Chloe's suspicion was nonexistent; the idea of a darker
truth never crossed her mind. She simply clicked her tongue in disapproval.
"That husband of yours doesn't know how to take care of
you properly. Your belly isn't even showing and he still let you fall. Who
knows what will happen when you're bigger? The man is utterly unreliable."
Elara couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's fierce defence,
offering a few mild words in Silas's favour.
Chloe leaned in, her expression turning uncharacteristically
serious. She clasped Elara's hand. "I'm only saying this to you, in
private: no matter how much this man dotes on you, don't lose yourself. Don't
constantly see things from his perspective or make excuses for him. Over time,
he'll take it for granted and stop seeing your worth."
Elara met Chloe's earnest, knowing gaze and understood this
was hard-won wisdom, forged in the fires of her friend's own past heartbreak.
The memory of her ex, who'd cheated after seven years for a wealthier woman,
was a ghost that still haunted her.
She squeezed Chloe's hand in return, a knowing smile on her
lips. "Don't worry, Chloe. I know my limits. I won't let him get too
spoiled."
"Good. That's what I wanted to hear." Satisfied,
Chloe lightened the mood, a teasing glint returning to her eyes. "You
know, the moment I walked in, the big shot was putting on a full display of
affection. Wiping your fingers one by one with that tender, doting look... Few
women could resist that. I was genuinely afraid you'd be utterly corrupted by
his sweetness, turning into a complete fool for love."
Elara chuckled softly but said nothing. She couldn't admit
that her own heart had already begun to stir.
But a fool for love?
Absolutely not.
The two chatted for a while about lighter topics, including
a new AI tech startup Chloe's team was assessing for a potential preliminary
investment from Aeternum Capital.
Before long, their dinner arrived from the hotel, escorted
in by the security detail stationed outside. Since Elara was confined to her
room and Chloe was a guest, Silas had orchestrated a private room service
meal—a solution that elegantly accommodated both.
But when Elara spotted Ethan among the delivery staff,
disguised in a hotel uniform, she froze.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice
low.
Ethan's usual playful demeanour was gone, replaced by a
strained, weary expression. "Mrs. Thorne, I snuck in. I needed to speak
with you. May I?"
While Chloe directed the other staff in the lounge, Ethan
had slipped into the main ward. Seeing his desperate state, Elara was filled
with questions, but she nodded. "Speak."
Ethan ran a hand over his face, took a deep breath, and
spoke with raw earnestness. "I'm sorry. The night Steven Cohen took you,
the Boss was ready to put a bullet in his own chest to get you back. I spoke up
to stop him... It wasn't that I didn't want you saved. It's just that, in my
heart, the Boss's life will always come before anything else."
Elara paused, then understood his purpose. People naturally prioritised
those closest to them. She was his boss's wife, a relatively new presence in
his life. His perspective was, in its own harsh way, perfectly rational.
Especially in that critical moment, when Silas had shown no
hesitation in aiming a gun at his own heart. If Ethan had stood by and watched
him self-destruct, he would have failed in his most fundamental duty as a
confidant.
"I accept your apology. I never blamed you. There's no
need to dwell on it."
"Thank you for your understanding, Mrs. Thorne."
Ethan's gratitude was palpable as he looked at her magnanimous smile. Then, a
bitter twist returned to his lips. "But the Boss..."
He didn't need to finish. Elara had already guessed. Silas's
earlier claim that Ethan was "busy" was a polite fiction. The man's
current state—dishevelled and clearly in disgrace—told the real story.
On this matter, she could only offer neutrality. "He
has his reasons."
Though Ethan was subtly asking her to intervene, she
couldn't agree. It wasn't her place to interfere with Silas's judgment of his
own men.
Ethan scratched his nose awkwardly. "My apologies. I
was too impatient. The Boss refuses to see me. I had no other choice but to
come to you. First, to apologise, and second... well, you've guessed it."
He'd been lurking outside the hospital for days, seizing this brief window when
Silas was away.
"I understand," Elara said, her voice gentle but
firm. "But I'm sorry, I can't help you. I hope you understand my
position."
Ethan straightened his back, forcing a grin. "Just
having your forgiveness is more than I deserve, Mrs. Thorne. I should go. If
the Boss finds me here, my exile will be permanent."
Elara offered a small, sympathetic smile as he hurried out.
Once he was gone, her expression grew pensive. She slowly pushed herself up
from the bed.
Chloe, having seen the staff out, returned to find Elara on
her feet and rushed to her side. "Take it easy! Don't strain
yourself."
"It's not that serious," Elara chuckled. "The
doctor said I can move a little. After lying in bed for days, my backside is
completely numb."
"Heh, for the sake of the little treasure in there,
you'll just have to bear it a while longer," Chloe retorted with a wink.
Quite right. Elara lowered her gaze, a soft, resigned smile
touching her lips as she gently stroked her slightly rounded belly.
They moved slowly to the lounge where a simple meal was laid
out: light, delicate dishes and two bowls of aromatic soup.
As they ate, Chloe broached the subject again. "By the
way, that was the other bodyguard, right? The one who was with your husband at
the bar that night?"
Elara looked up. "Yes. Why?"
"Well, you said you'd send the most handsome one to
pick me up. I thought he was quite good-looking," Chloe sighed
dramatically. "But he has a girlfriend. I didn't dare say a word to him
the whole ride."
"Ah... that is a bit awkward," Elara paused, then
gave an embarrassed laugh. "Ethan was supposed to go, but he was...
unavailable. Ben was the substitute. Next time, I won't let him near you."
Chloe shrugged, her nonchalance returning. "It's fine.
It just caught me off guard at first. I'm over it. As long as my conscience is
clear, that's all that matters."
"Mhm, I think so too." Elara nodded eagerly, her
wide eyes making her look endearingly earnest.
Chloe was amused by the sight and couldn't resist pinching
her cheek. "Alright, no need to feel sorry. If I got upset over every man,
we wouldn't be friends. He's just a guy. I'll go to a bar tonight and find a
few more to look at."
Elara beamed. "Fine, whatever makes you happy."
"But you have to be careful going alone. Should I
arrange for someone to go with you?"
Chloe raised an eyebrow. "As you wish, just make sure
it's not another block of ice."
"Rest assured, it's a woman." Elara thought of
Brooke, who had been somewhat sidelined during her hospital stay.
"Acceptable."
They chatted and laughed as night began to fall.
Meanwhile, at the Thorne ancestral home in Ashbourne, a
heavy silence had descended. The servants moved like ghosts, afraid to make a
sound.
Since Arthur Winslow had brought the Old Lady back from
Oakhaven, the estate had been swarming with stern-faced bodyguards. The chapel
beside the family shrine had been cleared out on Arthur's orders, and that very
evening, the Matriarch had been escorted inside.
Now, in the dim, incense-heavy air of the chapel, Old Lady
Thorne sat rigidly on a plush sofa, dressed in a severe, dark embroidered robe.
Her sharp, bird-like eyes darted toward the window, assessing the guards
outside. Satisfied she was unobserved, she opened her tightly clutched mobile
phone and dialled a number she had memorised over many, many years. The line
began to ring, each tone echoing in the sacred, suffocating silence.