004

Elara’s POV

It had been a week since I last saw Kane. Everything with Rhett—his sudden return and our contract marriage—still felt rushed.

“Are you okay?” he asked, voice low with concern.

I wasn’t. My mind kept spinning through every possible way the night could go wrong. My brother Adrian couldn’t escort me; he was still overseas closing a deal, though he promised to be back soon to take me home. I pushed the thought aside and focused on the present.

I hadn’t seen Kane yet, but I knew it was only a matter of time.

I stood in front of the mirror in a floor-length, strapless sapphire-blue silk gown. Hand-beaded lace traced the entire dress, hugging every curve—the same curves Kane had once called “fat folds.” The sweetheart neckline framed my face, and a soft train spilled behind me. I still had a lot to learn about handling paparazzi and public questions.

When Rhett first mentioned a partnership, I had assumed he ran something small. I was wrong. He already owned well-established real estate and insurance companies abroad and had only recently returned to build his headquarters here.

“Are you okay?” Rhett asked again.

I nodded. His hand settled at my waist, steady and protective. He could tell I wasn’t ready for the full weight of the evening, so he steered us away from long conversations and prolonged greetings. We found our seats, and for a brief moment the noise of the hall faded.

That peace shattered the second Kane’s mother appeared, face already twisted in distaste.

“Elara!” Helena’s eyes raked over me, pausing on the diamond at my throat. “What are you doing here?” Venom dripped from every word.

“Hello, Helena,” I answered coolly.

Her expression darkened further—until she saw who sat beside me. Color flooded her face.

“Rhett!” she spat, then let out a sharp, ugly laugh. “So this is why you never gave me a grandchild? You were too busy acting like a whore with him?” She raised her voice deliberately, feeding the murmurs already spreading through the nearby tables. “Of all people, my stepson’s discarded wife? You could have at least aimed higher. How did either of you even get an invitation?”

Rhett’s voice was quiet but sharp. “Spare yourself the embarrassment and leave.”

Helena ignored him and turned her fury back on me. “What are you even doing here? Did you come to watch your brother win while dragging his barren ex-wife along?” She sneered at Rhett. “I knew I made the right choice throwing you out. You’ve always been a disgrace. A fool for thinking you ever stood a chance.”

I met her gaze without flinching. “Why do you keep bragging about a son who can’t secure anything on his own? A son who abandoned his wife the moment she got sick so he could chase his best friend?”

The hall went quieter around us.

“It isn’t even his fault,” I continued, voice steady. “It’s the mother who never taught him any better.”

Helena stared at me in pure shock. In four years of living under her roof, I had never once raised my voice or spoken back. The silence stretched.

“Your son isn’t the prize you think he is,” I finished. “Get over yourself.”

Rage flooded her face. She raised her hand to slap me—

Rhett snapped his fingers once. Two of his security detail appeared instantly and escorted her out of the hall while she screamed and struggled.

I turned to him, eyes wide. “You can just… do that?”

A small smile tugged at his mouth. “There are a lot of things you still don’t know about me, sweetheart.”

Then I saw the familiar flash of red hair. Chloe walked in on Kane’s arm, both of them dressed to impress. Their table happened to be only a short distance from ours. Kane was clearly performing for the room—until his eyes landed on us. His expression twisted. He started toward our table with a sneer already forming.

Before he could reach us, Rhett turned, cupped my face, and kissed me—slow, deliberate, and just long enough for the entire section to notice.

The rest of the room faded for a second.

“What the hell is going on here?!” Kane’s voice cut through the moment. “You whore—what are you doing with my brother?!”

He lunged toward me. Rhett moved at the same time, but someone else got there first, shoving Kane backward hard.

A deep, commanding voice rang out across the table:

“How dare you lay a hand on my granddaughter, you filthy scum!”