A dry laugh escapes Elsida’s lips coupled with stray tears that fall to her cheeks. Every time she tried to move on, life had a way of rooting her to the spot. The past always came back to haunt her.She was startled as her shrill ringtone echoed in the bathroom, she wiped her face harshly and answered the call without checking the caller ID.“Hello,” she rasped.“Elsida, it's Jasper, he got knocked down by a car,” Nancy rushed out breathlessly.Elsida froze and her hand stilled on her phone. Dread pooled in her gut rendering her speechless.“Elsida, are you here?” Nancy asked panic laced in her words.“Yes.. yes I am, text me the address.”Elsida stumbled out of the bathroom and rushed past the hallway choking on sobs.“Mrs Benoit, Mr. Armand would like to see you,” Kathy called After her but Elsida didn't spare her a glance. She didn't walk briskly into the elevator and leaned her head against it.Her sons were muffled by her hands and in the three minutes it took for the elevator t
Elsida was done taking shit from Armand. She straightened her back and brushed past him without sparing him a glance. After grabbing Nancy’s Coffee, she headed back to Jasper’s ward where the doctor was crouched checking his vitals.The doctor repeated what Nancy said albeit with more medical jargon whilst Elsida’s mind whirled with tumultuous thoughts, Armand being the center of them all.The anxiety Elsida used to feel whenever she was around Armand dissipated today after their little debacle.She was done letting the Oldman walk over her. She was not afraid to play dirty anymore, Not when her son was concerned.Elsida left the hospital with a new backbone. She’d kill Armand before he lay a hand on Jasper ever again.•••“Sorry Madam but Mr. Julien said he wishes to be alone,” Julien’s home-office secretary rasped her gaze apologetically.Elsida raised an eyebrow and brushed past her.“Madam, please you can’t go in there. He wishes to be alone.” Elsida didn't spare her a glance as
JULIENJulien arched a bored brow at his father, “Don’t mess this up.”Armand mirrored Julien’s expression, he threw back his head, gulping down the remains of his bourbon. “What are you insinuating son?”Julien stalked towards his Father, his gaze tracking his every move. It was Cressida’s birthday and he’d been drinking with unrelenting zeal. It was his third glass of the evening.Julien rolled his eyes, “ Do you think I’m so oblivious? you’re so rattled and I’m positive it has to do with Elsida’s presence.” A smirk splayed across Julien’s lips.Armand’s chuckle reverberated through the study, “Obviously you don’t know me. That girl can never hold so much power over me.”Julien called his Father’s bull shit the second the words left his mouth. He could tell from the darkening of his eyes and the stiffness of his fists that he was lying.On a normal day, his Father’s antics wouldn’t faze him but, today was different, it was his mother’s birthday and nothing would go wrong.Not even t
“You're ridiculous”Elsida mutters, pure disdain seeping from her words.Who did Julien think he was, showing up at the escort agency and demanding her services?He must be out of his mind for thinking she would ever accept an offer from him she thought.Julien let out a dry chuckle.“El why would I go out of my way to personally present my offer to you if I didn't mean business?” He said with a humorous glint dancing in his eyes and a smirk spreading across his lips.“The next time you use that nickname on me I will make sure you never utter a word again”Just the thought of Elsida threatening Julien aroused a deep amused laugh from him.“I love how creative you are with your threats but you and I both know you’d rather die than lay your hands on me”“Go away Julien, find someone else to taunt, I'm tired of entertaining you,” Elsida muttered, she had a very wealthy client to accompany to a ball in two hours and she wasn’t even done getting ready. She didn’t have the time for convers
“I’m looking for William Dalton”Elsida says to the front desk Nurse. “Third room on the left, second floor” the nurse replies half-heartedly.Elsida sprints past the hallway, heart thumping rapidly with trepidation, she suddenly regrets her choice of shoes that hinder her from hastening to her satisfaction.“Elsidaaaaa” Natasha sobs as Elsida lets herself into the emergency room.“Shush it’s fine, Dad will be fine,” Elsida says as she rushes to her sister and envelopes her in a hug, as she notices her Father connected to numerous tubes, she’s not quite certain her previous words hold any significance.“It’s all my fault, If I hadn’t stepped out of his room I would have stopped him from swallowing those pills, oh if I hadn’t kept them close by we wouldn’t be in this situation” Natasha says as she continues to sob uncontrollably.“Don’t say that Nat, none of this is your fault, Dad will be fine I promise.”“Has the doctor said anything yet?” Elsida asks and as if on cue, the door to t
“Mr. Benoit awaits your company Miss” one of the tall figures to her right says.Elsida lets out an incredulous scoff,” I'm not even going to ask questions, lead the way” she says motioning toward the congested sidewalk.The bodyguards divert their attention to the footpath, guiding her to a black Porsche Panamera.“Tell me now El, why did you have to keep me waiting?” Julien says once Elsida is situated next to him.“You masochistic hypocrite” Elsida seethes and it causes Julien to let out a deep chuckle, finding amusement in her obvious exasperation.“Now that wouldn't earn you a place in my good books, would it? and because a few hours ago you rejected my offer, I'm quite certain the only hypocrite here is you” Julien says, his malicious smirk settling across his lips.“Go to hell” Elsida mutters.“Right after you, El” Julien retorts his chest reverberating with laughter.“Enough of the niceties Julien, let me know the terms of this offer,” Elsida says, worn out from the conversati
Chapter 4: Fraternizing with the Enemy“What are you insinuating Julien?” Elsida asks, turning to stare at him, her heart beating rapidly with trepidation.“I have business to take care of in Europe till next year, how can I possibly leave my wife behind? We leave for France in three days” Julien states matter of factly, his face masking a stoic expression, seemingly unfazed by Elsida’s reaction.Elsida’s hold on the doorknob tightens shock coursing through her body, rendering her helpless.In her twenty-six years of living, she hadn’t met anyone that wore cruelty like an armor like Julien Benoit she thought.Sighing weakly, she muttered, “I understand” as she twisted the door knob, Briskly walking out of the room.✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧“What do you mean you signed a marriage contract with Julien Benoit Elsida?” Natasha asks disbelievingly.“Keep your voice down Nat” Elsida says, scouring the hallway to make sure there’s no passerby.“ How can I keep my voice down? You’ve
“What the hell are you doing here Julien” Elisa seethes as Julien steps into her room from the mirror that also serves as a door.Julien appearing unfazed by her reaction lets out a humorless chuckle.“You seem to forget I own this mansion,” Julien says wryly.“Besides, I’m not beneath placing you in a room that gives me direct access to you, we can’t have you too far off after all you are my wife,” he says nonchalantly but the scathing look he offers her begs to differ. “Elsida, are you still there? What happened, are you okay?” her father blurts out from the phone.Elsida jerks, as if just remembering her father was still on the line.“I'm fine Dad it’s just Julien I'll call you tomorrow okay?” Elsida says ending the call immediately, not allowing him to respond.All the while, Julien’s hardened gaze rested on her.“You said I couldn't see my father for a year, not that I couldn't talk to him” Elsida snaps as she notices his gaze.“Here I was thinking you had no regard for the con