anger bristles from Sebastian as I tell him the story. ¡°Are you certain, Elena?¡± He asks, and I nod. ¡°The scar, I remember the scar.¡± Francis¡¯ scar has always unnerved me; it started at his temple and snaked all the way down to his throat. Sebastian takes his cell phone out. ¡°We have a lead. Get down to the hospital room as soon as you¡¯re able to.¡± Then he kills the call. He sits down and cups my cheek in his hand. ¡°My Elena, finally you¡¯ve returned to me,¡± he says as a solitary tear falls down his cheek. ¡°I have missed you so much, Elena. These past few weeks without you have been Hell in itself.¡± He says, nting a kiss on my forehead and I feel it travel all the way down to my toes. I smile at him and look down at my battered body; I guess it will force me to take time off now. I¡¯m sure Isaac will be happy about that.


    ¡°Isaac! Oh my gosh, he must be beside himself with worry!¡± I exim, thinking about my best friend, and Sebastian nods with a wry smile. ¡°He¡¯s been in here every single day, even if there was no news.¡± I smile at this. Of course, he would be in and out of here every day, Isaac was like my twin. Speaking of which. ¡°Eliana? Where is she?¡± I ask, but then I see Sebastian¡¯s expression change. He could never lie to me, even a little white lies and I could see him contemting on whether or not to tell me the truth.


    He sighs. ¡°Eliana hasn¡¯t been in to visit even though she knew about your ident, Elena. She hasn¡¯t called either.¡± For some reason, I knew this already. I actually haven¡¯t heard from my sister since we left Paris. Even my baby news was met with an icy response. When they came down for the funeral, I only saw her in church. After that, they left for France again. I wonder what I did to earn my sister¡¯s ire.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, love. But you deserve to know the rest as well. Elijah and I have been doing a bit of our own investigation, and have concluded that Eliana and Robert were behind my parents¡¯ deaths. Your parents are both missing and presumed dead as well. But with this news that you remember who drove into you, Elijah and I might be closer than we anticipated.¡± Sebastian suddenly says, plunging my heart into an even darker cavern.


    I have never been close to my parents, but the fact that they might be dead hits me harder than I expected. ¡°Why would they do this?¡± I ask with a shake to my voice. I don¡¯t understand it. Was Eliana still bitter over being the one to carry the Wiltshire torch? She got out of duty. So what was the point of this? ¡°I wish I knew, love. Let¡¯s see what Elijah and I can learn from Francis, and we will take it from there. For now, I think I need to call the doctor toe and have a look at you.¡± He says with a kiss on my cheek before strolling out.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    A few minutester I am put under the microscope by the doctor as he asks me questions about how I¡¯m feeling, pain levels and so forth. He has an MRI scheduled forter on as well, just to be on the safe side. When we were done, he gave me the all-clear and told me to take it easy, and as soon as the MRI results were in, we could leave! It will only be tomorrow, but still!


    ¡°Can you give me your phone quickly?¡± I ask Sebastian, needing to see someone important, and he does so. Even Though I just had amnesia, I recall the cell phone number off the top of my head and press to video call. A few minutester, Isaac answers the phone, as gloriously mboyant as ever.


    ¡°Sebby, to what do I owe-¡± he answers, then stops himself when he sees me. ¡°Elena?¡±


    ¡°Hey, tart. Guess who¡¯s back?¡± I say and I swear I just popped an eardrum by the way he was screaming. ¡°Say no more, I will be right over!¡± He says and kills the call. I giggle and hand Sebastian his phone back, noting the smile forming on his face as well. ¡°He truly loves you,¡± he says, pocketing the phone and I nod because I felt the same way. He felt more like family than my own.


    A knockes at the door and a blonde head pops in. ¡°Elijah!¡± I call, happy to see him, and he rushes over to me, taking me in his arms and squeezing gently. ¡°Elena, we have all missed your light.¡± He says and kisses my hair. I looked at Sebastian but caught no jealousy or mistrusting from him; he must truly trust Elijah.


    ¡°What is this I hear of a new lead?¡± he asks Sebastiaan when he lets go of me. Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°Elena remembers who drove into her Phantom. It was one of my drivers, Francis. Better yet, he¡¯s at my vi right now.¡± Sebastian says with a clenched jaw, and I notice Elijah¡¯s tightening as well. How did I get on better with men than with women? I have three of them in my life who would much rather take a bullet for me than see harme my way. I truly am blessed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Elijah says, not waiting for Sebastian, but my husband walks towards me and kisses me gently. ¡°We need to sort this out, love. Will you be fine for a while?¡± he asks and I nod. I could use the quiet. ¡°I love yo-¡±


    ¡°ELENA!¡± The door bursts open and a sh of red rushes in, enveloping me. I feel Isaac¡¯s sobs wreck his body and look up at Sebastian, who smiles and points to the door before leaving. ¡°Silly tart,¡± I say and stroke my best friend¡¯s hair as he continues to cry. Did he truly miss me that much? ¡°You have¡­ you have no idea how lonely I have been without you!¡± he cries, causing tears to well up in my eyes and fall down my cheeks. We hold one another for a little while before he lets go and removes tissue from his bag and hands some to me as well. Then he looks into my eyes. ¡°I thought I would never see your clear blue eyes again. You were awake for three days, but not fully¡­ you weren¡¯t our Elena. But now¡­ now you¡¯re here and you¡¯re okay and¡­¡± he trails off as his face crumbles up again and he wipes his tears away.


    My poor Isaac!


    ¡°Have you met your lil boy yet?¡± He asks, bouncing off the walls and I giggle. ¡°Who do you think snapped me back into reality? As soon as I set my eyes on my little Aaron, it all came back to me.¡± I say proudly, recalling how I felt at that moment.. Theplete love overwhelmed me to such an extent that I managed to retrieve my memories. It felt like a movie sequence to bepletely honest. Isaac¡¯s eyes glisten. ¡°Aaron? How perfect!¡± he eximed with a hand on his chest, then he seemed to sober up and square his shoulders.


    He then fills me in on what has been happening while I wasatose. ¡°Did Sebastian tell you that the lil bitch Anabelle admitted to swapping out your birth control with cebos?! Apparently, she thought Sebastian would make you drop out. She did not expect the barrage of followers you would gain afterwards.¡±


    ¡°So all of it was because she was jealous of me?¡± I ask, shaking my head as I remember the emptiness I felt after finding out she tried to kill me. He nods, ¡°And how. To the point of trying to murder you. ording to little miss Anabelle, you stole everything from her, including Nichs and by the way, she¡¯s not lesbian SURPRISE. Not.¡± Isaac finishes with disgust and sits down on the chair Sebastian usually upies. He shed me a wistful smile, and for some reason, he reminded me of my mother.


