Chapter 4-Her approval

ELENA

“Elena, stop sulking. He isn't worth all these tears,” Sophie said, handing me a cup of hot tea.

I took it from her and stared into it as though it were more interesting than anything she had to say.

“Come on, Elena. You knew something was wrong all along. You saw the signs, but you chose to ignore them and make excuses for him instead.”

“That's because I loved him, Sophie.” I stirred the tea slowly, trying to keep my voice steady. “Five years of commitment, promises, and memories. You can't expect me to throw all that away because of a few bad days.”

“A few bad days?” She raised an eyebrow. “Girl, that man is getting married to someone else!”

I flinched, and she immediately softened.

“I'm sorry, but it's his loss. There are still plenty of men out there who would love to treat you the way you deserve.”

My mind unconsciously drifted to Cole, and heat crept into my cheeks as memories of the previous night flashed through my head. But the thought quickly faded when I remembered his shameless declaration that he'd gladly do it all over again.

“Start spilling.”

Sophie's sudden voice startled me. She had moved closer, studying my face with the sort of suspicion that made lying to her nearly impossible.

I cleared my throat and adjusted my expression. “It's nothing.”

“Nothing?” She narrowed her eyes. “Elena, I know that look. You can't deceive me.”

I quickly searched for a way to change the subject. I wasn't ready to tell her about my rather unfortunate adventure with my ex-boyfriend's brother. If Sophie found out, she'd tease me about it until the day I died.

“Oh, please, can I borrow your phone to call my dad? I left mine in Xander’s room.”

She gave me a knowing look but handed it over.

“Fine. But don't think I've forgotten about this. I'll find out what you're hiding eventually.”

I smiled and dialled my father's number, but the call wouldn't connect, so I sent him a message instead.

Sophie spent the next hour trying to cheer me up, and by the time my father's reply arrived, I was beginning to feel like myself again.

Then I read the message.

GET BACK NOW.

My smile vanished.

Why would Dad send me a message like that? Had something happened?

I barely said goodbye to Sophie before rushing home, my mind already imagining every possible disaster.

The moment I stepped inside, the quietness of the house unsettled me. My stepmother sat in the living room, her expression unusually serious.

“Hey, Mum,” I greeted nervously.

She responded with a nod. “Your father is waiting for you in his study.”

I hesitated.

If Dad had already discovered what happened between Xander and me, I would have expected anger or disappointment. But this felt different, and I couldn't understand why.

There was only one way to find out.

I dragged my feet towards his study and walked in quietly. He stood with his back to the door, staring out of the window.

“Dad, what happened? Your message sounded urgent.”

He turned slowly.

“Elena, where were you last night?”

“At the Maddox mansion. I told you before I left.”

“I know that. What I want to know is where you spent the night. You told me you'd be staying with Xander, so how did you end up in Cole's room?”

My throat tightened.

“Elena, I'm giving you the chance to explain yourself because I believe I raised you better than to get involved with your boyfriend's brother.”

I interlocked my fingers, desperately trying to keep my nerves under control. Then I took a deep breath and told him everything, from the night before to the moment I discovered that Xander was getting married to someone else.

By the time I finished, Dad looked as though I'd added another problem to a burden he was already struggling to carry.

“So Xander is marrying someone else, and now they're trying to use what happened between you and Cole as an excuse to force you into another marriage?” he muttered, more to himself than to me.

I stared at him.

“Marriage? Cole?”

His eyes met mine, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. Then he sighed and tapped his fingers against the desk.

“Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I'll take care of everything.”

He looked exhausted, and I didn't have the heart to press him for answers. I left the study, only to find my stepmother waiting outside.

“Elena,” she called softly, taking my hands as she led me towards the stairs.

“I know your father doesn't want you trapped in a loveless marriage, but there are things you still don't know about our relationship with the Maddox family.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Years ago, your father and Richard Maddox made an agreement. They wanted their families to remain connected and their business partnership to continue through the next generation. Marriage was part of that agreement.”

I stared at her, struggling to understand.

“Are you saying my relationship with Xander wasn't a coincidence?”

She hesitated before nodding.

“We believed we were doing what was best for you. We never imagined Xander would turn out this way.”

I pressed my lips together. I knew my father loved me, and I wanted to believe he'd made those decisions with my best interests at heart. Still, discovering that something so personal might have been influenced by a business agreement left an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.

“There's something else you need to understand,” she continued. “Your father's company hasn't been doing well lately. If he breaks that agreement now, the consequences could be devastating. The Maddox family has far more power and resources, and your father could lose much of what he's spent years building.”

My heart sank.

I had never known how serious things had become. Dad had worked too hard to build his company, and the thought of watching everything crumble because of a decision involving me was unbearable.

“I can't let that happen,” I whispered. “But I can't marry Cole either.”

My stepmother rubbed my back gently.

“I know, sweetheart. I just wanted you to understand the situation before you made a decision. I don't want you to look back one day and regret not having the chance to protect what your father built.”

She pulled me into a brief hug before leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I had always dreamed of marrying someone I loved, someone who would choose me without hesitation and remain faithful to me. Cole was almost the opposite of everything I'd ever wanted in a husband.

He didn't believe in commitment, and his lifestyle was the very thing that made Xander's betrayal so difficult to forgive.

Yet, if I refused this marriage and my father's company collapsed, would I ever forgive myself?

I couldn't answer that question.

But if I had to marry Cole, I wouldn't enter the marriage without conditions. I wasn't going to spend another five years waiting for a man to decide whether I was worth choosing.

I made up my mind and returned to my father's study.

He was in the middle of a tense phone conversation when I entered. I caught Richard Maddox's name and Cole's before Dad noticed me. His expression tightened, but he quickly ended the call.

“What is it, princess?” he asked, trying to soften his face.

“I'll marry Cole.”

Silence filled the room.

Dad stared at me before shaking his head. “No, sweetheart. Forget what I said over the phone. You don't have to sacrifice your happiness for a business agreement. I'll find another way.”

“I'm sure, Dad. I'll marry him, but I have one condition.”

He studied me carefully. “What condition?”

“He must respect our marriage. No other women, no affairs, and no humiliating me by behaving as though he's still a bachelor. If he agrees to marry me, then he has to honour that commitment.”

For the first time since I'd entered the room, Dad smiled.

“Come here, my girl.”

I walked into his open arms, and he held me close.

“Thank you for doing this for me,” he whispered. “And I'm sorry you've been caught in the middle of all this.”

I closed my eyes against his shoulder, trying to quiet the fear rising inside me.

I was about to marry a man who didn't believe in commitment, hoping he would honour the very thing I valued most.

I could only pray that I wasn't making the biggest mistake of my life.