ELARA’S POV “How did this happen?” My voice is tight as I stare at the endless flood of one-star reviews flooding in. All of them are negative and in such a short time span?” “I don’t know, ma’am.” Bart sounds just as tense. “And the site has been unstable. It’s like someone has been trying to take it down, but when they couldn’t, they resorted to flooding it with bad reviews. I tracked the IP, but I still can’t pinpoint exactly who it is. What I do know is that it’s the same person spamming the reviews and I haven’t been able to remove them.” My heart pounds. “When did this start?” “Around three in the afternoon.” “What?” I nearly drop my phone. “Since three and you’re only telling me now?” “I told Jenna.” His voice is hesitant now. “I didn’t have your number on hand, so I called her instead. She said she’d talk to you and get back to me.” “She said that?” I quickly open my call logs, scanning for any missed calls or texts. Nothing. “Yes, ma’am. But she never got back to me.
NATE’S POVThe city lights blur through the tinted windows of my penthouse. I stand by the floor-to-ceiling glass, a whiskey glass resting in my hand, untouched. The ice has long since melted, the amber liquid swirling lazily as I tilt the glass. But I don’t care about the drink. My mind is still at that damn booth.At Elara.The way her eyes hardened when I asked her for another chance. The way she shut me down without hesitation. I had expected resistance, hell, I deserved it but a part of me had still hoped she’d say yes. That maybe, just maybe, we’d finally start fixing what I broke.Instead, she walked away. Again.But all hope isn’t lost, she’s didn’t exactly say no… right? I run a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. I can’t let frustration cloud my judgment. If I want Elara back, I have to be patient. I have to prove to her that I’m not the same man who walked away two years ago.But first, I have something else to handle.Valentina.I place the glass down on my desk and
ELARA’S POV I woke up with the same gut wrenching feeling that had followed me into sleep. My phone was still clenched in my hands. Pressing the power button the screen lit with Nate’s number. Thankfully, I hadn’t accidentally called him. While I was sleeping. I let out a shaky breath, my heart hammering in my chest as I turned to my laptop. My fingers trembled as I pulled up the website. The moment I clicked on the review section, my breath caught in my throat. The bad reviews were gone. I blinked, refreshing the page once, twice. Still gone. A slow smile crept onto my lips. Bart did it. Scrambling for my phone, I dialed his number. He picked up on the second ring. “Hello?” “Bart!” My voice came out breathless. “Good morning! You did it! You fixed it!” There was a beat of silence. “Fixed what?” “The bad reviews,” I said, the wave of relief crashing into me. “They’re gone. You took them down… right?” “I—” Bart hesitated. “I tried all night, but I wasn’t able to. I ev
ELARA’S POV I told myself I wasn’t going to entertain this unknown number. But I couldn’t help it. Not after that text. ME: Who are you? My fingers hovered over my phone as I sucked in a sharp breath, waiting. Three dots appeared. My pulse quickened. Then nothing. The dots vanished. I clenched my phone tighter, my leg bouncing under the table. Just as I was about to lock my screen, the dots reappeared. A new message came through. UNKNOWN: A Good Samaritan just looking out for you. I frowned. Good Samaritan? That was the oldest trick in the book. If they were really looking out for me, why hide their identity? I knew how this went. First, they’d pretend to help. Then they’d ask for something—money, favors, something worse. Or maybe they had something on me. A threat. A warning. Before I could type a response, another message popped up. UNKNOWN: And don’t worry, I have your best interest at heart. I’m just looking out for you. A shiver crawled down my spine. This pro
ELARA’S POV THE NEXT DAY. The atmosphere in the, house felt off today. Bath my mother and Elliot are home, but for some reason it felt quite then when they weren’t around. ] “You good wearing that” Elliot’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. As I walked down the stairs. My eyes goes down to my pyjama bottoms and oversized t-shirt. A smile spread across my face, “All good over here.” “Where are you guys going all dressed up?” I ask. He raised an eyebrow, his eyes hooded behind his sunglasses “and who where’s sun glass on a Sunday morning indoors?” I tease him. My eyes dragged across the room. With a sigh from the doorway, my mother adjusted the lace sleeve of her white dress. Elliot was in all black, “You mean, why aren’t you dressed up?” my mother sharp voice cut through the air. Her words sent a prickle of unease down my spine. Before I could ask what she meant, her gaze hardened. “Wait… have you forgotten what day it is?” Am I supposed to know what day it is.
