Welcome to Paris.

ELARA'S POV. 

“Get out! You were nothing but a sex toy! I never loved you. You’re weak and ugly!”

Those were the last words my boyfriend of ten years ever said to me.

Ten years all in vain. 

My boyfriend and I were homeless, orphaned people. We lived in a camp all through our lives but that didn't stop me from pursuing my dreams — to be the best chef in the world. 

My boyfriend and I struggled to get through high school. We worked two jobs — I worked two jobs. He only focused on football.

Oh, I was such a big fool. 

Silas focused on football, while I focused on paying our tuition. He claimed that things will get better if he gets the football scholarship, and he got it. But that didn't make things get better. 

I couldn't afford the school he got into, so I went for a cheaper option. But that didn't stop our love story. I always made sure to visit him at least once in two weeks. And that continued till we were out of college.

It didn't take long for Silas to become a star. Silas needed someone he could trust in the big world, so I stayed with him, completely forgetting about my dreams. 

But at some point I remembered my dreams and decided to quit my job as his secretary, but Silas convinced me that he was already making money for both of us and he couldn't do anything without me. I believed those lies. 

I thought all that mattered was the money, right? Silas was already making the money so why should I worry. 

I was living the life I wanted, but that joy was short-lived when he proposed to my best friend who knew nothing about our struggles. And when I confronted him, he laughed and said he had grown tired of me for a long time. 

I should have seen the signs. They were right there. The constant parties with different people. The silly excuses he gave for not hanging out with me or celebrating our anniversary. The irritating explanations for why he always took my best friend to private gatherings and introduced me as his secretary to almost everyone we knew.

Oh, how stupid I was. 

Silas didn't just break my heart, he fired me on the spot, took my credit cards and threw me out of the house after accusing me of intentionally spiking his drink so he would lose the game — which he did lose. 

I almost lost my mind. I had nothing left with me. Ten years of my life just went down the drain. 

I was about to kill myself when a church took me in. I stayed there for a year, building myself up from the scratch. 

Everything was going well until Aurelio — the pastor— told me about a job offer in Paris. 

I didn't even give it a second thought. I picked up my bag and bought a ticket to Paris. 

The job was a good job. High pay, accommodations. And above all, it was a cooking job. 

I was going to be paid for doing what I loved doing the most. And it was a perfect way to follow my dreams. 

I got out of the airport with a smile on my face. 

This was more than a fresh start for me. 

I got into a taxi, my bag clutched tightly on my lap, and gave the driver the address of the motel I had booked online. 

My heart was light with excitement, imagining the life I was about to start. The streets of Paris blurred past the window as I tried to hold onto the feeling that everything was finally going to be okay.

The driver hummed quietly, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. I didn't know traffic in Paris was this bad. 

“First time in Paris?” He asked, staring at me through the rearview mirror. 

I slowly nodded. 

He nodded. “So you nouvelle venue,” he muttered. 

My brows knitted. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“It means newcomer,” he explained, smiling brightly. “You see, my grandfather was a cab driver. He told me that a nouvelle venue on a Monday morning is good luck.”

“Is that some kind of belief around here?” I asked, looking out the window. 

“No,” he said sharply, turning to me. “Most of the drivers around here… not so good people. Very impatient grumpy men. It's just a tradition in my family.”

I nodded. I didn't know what to say and I wanted the conversation to end without hurting his feelings. He seems like a nice dude. But we both had different issues in life. 

“So,” he continued, starting the car as the cars in front started to move. “You here for job or vacation?”

“Job.” 

He smiled, nodding his head to the beat of the song. “What job you do?” 

“Chef.”

“Wow!” He took a quick glance at me. “You chef. My mother was chef. Paris good for chef.”

I nodded. 

“You know, Miss,” his face become more serious. “Paris is party everywhere. But do not party. You make money and have fun when you have a rich life.”

I couldn't help but giggle. He didn't need to tell me twice. 

“Thanks…” I tried to look for a name tag. 

“Thomas,” he revealed. 

I nodded. 

When I arrived at the motel, I thanked him and waited till he was gone, before walking in. I checked in and was led to my room. I pushed the door open and froze. The ceiling was leaking, water dripping into a small puddle on the floor. The floorboards creaked with every step I took. 

I turned to the woman. “This isn't what I saw online.”

She nodded, folding her hands under her burst. “I guess we can call it what I ordered vs what I got,” she laughed. 

I didn't find it funny. 

“Well, welcome to Paris,” she said. “You get the luxury you pay for.”

I forced a smile, watching her walk away. 

I looked around the room, trying to ignore the stench of the room. 

“Elara,” I muttered. “It's just for a day. Just a day.”

I went through my phone and the only message on my phone was from Aurelio. 

That moment reminded me of how lonely I was. The only two people I dedicated my life to only saw me as a tool to climb the ladder. 

I went through social media and what I saw broke my heart the more. Silas had won some big game and was traveling around with his fiancée. 

I threw my phone to the side and tossed around the bed. Suddenly an idea popped into my head. Rather than sulking in this miserable room, I should walk around the city of love. 

I picked up my purse and walked out of the room happily like I was going for some big adventure to find gold. 

And maybe I was. But little did I know that this little adventure was going to be the beginning of a crazy love story…. A forbidden, but steamy love story between a step father and a step son.