    I shake the thought from my head and ask him what else had been happening. At least that could take my mind off the darkness I feel growing inside my heart.

 Chapter61 Home

    Elena


    The familiar winding road to our vi brings a smile to my face. We were going home, all three of us. I looked over at Sebastian in the driver¡¯s seat and little Aaron next to me in the car seat, and my heart feels full. I was well on my way to healing, had my husband by my side, and my baby was safe and healthy. Despite knowing my sister might have been behind my attack, I was still happy.


    I almost didn¡¯t get into the SUV when we left the hospital because I started having a panic attack. Scenes from the ident came flooding back to me, but Sebastian and Isaac managed to calm me down long enough to get into the vehicle before the paparazzi arrived. My two loves, I still can¡¯t believe how blessed I am to have them both in my life.


    ¡°We¡¯re home,¡± Sebastian says with a smile and we make eye contact in the rearview mirror. Home. I never realised it before, but I never had a home. Wiltshire Estate was just that; an estate. There was no warmth within its walls, no love from my family, and loneliness surrounded me at every turn. At our vi things are so much different; my staff members feel like family and there was warmth at every turn.


    Sebastian brings the SUV to a halt in front of our door and I see our staff filling out to meet us, with Isaac following close by in his Mercedes. ¡°Miss Elena!¡± I hear Ilse call and my heart breaks at the love in her voice. My vi mamma! I smile and wave at her toe closer to Aaron¡¯s side. ¡°Please, would you be a doll and take Aaron? I am unable to at the moment.¡± I ask her and see her eyes widen and fill with tears. ¡°I would be honoured!¡± She exims with a hand to her chest, and I giggle at her response. Lifting my boy gingerly, she holds him close to her chest and gently rocks him when he stirs. ¡°Master Dumont, it is a pleasure to meet you,¡± I hear her whisper and lightly close the SUV¡¯s door with her bum.


    ¡°Upsy daisy,¡± Sebastian says as he picks me up and ces me in the wheelchair and I hear Isaac burst out in a fit of giggles. ¡°The cold Mr CEO just said upsy daisy, I¡¯m sorry you have to give me a minute!¡± He says in between breaths and I see Sebastian roll his eyes before closing the vehicle door and pushing the wheelchair inside the vi.


    zed eyes all greet me as we walk inside, and I choke back my tears. These people were my staff but they¡¯ve shown me more love than my family ever has. I tell Sebastian to stop and embrace them all, telling them how much I appreciate them and their prayers for me. ¡°They all love you,¡± Sebastian says with pride while we were in the installed elevator to go up to our room. I shrug. ¡°I love them all as well. They¡¯re my family too.¡± I say and touch Ilse¡¯s arm while she beams down at me. ¡°He¡¯s so beautiful and the exact copy of Mr Dumont,¡± she says and I chuckle. I notice the resemnce as well. Even at a few weeks old, the Dumont features were already prominent.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Sebastian got me settled in bed and pushed the crib against my side of the bed. I don¡¯t care what anyone says, my child will sleep in my bedroom until I say otherwise. I already missed out on his birth and bonding with breastfeeding. I¡¯ll be damned if I miss out on every other milestone. He was still fast asleep, and I couldn¡¯t help but gaze down at my precious child.


    Because I was in aa, I never got to fully bond with Aaron and it will forever haunt me. Does he know that I am his mommy? Does he recognise me? He doesn¡¯t cry when I hold him and snuggle into me when he sleeps, so maybe he does?


    ¡°I had the nurse let him sleep with your favourite scarf so he recognises your scent,¡± Sebastian suddenly says as he sits down at the foot of the bed. I look up at him, tears welling up in my eyes and falling down my cheeks. ¡°You did that?¡± I ask, incredulously. Is this why Aaron snuggles into my arms when he sleeps? Because he recognises my scent? He nods. ¡°I wanted him to know who his mommy was, even while you were in aa and had amnesia. There needed to be a bond between the two of you when you woke up, Elena. It would have eaten at your heart if he did not know you. I also told the nurse to wear one of your jackets when he was being bottle-fed.¡±


    My hands fly to my face as ted sobs wreck through my body. Sebastian had no idea what this meant to me, and I don¡¯t think I could ever express it or put my gratitude into coherent words. Where would I even begin? What would I even say? ¡°Sebastian, I¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡­ what to¡­¡± I tried, I really did try to speak, but my emotions clouded my heart and all that came out was gibberish.


    He walked around to his side of the bed and took me in his arms. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, Elena. I love you.¡± He held me, and I swear I could feel something like a crack, and all my tears just kepting. The doubts, the regret, the depression, the guilt¡­ everything just flowed out of me as my dam broke.


    I med myself for the ident, for giving people second chances, for not seeing threats when they were right in front of me and allowing known enemies into my life. I was too soft, too forgiving and refused to see the bad in people, even when the evidence was presented to me. But I know that it wasn¡¯t my fault¡­ none of this was. They took advantage of my good heart, but it won¡¯t happen again; not when I have so much to live for.


    Sebastian hands me a tissue and I clean up my face before cing a kiss on his cheek. ¡°I love you too. Thank you. For everything. I don¡¯t know how to make this up to you but I will spend the rest of my life making sure you understand just how much this means to me.¡± I say, finally getting a sentence out, and he smiles at me. That panty-dropping, Jake Gyllenhaal smile that makes me weak at the knees and I suck in a breath Damn, he still had this effect on me. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to spending every waking minute with you,¡± he says and kisses my forehead.


    ¡°I just love you two together, so perfect.¡± Came the voice of Isaac, fanning his tears away. He stood at the entryway and I waved him inside. Just then Sebastian¡¯s cell phone rings and he excuses himself.


    I pat the spot next to me and Isaac joins me, wrapping me in a hug, and Iy my head on his chest. ¡°I wish I could find someone like our Sebby. He¡¯s rich, sexy, sophisticated, kind, sexy.¡±


    ¡°You said sexy twice,¡± I say through giggles and he shrugs. ¡°Well, have you seen him? God, those eyes make me melt.¡± He says, holding a hand to his heart, and I p his chest lightly. ¡°That is my husband you¡¯re gushing about!¡± I say, trying to get myughter under control before Aaron decides to wake up. ¡°Yes, we all know that you can stop bragging.¡± Isaac retorts with a huff. I can¡¯t believe this guy is my best friend. Where the heck was he all my life? Ever since he entered my life in a whirlwind, things have just looked up and I don¡¯t think I could trust anyone as much as I do him. My gay soulmate.


