Her return

Elaris’ POV

​Two long years passed after that wedding morning, and Cassian maintained his distance from me completely, choosing to live in the west wing of the estate while treating me like a total stranger whenever our paths happened to cross in the quiet hallways. 

He never sat down to eat dinner with me, he forgot my birthday twice without sending as much as a card, he ignored our wedding anniversaries entirely, and he made sure we were never left alone together in the same room for more than a few awkward minutes.

​Even though my husband wanted nothing to do with me and blamed me for everything that went wrong, I continued to fulfill every single duty expected of a proper Virelli daughter-in-law, managing the household accounts, preparing meals for his family, and taking care of the massive estate without making a single sound or complaining about my situation.

​One afternoon, Cassian's grandmother sat at the table in the main dining room while I brought her a fresh cup of tea, and she reached out to gently pat my hand with a warm smile on her tired face.

​"You work far too hard, Elaris," Grandmother said softly, setting her teacup down carefully on the saucers as she looked up into my eyes. 

"Cassian is acting like a complete fool for treating you this way, but I notice everything you do for this family, and I am truly grateful to have you living under our roof."

​"Thank you, Grandmother," I replied, taking a seat across from her and offering a small smile, "I just want to make sure everyone in this house is comfortable, so taking care of the estate is really no trouble at all."

​"My grandson inherited his mother's stubborn nature," she continued, shaking her head with a long sigh of frustration, "he still holds a ridiculous grudge over how you arrived in this family, but he will come around eventually because no one in their right mind can ignore your kindness forever."

​Cassian's father walked into the room a few moments later, holding a stack of budget papers in his right hand, and he set them down directly in front of me on the dining table.

​"Elaris, could you please check over these household expenses for the upcoming charity event next week?" he asked, pulling out a heavy chair and sitting down right beside his mother. 

"You handled the catering accounts so well last month, and to be honest, I trust your financial judgment far more than the expensive event planners we hired last year."

​"I will look through every single line right now, Father," I said, taking the papers from him and pulling a pen out of my apron pocket, "and I will make sure the final budget stays strictly within the limits you set for the event."

​"That is exactly why I enjoy having you around this house," his father said, smiling warmly at me as he leaned back in his chair. "You are quiet, sensible, and you keep this entire family organized, so please do not pay any attention to Cassian's bad mood today."

​Before I could say anything back to him, Cassian's younger brother, Julian, ran into the dining room alongside his younger sister, Maya, and both of them pulled their chairs right up next to mine.

​"Elaris, did you manage to finish checking my history paper like you promised yesterday evening?" Julian asked, leaning over my shoulder with an eager look on his face. "My teacher told us we need to turn it in before three o'clock today, so I really need your help fixing the final page."

​"I already reviewed the whole paper early this morning, Julian," I said, pulling a neatly folded sheet of paper from my bag and handing it over to him. "I fixed all the small grammar errors, and I marked two paragraphs near the end that needed a little bit more detail."

​"You are honestly the best sister-in-law in the world," Julian cheered, taking the paper with a big smile on his face, while Maya reached over to grab my hand with an excited look in her eyes.

​"Elaris, you promised to help me pick out an outfit for my best friend's birthday party tonight," Maya reminded me, pulling on my arm playfully, "so you have to come upstairs to my room with me right after you finish talking with Dad."

​"I will be upstairs in ten minutes, Maya," I promised, laughing softly as she let go of my arm and sat back in her seat.

​Everyone in the Virelli family had gradually accepted me over the last two years, treating me like a real part of their home, but the one person who still refused to look me in the eyes was my own husband.

​That afternoon, I was sitting in the main living room with Grandmother, Julian, and Maya, talking about our travel plans for the upcoming weekend, when the front doors of the estate suddenly slammed open with a loud bang that made everyone jump out of their seats.

​The house butler hurried into the room with short, frantic steps, looking entirely out of breath, while his hands trembled violently at his sides as he stopped right in front of where we were sitting.

​"What is the meaning of all this commotion?" Cassian's father demanded, stepping into the room from his office and looking at the servant with a strict frown on his face. "Why are you running around and making so much noise in the middle of the day?"

​"I apologize deeply for the intrusion, sir," the butler gasped out, trying to catch his breath while pointing a trembling finger back toward the main entrance of the mansion, "but someone just called to tell us Liora just arrived."