Elara’s POV“Auntie Elara is here!“Alice shouts, and in an instant, a small stampede rushes toward me.” Tiny arms wrap around my legs, my waist, anywhere they can reach. I smile radiantly before opening my arms to embrace them in a warm group hug.I plant kisses on their foreheads, ruffling their hair. "I missed you all so much, my little angels.""Auntie Elara, what are you doing here?" one of the younger girls asks, her wide eyes gleaming with curiosity.I sense my heart rate increase. Gradually, I lift my eyes and observe Mother Annabelle and the other caretakers and older children gazing at me. Their faces are set into tight glares as their eyes move back and forth from me to Lorenzo.“Children, come here,” Mother Annabelle calls, her arms open and her voice urgent. The kids hesitate for a moment, wondering what is happening, but the edge in Mother Annabelle’s tone leaves no room for stubbornness. She repeats herself, louder this time. “Now, children! Come behind me. We don't asso
Elara's POVThe walk to Mother Annabelle's office is nerve-wracking and short. I spend the whole time thinking about what to say and how to prove that I am an ally and not a foe.The second Mother Annabelle sits down, my heart rate spikes. This is the moment of truth. I just hope they believe me. They have to believe me. I'm their daughter.Clearing my throat, I start, "Mother, I really—"She holds up her hand, cutting me off. After exchanging a glance with Mother Esther, who quietly walks to the door and locks it, she turns to me. "Elara, I am deeply disappointed in you. What has this community done to you? Did we wrong you that you chose to side with the enemy and ruin us?"I can't bear to see the looks of hurt on their faces, so I focus my gaze on the table. Mother Esther sighs and walks toward me. Holding my hands gently, she asks, "El, you are one of the most respectful and kind-hearted children this orphanage has ever raised. I know that living here was not easy. But we trained
Elara's POV The stranger holds me, his strong, muscled arms wrapped gently around my shoulders. I take in the contours of his face, noticing how his plump lips accentuate his features. He’s dressed in an elegant gray suit. He must be some rich guy. Then I lift my gaze to his beautiful hazel eyes and see something that looks like concern. My brows furrow. Why would he be concerned? “Are you okay?” he asks, making me furrow my brows. “Is there a problem? Why are you crying?” At that, I place my hand on my face, surprised to feel tears. I guess the encounter in the office left me crying. As I remember the scene in the office, I decide I need to leave. I don’t want to deal with the mothers anymore. As I turn to go, the stranger speaks again. “Hey, calm down. Please tell me if there’s a problem. I can help.” Oh really? I look up at him and cross my arms against my chest, raising an eyebrow. “What exactly is your problem? Will you step out of my way so I can leave?” But he still tries
Lorenzo's POVWaking up in the hospital was never part of my birthday vision. I had planned a fancy but small gathering—just a little celebration I could slip away from quickly before heading home to get some rest. No. I'm not your typical billionaire chasing after a parade of women. That lifestyle is far beyond me now, especially after 'her'. I can’t bring myself to look at another woman in the same way anymore.And then, in walked Elara. That girl nearly made me break all my rules—all because of her flawless skin, perfect curves, and those eyes that seem to draw me in whenever she stares at me. My best friend, Luke Grayson, who stayed by my side at the hospital, laughed endlessly, saying Elara and I had sex. But I don't want to believe it—I am not planning to sleep with any other woman. Yes, she did drug me, but could she have stolen my eight years of virginity?When I went to find her, my plan was to confront her and ask if she’d taken advantage of me. It wouldn’t have ended well i
Elara's POV I sit in my office, tapping my pen absentmindedly against the desk, the rhythmic sound echoing in the otherwise quiet room. My laptop is open in front of me, its light illuminating my face, but I can’t focus on the screen. Instead, my mind runs with thoughts of revenge against Lorenzo Russo. The fallout with the orphanage, everything that's happened—it’s all his fault. He has ruined my life, and I’m determined to make him pay for it. I had initially planned to stop my revenge at just stealing his wallet—which wasn’t even a real revenge plan. But that seems insufficient now. Now, I’m going to fight him with everything I’ve got. My stupid subconscious decides to mock me: You've got nothing, Elara. You live in a— A sudden vibration breaks off my train of thoughts, and I glance around the room until I spot my phone vibrating on the desk. I pick it up, frowning at the unfamiliar number flashing on the screen: Hello, Princess EL. How are you? My eyes narrow. Who is this
Elara's POVAs Nina runs out, I decide it's best to find out what's going on. So, as quietly as I can, I walk to Lorenzo's office and place my ear against the door. I don’t pick up any sound, just dead silence.But I still don't relent. Maybe staying for a few more seconds will reward me. Nothing makes sense—why would Nina run out of Lorenzo's office crying? She's the strongest girl I know... also the most foolish.Lost in my thoughts, I don't hear his footsteps until it's too late. The door suddenly swings open, and I find myself falling forward with nothing to hold on to. And no, this is not a romance movie. I don’t land in Lorenzo's arms so we can stare into each other’s eyes and fall in love. Instead, my face meets the cold marble floor, sending a jolt of pain through my head. Ouch!Silence ensues. I lift my head sluggishly, only to wish I hadn’t. Lorenzo’s stony gaze fixes on me, his jaw clenched. Well, Elara, here we go again.“Hello, sir. I had a business... no, a vision... no,
Lorenzo's POV (The Incident with Nina)The rest of the day after I threatened Elara for coming back with a rich man is spent with me avoiding her. I lock myself in my office for the rest of the afternoon. My mind doesn’t let me rest, constantly dragging me back to thoughts of the petite, blue-eyed girl sitting just outside my office. For goodness' sake, what's wrong with me? Why can’t I stop thinking about her? Why does my enemy have to be attractive?Letting out a frustrated sigh, I pick up my phone and call Nicola—my best friend, who also works in the building.“Hey, boss. Everything okay?” His sharp, professional tone comes through the phone.I roll my eyes. Nicola and professionalism? Yeah, right. “Nicola, I need you to run Elara Walker's information through the system. I want everything you can find on her by tomorrow morning.”There’s a brief silence on the other end before the sound of his stupid, annoying chuckle meets my ears. Oh God, not now! Please!“Wow bro, you okay? This
Elara's POV Mr. Russo stares at me, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he's trying to place where he knows me from. “Do I know you?” he asks. I’d laugh if I wasn’t moments away from peeing my pants. A powerful man like him knowing someone as insignificant as me? No way. “No, sir, you don’t. I’m just… nobody. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get out of your way now,” I say quickly, already turning to leave. “Wait,” he calls. I freeze, clenching my fists and forcing a polite expression onto my face. I’m exhausted, and all I want is to run away from his grumpy son, but there’s no walking away from this either. Not when I’m face-to-face with a man like him. “Yes, sir?” “What are you doing here?” His gaze flickers to the private elevator I just exited. “You came from Lorenzo’s floor, didn’t you? Only people who work there have access to that lift.” “I—um, yes,” I stammer, unsure what to say. He’s Lorenzo’s father, after all. Shouldn’t he want to know who works in his son’s office? I would if