    I sit up and look over at Aaron fast asleep and let out a sigh. ¡°At least I can thank Anabelle for one thing. If she didn¡¯t switch out my birth control, I would never have this precious little angel right now.¡± I say and feel Isaac bristle with anger next to me. ¡°Screw that cunt sorry. I still want to choke her out for trying to kill you. Pity Elijah didn¡¯t allow me to see her, or she would be dead right now.¡± He says in his Scottish twang, but I frown at his mention of Elijah.


    ¡°What does Elijah have to do with this?¡± I ask, and tilt my head to the side. Isaac¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Sebastian and Elijah have been in cahoots, trying to figure out who¡¯s behind the murder of the upper-ss elites.¡± He says and I faintly recall Sebastian mentioning something of the sort. ¡°Oh, yeah. Sebastian did mention it. It was just after my memories returned so everything is a bit fuzzy.¡± I say but then a worried frown crossed Isaac¡¯s brow. ¡°You need to mention that to your doctor, Elena. Don¡¯t leave anything out, we want you back to 100%.¡±


    I know. Trust me, I do, but I don¡¯t think I will heal that quickly. The doctor mentioned that there would be some brain damage after thea and concussion, but we¡¯re hoping it is not life-threatening. That¡¯s all I can do now; hope and pray while my body heals.


    Isaac suddenly perks up. ¡°You know this means no school for you, right? You can finally focus on your baby and Sebby and your home life. Do not touch yourptop, or I will confiscate it!¡± He says, causing me to giggle. I ce a hand over my heart, ¡°Scouts honour, mom!¡± I exim and we copse in a fit of giggles.


    Just then Sebastian bursts through the door with a murderous look on his face and storms towards Isaac, pulling him off the bed and mming him against the wall. ¡°Sebastian-!¡± I cried out in horror, but it was as if he didn¡¯t hear me at all. His focus was all on Isaac and his death grip around his neck.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡±

 Chapter62 Isaac Mortimer Wilford

    Elena


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask it again, who the hell are you?!¡± Sebastian repeats, and I am left stunned on the bed, unable to move or pull him off my best friend. Isaac was dainty and didn¡¯t know how to fight. Why was Sebastian doing this?! Then Isaac takes Sebastian¡¯s hand from around his throat and twists it before shoving him away gently.


    Uh, excuse me, WHAT?!


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you did not touch me,¡± Isaac says in an ent that didn¡¯t quite match him¡­ a Cockney ent. ¡°Isaac¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask, bbergasted at the scene in front of me. Sebastian looks over at me. ¡°Elijah just called me with some interesting news. He¡¯s had Isaac investigated since he showed up at the hospital after your ident. We noticed that my death threats and attempts on my life started after you met Isaac and did some digging. The identity he gave does not exist; there is no Isaac MacGowan.¡± Sebastian says, and I feel as if my life was crashing down all around me.


    Isaac lied to me?


    I looked over at the man I deemed my soulmate and best friend and felt nothing but despair. ¡°What is he talking about, Isaac?¡± I ask, needing to know the truth, even if it hurts me. I was well past disappointment right now. Isaac looked at me with a broken expression and shook his head while giving a sad scoff. ¡°This wasn¡¯t how I wanted you to find out, Elena.¡± He says, again without his lovely Scottish ent. ¡°Find out? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe a word he says, Elena,¡± Sebastian interjects and I shake my head. ¡°I want to hear what he has to say. I deserve the truth after months of lies.¡± I say and urge Isaac on before Sebastian loses his cool yet again. Isaac sighs and I brace myself for what he deemed his truth.


    ¡°I work for the NCA. They put me onto your case after Elise Dumont passed away under strange circumstances. My job was to keep Elena Dumont safe, and I failed.¡± Isaac starts and I see Sebastian nch. ¡°Elise¡­ My aunt is dead?! He exims with a shocked look on his face. I didn¡¯t know who Elise was, but something made me realise that this would be Robert and Spencer¡¯s sister. Isaac nods. ¡°Yes, I apologise. She passed onst December. However, we discovered that she left her shares in everything to your father, who in turn left everything to you when he passed on. We still have not figured out why they changed their wills at thest minute and left nothing to Robert.¡± Isaac says, and Sebastian takes a step back, looking shocked. ¡°The NCA is involved in this?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes. Spencer used to be in Intelligence before he settled with Mirabelle, but he¡¯s had surveince on him ever since. NCA never realised how close the threat was to the man who would have taken over MI5. The man who chose his family over the position as head of British Intelligence.¡± Isaac says, and I see the cogs in Sebastian¡¯s mind spinning out of control. I look over at Isaac. ¡°How can we believe everything you have said? How do we know it isn¡¯t another lie?¡± I say with a crack to my voice and notice the hurt in Isaac¡¯s eyes before he blinked it away¡­ Then he smiles.


    ¡°I have nothing to hide, Elena. I was simply doing my job and failed to protect you. How do you think I knew about Anabelle and her hatred towards you? I told you about her months ago but you kept her around.¡± He says and Sebastian¡¯s head snaps towards Isaac. ¡°You told her about Anabelle?¡±


    Isaac nods, ¡°I warned her early on.¡± He says, and I feel the guilting back. He did try to warn me, and I did nothing. I tried to see the good in Anabelle and it almost killed me. I look up at him again. ¡°Who are you really?¡± I ask, but I honestly don¡¯t think that I want to know. This is when Isaac chuckled. ¡°Are you sure you want to know that, Elena?¡± he asks, and I am taken aback at how well he knows me. Did I truly want to know? I nod, then his smile drops.


    ¡°Very well. The MacGowan¡¯s are my family. They took me in when I was only a day old and raised me as their own. Well, my father was truly Mortimer MacGowan, but my mother was¡­ someone else entirely. An heiress set to marry into nobility when she turned 21. I was the dirty secret she kept, threw away and sold for 3 Billion as a hushed secret but my father got his own back when he named me.¡± Isaac says with a sad smile and my heart stops when he pins me with a blue-eyed stare.


    ¡°My real name is Isaac Mortimer Wilford, and Susanna was my biological mother.¡±


    I should have known. I always joked that Isaac sort of looked like me, especially his eyes. I just never¡­ never knew it was biological. Sebastian takes his cell phone out of pocket. ¡°Could you do a search on an Isaac Mortimer Wilford? Yes, I can hold on.¡± He says, no doubt to Elijah and a few minutester he speaks again. ¡°Oh. Okay, thanks. No, we¡¯ll speak about it when I see you.¡± He concludes his call, then he looks over at me. ¡°Everything he¡¯s said is true, Elena. Isaac is your half-brother.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I was shocked, ted or sad. Isaac was my brother, a brother I never knew I had, a brother my mother had thrown away because it would have caused a scandal. That sounded like my mother, all wrapped up in a bow. Was this why my father always resented her in the beginning?


