All Chapters of Betrayed, I Become The CEO'S Contracted Bride: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The security guards released Elara in the hotel corridor. Rain hammered against the tall windows at the far end of the hall. She stood there, breathing hard, her carefully styled hair coming loose from its pins. "You need to leave the premises, ma'am," one of the guards said. His voice wasn't unkind, but it was firm. "I need to go back in there," Elara said. "I need to explain—" "That's not going to happen." She looked at the closed ballroom doors. Through the wood, she could hear the murmur of resumed conversation. The gala was continuing without her. Like she'd never been there at all. Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her contacts until she found Dr. Helena Moss, her former mentor from graduate school. Helena would listen to her. She’d surely defend her. The call went to voicemail. Elara tried again. Voicemail. She called James Chen, a colleague from the lab. Voicemail. She went through her contact list, calling everyone she could think o

Elara walked for hours. Her feet blistered inside her heels, the ones she'd bought to match the emerald dress that was now stained with rain and humiliation. She’d changed into jeans and a sweater from the storage facility, but she still felt exposed. Like everyone who passed her on the street knew exactly who she was. The disgraced scientist. The crazy woman from the videos. By noon, she found herself outside the Aethelgard Pharmaceuticals building. Forty-three stories of steel and glass rising into the cloudy sky. She’d worked on the twenty-seventh floor for three years. Security was stationed at the entrance. She recognized Michael, the day guard who’d always smiled at her when she arrived early for lab work. She walked up to the door, only for Michael’s hand to block her path. “Sorry, but I can't allow you in, your credentials have been revoked so I can't let you past the lobby," he apologized, his expression sympathetic but firm "Michael please, I have a hearing tomorrow

The television in the motel room had twelve channels. Elara flipped through them while eating a protein bar she'd bought from the vending machine in the lobby. Her second meal in two days.She stopped on Channel 7.Marcus was on the screen.He sat in a leather chair across from a news anchor, his expression grave and concerned. The banner at the bottom of the screen read: "Pharmaceutical Leader Speaks Out About Ex-Partner's Mental Health Crisis."Elara turned up the volume."Dr. Sterling, thank you for joining us today," the anchor said. She was a polished woman in her forties with perfect hair and sympathetic eyes. "I know this must be difficult for you to talk about.""It is," Marcus said, running a hand through his hair as he spoke. "But I feel I have a responsibility to speak up. Not just for my own sake, but for Elara's. She needs help, and sometimes the people we love need us to be honest about their struggles, even when it's painful.""You and Dr. Vance were in a relationship f

The slide into oblivion did not happen all at once. It happened in slow, agonizing increments that stripped away dignity one layer at a time. Day four started with a confrontation at a 24-hour diner. Elara sat in the back booth, nursing a cup of hot water she had asked for, claiming she was waiting for a friend. The waitress, a woman with tired eyes and a name tag that read 'Brenda', watched her like a hawk. Elara adjusted her sweater. It was the only one she had left, and it smelled of the stale air from the storage unit. "You gonna order something, honey?" Brenda asked, slapping a laminated menu onto the table. "I'm still waiting," Elara said, keeping her voice steady. "You've been waiting for two hours. The water's cold. Buy a coffee or get out." Elara looked at the prices. A coffee was three dollars. She had exactly eleven dollars and sixty-two cents in her pocket. Three dollars was a fortune. It was a loaf of bread. It was three protein bars. It was another day of sur

Mrs. Chen was waiting in the foyer when they entered. She was older, Chinese, with silver hair pulled into a neat bun. Her eyes were kind but assessing. She looked at Elara's wet clothes and dripping hair without judgment. "Mrs. Chen manages the household," Thorne said. "She'll show you to your room." "Welcome, Dr. Vance," Mrs. Chen said. Not Mrs. Thorne. Not yet. Elara appreciated the distinction. "The guest room is prepared," Mrs. Chen continued. "I've laid out fresh clothes and toiletries. If you need anything else, please let me know." Thorne handed the contract portfolio to Elara. "Read it," he said. "Sleep on it. We'll discuss your decision in the morning." He walked down a hallway and disappeared into what looked like a study. The door closed behind him with a soft click. Mrs. Chen gestured toward a different hallway. "This way, Dr. Vance." Elara followed. The penthouse was massive. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped around the space. The city lights glit