"Since the two of you already know each other, this should make things considerably easier. We've discussed the arrangements, and both families have agreed that the wedding will take place in ten days."
Ten days. For a moment, Elias could only stare at his father. He had nearly been slapped, forced to withstand Claude's threat over Aiden's life, enduring his stepmother's carefully staged victimhood and subjected to a dinner he had never wanted to attend.
And now. he was being told that his marriage had already been arranged behind his back.
Elias felt as though his entire world had shattered right then and there. Slowly, he turned to Claude—the very man who had invited him here in the first place.
"Did you know?" Claude did not even bat an eye. And somehow, that was all the answer Elias needed.
"You knew…" he murmured, the words tasting bitter on his tongue.
A cold laugh escaped him. "I should've known. You were just using me. All of you were."
He laughed again, running a hand through his hair as though he could somehow make sense of the mess before him. To the people watching, he must have looked like a man on the verge of losing his mind. Perhaps he was.
Before anyone could react, Elias spun around and drove his fist straight into Claude's jaw. The impact sent the man stumbling to the ground, blood trickling from his nose. Claude stared up at him, shock written all over his face.
"Eli—"
"Don't." Elias shook his head, his hand trembling from the force of the punch.
He had been a fool to come back. He should have known better, and yet, he had walked straight into their game, nothing more than a pawn they could manipulate as they pleased. Claude had used Aiden to lure him here. All of it had been nothing more than a ploy to get him to come home.
For once, he had allowed himself to think that perhaps Claude still cared about him. When his brother had asked about his well-being, when he had stepped in to stop their father from hitting him, Elias had foolishly thought there was still some sincerity behind those gestures. That perhaps, beneath all the years of estrangement and resentment, Claude could still be the older brother he had once looked up to—the one who would protect him simply because he was his younger brother–but he was wrong.
It had all been an act, a carefully disguised lie, and Elias had been foolish enough to fall for it.
Whatever genuine connection he had once believed he shared with Claude had long since turned to dust. In its place, something far uglier had taken root—a deep, unforgiving resentment born from betrayal. Once again, Claude had given him another reason to never trust him again.
"Don't ever come near me again, Claude." His voice was cold, each word deliberate. "I don't care what threat you have waiting for me next. If leaving this country is what it takes to get away from all of you, then so be it."
He meant every word. Without sparing Claude another glance, Elias turned to face his father, his expression hardening as their eyes met.
"I never thought you'd stoop so low, Father." His voice held no trace of the respect he had once been expected to show. "But I suppose I was wrong. Now I see exactly what kind of man you've become."
He let those words hang in the air before turning his attention to the guests, all of whom had just witnessed the ugly scene unfold before them.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, but I refuse this marriage." His tone remained firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "I was never truly a part of this family to begin with, and we severed ties with one another long ago. Whatever arrangement you've made, it holds no weight over me."
His gaze swept across the room, unwavering. "So whatever plans you have for this marriage, I suggest you make them without involving me. I will not be a part of it."
With a strained smile that fooled no one, Elias stormed out of the dining room, his anger simmering beneath the surface. He could still hear his father's furious calls demanding that he turn back, but he refused to glance over his shoulder. The servants hurried after him, attempting to reason with him, yet their pleas fell on deaf ears.
He had endured enough. He was not going to stay another second in a place where he had never truly belonged. Just as he reached the front door, he found his grandfather standing in his way.
"Grandfather, please." Elias's voice wavered, the words escaping him almost desperately as he struggled to keep the overwhelming emotions threatening to consume him at bay. "Don't make this any harder for me."
For a moment, his grandfather said nothing. Then, to Elias's surprise, the old man stepped aside and opened the door wide.
Elias stared at him, momentarily stunned. He had expected resistance, perhaps even a desperate attempt to persuade him to stay. After all, his grandfather had served his father faithfully for years, standing by his side through everything. Never once had Elias seen the old man openly defy his father's commands.
"I would never stand in the way of your leaving, Eli," his grandfather said gently. "This is your life, and the decision is yours to make. No one should have the right to force you to stay when you've already made up your mind."
His expression fell, disappointment clouding his usually composed features.