    Isaac looked at me. ¡°I never wanted to keep this from you, Elena, but they instructed me not to get too close. I never expected to love you as much as I do now and have the rtionship with you that I have always craved.¡± He says and moves closer to me, but I hold up my hand for him to stop. I shake my head. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t think right now, Isaac. Please leave.¡± I say and see the pain in his eyes, a pain that mirrored mine. He nods, then walks out of the room.


    Sebastian and I do not talk until we hear his Mercedes speed away.


    He walks over to where I sat on the bed and takes my hands in his. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, Elena. When Elijah told me that Isaac wasn¡¯t who he imed to be, I lost it. I was tired of the threats to our lives and assumed Isaac was one too. Little did I know he knew more about my family than I ever did.¡± He says and I think back to Isaac¡¯s words; Spencer Dumont was a flipping special agent, British Intelligence and all that. Bond, James Bond in real life.


    ¡°Spencer used to be cool,¡± I blurted out without thinking and Sebastian looked at me as if I had grown a second head then he burst intoughter. ¡°Oh, gosh, I¡¯m sorry!¡± I say, really wishing God would have installed a filter on me. Aaron then woke up at themotion and I proceeded to tend to my niggly baby.


    I felt mentally drained. Too much has happened over thest few weeks that I actually wish I could have my boring days at the vi back. Things used to be easier back then, simpler even, and the only thing that worried me was my growing feelings for Sebastian. But, then again, trauma seems to make the person and I wouldn¡¯t be who I am right now because of it.


    I managed to get Aaron settled and Sebastian had to leave for work afterwards. We stationed a nanny next to our room so I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about getting things for Aaron if they were out of reach or if he needed a bottle made and nappy changed.


    Then I was alone with my thoughts. Isaac pretended to be someone he wasn¡¯t for over a year. He lied to me, put on a fake personality and deceived me. Could I ever forgive him for this? Would I have my best friend back? Tears fill my eyes as I mourn for yet another lost friendship, but then my cell phone pings an iing mail notification. I already knew who it was, and my heart raced.


    Isaac: The only things I lied about were my name and ent. Everything else is the truth, even my sexuality. You¡¯re my best friend, Elena, and I hope one day you could forgive me for deceiving you. But I guess this is goodbye. Give my godchild a kiss for me, would you? Take care. Xx I xX


    I don¡¯t think I even cried this hard when Mirabelle died.

 Chapter63 Rest In Peace, Elena Wiltshire

    Sebastian


    Elena Dumont has died, perished in the hospital after not waking from hera. Well, that¡¯s what we paid the press to report. We needed to weed Robert and Eliana out and think this would be the best way to do it. After Isaac¡¯s confession, we decided to work together and concluded that the only way to get them out of France was to pretend Elena had died. A funeral was scheduled the day after tomorrow and the ¡®will¡¯ would be read this afternoon.


    Francis, the driver has confessed his role in the attempted murder of Elena and my son and said that Robert paid him close to 2 million to do it. We handed him over to the police and Isaac let them know about NCA¡¯s involvement. Isaac has found the reason for Robert and Eliana¡¯s actions and concluded that it was all for greed Eliana grew jealous of my and Elena¡¯s love and hated that she gave up the chance to be the Dumont Matriarch. Robert, who was stupidly in love with her, started killing off the family to gain the Dumont wealth. My father was on to him and advised my aunt Elise to change the beneficiary of her will to both of her children and hand her shares in Dumont Enterprises over to my father. Not soon after and she was murdered, my parents¡¯ death followed after that, with threats to my life and Elena¡¯s as well.


    Money, the root of all evil.


    The front door banged open. ¡°Sebastian!¡± came the put-on voice of Eliana and I got up to meet her. ¡°Showtime,¡± I murmured to Elijah, and the woman who looked like my wife engulfed me in a hug. ¡°I am so sorry I couldn¡¯t be here sooner! Elena! My Elena is gone!¡± She exims and clings to me while sinking to the floor dramatically. Elijah rolls his eyes and walks over to the window while sipping on his whiskey. ¡°I thought she was recovering?¡± Came the voice of the man I wished to strangle but kept my cool. I shake my head. ¡°She grew too weak after the baby died in her womb and just never woke up. The trauma to her brain was too much. She would have been in a vegetative state all her life so I made the decision I never would have dreamed to make.¡± I say, forcing myself to look miserable, but I think I sold my performance because Eliana wrapped me in another hug.


    ¡°Elena would have wanted you to make the right choice, Sebastian. That would not have been her lying there, only her body and her spirit would have left her body.¡± She says while rubbing my arms and it took everything in me not to show how disgusted I felt. I hate how this snake of a woman had my Elena¡¯s face but none of her traits. She made my skin crawl. How I pretended to be in love with her for so long, I would never know. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, Eliana. Come, let us get this reading of her will over and done with.¡± I say and lead the two of them to the living room area where the ¡®attorney¡¯ waited for us.


    30 minutester, Eliana was under the impression that she was wealthier than Robert. She thanked us and took her leave, promising to be at the funeralter this week. We knew they would show up only to show their faces, but hopefully, there would be no funeral disy because we had listening devices imnted inside their vehicles and a bracelet Elena ¡®gifted¡¯ to Eliana.


    ¡°Now we wait,¡± Isaac proimed, and this was the worst part, but luckily for us, greedy people boast.


    It wasn¡¯t even a few hours, and we had them hook, line and sinker. Robert used Eliana of wanting me now that I had all the Dumont wealth. Eliana readily admitted to this. ¡°I killed for you!¡± Robert had eximed but Eliana said she never asked him to murder his family when she was already nning her parent¡¯s and sister¡¯s deaths. Susanna and Williamy dead in Walthamstow Marshes, courtesy of Francis as well.


    Robert and Eliana were unaware of the world of trouble they were in, but finally, my family would be safe. And instead of attending Elena¡¯s funeral, the police and NCA pulled them in for questioning, with Eliana singing like a bird but confessing to nothing that would make her look guilty. Until her tapes were yed. Robert, of course, admitted to everything, saying he was sick of this cat-and-mouse game Eliana was ying with him.


    It has been close to two weeks since this urred, and Elena has been deathly quiet. Her light that I used to love so much was slowly diminishing and nothing I did seemed to be helping. She spends all her free time staring at Aaron and justying in bed half in a daze. I know the quick session of betrayal has hurt her to her core, but she refused to speak to me about it. What could I do? How do I help my wife out of this darkness that was slowly creeping into her heart?


