Chapter 9

Elena

His voice was calm, yet carried an authority that left no room for argument.

Elias had withdrawn his hand and now stood in place, his expression composed, though his eyes were fixed intently on Vivian's.

Vivian froze. She clearly hadn't expected Elias to expose her little game so bluntly.

"What?"

Elias drew me to his side. The cold certainty in his gaze left his mother visibly uncomfortable.

"Mother, what you just did was rude. You owe my wife an apology."

Vivian's brow furrowed slightly. She turned to look at me slowly, a cold sneer in her eyes.

But in an instant she changed her mask entirely. A smile spread across her face as she took my arm.

"Oh my! Look at me—I must be getting senile. I didn't even see you standing there. It's all my fault, Elena. You won't hold it against me, will you?"

She seemed utterly sincere, yet the cunning glint at the corners of her eyes betrayed her.

I had to admit, Vivian was a fine actress. One moment she'd looked down on me with lofty disdain, and the next she'd transformed into the picture of warmth and approachability.

The shift was so sudden I could hardly keep up. I quickly spoke.

"It's all right, Mother."

But Elias still seemed unsatisfied. His scrutinizing gaze remained on Vivian.

"I trust nothing like this will happen again."

With that, Elias led me toward the dining room and gallantly pulled out a chair for me.

"You must be hungry. The chef here is quite good—see if the food is to your liking."

Sophia eagerly pushed a plate of delicate pastries in front of me.

"Elena, try this. I'm sure you'll love it."

For the next hour, Sophia's mouth never stopped moving. She had a gift for creating a light, easygoing atmosphere, smoothing over the earlier unpleasantness with practiced ease.

Vivian tried to join the conversation a few times, attempting to pry into my family background, but Elias cut her off at every turn.

In the end, she could only sip her red wine, one frustrated mouthful after another.

As dinner drew to a close, Elias was informed that he had a video conference to attend.

He stood and turned to me apologetically.

"Elena, I'll leave you in Sophia's care for twenty minutes. I'll be right back."

Sophia responded at once.

"Don't worry, big brother."

I watched him stride effortlessly up to the study, the phone pressed to his ear the entire way. Only when the study door clicked shut did I finally look away.

"All right, drop the act."

Vivian slipped back into the same sharp-tongued manner she'd shown when we first met. She took a small sip of wine and continued.

"You think that just because Elias won't let me question you, I don't already know all about you?"

Sophia glanced at her mother and cut in.

"Mom, don't talk to Elena like that—"

Before she could finish, Vivian whipped around and shot her a fierce glare.

"Shut up! I've put up with you all evening. Defy me one more time and don't blame me for cutting off your allowance!"

Sophia's face flushed. She pressed her lips together, lowered her head, and didn't dare say another word.

Satisfied with her daughter's submission, Vivian turned to vent her earlier anger on me, more brazenly than before.

"From what I've gathered, your family is far from wealthy. Your mother used to be a supermarket cashier—though now she's probably hiding in some tent down a back alley, secretly getting high on illegal substances."

"But thank heavens, she isn't alone. She has three creditors keeping her fed. And in return, your mother repays their generosity with her body, every single day."

I froze. She had actually investigated my past—she even knew exactly where my mother was now.

My mother was just as she described, living like a walking corpse.

After my father's death, she had fallen apart completely. Our home was filled every day with the crude shouting of strange men, the air perpetually thick with the acrid stench of illegal substances.

And I had to admit, my mother was a stain on my life that I could never wash away.

But Vivian's mockery didn't stop there. She turned her attack directly on me.

"And you're no different from your mother. You sold your body to Beckett to get by—and then you managed to latch onto my son as well."

"Do you think Elias would still want you if he knew about all your filthy little secrets?"

Resentment welled up in her eyes. "You little tramp. I'm ordering you to leave Elias right now, or I'll throw you out onto the street—just like your mother!"

I can't describe the fury I felt in that moment. This time Vivian had come prepared.

She struck at my weaknesses with precision, again and again, and I couldn't fend off a single blow.

Sophia tried desperately to stop her mother.

"That's enough, Mom. Elena is my brother's wife. If you keep this up, I'll tell him."

"Shut up! Wife—what wife? As long as I'm unhappy with her, she has no business marrying into this family!"

Then she turned, took up her handbag, drew out a check, and tossed it in front of me.

"That's ten thousand dollars. You've probably never seen this much money in your life. If you know what's good for you, you'll take it and get out of this house immediately."

The weightless slip of paper suddenly felt like dozens of pounds crashing down on me. Her words were like nails driven into my heart, unleashing the full weight of my shame.

I forced down the anger inside me. Reason told me not to let my emotions rule.

What she'd said about my mother was true. No matter how many lies I told to deny it, nothing would change.

Her words were vicious, backing me into a corner, and my mind couldn't summon the language to fight back.

Perhaps it was Vivian's shrieking that had caught Elias's attention. He strode over to me in a few quick steps, his brow furrowed.

His hand settled firmly on my shoulder as he pulled me into his arms, putting a decisive distance between me and his mother.

Elias's voice was cold enough to make one shiver. One glance at the check on the floor made his expression change. He asked Vivian, spacing out each word.

"What did you do to my wife?"

Vivian slipped back into the gentle, tender image of a loving mother, her face full of grievance.

"I didn't do anything. If you don't believe me, ask Sophia. She can vouch that I was perfectly kind to your wife."

Elias turned his gaze to Sophia. "Sophia, you promised me you'd take good care of Elena."

Sophia glanced guiltily at Vivian, who shot her a warning glare.

"Brother, Mom is telling the truth! We didn't bully Elena."

Elias looked disappointed. He turned to me, his voice calm and steady.

"Elena, I told you—if my mother gives you any trouble, you have every right to fight back. That is your right."

"And whatever the truth may be, I will stand by your side."