Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

ELARA'S POVI grab him.Before he can react. Before he can think. Before anyone sees. My hand closes around his arm and I pull. Hard. The door slides shut behind us and we're in darkness.He stumbles. Catches himself. I hear his breathing—fast, panicked."What the—""Shh."He stops. Blinks. Tries to see in the dark.I watch him. I am already used to the dark."Elara?""Yes."He's looking around now. Confused. Trying to understand where we are. Shelves. A small bed. Supplies I've stockpiled over years. He doesn't know what any of it means."Where is this?"I wait a beat. Let him sit in the confusion."It's a room. Close to my children's room. Attached, actually—directly behind their wall."He stares at me."It was created for one purpose. To keep them safe if anything ever happened." I pause. "Now it serves a lot of purposes."He looks around again. The bed. The shelves. The door that doesn't look like a door."Does Kael know you're here?""No.""Does anyone?""No."He's quiet for a mo

ELARA'S POVI walk to my room. Close the door. Lean against it for one breath.Then I pull the cord.The maid arrives within minutes. Breathless. A little excited."Madam? You sent for me?""I'm going on a date tonight. With my husband."Her face lights up. "Oh my god, yes! It's been so long with everything happening—the killings, the tension. You deserve this. Both of you do."I smile. Small. "I know. That's why I want to look perfect. Help me."She clasps her hands. "Let's do this."---The clothes come out first.She pulls dresses from my closet one by one. Holds them up. Considers."This one?" Deep green. Elegant.I shake my head."This?" Burgundy. Rich. Warm."Too heavy."She keeps going. Black. Too severe. Blue. Too plain. Gold. Too much.Then she pulls out a deep wine-colored dress. Silk. Simple cut but expensive. It catches the light.I touch the fabric."This one."She smiles. "Good choice. It brings out your coloring. He won't be able to look away."I don't respond to that b

ANOTHER BLOODY TUESDAY ELARA'S POVTuesday arrives like every other Tuesday.I'm up before everyone else, moving through the quiet house while the boys and my husband still sleep. The lists are already waiting for me on the kitchen counter—kitchen supplies for the chefs, household items for the nannies, fabric samples for the boys' new clothes, grocery lists. The last day of the month is my day to handle all of it. I took on this chore years ago, back when I needed reasons to leave the house, reasons to breathe air that didn't smell like him. Now it's just routine.I kiss the boys goodbye while they're still half-asleep, Lucan mumbling something I don't catch, Zev already burrowed back under his blanket. The nannies are here. They'll handle breakfast, school drop-off, all of it.I have places to be.---The supermarket on 5th is first. I drop the kitchen list with Mr. Adebayo at the customer service desk. He's been handling my orders for years now, knows exactly how I like

ELARA'S POVThe door to his room opens at 2 AM.Kael steps in and for a moment he doesn't see me. He just stands there, swaying slightly, and I realize he's not drunk. There's no smell of alcohol. He's just... broken.His jacket is gone. His tie is loose. His face is gray in the dim light. He looks like someone who has been hollowed out from the inside."Kael."He turns. His eyes find me. They're red-rimmed, unfocused, like he's looking through me rather than at me.Then he crosses the room. His arms go around me. His face presses into my shoulder. He doesn't speak. Just holds me. Shakes.I hold him back. My arms go around his waist. My chin rests against his chest."I'm sorry," I whisper. "I'm so sorry."He doesn't respond. Just breathes against my neck, ragged and uneven."What happened?" I ask. "What happened to Rachel? How was she killed?"He pulls back just enough to look at me. His face is wrecked."I don't know." His voice cracks. "I don't know. There's no pattern. No signature

ELARA'S POVI reached home and went straight to my room.The door closes behind me. I lock it. Lean against it for a second, just breathing. Then I move.The clothes come off. I don't care where they fall. I pull on something loose, something that doesn't cling, and I sit on the edge of my bed.The burner phone is in my hand before I know it.I know what you did. This is not part of your plan. What are you doing?I read it again. And again.Who the fuck is this?I run through a mental list.Clinton. His eyes in the doorway. The way he looked at me. But how would he know? His suspicion just started at the house. Even if it's him, what would he do to me? He's too weak and I'm the Luna. He wouldn't dare , he is stupid but not that stupid.Not him.Ronan? No. Ronan wouldn't send this. He'd show up. He'd say it to my face. He's not a message-in-the-dark kind of man.Kael? I almost laugh. He's too in love with me to even imagine it. He's on his knees begging forgiveness while I'm the one wh