    I sigh, picking up my phone and thinking of the only thing that would help.


    Elena


    Curled up on my side and wished I could feel happiness again.


    Elena Wiltshire died the day she buried her parents who were killed by their own child and Elena Dumont stood in her ce a darker person at heart. How much more of this could I take? How many more betrayals until I be a jaded hermit? My own sister tried to kill me and my unborn child because of jealousy. Anabelle tried to kill me because of jealousy. What is it about me that attracts these people? I have absolutely nothing that would warrant their jealousy. I was wed, full of faults and had a big mouth with no filter. There was nody-like bone in me and I speak up when I am being insulted. I have curves, huge boobs, am a brat and rebel against social norms; please exin to me how anyone could be jealous of me!


    I needed my Isaac; I needed my best friend so badly right now, but I know we could never be that close again. He lied to me I know it was for all the right reasons, but I still felt deeply betrayed. There was a hollowness in my heart after the truth came out love alone could never fill the emptiness. Isaac was the one person I trusted after Sebastian. Would I ever be able to forgive him?


    ¡°Elena,¡±


    Oh, great. Now I am hallucinating his voice. I have dipped further into the madness pool than I originally thought. A shadow falls over me and I look up, only to see red hair and blue eyes that matched mine. ¡°Hey, tart,¡± Isaac greets me, and all the fight leaves my body when I see his dimpled smile. He gets onto the bed next to me and lies on his side to face me. ¡°What are you doing here, Isaac?¡± I asked, confused at his sudden appearance, but deep down, I needed to see him. I missed my best friend.


    ¡°Your husband called me,¡± is all he says, and this honestly surprises me. Sebastian called him toe to see me? ¡°Why would he do that if he doesn¡¯t trust you?¡± I asked, but knew why already. I had been pushing Sebastian away more and more each day without even thinking about what I was doing. I slowly brought my legs closer to my body. The casts have been removed so moving around became a bit easier. ¡°He¡¯s worried about you, thinking you could use a friend.¡± He says in that unfamiliar Cockney ent.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I am surprised he called you, to be honest,¡± I say with a hitch to my voice, but when I look up into his eyes, the dam just broke. I sobbed my darn heart out while he wrapped his arms around me. His familiar scent felt like home, and it just made the crying worse. ¡°I hated lying to you, Elena. But you need to understand that they ordered me to. Every day we spent together, I found it difficult to keep the truth from you until they almost took me off the job. But in all honesty, I am happy that the truth is out in the open, even if it means that you hate me now.¡±


    I looked up at him and sniffed, my eyes wide. ¡°I could never hate you, Isaac! You mean the world to me! It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s taking a while for all the lies from every corner of my life to sink in. The past two months have taken everything out of me and I am barely hanging on.¡± I say then feel my bottom lip tremble. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much! You have no idea how lonely I have been without you by my side!¡± Isaac holds me closer and strokes my hair, but says nothing at all. I think I needed this. The silence that didn¡¯t need to be filled with unnecessary words.


    After about an hour, Isaac lets go of me and hands me a tissue so I could clean my nose. It feels like a rift has been closed between the two of us and closure is looming. Isaac lied to me out of duty, not because he was hiding something sinister, and somehow I felt like I could forgive him. My heart was lighter at the sight of him my best friend, my brother. My eyes widen as I finally realise this minor fact. I had an older brother!


    ¡°So, my brother, hey?¡± I say in a shy voice I didn¡¯t recognise, and he chuckles. ¡°Yes, if you would have me, that is.¡± He responds, and I knew my answer would still be yes. But then something hit me and I sob again. Isaac looked horrified and pulled me closer to him again. But I shook my head. ¡°No¡­ No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± I sobbed out, trying to get my sentences coherent. ¡°Your lovely ent is gone!¡± I wail. I don¡¯t know why but Isaac suddenly burst outughing, a hearty tummyugh that stopped my sobbing and caused me to frown. ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡± I say and p his arm, but he nods and tries to get hisughter under control. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but¡­ it is! Out of everything, you¡¯re sad that I¡¯m not Scottish?¡± He exims andughs again.


    I sniff then pout, ¡°Yes! Your ent made you so¡­ Isaac and now you just have a boring old Cockney ent like me.¡± I say, and he eventually stopsughing and sighs. ¡°Wid ye prefer ah blether lik¡¯ this?¡± He says, ending off the sentence in the ent I love so much and I wasn¡¯t sure if he was being serious or not, but I shake my head and smile. ¡°No, I need to know this Isaac, my brother, the gay special agent,¡± I say with a giggle. My brother, the flipping special agent.


    He grins proudly, ¡°Before we start you should probably know something else about me.¡± Oh, no. Not more secrets? Isaac sees my expression but shakes his head. ¡°It¡¯s not bad, I promise.¡± Then he took something out of his pocket and proudly showed it to me; it was a ring. I frown at this odd disy, but then he slides it onto his ring finger and my eyes widen and my heart leapt. ¡°You¡¯re married?!¡± I exim, giddy to my core. My Isaac had a special someone in his life and the thought itself made me so happy. ¡°Yes, his name is Matthew. We¡¯ve been married for three years, together for ten.¡± He says in a dreamy voice while removing his cell phone. He scrolls for a bit then proudly shows me a picture of a gorgeous dark-skinned man with the brightest green eyes I have ever seen. Isaac had his arms wrapped around him, and they honestly looked so happy and content.


    I smile wistfully at this. My Isaac was happy. He had someone to call his own, and he had his own life outside of the heir madness. Then I remembered something he said a long time ago and blushed to my roots. ¡°So that¡¯s what you meant by dark chocte always fills you up, you tart!¡± I cry out, red-faced and mortified, but Isaac again bursts out into a fit of giggles. ¡°Well, if you must know-¡±


    ¡°No, please! No sex stories unless I have had alcohol!¡± I exim and mp my hands over my ears before he spurts an unwanted story.


    I loved this, bonding with the only family member I had left and it felt oddly uplifting. At least I had my Isaac back and not only was he my best friend, but he¡¯se to mean so much more to me.

 Chapter64 Intensive Therapy

    Elena


    ¡°I believe in you, Elena. Not too long now.¡± Marcus, my physiotherapist, urges me on while I do my leg exercises. It has been close to four months since the ident and I can walk on crutches, but the biting cold of winter in London has made it difficult. The pain when I wake up in the morning is dull but bearable and nothing anti-inmmatories could not fix, although I tend to not take them as much due to my weak disposition. What else can I do but grin and bear it?


    I know that this is necessary for me to walk again but damn it.


