All Chapters of I Slept With His Uncle And I Liked It: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Elara I had almost forgotten what it felt like to sit at Lucien’s table without the weight of a professional agenda between us.Almost.The emergency meeting was already a week behind us, and in that time Lucien had rebuilt the distance with surgical precision. He spoke to me about work when necessary, answered emails with the same efficiency as before, and offered nothing else. No mention of France. No mention of Somerset House. No reference to the night he had told me to leave his sight. The wall was back up, and I had decided the only sensible thing was to respect it.So I did.Elliot, meanwhile, had not stopped trying. He still called, still checked in, still found reasons to ask me out. I no longer said yes to everything, but I had stopped automatically saying no. Dinner. Coffee. A movie. A quiet weekend away when I needed the distraction. I went when I wanted to and declined when I didn’t. It was easier than arguing with myself about it. His grandmother seemed pleased with the

ElaraThe painting in front of me was beautiful.I knew that because I had spent the better part of fifteen minutes explaining exactly why—the brushwork deliberate without being rigid, the colour palette restrained, the composition balanced so the central figure felt almost suspended against the darker background. It was the kind of piece that could hold attention without demanding it, which was precisely why I had been interested in acquiring it for the Beaumont collection.At least, I had been interested.Now I was staring at the same section of canvas and thinking about a woman I had known for approximately thirty seconds. More specifically, I was thinking about the fact that she had called Lucien Beaumont—one of the most intimidating men I had ever met—Lu bear.What kind of name was Lu bear?I shifted the file in my hands and frowned at the painting. No. Seriously. Who looked at a grown man like Lucien and decided that Lu bear was an appropriate name for him? I had watched him ter

LucienIt was almost midnight when I finally got home.The day had been longer than I expected. I had spent most of it at the hospital with Victoria completing the scans and blood tests the doctor requested. I collected her after work, intending to take her back to the house and arrange somewhere else for her to stay. Then Elliot called. Vanessa had been rushed to the hospital. Everything after that happened quickly.Victoria was already in the car when I received the call. She knew Vanessa and when she heard that she was in the hospital she insisted on coming with me. I did not argue. There had been nowhere else for her to go, and Vanessa had known Victoria. Leaving her alone at the house while I went to the hospital had not seemed reasonable. So she came. She stayed close throughout the evening, particularly after the doctor confirmed that Vanessa’s heart function had deteriorated significantly and that a transplant might be necessary.By the time we returned home I was tired. Victo

Lucien Elliot was already halfway to the driveway when Theo called after him.“Elliot, wait.”He did not stop. Theo followed anyway, Gwen close behind him. Sebastian and Clara were not far behind either, all of them moving toward the gates with the same objective: find Elara.I remained where I was. Victoria stood beside the terrace, watching the others leave.“Aren’t we going to find Elara too?”“No.”Elara had just watched the man she had been trying to trust again get confronted by a woman claiming to be pregnant with his child. She had slapped him, taken my car, and left. She needed time before she needed anything else from the rest of us.I turned and walked into the house. Victoria followed for a few steps but stopped when I continued toward the study. I closed the door behind me and locked it. I stood there for a moment looking at the desk, then took out my phone and called Elara.Her phone was switched off. I tried again. The same result. I lowered the phone.I had no practic

ElaraBy the time I left the hospital I had decided I was not going to spend the rest of my Sunday thinking about Elliot. I had already given him enough of my time. More than enough, actually.I drove home, took the longest shower I could justify without wasting half the day, changed into a loose pair of jeans and a soft cream T-shirt. I tied my hair up, put on a little lip balm, grabbed my handbag, and headed back out. I had barely pulled out of my street when I called Clara. She answered before the second ring.“Are you alive?”I smiled. “Good afternoon to you too.”“I asked a valid question.”“I’m alive.”“And are you okay?”“I’m fine.”There was a pause. “You sound fine.”“Because I am fine.”“That sounded suspiciously rehearsed.”I laughed. “I promise you, Clara, I’m okay. I saw Vanessa this morning. I told her everything. I feel better.”“Good. Because I was prepared to come to your apartment and sit outside your door if necessary.”“That sounds very threatening.”“It was suppos