Chapter Six

ELARA

Tony Langford shook his head slightly.

“The doctors have advised that she stays for as long as it takes for the toxins to leave her body,” he explained.

“How long would that be?” Atlas asked.

“Hard to say.”

Elara raised a brow. “I thought you said it was just poisoning and it was caught early.”

Langford shook his head. “The treatment isn't quite that simple. A few more days, at most, before they'll completely detox your body. We wouldn't want to risk any long-term implications.”

Elara stared down at her hands. She could move them now without pain, but it still felt like a lot of work.

Whatever Logan and Marielle had put in her body…

She suppressed the rage that was rising within her. She had the time and resources now. She would rip them to shreds. She would…

“Well, that's an inconvenience,” Atlas’ voice cut into her thoughts. “I hoped we'd get this over with quickly-”

He was about to say something else to her, when his phone buzzed.

He clicked his tongue, a look of annoyance passing over his face when he saw who was calling.

“I gotta take this.” He paused on his way out, turning to stare at Elara again. “Rest up. You'll need your strength.”

She kept her face blank until he left, the door closing with a soft click.

“What a douchebag.”

Tony Langford chuckled quietly. “He's actually a nice man.”

“Too bad I don't care.” She settled back into the pillows, trying to blink out those twinkling blue eyes of his from her mind.

Her muscles protested with a dull ache, and weakness settled over her again.

“Shall I call in the doctor?”

“I'm fine.” She shook her head. “It's just a lot to take in right now. I thought I had cancer, then I found out that I wasn't really dying, and I’m the heir to a prestigious family.”

“There’s no need to rush into anything right now. Get your rest and-”

“How did my parents die? My actual parents.”

Langford rubbed his temple with a sigh.

“A car accident. At least, that's what they said.”

She whipped her head towards him, and he instantly looked like he shouldn't have said that.

“You think…You think they were-”

“I can't talk about that. At least, not here or now.” He sat upright. “They did hide you away shortly before that.”

“To protect me, you said. You didn't tell me what they were protecting me from.”

“This…wealthy world of theirs, of yours. It's wrought with enemies, Elara. And most times, the best way to get through them is with allies.”

She scoffed and jerked her head towards the door. “You mean, with people like him, right? A marriage alliance?”

He nodded.

“Atlas Steele is nicer than he lets off-”

“You said that already. And I don't care what he is. If anything, he's an arrogant, pompous spoilt kid.”

A faint smile crossed Langford’s face.

“Seems that way. But he's also the head of the Steele family.”

She frowned. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

He pressed his lips together, but went on, “A royal family, and oe of the wealthiest families in Seattle. Perhaps even the country. They own properties everywhere, including this hospital. If you've heard the name attached to a major corporation, there's a good chance the Steeles own part of it.”

She blinked. She didn't imagine they would be that wealthy.

And that smirking, casual man in a suit owned all of that?

“I’m not that impressed,” she said, trying to sound sarcastic.

Langford didn't seem to care.

“The Harringtons and the Steeles have maintained an alliance for years, like i said,” he went on. “Together, they've stood against hostile takeovers that would have destroyed lesser families.”

“And now, I'm to dance to the same tune.”

“I don't believe you have to. But you need someone to navigate this harsh world of yours.”

“Who's to say he won't poison me all over again? Try to take over while pretending to love me?”

Her voice broke at the end. She wondered if she would ever get over Jack's betrayal.

“He won't.” Tony Langford's face was firm as he met my eyes. “You can take my word for it. Your ordeal at your ex-husband's hands was terrible, but that is where it ends. Here, you can rewrite your story.”

Ex-husband. The word sounded strange. But that was exactly what he was.

“So…if I marry Atlas, it would be a contract marriage.”

“It would entirely be your decision.”

She frowned at him. “But Atlas-”

“He hasn't agreed to it either. Like you, he's not very…welcoming to the idea.”

She wondered if Langford had spent an afternoon trying to convince him too.

“And if I refuse?”

He settled back in his seat. “You can disappear. Live your life in private, under a new name. You'd have to be very reclusive, though.”

A new but quiet identity. That didn't sound so bad.

Langford suddenly shifted his attention to the television mounted on the wall.

“...breaking news this afternoon. Businesswoman Lucia Hale, fashion co-founder of Hale Fashion Line, has officially been confirmed dead following a tragic traffic accident…”

Her breath caught as she saw an image of her face fill the screen.

The news cut to Jack, tearfully answering questions from a reporter.

He looked so…lost. Like he wasn't fucking my best friend. Like they didn't have a marriage and a child together. Like he didn't poison me, while planning to take over everything.

Slowly, I let out a breath.

“They're right.”

Langford looked at me.

I kept my eyes fixed on the television.

“Lucia Hale is dead.”