    You would think the physio would hurt more, but it¡¯s the sessions with my therapist that do. I have been weaned off my anxiety medication and he¡¯s ced me on a light antidepressant. The reason for this was that I realised I was slowly getting addicted to the anxiety medication. I popped one whenever a wave of anxiety hit and it was happening too often to count. My therapist praised me for recognising my addictive habit and helped me work through the weaning off stage. Gosh, it was difficult, but it was worth it. My head has never felt more clear.


    Today was a bit easier. Marcus is happy with my progress and I can take a few steps without my crutches now. I think it¡¯s more fear that was holding me back from walking again. Isaac and Sebastian have been my constant support through this, and I swear I was doing a hundred times better than before.


    Sebastian had a room in our vi constructed into a physio room and Marcuses here three to four times a week for our sessions. Even my therapist gets paid toe here. My husband wasn¡¯t risking anything after Eliana and Robert¡¯s stunts, and I couldn¡¯t me him.


    My session with Marcus ends and he helps me move to my wheelchair where I breathe out a sigh of relief and smile, ¡°Thank you, it was a tad easier today.¡± I say and take a sip of my water bottle. He returns my smile and nods, ¡°Another month or two and you won¡¯t need to use those crutches anymore,¡± he says. I think back to the days I took walking for granted and sigh wistfully. I miss my heels and thigh-high boots and WALKING. Gosh. At least it won¡¯t be long now.


    I see Marcus out and walk out onto our terrace. I never appreciated the quiet and the view around me back when I was a student. In fact, I took a lot of things for granted back then, including my health and my marriage. Things would be a lot different now if I didn¡¯t have this ident, especially my rtionship with Aaron. I wouldn¡¯t be holding him closer every day, kissing him more and strengthening our bond, no I would be busy with an assignment for school or submitting a book report here and there. My family would be getting the back burner to my dreams, and I only just realised how selfish that made me.


    My career could still flourish, but for now, I want to be a mother to my firstborn and a better wife to Sebastian. I think they deserve 100% of my love and attention.


    ***


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this, Elena?¡± Isaac asks me for the tenth time as we enter the gates. ¡°Yes, if I don¡¯t do it now, it will haunt me forever,¡± I respond with the same line again and stare up at the walls of HMP Bronzefield. One yearter and Anabelle still runs through my mind; what did I do to deserve her ire except be her friend? I loved her as a sister, and yet she hated me. I needed to know before I went crazy.


    We leave our personal belongings at the front desk and get escorted to the room where Anabelle would be waiting. I used myst name to get an open room with her and my bodyguards would be inside with me, along with Isaac. My brother still wanted to strangle her, but I asked him very nicely to behave himself today¡­ Would he though?


    Wee to a stop outside a ss room and I see her. The blonde hair that used to cascade down her back in curls was now tied up in a harsh bun, so her features were even sharper than before. The door opens and I brace myself. ¡°Ana,¡± I call out and see her entire body stiffen at my voice. She slowly turns her head around and her eyes widen when she sees me standing there. ¡°Elena?¡± Her voice cracks when she speaks and I nod, walking around and taking a seat opposite her. I had a slight limp to my step now, so I no longer walked with a graceful swagger.


    She eyes me with a questioning gaze. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Isaac takes my hand under the table and nods. I find my strength through my only family left and smile. ¡°I know you probably do not want or deserve it, but I am here to say I forgive you for everything you¡¯ve done to me. You probably don¡¯t deserve it because your actions could have killed me and my child, and I am not here to absolve you of your sin or crimes. I forgive you because I understand how you felt and what drove you to do the unthinkable, but the difference between you and me is that I never felt the need to do anything about my jealousy.¡±


    Looking back, I know I always felt jealous of Eliana and the love she used to get from everyone. The only attention I ever received from my parents was when they reprimanded me for one thing or the other. It still hurts that my mother and I never sorted out our differences, but I will learn to live with it and not allow it to bring me down. There¡¯s a lot I have learned from the way she parented me that I wouldn¡¯t know now were I brought up as a spoilt heiress.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Why would you feel jealous of anybody? You are perfection personified.¡± She says with the roll of her eyes and scoffs at my apology, but I only smile at this and shake my head. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. For many years my mother belittled me andpared me to my sister, who I used to think was perfection personified. I was constantly called fat and ugly and made to feel second rate, when in fact I wasn¡¯t. My marriage to Sebastian was out of convenience, but we ended up falling in love in the end. I worked hard to keep my grades up at Uni and barely scraped by the first two semesters. Oh, I am also on anti-depressants. So, no Anabelle, I am not perfect but that¡¯s fine with me.¡± I say, concluding the rant that has been weighing heavy on my heart and stand up to walk to the door. ¡°By the way, thank you for swapping out my contraceptive pills. Without your meddling, I would never have fallen pregnant and have the most precious and beautiful child ever.¡±


    I walked out holding my head high with my brother at my side and knew my days would be better now. Yes, I did not receive the reaction I had hoped, but I said what needed to be said and now I would be facing my biggest fear.


    Our eyes meet through the window, and I see her gasp. Even in prison scrubs, Eliana was still as beautiful as anything. Isaac opens the door for me and I stop him before he enters with me, ¡°I need to do this alone, love. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± I say and his eyes widen, but he nods and closes the door when I enter the room and sits down opposite the person I used to love above all else. ¡°What are you doing here, Elena?¡± She asks with downcast eyes. I ced my fingers on the table in front of me and noticed that she remained shackled. ¡°I¡¯vee to see how my sister is doing,¡± I responded to her, and her eyes met mine again in confusion. ¡°Your sister tried to kill you and almost seeded. Why would you care how I was doing?¡± She asks with a straight face and I feel the emotions bubble to the surface, emotions I had shoved down deeply instead of dealing with them through my therapist.


    A tear falls down my cheek, and I swipe it away before it betrays my feelings. ¡°Because once upon a time you used to mean a lot to me. You were my confidante, my best friend, and the only one who loved me for who I was. You epted my rebellious ways and encouraged my dreams. You¡¯re my sister and you killed our parents and tried to kill me, but that doesn¡¯t stop me from loving you. Nothing I do helps, Eliana. Believe me, I¡¯ve tried. So whatever you did to stop your love for me, please tell me so I can use it too.¡± I say through tears and a heavy heart.


    Then she does something that breaks my heart even further; she cackles.


    ¡°You honestly think I meant everything back then? Do you honestly think I loved you? I resented you, Elena! You were the bane of my existence, the free one, the rebel who could do whatever she wanted and got away with the most. You were the reason the Wiltshire name got entrusted to me, and I have hated you forever for it. Mother focussed more on my life than yours. You had free rein over anything you set your heart to. Me? I had my life nned for me right up to how many children I would have. Did I love you, Elena? No, I hated your very existence so deciding to kill you was a three-second decision.¡± She sits back and looks down at her nails, picking at an imaginary blemish.


