Chapter 101
Penelope’s Pov
The search didn’t seem like it was moving forward at all. Honestly, Penelope was getting tired of this whole operation. Her legs were aching from standing in these Louboutin heels for over an hour, the sharp pain shooting up from her feet to her calves reminding her that she was not built for manual labor or slumming it in disgusting apartments.
She wanted to sit down, desperately, but every surface in this godforsaken place looked like it would stain her Hermès suit the moment she touched it. The couch was covered in what looked like food stains and God knows what else. The chairs around the small dining table were chipped and worn, their cushions flat and dirty. There was no way she was risking a twenty-thousand-dollar outfit on furniture that probably had bedbugs.
So she kept moving, pacing back and forth across the tiny apartment, supervising the search with growing impatience. Her heels clicked against the cracked linoleum floor as she walked from room to room, checking on progress.
She stopped in the kitchen doorway and gestured to her two security guards, who were methodically going through cabinets and drawers. “What’s up? Anything?”
Both men shook their heads without looking up from their search.
“Nothing yet, ma’am,” one of them said, pulling out a drawer full of mismatched utensils and expired
coupons.
Penelope sighed, frustration building in her chest. They’d been here for over an hour and had found absolutely nothing useful. Old bills, junk mail, random receipts from years ago, but nothing that connected to Elara and Marcus or even proved the marriage was fake.
Maybe this whole trip had been a waste of time. Maybe Elara was smarter than Penelope had given her credit for and had actually covered her tracks properly or maybe they won, and Elara and Marcus are actually in love.
“I found something!”
Luca’s voice cut through her thoughts, loud and excited. He was in what looked like the main bedroom, rummaging through a closet that appeared to be falling apart,
Penelope’s heart jumped. She moved as quickly as her heels would allow, practically running to where Luca was standing. He was holding a bunch of neatly arranged papers, pulled from somewhere in the back of the closet.
“Give me that,” Penelope said, not waiting for him to hand it over. She snatched the papers from his hands, her fingers trembling slightly with anticipation.
This was it. This had to be it. A contract, bank statements, something that would prove Marcus had paid Elara to marry him.
She opened the envelope, pulling out the papers and unfolding them carefully. Her eyes scanned the first page, looking for key words. Contract. Agreement. Payment.
15:04 Mon, May 11
Chapter 101
The first bold letters at the top of the page read: CANCER DIAGNOSIS.
Penelope’s face fell. “Tch.”
65 youcher
She threw the papers away angrily, watching them scatter across the dirty floor. “Luca, this is bullshit! Keep searching!”
She turned and walked away, her heels clicking sharply with each irritated step. She needed to get away from the chaos of the search, needed a moment to breathe and think clearly.
She found herself in what she assumed was Elara’s old room. It was the cleanest part of the entire apartment, which wasn’t saying much but was noticeable nonetheless. The bed was made with cheap but clean sheets. The floor was swept. There wasn’t trash piled in corners like in the other rooms.
A small vanity table sat against one wall, nothing like the expensive furniture in the penthouse, but it was tidy. Organized. Almost charming in its simplicity.
Penelope spotted a small stool tucked under the vanity and pulled it out. She sat down carefully, testing its weight first to make sure it wouldn’t collapse under her.
“Whew,” she breathed, relief flooding through her aching feet the moment she was off them. “What a stupid day.”
She called out toward the living room. “Luca, I hope it’s not that you dragged me all the way out here for nothing with your ridiculous ideas!”
No response came, just the sound of continuous searching.
Penelope leaned back slightly, her hand coming up to rest under her chin as she surveyed the small room. “The girl even has a little taste,” she muttered, her eyes falling on some jewelry displayed on a small tray on the vanity.
Cheap costume jewelry, mostly. Nothing expensive. But it was arranged neatly, organized by color and style. Someone who cared about presentation even when they couldn’t afford the real thing.
Penelope reached out and pulled open the drawer on the right side of the vanity. Inside was a makeup kit, organized into sections. Foundations, powders, eyeshadows, brushes all lined up in perfect order.
“Oh, she does makeup. Must be nice,” Penelope said sarcastically, though she had to admit the organization was impressive.
She slid the drawer closed, dusting off her hands like she’d touched something filthy. Then she reached for the other drawer, the one on the left side.
This one stuck slightly, like it hadn’t been opened in a while. Penelope had to pull harder, and when it finally came loose, a small cloud of dust puffed up into the air.
She waved it away, annoyed, then looked down into the drawer.
Papers. A bunch of papers, folded and stacked neatly.
Penelope’s pulse quickened. She reached in and pulled them out carefully, blowing more dust off the top before bringing the stack closer to her face.
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Chapter 101
The room suddenly felt very still. Very quiet. Like the universe was holding its breath.
She opened the first page, her eyes scanning the words at the top.
CONTRACT MARRIAGE AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
- MARCUS THORNE
AND
ELARA VANCE
55.vour.hers
Penelope’s eyes went wide. Her mouth fell open. Then slowly, very slowly, a smile spread across her face. Not a polite smile or a social smile, but something vicious and triumphant.
“Yes!” she hissed under her breath. “Yes, yes, yes!”
She flipped through the pages quickly, her eyes catching key phrases. Duration of marriage: two years. Financial compensation: two million dollars. Termination clause. Confidentiality agreement. All of it, right here in black and fucking white.
This was everything. Everything she needed to destroy Marcus’s control of the company. Everything she needed to take what should have been hers from the beginning.
“Oh, I got you now,” Penelope said, her voice dripping with satisfaction! “Stupid bitch. And you, Marcus, you can kiss your position in the company goodbye.”
She stood up from the stool, clutching the papers to her chest like they were made of gold. Her heart was racing, adrenaline pumping through her veins.
“Let’s go!” she called out, already heading for the door. “I found what I need!”
The two security guards appeared from different rooms, both looking relieved that this nightmare was finally over. They followed Penelope toward the front door, ready to get back to civilization.
Penelope was halfway out the door when she realized Luca wasn’t behind them. She stopped and bent her head back through the doorway, looking into the apartment.
Luca was still in the bedroom, still searching through papers like he hadn’t heard her.
“Luca! You too, let’s go!”
15:04 Mon, May