ELARA’S POV My legs feel wobbly as I walk closer to the gravestone. My eyes itch, and the only thing I can hear is the loud beating of my heart. Even the chirping of the birds tucked in the nearby trees sounds like background noise. Once in front of my father’s grave, I settle onto the grass without a thought about the dirt or the insects that might be lurking here. Because I doubt I will be able to stand any longer. I don’t think my legs would be able to hold me. My eyes settle on the gravestone again. The white lilies and roses my mom had dropped earlier lay beautifully. It feels as if it was just yesterday he died, not three years ago. The memories of all those moments we shared together, every single recital he showed up for, every event. make it feel as if this is all a prank. That maybe… just maybe, my dad isn’t lying six feet under this gravestone. That he’s somewhere else, and one day, he’ll come back to us. That everything will go back to the way it used to be. Even I
ELARA’S POV Strong arms pull me back against a slightly wet, hard body. “Are you alright?” His deep, accented voice speaks into my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. I quickly pull away from him. Green eyes stare right at me. The man in front of me… something about him feels familiar, as if I’ve known him from somewhere, but I can’t tell where. I blink a few times, trying to clear my vision as small droplets of rain land on my lashes. “El.” My head snaps toward the voice. Elliot stands a few yards away. “Thank you for the help,” I say to the stranger before striding away to my brother. Leaving like that doesn’t seem right. Maybe I should ask for his name since he seems familiar. Maybe I know him. But as I walk away, I can’t shake the urge to turn back, even if just to get a better look at his face. I don’t, even though I can feel his gaze burning into my back. I shake the feeling away, trying my best to walk as fast as I can without tripping or falling. “
ELARA’S POV Once the rain subsides, Elliot and I make our way to the car. My steps are slow as I contemplate whether to tell him everything or not. I know Elliot is just looking out for me, but how much he cares only makes me feel more guilt than I already do. “Elliot.” My voice is barely above a whisper. I’m not sure if I should tell him everything right here, but he’s getting so worked up because of me. The beeping sound of the car signaling that it’s been unlocked stops me. He doesn’t know anything right now. Maybe I should tell him and be done with it. But I can’t, not when he’s already in the car. Mom is probably inside, and I don’t think I’m ready to tell her anything. But when I reach the car, she isn’t in the front seat like I expected. “Where’s Mom?” I ask, sliding into the passenger seat. “She called a cab earlier and left,” he mutters, turning on the ignition. My Hand goes to the door slowly sliding into the car. The drive is quick, just as I thought
ELARA’S POVI wish the earth would open up and swallow me whole.“Kyle,” Mimi speaks up before I can respond to him. “I need all of you to leave right now.” The smile I thought was permanent is long gone from her face. Even though she isn’t frowning, she doesn’t look happy.“Mimi—” Kyle begins.“I know it’s not your fault, but I need you guys out while we assess the damage.” Her tone is clipped, but her anger is evident and I don’t even blame her for getting mad.Nate broke two luxurious bed lamps during the stupid tussle. Thankfully, we were the only people around. What if she had customers in here and he came in making this mess? That would’ve been even worse.Kyle turns and gestures for us to leave while trying to straighten the wrinkles on his shirt.“I’m really sorry about this, Mimi,” I whisper, slipping my business card discreetly into her hand. “Please send me the invoice. I’ll make sure the damages are covered.”“There’s no need to apologize. It’s not your fault, dear,” she s
NATE’S POV I yank my phone out of my pocket, hands trembling as I dial Dave’s number. He picks up on the first ring. “Dave.” “Yes, sir,” he responds, sharp and ready. “I just sent you a number. I want the exact location. Right now.” “Got it, boss.” I don’t know where to start looking for her since she wasn’t at home, but I hit the main road anyway. My foot is heavy on the gas pedal, heart pounding against my ribs like it’s trying to break free. The phone buzzes again a moment later. “Do you have anything?” “Yes, sir. 288 Flitwood. It’s pinging to a Boho-style interior show room, place called Mali.” What the hell? I hang up, quickly typing the address into the GPS. A shortcut lights up on the screen. I take it without a second thought. Why the fuck would she be in an interior design place with another man? I slam my hand on the steering wheel, jaw locked as I try to shake the thought. My mind is spiraling images of her laughing with some man, touching him. Whil
NATE’S POV “Right,” the valet mutters, fumbling with the keys in his hands as he searches for mine. It feels like it’s taking forever. My foot taps impatiently against the marble floor while my mind spins with the worst possible scenarios. Each second wasted here is another second Elara could be with him laughing, smiling, looking at him the way she used to look at me. But then, as the valet continues to sort through the keys, I spot a familiar keychain the sleek black one with the silver initials that belong to Marcus’s car. “I’ll take these,” I say sharply, snatching them before he can react. The guy blinks, mouth opening as if to protest, but he must be smart enough to read the expression on my face. He doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t try to stop me. Wise choice. I press the unlock button on the fob, and the car beeps in the distance before I even reach it. “Nate!” I hear Marcus call out behind me. I don’t turn around. I don’t have the time or the patience