    I look at her and take in each of her toxic words, letting them swirl around my heart and letting them sink in. Then I look at her, ¡°Does saying that make you sleep better at night?¡± I say, and her head snaps up to look at me. She frowns. ¡°Why would I lie about my feelings towards you, Elena? You¡¯re the person I hate the most in this world and the only thing I am sorry for is not seeding in killing you.¡± She says with venom, but the slight crack to her voice betrays her feelings. I smile and shake my head.


    ¡°Because you love me just as much as I love you and I think doing what you did killed you, but you¡¯re just too proud and stubborn to admit it to yourself. I¡¯m sorry that I drove you to try to kill me. I am still not sure what I did to make you go through with it, but I hope one day you could forgive me for being a terrible sister and not noticing your pain.¡± I say and get up from my seat. I walk over to her and stand behind her,ying a hand over hers and kissing her hair. She smelled like Eliana even though she¡¯s been in prison for a year. ¡°I forgive you, Eliana, and wish you nothing but healing,¡± I whisper myst words to her and walk away for what would be thest time. As soon as I walk to the door, I hear a sniffing from her direction but don¡¯t turn around, knowing what I had said would stay with her.


    Isaac looks up as soon as I open the door and runs over to me, enveloping me in a hug and kissing my hair. ¡°How did it go?¡± he asks as we walk out of the prison towards his Mercedes. I shrug, ¡°I said what I needed to say, whether or not they ept my forgiveness doesn¡¯t bother me.¡± I say, with a lighter heart and a clearer soul. He smiles and squeezes my hand. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than most people I know and I¡¯ve met some of the toughest people out there. I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± He says and kisses the back of my hand.


    We got into his car and drove away from the people who tried to end the lives of me and my child, people who I just forgave and meant every word that came out of my heart; and I felt happy. Isaac sighs from his seat next to me.


    ¡°You know Sebastian is going to murder me for driving you here, right?¡±

 Chapter65 For As Long As We Both Shall Live

    Elena


    I walk out of Wiltshire Towers with a smile on my face I had just sold my family¡¯s dynasty for a cool six billion, which is currently being donated to various organisations. I know what you¡¯re thinking; I sold my family¡¯s legacy for gain, but in all honesty; I didn¡¯t feel attached to the Wiltshire name. I was never proud to be a Wiltshire heir, not with the way my family always used to treat me.


    Yesterday I received the news that Eliana hadmitted suicide in prison. She left no note behind to indicate why she did it, but I knew. The guilt over what she did to her own sister became unbearable. Eliana was never the tough one. She never needed to be tough for anything and I had a feeling her heart eventually got the better of her.


    My sister was never evil she just grew bitter and jaded.


    After I left the prison that day, I had Sebastian put steps into motion for us to legally adopt Morgan, Eliana and Robert¡¯s daughter. We were met with some disapproval and resistance from Robert, but eventually, he signed the papers. Sebastian and I have decided to tell her about her parents when she¡¯s older, for now, she thinks I¡¯m her mommy for obvious reasons and that Sebastian was her uncle.


    Oddly enough, everything was falling into ce for me for a change. I have not returned to Uni even though I was back to walking and my son was old enough. That pull I used to feel before was gone. Literature was still my first love, but it didn¡¯t rule my life like it used to. My children took up most of my time now and I couldn¡¯t ask for anything better.


    ***


    6 am


    It was a crisp Autumn morning when I woke up and headed downstairs for my morning coffee, but the scene before me had me convinced I was still sleeping; Sebastian was downstairs getting the kids ready for daycare.


    ¡°Uh¡­ What is going on here?¡± I ask, gesturing to everything and Sebastian turns his head to look at me, grinning that Jake Gyllenhaal smile I still swoon over. ¡°MOMMY!¡± Came the voices of Aaron and Morgan through bites of cereal and I walked around nting kisses on their heads. ¡°Uncle Bastian making bweakfis!¡± Morgan says, shoving another spoonful of cereal into her mouth. She was all spitfire and energy at 5 years old but had Sebastian wrapped around her little finger. I giggle at her answer. ¡°Is that so, love? I wonder what the special asion could be.¡± I say and wink at my husband, looking yummier than the pancakes he was currently making.


    He shrugs, ¡°No reason, you looked like you needed to sleep in.¡± He says, and I felt thankful for this. I was feeling a lot more tiredtely, and it might have something to do with the kids and their growing energy each day. Luckily they were in daycare now, so things should ease up a bit.


    I walk over to Sebastian and wrap my arms around his waist, ¡°Thank you, and good morning,¡± I say, and he kisses my forehead. ¡°You¡¯re wee, and I love you too.¡± This is the best thing to wake up to; the kids talking in their own littlenguage while having breakfast and my husband flipping pancakes. I am sure this is what pure contentment feels like.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Gooooood morning, family!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Isaac!¡± Morgan and Aaron say in unison, and he waddles over to them, wrapping them in hugs and nting kisses on their foreheads. Aaron absolutely adored his uncle and I could tell he looked up to him at 3 years old already. Wait, why was my brother here? ¡°Uh, shouldn¡¯t you be in Sweden with Matthew right now?¡± I ask with a frown, but he only shrugs. ¡°No flights out today, so I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow evening. One night won¡¯t kill him.¡± Hmm. Something was going on. First Sebastian early in the kitchen with the kids dressed and eating breakfast, now Isaac showing up.


    What exactly did they have nned?


    I decide not to mention anything and enjoy breakfast with my family even though the whole thing seems fishy. A few minutester, Sebastian leaves to drop the kids off at daycare, and Isaac and I walk up the stairs to my bedroom. I could tell something was wrong though, so I pulled him into a hug and he let out a painful sigh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, hun?¡± I ask, leading him over to the foot of my bed. He sat down and held his head in his hands. ¡°The adoption fell through again,¡± he says and this was all I needed to hear. My poor Isaac! He and Matthew were trying so hard to adopt a child, but they kept getting turned away because of their sexuality.


    I join him on the bed and wrap my arms around him, just holding him while he lets out his sadness and misery. Even though I offered my help, he refused it and said they needed to do this the right way and without my sway. This was something I could respect, so I did not meddle in his adoption processes. But with every rejection, Isaac was losing more of his spark, and it killed me to see him like this. ¡°Are you certain you do not want my help, love? I hate seeing you like this!¡± I exim and he lets go of my hug, shaking his head. ¡°We¡¯ll seed, I know we will.¡± He always says this when I offer my help and I return thisment with a curt nod.


