Chapter five. Flight to Belmont

Outside the hotel, the night air was cool against Elowen's flushed skin. Kieran did not slow down when they reached the car. The driver opened the door, and Kieran put her inside without the care he had shown in the ballroom. She landed hard against the seat with a muffled groan.

He got in beside her and shut the door. The driver started the engine, and the car pulled away from the hotel.

For the first few minutes, neither of them spoke.

Elowen leaned her head against the window, the champagne still warm in her blood. The city lights passed in a blur outside. Beside her, Kieran sat stiffly, his jaw set and his expression dark.

"Don't let what happened tonight happen again."

His voice was low and cold. Elowen turned her head slowly.

"What?"

"You were drunk. You were hanging on to my brother in the middle of a hotel hallway." His jaw tightened. "If anyone had walked by and seen that, do you understand how it would have looked?"

"I tripped. He caught me."

"I don't care how it happened." He looked straight ahead. "You are my wife. You're Mrs. Kieran Wells. Remember it."

Remember it. The words settled in her chest like a stone.

"I understand," she said quietly, turning back to the window.

Kieran said nothing more, but his anger stayed in the car with them. Elowen glanced at him again, wondering why he was so upset. She had explained what happened. It wasn't as though she had thrown herself into Lysander's arms.

Perhaps it was because it was Lysander. The two brothers had never gotten along, and Kieran had never hidden his dislike for him. But there was something else in his reaction, something she couldn't name. He had looked furious when he saw Lysander holding her, as though the sight had offended him personally.

Yet Kieran had barely noticed her lately. He could spend hours on his phone without speaking to her, and she now knew where much of his attention went. He had made her feel like an afterthought in her own marriage, but the moment another man held her, he suddenly remembered she was his wife.

The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. How could he tell her to remember her place when he had so easily forgotten his?

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

When they arrived home, Kieran got out first and walked into the house without waiting for her. Elowen followed more slowly, the champagne still heavy in her head. Maria met them in the hallway, but Kieran barely acknowledged her before heading upstairs.

"Good night, ma'am," Maria said, noticing Elowen's tired face.

"Good night, Maria."

Elowen went upstairs and changed out of her dress. By the time she came out of the bathroom, Kieran was already in bed, his eyes on his phone. She climbed in on her side and turned off the lamp.

He didn't say anything, and neither did she.

---

The next morning, Elowen was having breakfast when Kieran joined her. He was dressed for work, his phone in one hand as he pulled out a chair.

"There's something I need to tell you," he said, setting the phone beside his plate.

Elowen looked up.

"I'm traveling tomorrow. I'll be away for a few days."

She nodded and returned to her breakfast. "For work?"

"Yes. The film's promotional tour starts tomorrow. I'll be going with Valentina and the rest of the team."

Her fingers tightened around her fork.

Valentina. Of course.

Elowen lowered her eyes so he would not see her face change. She couldn't let him see that his announcement meant anything to her.

"How long will you be away?"

"About a week, depending on the schedule."

"I see."

Kieran picked up his phone again, apparently satisfied that she had no objections.

She kept eating, though her appetite was gone. A week of airports and hotels, a week away from their spouses. She wondered how many times he had done this before, and how many times she had swallowed his excuses without a question.

Kieran finished his coffee, stood, and picked up his phone.

"I'll be back late tonight. I have to prepare for the trip."

"Okay," Elowen said.

He left without looking back. She listened to his car fade down the driveway, then set down her fork. The food on her plate had gone cold.

A week.

She pushed the plate away and reached for her bag.

By the time Elowen reached Whitmore Cosmetics, she had pushed the night before aside, at least enough to work. Rachel was waiting in her office with a folder.

"Good morning, ma'am. There's something you need to see."

Elowen set her handbag on the desk. "What is it?"

"Arden Group contacted us yesterday. They're interested in a distribution partnership. They want to stock our products across their retail outlets, and they've asked to meet you personally."

Elowen opened the folder and scanned the proposal. "Where do they want to meet?"

"Bellmont City. Their chairwoman is attending a business summit there and would prefer to talk in person. They've suggested the Grand Meridian Hotel. There's a conference suite reserved, and they'd like to meet on Thursday morning."

Elowen paused. The meeting mattered. Arden Group had a large retail network, and a partnership could open a much wider market for Whitmore Cosmetics.