NATE’S POV A few months ago, when Jenna reached out and proposed a deal to me about helping me keep an eye on Elara, I was stunned. Gobsmacked even. She wasn’t just Elara’s assistant but her friend also. So if Ask me, I thought I’d be the last person she’d want to help, especially considering how rocky things are between Elara and me. I expected her to do everything in her power to keep me away from my wife… not offer to play matchmaker for a price. She claimed she wanted to help us “fix things.” Said she could keep me in the loop, provide updates, even talk Elara into showing up when I needed her to. Even though I agreed to this arrangement, I found it a little suspicious and with time I kept seeing weird patterns and I don’t think money is all she wants I think she wants more that but then again. She didn’t do it out of loyalty. No, backstabbers like Jenna always have a price. And hers? Pathetically low, if you ask me. Once everything is back to normal bet
Nate’s POV“Congratulations, brother.”Angelo pulls me in for a quick bro hug, his signature grin stretched across his face.“Thanks, man,” I reply, patting his back before stepping away.“What is this, your millionth project now?” James jokes from the side, his tone casual but curious.I shrug with a smirk. “Could be. Who’s counting anymore?”The event kicked off earlier than planned because of the product showcase Marcus insisted on adding. He said it’d help widen our customer base and give the brand a more approachable image. He even suggested slashing some of our prices to attract more interest.Which, of course, I didn’t agree with.Our company has been doing just fine with the current pricing more than fine, actually. If it’s not an increase he’s proposing, then I’m not interested. But this entire branch is going to be his soon. A few more weeks and I hand over the reins. After that, he can do whatever he wants with it. For now I want to make this event is a success. To be hon
ELARA’S POV For most of the time now Kyle has been quiet while Mimi does more explaining. Kyle is still holding my iPad swiping g through the sketches. With an expression I can’t quite explain. His hand slightly brushed mine as he turns the iPad to me. “This is good,” Kyle murmurs, his voice low and thoughtful as he studies the design on my iPad. I try to swallow the sudden lump in my throat. Why the hell am I feeling nervous now? It’s just Kyle. Just a stupid couch. Just… expensive cologne and annoyingly attractive… Pull it together, Elara. “But I don’t think there’s an exact design like this here,” I say, clearing my throat and pointing toward a set of couches arranged nearby. “So, what if we swap it out for one of those? Just for the prototype, I mean. If you don’t like them, we could… maybe look somewhere else.” I lower my voice at the last part, just loud enough for him to hear. The last thing I wanted was to offend Mimi by talking about scouting o
ELARA’S POV The woman, who I assumed was Mrs. Jules wrapped Kyle in a quick hug the moment we walked in. “I never thought I’d see the day Kyle Sinclair showed up late,” she teased, pulling away from him with a warm laugh. Kyle frowned immediately, his eyes flicking to me with pointed accusation. I bit back the smile threatening to curl my lips, pretending to be entirely innocent. So petty, I thought, barely holding in a chuckle. “And you must be Kyle’s friend…?” she asked, turning her attention to me. “Elara,” I replied with a friendly smile. “Elara Westwood—” Before I could finish my introduction, she pulled me into a hug. “It’s so lovely to meet you, Elara. I’m Mimi Jules.” “It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Jules,” I said as we pulled apart. “Oh, no, darling, just call me Mimi,” she insisted with a bright smile. “We don’t have much time today,” Kyle cut in, his tone all business. “But if she likes the place, we’ll be back for a more in depth.” “Oh, of course
ELARA’S POVThe ride to the showroom wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be.Even with Kyle awful silent, grumpy energy from the driver’s seat, I focused on my phone, trying my best to stay calm. Every now and then, I threw a glance in his direction to see if his mood had improved, but nope same stone cold scowl plastered on his annoyingly handsome face.“You can take a picture, you know,” he muttered out of nowhere.I raised a brow, keeping my expression innocent. “A picture of what?”“Stealing glances is kind of outdated,” he said smoothly, eyes still locked on the road. “Just take a picture. That way, you can stare at that instead of burning a hole in my head.”I gasped. “Excuse me? With what eyes did you even see me staring? You haven’t looked away from the road.”A smirk played on his lips. “Your stares are not exactly discreet.”I crossed my arms, refusing to let him get under my skin. “For the record, I was not staring at you. There’s nothing particularly interesting to lo
ELARA’S POV Taking another bite of my noodles, I rose to my feet, bowl in hand. “I’m gonna go take this call,” I told Elliot, who only gave me a nod before going back to whatever was on his phone. I headed for my room, kicking the door shut lightly with my foot as I slid my thumb across the screen to answer. The line connected, but for a few seconds, there was nothing. Just the sound of distant shuffling and movement on the other end. “Hello?” I said, adjusting the phone against my ear. Still no reply. “Kyle,” I tried again, dragging his name out. “If this is some weird prank call attempt, it’s really lame.” Finally, his voice came through low and a little rough. “Yeah. I’m here.” I blinked, dropping the bowl on my desk. “That’s how you start a phone call? You sound like someone just dragged you out of bed.” “I was working,” he muttered, clearly irritated. “Didn’t realize I had to sound like a radio host for you to take me seriously.” I couldn’t help but grin. “So… did you c