"I'm sorry you had to find out about all this in such a cruel manner. I had no idea they had schemed behind your back, let alone that they would use you like this." He let out a weary sigh, shaking his head in disbelief. "I never thought Claude would stoop so low. He is your own flesh and blood. He even swore to keep you safe…"
His voice faltered, the weight of that broken promise settling heavily between them.
"It doesn't matter anymore," Elias murmured, his hands curling into tight fists at his sides.
Yet, no matter how desperately he tried to dismiss it, a memory from his childhood surfaced in his mind, as vivid as though it had happened only yesterday.
"Don't worry, Eli! I'll always protect you."
He had been only five when Claude made that promise, his older brother crouching before him with a reassuring smile.
"No matter what happens, big brother will always protect his baby brother."
Back then, Elias had believed him without a second thought. To his younger self, Claude's words had been an unbreakable vow, a promise he had never once imagined his brother would betray. How foolish he had been to hold on to those words for so long.
His grandfather reached out and gently patted his shoulder, offering what little comfort words could no longer provide.
"If leaving is what you want, I won't hold it against you, nor will I stand in your way." He paused, his gaze softening. "But remember this, Eli. No matter where you go or what happens, you'll always have me. My door will always be open to you."
Something inside Elias finally gave way.
In a house where every gesture of kindness seemed to conceal an ulterior motive, his grandfather was the only one who had offered him the freedom to leave without demanding anything in return.
Unable to hold himself together any longer, Elias stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around the old man. The tears he had been desperately holding back finally spilled over, his composure crumbling as he buried his face against his grandfather's shoulder.
"I'll never forget you, Grandfather," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you."
After exchanging final goodbyes, Elias stepped out of the house and never looked back. He got into his car, but instead of starting the engine and driving off as he had planned, he broke down. The emotions surged within him like a whirlpool, overwhelming his senses.
He should have known better than to expect anything good coming from this family. A brother who deceived him without a second thought. A father who saw him as nothing more than a means to an end. A stepmother who had stooped so low as to frame him for her own schemes. Step-siblings who had made his life miserable at every opportunity. Even though he barely knew his younger half-siblings, he could not bring himself to believe they were any different.
Perhaps it was unfair to judge them without knowing them, but after everything he had endured, Elias had little reason to give anyone in that family the benefit of the doubt.
They had all used him in one way or another, taking advantage of whatever trust or affection he had foolishly offered them. But not this time. He would no longer allow himself to be manipulated, nor would he let them dictate how he lived his life.
A phone call snapped him out of his stupor. Elias quickly fished it out of his pocket, wiping the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand before hastily blowing his nose into his clothes. He could not care less about the mess he made by then.
Taking a deep breath, he composed himself and answered the call, forcing himself to keep his voice calm and steady.
"Hey, Mom," he greeted warmly, trying his best to conceal the turmoil still churning inside him.
"Hey, hon. How was dinner? Sorry if I'm interrupting," his mother replied.
Elias had barely opened his mouth to answer when a familiar, plaintive wail sounded through the phone. Aiden's cries came through the line, and for a moment, all his feelings vanished as his focus shifted to his son.
"What's wrong? Why's he crying? Is he okay?" Elias asked, his voice filled with concern as he listened to his mother trying to soothe the baby.
"He's fine, sweetie. He just misses his Daddy. Let me put you on cam so you can see him."
Elias could hear his mother whispering to Aiden before she switched to video call mode, and he did the same, propping his phone on a stand. When the screen lit up, the first face he saw was his son's, and a broad smile spread across Elias' face.
"Aiden, Daddy's here," he said, feeling his heart swell as giggles and squeals erupted from his baby boy, who reached out for the phone as if trying to grasp him.
They chatted happily, their bond evident in the way they seemed to understand each other. Ten minutes passed, and Elias noticed Aiden yawning repeatedly, a clear sign that he was getting tired. He gently told his mother to get Aiden ready for bed, assuring her he would be home soon.
As the call ended, silence enveloped the car once again, but Aiden felt warmth in his heart after seeing his son. He had almost forgotten the incident at his father's manor when a knock on the car window brought him back to reality, making him feel like a deer caught in headlights. There stood Alexandre Marquis outside his window.