"Confirm it," she said. "And have the team prepare a full presentation on our product range and distribution capacity."

"Of course."

Rachel took the folder and left.

Elowen spent the next few hours reviewing reports and going over the proposal with her team. By lunchtime she had approved the preliminary figures and asked Rachel to arrange her travel.

So I'll be traveling too.

Thursday morning, Elowen arrived in Bellmont City with one of her senior business development managers. The Grand Meridian Hotel had a spacious lobby with polished marble floors and soft, elegant furnishings. Guests moved through the reception area while staff attended to them.

She walked up to the desk with her manager beside her.

"Good morning. I have a reservation under Elowen Whitmore."

The receptionist checked her screen. "Good morning, Mrs. Whitmore. May I have your ID, please?"

Elowen reached into her handbag. Someone stepped up beside her.

"Good morning. I'd like to check in, please."

The voice made her pause. She turned her head, and her eyes widened.

"Lysander?"

He turned too, and his amber eyes widened, just slightly. For a moment he looked as startled as she felt.

"Elowen?" He glanced at her, then at the desk, then back at her. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"A business meeting. What about you?"

"Work. I have a few things to take care of in the city."

"Oh." She nodded, surprised by the coincidence. "I see."

The receptionist cleared her throat gently. Elowen turned back, handed over her ID, and accepted her key cards with a smile.

"Well," she said to Lysander, "I'll see you around."

"Of course. Enjoy your stay."

"You too."

She followed her manager toward the elevators, her mind already on the meeting.

Behind her, Lysander watched until she disappeared from view, and the corner of his mouth slowly curled.

---

The meeting with Arden Group went smoothly. The chairwoman listened carefully to the presentation and asked about production capacity, pricing structure, and the company's ability to supply several outlets at once. Elowen answered each question with confidence, explaining current operations and expansion plans.

"I must say, Mrs. Whitmore, I'm impressed by what your company has achieved," the chairwoman said at the end, offering a warm smile. "I believe there is a good opportunity for both of us. My team will review your figures, and we can arrange another discussion to settle the details."

"That sounds good. I look forward to working with you."

They exchanged pleasantries, and Elowen left the conference suite with her manager.

"That went better than I expected," he said as they walked to the elevators.

"It did. If we agree on the distribution terms, this could be a big step for Whitmore Cosmetics."

"I'll put together the additional figures they asked for."

"Good. Send them to me when they're ready."

In the lobby, her manager excused himself to make a call. Elowen was heading for the elevators when she heard her name.

"Elowen."

Lysander was walking toward her with one hand in his pocket.

"How did the meeting go?"

"Well, actually. The chairwoman seemed interested."

"That's good to hear."

"And you? Are you finished with your business?"

"Not quite. Nothing urgent, though." He paused. "Have you had lunch?"

"Not yet."

"Then let me treat you. There's a restaurant nearby that serves decent food."

She hesitated for a moment, but there was no reason to refuse. They had barely spoken since the day he showed her the video.

"All right."

She sent her manager a quick message and followed Lysander out of the lobby.

It was an elegant, quiet space on the ground floor, with tables arranged neatly around the room and tall windows overlooking the hotel gardens. Lysander led her to a table near the windows, and a waiter pulled out a chair for her.

"This is lovely," Elowen said as she settled into her seat.

"I'm glad you like it."

They ordered, and when the waiter left, Lysander poured her some water.

"You look tired," he said. "The meeting must have taken a lot out of you."

"It was important." She smiled faintly. "But yes, a little."

"Then eat properly today."

When the food came, he saw her struggling with the tough edge of her steak. Without a word he swapped her plate for his, already cut.

"You didn't have to," she said.

"Eat."

She did, and for the first time in days, the tension left her shoulders. They talked about the meeting, about the city, about nothing in particular. It was easy, and she let it be. 

"You have something here," he said.

His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth, light and quick, and he reached for his napkin to wipe it.

"Sauce."

"Oh. Thank you," Elowen said with a small smile.

Lysander did not answer. His eyes had lifted past her shoulder, toward the entrance, and stayed there.

Elowen noticed. She turned her head to follow his gaze.

At the entrance, a man and a woman had just walked in, and both of them had stopped.

Kieran's brow was furrowed, and his eyes were fixed on their table. Valentina stood half a step behind him...