Chapter Six

The next morning, Elara walked down the staircase, still wearing the same gown from yesterday.

She felt completely out of place, but she had no other choice.

The moment her foot hit the last stairs, the same maid from last night rushed to her. This time, the woman's face was in a polite smile.

"Good morning, Miss Pierce.." she greeted softly.

Elara offered an exhausted nod, her eyes scanning the space.

Where is he?

"This way, please. Breakfast has been prepared for you.." the maid said, gesturing toward the dining hall.

Before Elara could even step forward. The maid’s eyes drifting past Elara’s shoulder toward the upper stairs.

"Good morning, Sir."

Elara turned.

Killian was descending the stairs.

He wore a flawless, custom tailored charcoal suit, his frame covered in a long black overcoat.

His eyes were already locked onto her, unblinking.

Elara averted her gaze fast and quickly followed the maid into the dining hall.

Watching her retreat, Killian stopped on the final step. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his large hands clenching into tight fists at his sides, and silently followed behind them.

Elara chose a random chair near the middle, wanting to look as small as possible.

She reached for the serving tongs, to dish a small portion of food onto her plate, the chair directly next to her was pulled back.

Elara froze. She snapped her head up.

Killian slid into the seat, his frame immediately invading her personal space, his intoxicating scent of cedarwood, completely surrounding her.

Standing across from them, the maid’s mouth parted, staring at her master in disbelief.

Killian Vane never sat anywhere but the head of the table.

"I want my coffee." he commanded.

The maid snapped out of her daze, nodding frantically.

"Right away, sir!" She turned and rushed toward the kitchen.

"Good morning, Elara." he murmured huskily.

Elara turned her head slightly, meeting his gaze. "Good morning, Mr–" She caught herself. "Killian."

She looked back down at her plate, picking at her food as the thick silence stretched between them.

"After breakfast, we can leave to get your father." Killian stated, leaning slightly closer. "The paperwork is already finalized. My legal team has cleared the path."

Elara was relieved. The tension in her chest vanished, and without thinking, she turned to him with a breathless smile.

"Thank you so much, Killian..." she whispered softly.

His eyes tracked the curve of her lips. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed down a sudden, desperate urge to reach out and touch her.

Forcing his gaze away, he looked straight ahead, his profile turning stern.

Elara’s smile faded into confusion. She stared at his harsh profile for a second, wondering what she had said wrong, before silently returning to her breakfast.

Bzzzz.

Her phone on the table buzzed..

Elara reached for it, but before her fingers could wrap around the device, Killian’s eyes had already dropped to the glowing screen.

Patrick.

The vein in Killian’s jaw pulsed, his teeth clenching hard.

"Um, excuse me..." Elara stammered. "I need to answer this."

She placed her hands on the table, preparing to push her chair back and stand up.

But before she could move an inch, Killian’s hand grip her chair with enough force to turn his knuckles white.

He effectively pinned her in place.

"You can call it later." he said.

Elara’s brows furrowed, a chill running down her spine not just from his grip, but from the word he used.

It. He hadn't said him.

"It might be important." Elara insisted, her own defiance flaring as she gently but firmly pried his fingers off her chair.

"I will be right back."

She slid out of the seat and quickly hurried out of the dining hall.

Killian sat completely rigid, his eyes tracking her retreating figure until she disappeared around the corner.

His chest heaved, his possessive fury practically radiating off him.

Right at that exact second, the kitchen doors swung open.

The maid walked out, carefully balancing a tray with a steaming cup of black coffee.

But the moment she stepped into the dining hall, she froze. She took one look at Killian’s darkened expression and her entire frame flinched.

~♠︎~

Elara slipped out into a courtyard. The morning air hit her face. She swiped her screen and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hey..." she said.

"Don't hey me.." Patrick yelled from the receiver. "Where the hell are you, Elara? And don't give me some half baked excuse. You are driving me insane with worry."

"Pat, I’m fine. Okay? Please, just trust me when I say that." She ran a hand through her hair, looking out over the intimidating estate. "As for where I am... look, we can talk about the details later. But I need you to know... I’m on my way to get my father out right now."

