Elsida didn’t think, her feet carried her swiftly following the sounds of Julien’s bellow until she arrived at the drawing room where a commotion had already built up.“Julien,” she whispered, rushing to his side.“My mom’s gone El,” he choked.Armand remained frozen beside his son, his eyes fixated on his wife’s lifeless body.“What a catastrophe!” someone rasped.“It’s tragic really, “ another said with no regard for the grieving family, their phone cameras shuttered with each picture they took.“You’re okay Julien,” Elsida pulled him into her arms as tears escaped her eyes, she paid no attention to the curious partygoers. She held onto him tight and wiped his face as silent tears fell from it.“Everyone out! It’s time to go home,” Armand’s secretary announced as security guards led the guests out of the drawing room.Landon rushed into the room with a trail of Paramedics, “I got them as fast as I could,” he muttered with a wild look in his eyes, a tear fell from his eye as Cressida
apter 66: He might not wake upELSIDA“Give me your hand,” Elsida nudges Julien. Julien arches an eyebrow, “Okay, I’m curious El, where do you plan to take me?”Elsida let out an exasperated sigh. “Just trust me would you?” She says tugging him closer with one arm.She leads him to his black Porsche and his eyes follow her with mild amusement. The first positive emotion she’d had from him in the past few days.Thank Goodness, she muses.“Your keys Julien.” Julien hands her the keys and makes his way to the passenger seat. Elsida switches on the ignition and the car roars to life.“Care to tell me where we’re going El?”“Nope,” Elsida mutters keeping her eyes straight ahead as she reverses out of the church.A sincere laughter escapes Julien and Elsida’s heart spasms wildly against her ribcage. “Did I say something funny?” She asks as though the sound of his throaty laugh didn’t revive something deep in her.A grim line spreads across Julien’s lips, his face takes on the blank expre
LANDONLandon lets out an impatient sigh, “I said show yourself, don’t make me come get you myself.”Footsteps shuffle on the hardwood and a middle-aged man resurfaces from underneath the wine bar. His face is sweaty and crimson with panic. His hands tremble as he raises them in surrender.Landon’s eyes glimmer with amusement, “now, who do we have here?”His Father clears his throat. “Landon don’t bait the man. Kill him and be done with it.”Landon’s lips twist into a sadistic smirk, “but, that’s going to take all the fun out of it, he may have some useful information.”His Father gives him a grim look and stalks toward him, “which is exactly why you should kill him so he doesn't run his mouth, I’ll leave you to it.”His Father’s eyes flick over the man like he’s a mere ornament before he walks out of the room.“I- I didn't mean no harm.” the middle-aged man stutters.An amused laugh slips past Landon’s lips, “I’m sure you didn't, can I take a look at the phone you have in your hand?”
Elsida doesn’t waste time unbuckling her seat belts when the taxi driver arrives at her house, she rushes through the door and lets out a ragged breath when she sees Nancy and Natasha crouched together.“Nancy,” she sighs as tears fall down her cheeks.“Elsida,” Nancy breathes, pulling away from Natasha and walking towards her briskly. She wraps her shaky arms around her.“How bad is he?” Elsida croaks.Nancy attempts to get the words past her lips but they just quiver and Elsida grips her arms tightly in reassurance. Who was she kidding? She could barely keep herself together, Nancy’s hands clasped in hers provided her with a sense of reassurance of whatever was to come.With one last glance at Natasha, they made their way out of the house.“Can you at least tell me how he is?” Elsida whispered, her eyes meeting Nancy’s for a brief moment.They rode to the hospital in stark silence, the driver was not chatty, the radio was turned off and the usually bustling streets of New York were
ELSIDA“Shit,” Elsida curses.The paparazzi are unrelenting as they crowd the Benoit mansion. Elsida’s fists remain clenched as she sets one foot on the ground. She releases a ragged breath before they surround her like hungry animals.“Over here Elsida!”“Can I have a word Elsida!”“Are you married to Julien Benoit? I heard it was all part of a game.”“You’re not Elsida Benoit, you’re a Dalton!”Elsida releases a shuddered breath and it takes an immense amount of willpower for her to make it to the front door.The door opens on its own revealing a scowling Julien. His eyes narrow slightly when they take in her tattered state.“Julien,” she breathes.His eyes soften a fraction and the scowl on his mouth dissipates. “Where have you been El? You left in such a hurry.”Elsida’s eyes betray her and they cloud with tears, her gaze remains unrelenting.“Hey, what’s wrong?” Julien pulls her to him and she breathes his woody scent for a second before she pulls away, wiping at her tears with s
11 YEARS AGOSURREY MENTAL HOSPITAL MANHATTANELSIDA “Elsida dear, a family is here to see you.” Elsoda’s fingers pause the accent on the piano, she swerves her head to face Nancy and suppresses a groan.“I don't want to see them, Nancy.”Nancy’s gaze is apologetic. She approaches Elsida with a careful smile on her face. “They are good friends of your Father, they seem nice and have been hoping for a child, why don’t you give them a shot?”Her hands move to her baby bump on instinct. The bump she found herself getting uncharacteristically attached to. It wasn't as though she wanted to keep the child.All she wanted was for the baby to not end up in the hands of some rich bratty work-ohssesd family. The only person she wanted to have him was staring at her with a hopeful gaze.She let out a sigh, “Fine, lead the way.”As they arrive in the visitor's suite, the middle-aged couple seated rise to their feet with matching excited smiles. It was borderline creepy.Are they trying to scare
JULIEN Armand barely perks up at the sound of Julien’s footsteps as he enters his office.Julien’s eyes narrow slightly at his Father’s disheveled state.Armand’s hair is a ruffled mess and papers are strewn across his usually tidy table.Julien takes the seat in front of his Father and cannot help the wary gaze he throws at him.He cares for the bastard, albeit reluctantly.“I see you got rid of the press,” Julien muses.Armand doesn’t take his eyes off his bottle of whiskey when he answers, “My PR Secretary finally got the job done.”“Ahh.”Minutes pass and the air remains tense with silence. The recent events have made Julien to see his Father in a different lens and he eyes him as though he’s not the same man that instilled rigid manners in him.This was not why he came to see his Father, he didn’t have time to dilly-dally yet so he cracks his knuckles and cuts to the chase.“Tell me something Father, did you know I had a son?”Armand’s gaze finally flickers to Julien but he doe
ELSIDA“May his soul rest in peace.”Elsida muffles a gasp and Nancy clutches onto her tightly as Jasper’s casket is carried into the dirt.“Jasper,” she whispers suppressing a shudder as tears stream down her face.Her Father and Natasha stand beside her and William Dalton pulls his daughter into his arms suppressing her anguished cries.“It’ll be fine Elsida,” he whispers into her hair.Elsida chokes on a sob. No, it won’t, she muses.Jasper is gone and she never allowed herself to get to know him, she was too grief-stricken to manage to welcome a baby.At the moment, she regrets it dearly.She wipes her nose with a handkerchief and her eyes zoom in on a mop of curly locks.Julien.He stands like an on-looker mere inches away with his hands tucked into his pockets and a muscle in his jaw jumping.He meets her gaze with his red-rimmed eyes and Elsida shudders, letting go of her Dad.“I’ll be back Dad, I just want to “William gives her a reassuring smile. “You don’t need to explain y