Chapter 4

Ronald placed a tablet on the desk in front of Alexander. "Sir, this was posted this morning. It’s going viral."

It was a video from an anonymous group. Everyone on social media was sharing it. The headline was brutal: [Desperate Orphan Assaults Heiress Vivienne Montgomery Over Businessman Alexander Sterling.]

The headline was bad, but the comments were even worse. People were calling Elara a monster.

Alexander’s throat went dry as he watched the video. "Is this true?" he asked his assistant.

"We can pull the security footage to see what really happened, sir," Ronald offered.

Alex shook his head. "No need. Get IT to erase this everywhere. Now. I also need a PR team to fix this."

His heart thudded against his ribs. He remembered the cruel things he had said to Elara at the hotel. He looked at his phone. He had sent her dozens of apology messages since that night, but there was only silence. She hadn't replied to a single one.

"Was she here to see me?" he whispered to himself.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He hated himself. He had only said those mean things to protect her. Vivienne Montgomery was old money and extremely powerful. Her father was one of the richest men in the country. Vivienne was relentless—when she wanted something, she took it.

She had chased Alex since college, and he had rejected her every time. For the last three years, she had made his life a nightmare. She used her father’s power to block his business deals. Alex hadn't cared about the money, but then Vivienne threatened to harm Elara.

That was his breaking point. To keep Elara safe, he had to keep Vivienne close. In exchange, Vivienne used her father’s influence to make him CEO. He had sacrificed his happiness and his reputation to protect the woman he loved.

But looking at the video, he wondered if he had just made things a thousand times worse.

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When it got dark, Alexander went to Elara’s house. He couldn't wait any longer. He had to apologize in person and explain everything. He knew if Vivienne found out, she would go crazy, but he didn't care. He couldn't live with Elara thinking he was a monster.

He knocked on her door. There was no sound inside. He knocked again, harder this time. Silence.

He turned and knocked on the neighbor's door. A woman opened it.

"Have you seen Elara?" Alex asked, his voice tight.

"She moved out this afternoon," the neighbor said. "A good-looking man came here to help her pack her things. They left together."

"Thank you," Alex muttered.

As he walked away, his fingernails dug into his palms, creating deep half-moons. His blood began to boil. 'Was Elara cheating on me this whole time?' He knew everyone in her life. He knew her friends and her coworkers. But he didn't know a "good-looking man" who would help her move her entire life in a single afternoon.

A hot flame of anger burned in his chest. 'Was this why she was ignoring my messages? Has she already moved on to someone else?'

Alexander felt his whole world shift. He had sacrificed everything—his soul, his happiness, and his pride—just to keep her safe.

'Did she play me this whole time?' he wondered. The thought hurt more than any threat Vivienne had ever made.

Alexander got into his car and sat in the silence. He inhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. His mind was reeling. Had he ever really known the real Elara? What if she actually had attacked Vivienne?

There was only one way to find out the truth. He grabbed his phone and called Ronald.

"Pull the security footage from the lobby," he barked. "Send it to my tablet right now."

A few minutes later, the file arrived. Alexander hit play. From the specific angle of the camera, it really did look like Elara pushed Vivienne to the ground. He watched the screen, his heart sinking.

But then, he watched until the very end.

He saw a young, good-looking man enter the frame. The man smashed the phones of the people recording and helped Elara up. He looked at the man's hand placement.

"Wait, who is this?" Alexander said to himself. He felt a sharp pang of jealousy in his chest.

He watched the man put his arm around Elara and lead her out of the building. Alexander clutched his chest, feeling like he couldn't breathe.

'Was this the same man the neighbor saw?'

He called Ronald back immediately, his was voice shaking with rage and desperation. Had he lost the love of his life?

"Find out who that man is! Do it now!" Alex shouted. "And find Elara. I don't care what it takes—find her immediately!"