Ch-9

Eliaz's POV 

      Life could be a bitch, but I never really understood that concept until now. Or more specifically, a couple of minutes ago. Growing up, I'd always heard stories or people say you had to be careful of how you treated other people. As usual, I saw it as total bullshit, but now, I wasn't so sure anymore. 

My agenda for tonight had been very simple; come to the auction, bid the highest and win the contract for the company. I'd been looking forward to this all year, and I had made plans, set certain things place just so I could get it, and just while I was on the verge of success, the unexpected happened. 

Alora. 

If someone has walked up to me and told her that I was going to bump into her again, I would have laughed my head off. Or more specifically, I would have perceived them as a beggar and handed them a couple of dollars for the night. 

Alora was dead, so how the fuck was she able to not only show up here, but win the contract too? 

“Eliaz.” Cynthia's angry grunt cut me out of my thoughts, just when I didn't see it coming. “What are you looking at?” 

“Huh?” I stuttered. I blinked back a couple of times, willing myself to adjust to the scenery again. “What did you say?” 

“You were staring.” Cynthia was furious, and I didn't need to be a genius to figure out why. “You were staring at Alora.” 

She had caught me red-handed. It was a shocker when someone else outbid me, but I never saw the woman standing on the stage as the winner of the contract. 

Alora had always been beautiful, but tonight, she was ethereal. It was one thing to show up at the event, and another thing to be breathtaking while at it too. Throughout the duration of her speech, I just couldn't bring myself to take my eyes off of her. I was well aware of the judgemental stares Cynthia threw my way, but I couldn't bring myself to care. 

“Eliaz.” I startled back to the present at the sound of my name. It was more different from the voice that had reached out to me during the bidding and I understood why. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I really don't think he has anything important to say.” Aniver voice cut through before I could answer Alora's question. There had been no formal introduction between us, but I already knew who he was. “We should leave.”

“Fredrick, wait.” My gaze flickered to the spot where their hand was intertwined. “Why don't we hear him out first? He might…..”

“He has nothing to say.” Fredrick spat. “Let's go.” 

“Fredrick.” Alora's tone softened immediately and I felt a small pang in my chest. A couple of seconds passed before she added. “Please, just trust me.” 

Fredrick’s gaze lingered on me for much more longer than I wanted. I wasn't a sorcerer, but I could already tell he didn't like me. His eyes said everything his mouth couldn't. 

“Fine, I'll be waiting for you in the car.” Fredrick let out after what seemed like forever. “Thirty minutes”

Even before he stalked out, I didn't miss the hard glare he threw in my direction and I just knew I wasn't going to be forgetting it anytime soon. 

“You were saying?” Alora chipped in, pulling my gaze away from Fredrick's retreating back. “I don't have all night.”

“I wanted to say congratulations….”

“You already said that.” She cut me off, a certain edge to her voice. “what did you want to talk about?”

I was stunned. Whether it was at her question, or the fact that I had no idea what I was going to say , i wasn't exactly sure. 

“Where, where…” I stuttered. “Where have you been?” 

Only when the words had tumbled out of my mouth did I realize how stupid it sounded.

“Really?” She scoffed. “that's what you're going with?” 

“I have no idea what you have up your sleeve, Eliaz.” She cut me off, taking a couple of steps forward. Her heels clicked softly, till she was standing in front of me, with nothing but a breathe of air separating the both of us. “And neither do you know the things I'm planning. But one thing is for sure, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be sure to regret everything that happened that day, five years ago.” 

Her words sent a stake through my heart. My ears buzzed as her voice echoed around me. Before I could fully come around again, the last thing I saw was Alora sauntering away, leaving me to figure out what the hell I'd done to myself. 

The rest of the drive home was filled with thoughts of her. Even when I burst through the double doors that led to my home, the first woman I saw, was her. 

“Why are you just coming back?” It took me three blinks before I realized I was looking at Cynthia and not Alora. She still had the same nasty look from the bidding and it ticked something off in me. “What the hell did you have to talk to her about! Was it that important you had to leave me alone, just so you could speak to her?” 

“Go to bed, Cynthia.” I waved her off with a hand. She didn't like it, but I was in no mood to argue. That and the fact that I was still having a hard time wrapping my head around it all. “I don't have time for all of this.” 

“You will.” She hissed, before stopping in front of me. “Where the hell were you?” 

.I stared at my wife one more time. With her hands akinbo and anger etched into her facial features she looked nothing short of an angry bird. I usually teased her about it but I didn't. Not tonight. 

Without so much as a word in her direction, I headed straight to bed. Even as I laid down and drifted to sleep, I couldn't help but dreams about the woman who had not only stolen my contract, but ignited something in me tonight too.