Mag-log inELAINE’S POVHis lips moved over my mouth and I felt nothing. There was no flutter, no heart skip or even a desire for more. There was just emptiness. I pulled back slowly and forced a tight smile on my face. "I need to change."He tucked my hair behind my ear. "I'll be up."I nodded and went upstairs. The moment I closed the door behind me inside the room, I started to take off my clothes when something buzzed loudly. It was a phone and it was resting on the nightstand, I leaned forward and frowned. The backdrop of the screen was Richard’s face so it meant the device belonged to him. But it wasn't his usual phone. I reached for it, about to pick it up when his voice stopped me. "What are you doing?” I jumped and turned around but Richard had already crossed the room. “That’s mine.”He picked the phone up and slid it into his pocket.I looked up at him. "I didn't know you got a new phone.""It’s a work phone." He said with a shrug. "The IT department rolled them out last week. Y
ELAINE’S POV I was staring at the message even as we walked out of the elevator and then I shook my head, already typing back a feisty response. “Excuse me, I don’t know what you think…” No, it didn’t sound right. So I deleted it. I sucked in a breath and typed again “If you contact me again I will…” I stared at that one for a moment then I rephrased it. “Don't contact me again. Whatever happened this morning was not an invitation.” I nodded in satisfaction then I added. “And I don't owe you anything.” I sent it before I could reconsider, then dropped my phone in my bag, and started walking toward the car. Stanley was already at the door, holding it open with a small smile. I returned the grin and slipped into the car. Without another word, he drove us out of the garage while I leaned my back against the soft leather chair. "They're doing the riverside lights again this year," Stanley said, from the front. "For the festival. I passed them while they were setting up this
ELAINE’S POV I bobbed my head, pretending to be half listening. "Mm." "I've never seen him in a long while.” Stanley drawled, tapping his pen against his laptop. “I heard he was banned from the rest of the family” "Yes." I clicked on a random document and pretended to scroll through. "He was." Stanley cleared his throat and I finally looked up. "So why was he here today?” I opened my mouth to spill out some elaborate lie but my phone buzzed against the desk, thankfully interrupting me. I picked it up and the manager’s contact at Maretto’s flashed on the screen. “Excuse me.” My brows together as I opened the message, there was an image there showing Richard, sitting alone with a plate of pasta in front of him. The phone buzzed again but this time it was a message. ‘He came, ate and left alone. Cassandra wasn’t in sight.’ I frowned and sucked my bottom lip into my mouth. Why didn’t she go? Cassandra sounded overly excited at the prospect of lunch with my husband? But
ELAINE’S POVBefore I could open my mouth, Stanley crossed the room with a violent growl. "Get away from her, you bastard!”My eyes widened in horror. "Stanley, wait!"He wasn’t listening, he swung a fist aimed at Oliver's jaw and my lips parted in horror. But he moved so quickly, it was almost a blur.Stanley swung his fist again and Oliver caught his wrist this time, twisted his arm around and had him face-down on the floor with both arms pinned behind his back.I scrambled to my feet, pushing my clothes together to the best of my abilities. "Let me go!" Stanley was twisting against the floor but it was futile. "I'll call security on you, if you don’t let me go! You fucking think you can touch her!”Oliver scoffed and rolled his eyes, not even breaking a sweat as he held my assistant on the floor. "Nobody touched her, you dummy.” "Stanley." I got to my feet. My legs weren't entirely reliable but I locked my knees and made them work. "Stanley, stop."He looked up at me from the fl
ELAINE’S POVThere was no response and then. "I’m afraid I don't work here, darling.”I spun around quickly and my eyes widened in realization that the man standing in my doorway was not Stanley. It was him again. The man from the elevator and my uncle-in-law.Oliver Steele.I narrowed my eyes in anger. What are you doing in my office?""I knocked twice, no response. But the door was open so I let myself in.” He stepped inside anyway.I walked forward, my chest burning with distaste. “I don't care if the door was open. You don't have an appointment and you're not supposed to be here either.” I stopped three feet from him when a sharp pain struck my left lung and I doubled over. "Are you okay?” He asked. “You look like you're about to fall over." I sucked in a breath. "I'm fine, and I need you to leave before I call security-“Fuck! The rest of my words died in my lips as my vision went white at the edges.And then the floor came rushing up to meet me and I grabbed at nothing. But
ELAINE’S POV I could not sleep through the night and now, I had a terrible migraine threatening to split my head in two.It didn’t help that Stanley was reading through my schedule for today. “The regional meeting has been moved to Thursday, which gives us a window.” A groan left my throat while I raked my fingers through my already frizzled hair.“And Mr. Dupont confirmed for Friday morning,” he continued, “but asked if we could push it to ten instead of nine and you have a site walkthrough scheduled for six pm today "Mm." I reached for my pen, clicked it once then set it back down.Nothing was working. I felt sick each time I moved on the chair and sweat was rolling down my spine. "Madame?” Stanley stopped mid-sentence. “Are you okay?”I hastily nodded without looking at him. "I'm fine.""You don’t look fine, should I call the doctor?”I shook my head. "I’m fine. Keep going."He didn't keep going. I could feel him watching me and I weakly raised my eyes to meet him. "You need t