There was a pause on the other end.

"Did that jackass finally decide to help?" Patrick sneered.

Elara groaned internally, her fingers coming up to massage her aching temples.

"No. Not Roman."

"Then who?" Patrick demanded, "Who has that kind of leverage, Elara?"

The name caught in her throat. She struggled, knowing exactly how Patrick would react.

"Mr. Vane." she whispered.

Dead silence fell over the line. For three seconds, the only sound was the faint static of the cellular connection.

"Killian Vane?" Patrick’s voice suddenly sounded hollow.

"Yes."

"What the fuck!" Patrick erupted in terror. "You went to meet him? Elara, what did he ask for in return? What did you have to give him?!"

"Nothing..." Elara said, trying desperately to convince herself as much as him. "He... he asked for nothing."

"Nah, I don't buy that bullshit for a second." Patrick said. "A man like that doesn't do favors out of the goodness of his heart. He doesn't do anything for free. This is Killian Vane we are talking about, Elara!"

"You think I don't know that?!" Elara’s voice finally cracked. "You think I'm blind, Patrick? But I was desperate. My father is in a federal cell, and Killian is the only person on the planet who can pull him out. So far, he hasn't asked for a single thing. I just... I just want my dad home." She let out ragged sigh, leaning against the cold stone pillar of the courtyard.

Patrick cursed under his breath..

"I still smell a trap. Something is seriously wrong here. But... fine. If you're going to get him, where are you guys meeting? Do you want me to come with you? I can be there in twenty minutes."

"No, don't worry about it.." Elara said quickly, "But I’ll call you later, okay?"

"Okay..." Patrick’s voice was heavy with reluctant acceptance. "Please, just stay safe. Alright? And turn on your location."

"I will. Bye, Pat."

She ended the call, lowering the phone to her chest, she let out a breath, trying to steady the beating of her heart.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Elara." she whispered to herself. Squaring her shoulders, she turned and walked back inside the villa.

The moment she stepped back inside she found Killian standing near the entrance.

He was on a phone call, but the second his eyes locked onto her, he hung up.

"Let’s go." he stated flatly.

Elara quietly followed behind him.

~♠︎~

Killian’s BMW pulled up right in front of a gray concrete facade of the federal detention center, they both stepped out into the humid morning air.

They walked through the glass doors of the facility.

Elara looked toward the secure processing area, emerging from the back corridor was her father, guarded by two armed federal officers.

"Dad!"

Elara raced towards him, she threw her arms around her father’s neck, holding onto him as if he might vanish if she let go.

Her father squeezed her back just as tightly, a sigh escaping him.

Behind them, Killian’s eyes unblinkingly tracked the reunion.

One of the processing officers approached him, silently handing over a folder.

Killian offered a curt nod, accepting the paperwork. The officer walked away without another word.

When Elara finally pulled back, her heart ached. Her father looked incredibly frail.

The exhausted shadows under his eyes and the hollow slope of his shoulders.

"Dad? Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" she rushed out.

"I'm fine, Elara. Just tired.." he said, offering her a weak reassuring smile. "I'm just glad Roman actually came through for us. I knew the boy wouldn't leave us stranded."

Elara shook her head.

"No, Dad. That coward didn't do a single thing."

Her father’s brow furrowed in confusion over his tired face.

"Roman didn't help? But I thought–"

"You thought wrong. We both did." Elara interrupted gently.

"Then... who? Who had the power to override a federal arrest warrant overnight, Elara?"

"Hello, Mr. Pierce." Killian said behind..

Elara’s father froze, she shifted, stepping to the side as Killian walked up to them.

Her father’s eyes widened, every ounce of color drained from his face.

"You..." he whispered and he instinctively took a half step back.

"Yes, Dad.." Elara said softly, looking between the two men. "He’s the one who got you out."

Instead of relief, terror washed over her father’s face, he snapped his head around, his hands gripping Elara’s forearms.

He stared deep into her eyes, his voice trembling with panic.

"What did he ask from you in return, Elara?" he choked out, his eyes darting over her face, terrified of the answer.

"What did you give him?!"