LOGINElaraThe moment Louis’ grandfather opened his eyes, Louis was already calling for the doctor.His voice sounded tense as he stepped away from the bed, speaking quickly into the phone while I stayed seated beside the old man. His frail fingers remained wrapped around mine, surprisingly warm despite how pale he looked.“You’re going to be okay,” I whispered softly.The old man looked at me with tired eyes and gave the faintest nod.Behind me, Celia scoffed loudly.“He’s supposed to be resting,” she snapped. “Honestly, Elara, maybe if you didn’t wake him up”“I didn’t wake him up,” I replied calmly without turning toward her.“Sure.”I finally glanced at her. “You always blame me for things before thinking first. It must be exhausting.”Her eyes narrowed immediately.Before she could respond, the door opened and a nurse walked in with a serious expression.“The doctor will be here soon,” she said firmly. “And you people need to stop making noise. If the patient gets stressed, his condit
ELARAThe moment I stepped into my room, I stopped short.Denise was already sitting on the edge of my bed like she had been waiting for me the entire time.I narrowed my eyes immediately. “You’re unbelievable.”She shrugged without shame. “I know.”I closed the door behind me slowly, already knowing exactly why she was there. Denise was many things, but subtle was not one of them.Her eyes followed me carefully as I walked toward my closet.“So,” she began dramatically, “what exactly is happening between you and Alistair?”There it was.I pulled open the closet doors and stared blankly at my clothes for a second before answering.“Nothing is happening.”Denise snorted loudly. “Please. I may not know about rich people's drama, but I know tension when I see it.”I ignored her and reached for a pair of jeans instead.“Our relationship is going back to being cordial,” I said firmly. “And honestly, that’s for the best.”The words sounded stronger than I felt.Denise tilted her head. “Cord
ELARAThe house felt too quiet.Not peaceful, quiet. Not comfortingly quiet. The kind that pressed against my ears until every second felt heavier than the last. I sat curled up on the couch with my phone in my hand, refreshing the same page for what had to be the hundredth time even though I already knew nothing would change.Nothing ever did.I had spent the last two hours trying to figure out which hospital Louis had taken his grandfather to. Every private hospital in the city suddenly felt like an enemy. I had called three of them pretending to be family, but the moment I mentioned his grandfather’s name, they either claimed they had no patient under that name or politely told me they couldn’t disclose information.Louis had planned this. Of course he had.The realization sat bitterly in my chest because it meant he truly did not want me anywhere near whatever was happening.I threw my phone onto the couch and pressed my palms against my face. My head was beginning to ache. I coul
LOUIS The hospital smelled like antiseptic and fear.I hated hospitals.The silence inside them was never truly silent. It carried whispers of grief, muted prayers, restless footsteps, and the constant beeping of machines reminding everyone how fragile life really was.I sat in the lobby staring blankly at the white tiled floor while waiting for the doctors to come out and tell me whether my grandfather was going to survive.My hands were clasped tightly together, my leg bouncing uncontrollably.I couldn’t lose him.Not him too.My grandfather was the only person in this family who had ever looked at me like I was more than a business extension or a future heir.He saw me.And right now, he was lying unconscious in the ICU.The thought alone made my chest tighten painfully.“Louis.”I looked up slowly.Celia walked toward me elegantly in her heels, looking entirely too calm for someone visiting a hospital. What immediately caught my attention, though, was the smile on her face.A str
ElaraThe ride home felt longer than usual.Every streetlight blurred past the tinted window like a fading memory, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop replaying last night in my head.Alistair’s voice.The way he had answered my phone like he belonged there.The way his hands had touched me afterward—slow, possessive, dangerous enough to make me forget every reason I had to stay away from him.And then this morning.Cold distance.A wall between us so sudden it made me feel stupid for believing any of it had meant something.By the time I stepped into the apartment, my chest felt painfully tight.Denise looked up from the couch immediately, surprise flashing across her face.“Elara?” She frowned. “Why do you look like someone died?”I dropped my bag near the door and forced my heels off.“I’m tired.”“Tired?” Denise sat upright. “Girl, after everything that happened last night, you’re supposed to be glowing right now.”I stiffened. Last night.The reminder alone made my st
ElaraThe moment I finished telling Alistair everything that happened at the mall, silence filled the room.His arms stayed around me, but his body had gone stiff beneath mine.“You’re saying someone followed you?” he asked slowly.I nodded against his chest. “I noticed the same black SUV twice. Then when Denise and I stopped at the café, a man kept watching us. When we left, he followed us outside.”Alistair cursed under his breath.The lights in his penthouse were dim, the city glowing through the glass walls behind us. Normally, being in his arms made me feel safe. Tonight, I still felt the fear crawling beneath my skin.“Why do you think they were following you?” he asked.I lifted my head to look at him. “It’s obvious, isn’t it?”His brows pulled together.“It’s either Louis or Celia.”The moment the words left my mouth, something shifted in his expression.“I doubt Celia would do something like that,” he said calmly.I blinked at him.“What?”He sighed softly. “Elara, I just don







