Chapter 3 – The Offer

Elena stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby. The lights were too bright. Everything felt real.. Her world had just fallen apart.

People were walking around her talking and laughing. They were checking in and out of the hotel. Everything seemed normal.. It was not normal for Elena.

She walked past them without seeing anyone. Her mind kept thinking about the thing. Daniel, Sophia, the bed, the laughter. It was like a dream that she could not wake up from.

She remembered what someone had said. "My dear little sister trusts everyone."

Her chest felt tight.

Elena walked out of the hotel and into the rain. The rain was heavy. It soaked through her clothes. She was cold and wet.. She did not react. She just kept walking.

Each step felt harder than the last. Her body felt heavy. Her breathing was not normal. She could not get air. The world around her was blurry. It was not because of the rain. It was because she was crying.

Elena stopped on the sidewalk. People were walking around her with umbrellas. They were trying to get out of the rain. No one looked at her. She was another person in the rain.

She laughed quietly. It was a laugh. "How stupid " she said.

Elena thought about all the times Daniel said he was working late. She thought about all the times Sophia stood up for him. She thought about all the times she chose to believe them. There were signs that something was wrong.. She had ignored them. She had trusted Daniel and Sophia. She had loved them.

Her shoulders were shaking. Tears were falling down her face. The pain in her chest was getting worse. She wrapped her arms around herself. She was trying to hold herself

"I should have known " she said quietly.

Knowing now did not change anything. It did not make what she saw go. It did not stop the pain in her chest.

Then Elena heard a car. It was a sound.. It was there. A long black car stopped beside her. The window rolled down.

"Miss Elena Carter " a man said.

His voice was deep and calm. It made Elena stop. She turned to the car.

The man was sitting inside. Elena did not know him.. There was something about him that made her look. His face was sharp. His eyes were calm. He was not surprised or curious. He looked like he already knew what he was looking at.

Elena frowned. "Do I know you?" she asked.

The man did not answer. He looked at her for a moment. He saw her clothes and her red eyes. Then he looked back at her face.

"Get in " he said.

Elena was surprised. "What?" she asked.

"Your fiancé is upstairs " the man said. "With your sister."

Elena’s stomach hurt. The mans words were certain. They made her feel uncomfortable. "How do you know that?" she asked.

The man did not answer. He just looked at her.

The rain kept falling. There was silence between them. Elena thought about walking.. Something, about the man made her stay.

It was not just what he said. It was how he said it. He seemed to know more than he should.

Elena swallowed slowly. Her heart was beating fast. She was not just sad anymore. She was also curious.

The man leaned back in his seat. His face did not change.

"Marry me " he said.

Elena thought she had not heard him correctly. The rain and the noise made her think she was wrong.. She was not wrong.

The man did not say anything. He just looked at her. He seemed certain.

That made it real.