2.

ELEANOR

It was time for the engagement dinner, and we were currently in the grand dining hall of the Blackwell’s estate. The place was a show of luxury. Every piece looked like it cost millions of dollars, and it made me go back to my discussion with Isla. I guess I could consider myself lucky.

I was sitting beside Theon, my fingers curled tightly around my glass as I forced a smile on my face while pretending that Theon’s cold behaviour wasn’t getting to me.

He had been distant ever since I walked through the door and while this cold demeanor was nothing new, I had expected him to be a bit warmer since the night was for us.

I know some people would say Theon didn’t love me since he wasn’t very vocal about his feelings, but I had learnt to read the unspoken language of his subtle gestures. His love for me was present in the way his hand rested on the back of my chair anytime I sat close to him or how he always positioned himself between me and anything that would cause me the slightest unease.

He would buy me gifts, especially things I wanted without me asking. He always shows up for events I host or attend even if I don’t ask. There were so many signs that he didn’t need to say the words but today, he felt farther.

Theon Blackwell was an enigma, even to those closest to him. He was ruthless in business just as Isla had proclaimed, he was emotionally detached and always unreadable, but I knew underneath the cold exterior, there was something real. Something he felt for me that made him propose and want to spend the rest of his life with me.

My father, Aiden Sterling, stood up, pulling all attention to him as he raised his glass. My father was a man of authority and his years of being the head of the Sterling Enterprise gave him an air of effortless command.

“To my beautiful daughter, Eleanor Sterling,” he began, his eyes and voice filled with pride “And to Theon, a man who has proven himself formidable, not just in business but in love”

Father let his words hand in the air for a moment, as if waiting for the room to digest it before continuing “May this union strengthen not only our families but also the unbreakable bond between them. A toast to the future Mr and Mrs Blackwell”

Glasses clinked and murmurs of approval rippled through the guests, bringing a smile to my face. I turned to Theon, and he had a small smile on his face as he held his glass for me to clink.

The small hurt I felt disappeared as I clinked my glass with his and gave him a kiss on the cheeks much to the merriment of people present.

Theon's eyes shone with amusement, but he said nothing and took a sip of his drink instead.

“Come on, Elle. Give us a speech” Someone hollered from the crowd, and I flushed as others joined in and soon the room was filled with guests chanting for a speech from me.

“Come on, Elle. Don’t be shy” Isla urged playfully. I was no longer mad at her, so I rolled my eyes playfully and got to my feet as cheers rose.

My speech however was cut off by a chime.

Then another.

Then an avalanche of notifications.

The room was drowned with the buzz of phones vibrating across the room. I turned to Isla who had a confused expression on her face as she answered my unspoken question with a clueless shrug.

A tense silence fell over the room as the guest glanced down at their ringing tone. Gasps soon followed as hands flew to mouths and eyes wide with horrors and disgust turned to me.

My heart pounded as cold dread slithered through my veins. I hesitated but reached for my phone with trembling hands.

A horrified gasp escaped my throat as I saw the message that I was sure everyone else had received.

Photos of me stared back at me. I was in a supposed dimly lit room with a man. His face had been blurred out, but the position suggested we had a thing.

The next messages were screenshots of emails with financial transactions, confidential reports and messages that suggested that I sold Theon’s company secrets to a competitor.

My head snapped up to meet the judgmental gazes of the guests.

“No” I whispered and shook my head, barely able to process the words “This isn’t true.

“It isn’t real” my voice came out stronger.

“I always knew you were too good to be true” A sharp voice sneered, and my gaze met Victoria Blackwell, Theon’s stepmother as she stood up. “You are nothing more than a social-climbing snake”

My stomach churned as whispers followed her accusations.

“I knew she was a pretender” One of the guests muttered.

“She was using Theon all along. She is such a snake” another one added.

“So, Eleanor is a fraud?”

I turned to Theon, my wide eyes brimming with tears, pleading for him to say something, anything that would suggest he believed in me and not these fake messages.

“Theon,” I choked out “You know me, I would never...”

Victoria slammed her hands on the table, causing the plates and glass to tremble from the impact “How dare you sit there and pretend to be innocent?”

Father rose to his feet, his face ashen and his shoulders shifted “This must be a mistake. There is no way Eleanor would do something like this. She is a good child. She would never betray Theon or bring disgrace to her family”

“I think the evidence says otherwise” Malcolm, Theon’s grandfather spoke with a smooth, yet sharp tone and all heads turned towards him.

“You have disappointed me, child. I believed you were the perfect daughter-in-law for my family, but you are just like the others”

“I didn’t do this” I cried out, my voice laced with frustration and fear “These photos, the emails, it wasn’t me. Someone must be trying to frame me”

Victoria scoffed “Oh, how convenient” She sneered “Do you think we are all stupid? You are still trying to lie?”

I turned to Theon who had remained silent. His expression was unreadable as his hands were clasped above the table. The longer he said nothing, the more the dread coiled around me like a venomous snake waiting to strike.

“Malcolm, surely you don’t really mean what you said? You’ve always praised Eleanor and have always been confident in her character” Father implored desperately.

“It seems I made a mistake in my judgement and that had almost cost my family their reputation”

Without another word, he turned and walked out of the hall. The heavy click of each step he took as he walked away was like a nail jammed into the coffin the text message had pushed me into.

The room felt suffocating. The murmurs filled with judgement as eyes stared at me with scorn was choking and I found it hard to breathe.

Eyes that had stared at me with envy and adoration now looked at me with disgust and hate. I was no longer the lucky woman who was about to marry into the prestigious Blackwell family but a snake. A traitor and a liar.

When I turned back to Theon, his cold blue eyes were on me and his expression remained unreadable which made me feel worse.

Even if Theon had never been the emotional type, I took the little warmth that was present in his eyes anytime he looked at me as love but now, the warmth was nowhere to be found.

Theon stood up, the movement slow and desperate and without a word, he turned and walked away, leaving me behind as though I was nothing to him.