Chapter 16: In-Between Words

The next morning, sunlight streaks rested gently on Elara like pixie dust. She stretched her arms like a baby, wriggling in all directions to ease her sore muscles. But she froze when she noticed a faint strip of ribbon tied around her wrist—right over the spot Damien had gripped so roughly the previous night.

Her brows furrowed. Who tied this?

Still half-lost in thought, she slid off the bed—only for her feet to brush something soft and furry. She looked down. A pair of adorable white bunny slippers sat neatly by her bedside.

Slippers?

She slipped her feet into them, blinking in surprise. They were a perfect fit. Her heart skipped a beat, and the corners of her lips lifted ever so subtly.

Could it be... Cassian?

Before she could dwell on it, the door creaked open.

“Elara, you’re awake,” Nanny Agnes said warmly, stepping into the room with a tray of warm tea.

“Nana!” Elara called instinctively, her voice carrying a soft, childlike tone she hadn’t used in years.

Agnes blinked in surprise. “You haven’t called me that in so long, sweetheart.”

“I… I guess I missed it,” Elara murmured, padding over to her. The slippers made a soft, muffled sound against the floor.

Agnes gave her a tender smile and set the tea on the table, motioning for her to sit. She guided Elara toward the vanity, gently urging her into the seat. Standing behind her, she began undoing the bows and ribbons in her hair from the night before, her hands moving with practiced grace.

“You were out like a light when you came in last night,” Agnes said softly, meeting Elara’s eyes in the mirror, searching her face.

Elara hesitated, then met her gaze with a faint, curious smile. “Did… did Cassian really bring me home?”

Agnes raised a brow but kept undoing the ties. “He did. Carried you up the stairs like he owned the place. Wouldn't let the security guards near you, and he certainly didn't care for permission.”

Elara stifled a laugh, clearing her throat. “Did he?”

Nanny Agnes's hands paused in their movement, and she held Elara's gaze through the mirror. “This is serious, young lady. He stayed in this room longer than a stranger ‘just dropping you off’ should, Elara. Watching you sleep... it wasn't normal.”

Elara felt herself smile, though her brow remained pinched in thought. “I know, Nana. I'm not refuting you. Just that... he might not be as bad as people think.”

Agnes raised her brows, then sighed. “I just want you to be careful, Elara.”

Elara nodded knowingly. As she kicked her feet, her attention was pulled back to the floor. “He bought me these slippers, too.”

“I noticed. And not just those—his bodyguard left an entire bag of shoes. Cozy ones. Slippers, soft sandals… even some stylish low heels.”

“He thought of all that?” Elara whispered, a strange warmth swelling in her chest.

Agnes tilted her head, clearly curious. “What is really going on between you two? Just days ago you were head over heels for that Damien, and now Cassian—who you've never even exchanged a word with—is suddenly bringing you home and shopping for you.”

Elara shrugged with an amused, thoughtful smile; she’d love to know why, too. Then she sighed and dropped her gaze. “That’s the thing… I don’t know what’s going on. But… it's a good thing Cassian was there when I was stranded.”

Agnes’s hands went still. “Stranded?”

Elara nodded. “Damien… he left me. Took my phone, I think. I was going to pick it up when he pulled me away. Next thing I knew, he and Selene were gone.”

Agnes’s eyes narrowed. “That boy told me you’d be with him. And Selene too. Then no one picks up, and I hear an unconscious you just entered the estate in a stranger’s car. I nearly fainted.”

“I’m so sorry,” Elara whispered, guilt washing over her.

Agnes exhaled, smoothing her hair. “It’s not your fault. But Cassian… he was way too close for a stranger.”

Elara’s eyes widened.

“He even brushed your hair from your face,” Agnes added, a hint of amazement—and wariness—in her voice.

“I don’t understand,” Elara murmured, touching her cheek where his fingers must have been.

Agnes let out a small, contemplative frown. “You may not yet. But I think he does.”

Nanny Agnes’s last words echoed in Elara’s mind like a bell tolling in a quiet chapel. I think he does.

What did she mean? It couldn’t be—Cassian? Having feelings for her?

Impossible… right?

They barely even knew each other. Sure, she’d seen him from a distance, watched him stride through parties like he owned the earth, but last night was their first real encounter. Still… her breath caught as her mind replayed that moment in the car. The closeness. His eyes locked with hers. The heat that climbed up her neck, flushing her cheeks again even now.

“Elara,” Agnes said, stifling a chuckle. “Snap out of it. What’s going on in that little head of yours?”

Elara blinked. “Huh?”

“You’re in your final year of school, sweetheart. You can’t afford to be distracted by tall, handsome billionaires. Your parents had you betrothed, sure, but I doubt they meant for you to marry right at eighteen.”

“Nanaaa,” Elara drawled with a small smile, dragging out the word like she used to as a child. “I’m turning nineteen this year.”

Elara’s smile lingered for a second, then caught in her throat. She looked at the vanity mirror—the same place where her mother used to stand behind her, adjusting her necklaces. The space felt vast and hollow now.

“And it’ll be my first birthday without them…”

Tears welled up in her eyes, her chest tightening. Every day she woke up, it still didn’t feel real. Somehow, her heart kept hoping this was a bad dream.

Agnes saw the shift and immediately pulled her into a hug, blinking back tears of her own. “I miss them too,” she whispered. “They were family. You are my family, Elara. And I promise, I’ll always protect you.”

They stayed that way for a moment, clinging to the memory of a better past. When they finally pulled apart, they wiped their faces and made their way downstairs, the slippers softly tapping against the marble steps.

But halfway down the stairs, Elara’s eyes locked onto a familiar figure—one that made her halt.

Selene.

Her half-sister was a mess. Her gala dress was wrinkled and stained at the hem, her expensive heels clutched in one hand, and her hair a disaster of loose curls. She looked tattered, frantic, and guilty. As Selene looked up and saw them, she froze. Her hand flew to her collar, but she wasn't fast enough.

In the morning light, a dark, purple-red hickey was visible just above her collarbone.

Already? Elara thought bitterly. They didn’t even wait one night?

“Oh, Elara! Nana!” Selene gasped, fake concern dripping off her like cheap perfume. “You’re okay! I was so worried!”

“Really,” Elara said flatly, folding her arms.

“I—uh—found this,” Selene said quickly, holding out Elara’s phone. “Damien said you must have forgotten it when you got distracted. I’ve been carrying it around since last night, looking for the right moment to give it back.”

Elara said nothing as she took the phone. The lie was so obvious it was insulting, but she was too tired to challenge it yet.

“Anyway,” Selene added, tucking her messy hair behind her ear and backing toward the hallway, “I’m just gonna go shower and change. I… didn’t sleep well.”

She scurried off, clutching her heels and disappearing without another word—wearing too many layers for the weather, clearly trying to hide more than just skin.

Elara watched her go, her face unreadable. Agnes, too, kept quiet, though her eyes remained narrowed. No words were needed.