Chapter 109
Elara’s POV
It had been one week since Elara broke the news to Marcus about Penelope having the full details of their contract marriage. One week since she’d watched his face shift from concern to fury to something cold and distant that scared her more than his anger ever could.
They were back to the silent treatment now. Back to the same dynamic they’d had when they first got married, right after Santorini when he’d punished her by leaving her unfinished and she’d responded by freezing him out completely.
But this was so much worse.
Back then, there had at least been tension between them. Sexual tension, angry tension, something that felt alive even if it was uncomfortable. Now there was just nothing. A vast emptiness where warmth had started to grow.
Marcus had been avoiding her like she carried the plague. It was like watching their relationship move one step forward and then five steps backward. The cold, nonchalant billionaire that was starting to warm up to her, starting to let her see glimpses of the real person beneath the corporate mask was now back to not only being cold but completely frozen over. Arctic and unreachable.
Elara woke up that morning alone in their massive bed, her hand reaching out automatically to Marcus’s side even though she knew he wouldn’t be there. The sheets were already cold, which meant he’d been gone for hours. Probably left before sunrise to avoid seeing her.
There were no more goodnight kisses. No more good morning pecks on the forehead before he left for work. No more casual touches as they passed each other in the hallway or sat together on the couch. Nothing.
It was so weird that she’s shocked he hadn’t asked her to go back to her old room. The guest room that was hers when this whole arrangement started, before they’d started sharing a bed every night. She’d expected him to kick her out, to reclaim his space and his privacy. But he hadn’t said a word about it.
Still, Elara had decided she’d move back to her room today. The tension of sleeping in the same bed with someone who could barely look at her was too much. She’d rather have the loneliness of her own space than the painful reminder of what they’d lost every single night.
Today’s plan was simple. Visit Mimi at her place, then go see her mother at the hospital. Keep herself busy and out of the penthouse so she wouldn’t have to feel the weight of Marcus’s absence in every room.
Elara stood up from the bed and stretched, her body stiff from another night of restless sleep. She walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the water heat up while she brushed her teeth.
When she stepped under the spray, she looked down at her body and felt her stomach drop.
Her baby bump was starting to be visible now. She was four months along, and while it wasn’t huge yet, there was definitely a small rounded swell to her lower abdomen that hadn’t been there before. She could hide it easily enough in loose clothing, but in anything fitted it would be obvious.
She ran her hands over the bump, feeling the firm roundness of it. Two babies were growing there. Marcus’s babies. Twins that he was excited about, or at least had been excited about before everything
15:06 Mon, May 11
Chapter 109
went to hell.
Now she didn’t even know if he still cared.
The thought made tears prick at her eyes, but she blinked them away forcefully. She’d cried enough this week. Today she was going to hold it together.
After her shower, Elara stood in the closet trying to decide what to wear. Everything had to be strategic now. She needed clothes that would cover her stomach completely, especially with Aurora living in the guest house. If that woman caught even a glimpse of a baby bump, Elara was sure the entire world would know about it within hours.
She settled on a free-flowing sundress in a soft yellow color. It was loose enough to completely hide her stomach, with an empire waist that drew attention upward instead of to her midsection. She paired it with sandals and a denim jacket, then stood in front of the mirror to check.
Perfect. No sign of pregnancy at all.
Elara grabbed her purse and phone, then headed downstairs. The penthouse was quiet and empty, exactly as she’d expected. Marcus was already at the office, probably had been there since six in the morning. He’d been working insane hours lately, anything to avoid being home with her.
She made herself a quick breakfast of toast and juice, standing at the kitchen counter to eat it because sitting at the dining table alone felt too depressing. Then she grabbed her car keys and headed for the
garage.
Driving had become Elara’s escape over the past week. It was basically all she’d been doing since Marcus stopped talking to her. Mimi was either over at the penthouse teaching her, or Elara was over at Mimi’s place practicing in the parking lot there. And Elara was a fast learner, picking up the skills quickly.
Now she felt confident enough to go out completely unsupervised. No Mimi in the passenger seat giving instructions, no Marcus’s driver following behind just in case. Just her and the car and the open road.
She walked through the garage to where her champagne Mercedes was parked, the beautiful car that Marcus had given her that felt like it belonged to a different lifetime. Back when things between them were good. Back when he looked at her with warmth instead of cold distance.
Elara unlocked the car and slid into the driver’s seat, adjusting the mirrors and the seat position exactly how she liked it. She put on her seatbelt, making sure it sat comfortably across her hips instead of her stomach.
Then she put the key in the ignition and turned it, listening to the engine come to life.
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