Elara's POV,
"Have fun in school!" I wave at Asher as he skips joyously into the building.
"Mummy loves you," I whisper, and climb back into my car. Oh, my car!
I kiss the steering wheel for the hundredth time that day. Damn, I missed my car.
I basically screamed for joy when I woke up this morning and saw it parked in the lot. All this time, I'd been stealing and using any of Lucien's cars, but they weren't my Audi. My Audi car didn't have trackers planted in it. No one could mess with the brakes, because I had already complicated the switches. My car was mine!
After dropping Asher off at school, I take her for a spin around town. I decide to take a day off work and have time for myself. If Lucien has a problem, he should suck it. I drive into the mall and get out, when I notice them.
I grit my teeth, turn around, and give them the middle finger. Like, come on. It's not like I can escape without my child. They saw me dropping him off at school!
I curse under my breath and walk into the building. I don't bother trying to evade Lucien's men because, in all honesty, I had no intention to run away. Besides, I'd promised him and he fucking agreed to my clause.
After picking out a few outfits and having breakfast, I finally turn on my phone. The messages come pouring in. Now, I'm surprised because I never have notifications or messages. I like my peace, and the only two friends I have know that.
So, what…
I stop in my tracks and narrow my eyes when I see the photos I was tagged in.
"Ah…" I take a sip of my milkshake and twist my lips. Who could do such a thing?
~ ~
"This is obviously a sham," Lucien mutters, throwing his tablet on his table, and his sister scoffs. "But there has to be proof. Our mother can't get wind of this."
He looks at me when he says it, and I shrug, "What if it's true?"
They both look at me like I'm crazy.
"What if it's true that you were an escort? What if it's true that you used to sell your body to old people?" His voice deepens, and I fold my arms.
"Yes," I say firmly. "I was a single mum, with no other way to make ends meet in this economy. So I resorted to being a stripper and prostitute."
"You know what?" He slowly stands up. "I don't care if you were a slave in Africa, do something to take it down. My wife and the mother of my son cannot be seen as that in public!"
"Why?!" I drop my hands. "Because you're ashamed of me?!"
"Solis." He straightens his suit and looks down on me. "Take care of this mess."
With that, he leaves Isolde and me in the office. My breathing comes out ragged, and Isolde clears her throat. "You weren't really…right?"
"Of course not." I snap. "But he has no right to act like I'm an embarrassment."
I move over to his laptop and open it. After a few clicks, I go to the post. I almost shudder again as I look carefully at the pictures. The back of the woman looks just like mine. The hair, the build, and even the lips. I already knew from the whispers and eyes that I got from the mansion staff that the situation had gotten out of hand. I didn't want to dwell on it because, personally, I didn't care.
I wasn't going to stay for long anyway.
But then Lucien, almighty Lucien, summons me to his home office and confronts me as if I'd purposely post badly cropped photos of escorting old men into hotel lobbies.
I mean, it's obviously not me! Whoever did this did a wacky job!
"In less than a week, I'd find who did this."
"Let me help." Isolde steps forward, and I slam his laptop shut.
"No." I say firmly, "I'll do it myself, but before that, I need to knock some sense into your brother."
I leave the office and look for "my husband." After a few minutes, I find him in the indoor bar, drinking out of a tumbler. I walk up to him till I'm a few inches away from his back.
"You promised to—" I'm cut off when he suddenly spins around and wraps his hands around my neck. I choke for just a second because of the insane pressure he applies, before I cover his hand with mine.
He stares at me with venom in his eyes before relaxing his hold on me. "Solis?"
He drops his hand and uses it to run through his hair. "Fuck, I almost killed you."
I clear my throat and rub my nape. "You couldn't have."
"I never hear you approach." He hisses and turns his back to me. "It's unnerving."
I eye him, then walk over to the bar to get a glass. I open another bottle, despite his glare, and pour myself a glass.
"As I was saying…" I take a sip and grimace. "You promised not to give me bodyguards."
"I didn't."
"We agreed," I say through my teeth. "When we came to this agreement, I added my own clause."
He rolls his eyes away from me. "But the thing is, I don't trust you."
"You motherfucker." I tighten my hold on the glass, and he hisses.
"You see, Solis." He raises his empty glass to me. "You're so quick to curse. How exactly did you mother Asher for five years?!"
I slam my glass on the bar, and some of the whiskey spills. "Don't even go there tonight. I won't receive anymore of your insults."
His eyes burn with the same intensity as mine, and he looks away first. I click my tongue, "I wasn't the one in those photos. And I'll prove it."
He scoffs, and I glare harder.
"I'll prove it." I grab the bottle I had opened earlier. "And when I do, you'll call off the bodyguards."
"No."
"Lucien Kórvac." The room stills as I call his name for the first time. "You will call off your bodyguards, or I'm leaving with Asher. I won't look back. I'd forge an accident to take away his memories if need be."
With that, I leave him alone in his bar and go straight to my room. I open my laptop and take a huge gulp of the bottle of wine I took from him.
"Now, now…" I say, cracking knuckles. "Who's the amateur?"