    It really did pain me to see him like this. If there was anyone who deserved a happy ending, it was Isaac and Matthew. My brother-inw was one of the sweetest people you could ever hope to meet. He was also a paediatrician with a practice in the heart of London. Tending to kids came naturally to him and Isaac? Isaac always wanted to adopt children, to show them that someone could love them even if their own parents could not.


    ¡°What can I do to help you right now, hmm? How can I bring that gorgeous smile back to your face?¡± I ask and see him perk up at this. He thinks for a while, then raises his eyebrows and smiles. ¡°Pamper day with some shopping?¡± He asks, literally hopping up and down on the balls of his feet. Wow! I forget how easily Isaac could be cheered up. Giggling, I nod. ¡°Alright, just give me a few minutes to get dressed then we can head out,¡± I say and saunter over to my walk-in.


    After getting into a warm sweater dress and thigh-high boots, I wrap a double-breasted coat around my body and go out to meet my brother who was lying on my bed. After my legs had healed, I was neverfortable with stiletto heels again, so I usually opted for wedge heels or ts now. These boots were wedge heels, so I felt confident in them at least.


    ¡°Ready?¡± I ask and he jumps up and drags me downstairs! I made him take the Phantom because why go out on a day of pampering without driving around in a luxury car?


    We spent the better part of the morning having manicures, pedicures, and massages. I had my makeup done in a warm natural tone and my hair done in thick curls that were pinned up. He had several facials done during my time in the hairdresser¡¯s chair and spoke the poordy¡¯s ear off. Now we were going shopping, and this was the part I hated the most because Isaac in a mall was hell on wheels.


    But surprisingly this part went by quickly. I let him choose a dress for me and he chose a gorgeous cream coloured midi swing dress with a halter neckline. My coat went perfectly with it and he forced me to keep the dress on because he would treat me to a light lunch and mimosas afterwards. This day was turning into a pamper session for me!


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I ask when the way he was taking me looked a little too familiar. ¡°A special ce, one with a wonderful memory attached to it.¡± he says with a smile on his face and continues to stare out of the window. I frown at this and stare out of the window as well, with his words on repeat in my head. A ce with a wonderful memory? Where could that possibly be?


    My eyes widen when we turn onto a familiar cobblestone path. What¡­ why? ¡°Isaac!¡± I exim when the gates of Wiltshire estate open and we drive inside. No one seemed to be around, and when the Phantom came to a halt in front of the gold doors, I felt my heart sink. Thest time I was here was the day of my wedding and I haven¡¯t been back since. Did my mother ever miss me? She never called after I left, so I doubt it very much.


    Isaac gets out and walks over to my side of the car, opening my door. He held out his arm, and I linked mine with his as he led me out to the Wiltshire garden. ¡°I am only going along with whatever this is because I love and trust you with all my heart,¡± I say, trying to guilt-trip him, but all he does is chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m in British Intelligence, tart, you cannot use those tactics on me.¡± He says, and I pout at this. Well, I can try!


    He walks me to the boxwood hedges and when we reach the rose garden, my heart stops; standing there at the end of what looked like a makeshift aisle was Sebastian dressed in a three-piece suit. I looked up at Isaac, who had a small smile on his face and mischief in his eyes as he winked. He then removes something from his coat pocket. ¡°Something old and blue,¡± he says as he slips my grandmother¡¯s sapphire heirloom ne around my neck. I nced up at him incredulously. What was going on here? ¡°Something borrowed,¡± he continues, sping the Dumont heirloom bracelet around my wrist and kissing the back of my hand. My brother then looks up at me with a beaming smile. ¡°Your dress is your something new from me. Happy Anniversary.¡±


    The realisation then hits me when I look around; Sebastian got the kids ready and now they are here, dressed in wedding attire and running around. To the left of the aisle was Elijah, who passed me a wink. Where the priest would have stood was Matthew with a baby asleep in his arms. I look up at Isaac again and see the tears brimming in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lie to you about the sessful adoption, Elena, but wanted to do this for you. You deserve a better wedding than the one they forced you to have, and this is Sebastian¡¯s gift to you.¡± He says and wipes his tears away and holds out his arm for me to take. I link my arm with his and walk down the aisle with A Thousand Years by Christina Perri ying softly.


    Isaac lets go of my arm, takes my hand and ces it in Sebastian¡¯s, ¡°I trust you with her heart and soul. Take care and love her always.¡± He says, giving me away, the way I wasn¡¯t before. How was I not crying right now? The men who I love more than life itself had nned this, a do-over from my disastrous first wedding. My heart is brimming and my chest ached with unshed tears I knew once this dam broke I would be a real mess.


    Sebastian takes my hands in his and kisses them while gazing at me with eyes filled with love and adoration.¡±What can I say that hasn¡¯t already been said? Elena and Sebastian¡¯s love is one for the ages, one which has persisted through everything that tried to tear them apart and yet here they are, pledging their love once more in front of everyone they deemed family.¡± Matthew started with what I could assume was a sermon. ¡°Sebastian, I know you have a few words to say to Elena.¡±


    Sebastian nods. ¡°I chose this garden today because this was where I first met the woman who I would grow to love with every fibre in my being. Elena, when I first said these vows to you, they were empty promises to appease our families. I didn¡¯t mean them and I know you didn¡¯t either. But things have changed and now you and our little family mean more to me than life itself, so please allow me a do-over.¡± He says with a shy smile, then clears his throat. ¡°I, Sebastian Dumont, take you, Elena Wiltshire, to be my wife. I promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health I promise to be at your side, to love you and to honour you all the days of my life.¡±


    The dam cracks and everything starts flowing out. I don¡¯t know what to say, what my vows are supposed to be. All I knew right now was that this man in front of me was my entire life and he was once again pledging his life to me, yet I could do nothing but cry. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything, my love. This was quite sudden, just know that you deserve a wedding where you are actually surrounded by loved ones and not people looking at you and hoping you trip and fall.¡± How did he always know the right words to say?


    I nod, then he wipes my tears away and pulls me closer to kiss me softly. This was the wedding I wanted nothing shy and over the top. Just me and my loved ones with me as we pledge our love to one another. I look at everyone congregating around me and smile all these men held a piece of my heart; Sebastian, Elijah, Isaac and Matthew along with our kids Aaron, Morgan, baby Jane and Elijah¡¯s son, Liam. I walked up to them and held them tightly, not saying a word, but they understood my feelings.


    Finally, I could breathe a sigh of relief and know this is what true happiness felt like.


    ***The End***


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