Chapter 112
Elara’s POV
Time spent with Mimi was always fun. No matter what chaos was happening in Elara’s life, a few hours with her best friend could make everything feel a little more manageable.
They ate jollof rice that Mimi’s mom had dropped off earlier in the week, the kind that was perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of spice. They drank juice for Elara and wine for Mimi and Dante, passing the bottle back and forth while they talked and laughed about everything and nothing.
For some split seconds, Elara almost forgot she had serious problems waiting for her back at the penthouse. Almost forgot about Marcus’s cold shoulder that had been going on for a full week now. Almost forgot about Penelope having the contract that could destroy everything. Almost forgot about being followed by mysterious black SUVS through the streets of New York.
The food helped. Good food always helped. And the company was even better.
After a few hours of what felt like group therapy with plates of rice and bottles of wine, the atmosphere in Mimi’s apartment shifted. Mimi had been sitting next to Dante on the couch, their legs touching, hands occasionally brushing against each other.
Then Mimi climbed onto Dante’s lap and they started making out like Elara wasn’t even sitting right there on the other couch.
Half the time they were just kissing and kissing, hands roaming over each other’s bodies, Mimi’s fingers threading through Dante’s hair while his hands gripped her waist. They’d pull apart to breathe, laugh about something, then go right back to it.
Elara tried to focus on her phone, scrolling through social media and pretending she wasn’t third- wheeling hard right now.
“Okay, I think that’s my cue,” Elara finally said after watching them make out for the third time in ten minutes. She stood up and stretched. “I should head home anyway. It’s getting late.”
Mimi pulled away from Dante’s mouth, her lipstick slightly smudged. “You sure you’re okay to drive? After what happened earlier?”
“I’ll be fine. It’s not that far.”
“I’ll drive behind her,” Dante offered immediately, already shifting Mimi off his lap so he could stand. “Make sure she gets home safe. No arguments.”
“Dante, you don’t have to-”
“I’m doing it. End of discussion.”
And that’s exactly what happened. Dante followed Elara’s champagne Mercedes the entire way back to the penthouse, his black sedan staying a consistent distance behind her. His headlights were steady in her rearview mirror the whole drive, a comforting presence that made her shoulders relax.
Elara felt genuine relief as they navigated through the evening traffic. It was late now, the sky had turned that deep purple color that came right before full darkness settled over the city. Street lights were starting
15:06 Mon, May 11
Chapter 112
to flicker on, and the temperature had dropped a few degrees.
After the traumatic incident earlier with the black SUV following her through random turns and side streets, she seriously doubted she’d be driving alone anywhere for a while. At least not until they figured out who had been following her and why.
The drive was smooth and uneventful. No black SUVs appeared in her mirrors. No suspicious cars made the same turns she did. Just normal New York traffic, taxis weaving between lanes, delivery trucks double- parked, pedestrians jaywalking without looking.
When they finally pulled up to the penthouse building, Dante parked his car in the visitor section next to Elara’s spot. They both climbed out and met at the elevator.
“I want to wait for Marcus so we can talk,” Dante said as they stepped inside and he pressed the button for the penthouse floor.
Elara felt concern flash through her chest. “Are you sure that’s the best thing? He’s been in such a bad mood lately. Like, really bad. Worse than I’ve ever seen him.”
“Don’t worry, it’s absolutely fine,” Dante reassured her, his tone confident. “This conversation needs to happen. He can’t keep avoiding the situation and freezing everyone out. That’s not going to solve anything.”
The elevator doors opened and they walked into the quiet, empty penthouse. All the lights were off except for the ones that stayed on automatically. Marcus was clearly still at the office, probably working late to avoid coming home to her.
“What can I offer you?” Elara asked as Dante settled onto one of the leather couches in the living room.
“Erhm, just water for now really. I’m okay.”
Elara nodded and headed to the kitchen. She opened the freezer and pulled out one of the glass bottles of filtered water they kept stocked. She poured it into a crystal glass and brought it back to the living room.
She sat down on a different couch, deliberately choosing one across from Dante rather than next to him. Keeping some physical distance between them felt appropriate somehow.
Dante took a long drink of the water and set the glass down on the marble coffee table with a soft clink.
“So Elara, tell me. How are you really?” he asked, leaning forward slightly with his elbows on his knees. His tone was gentle but direct. “Talk to me. No bullshit.”
Elara sighed, her shoulders dropping with the weight of everything she’d been carrying. “Man, I’m not really fine. I don’t know. A lot is happening all at once and I’m just tired. Exhausted, actually,”
“The contract situation alone would be enough to deal with-”
The sound of the front door opening cut Dante off mid-sentence. Both of them turned to see Marcus walking in, briefcase in hand, tie already loosened from what had clearly been a long day at the office.
His hair was slightly messy like he’d been running his hands through it. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He looked tired and stressed and completely focused on whatever work problems he’d been dealing with.
Chapter 112
“Oh, hi,” Marcus said when he spotted Dante sitting on the couch. His entire face transformed, breaking into a genuine smile. It was the first real warmth Elara had seen from him in seven days. “What are you doing here? You never mentioned you were coming.”
“Welcome, Marcus,” Elara said quietly from her spot on the other couch.
Marcus’s eyes flicked to her for just a second. “Thank you. You good?”
The question was polite but distant, the kind of thing you’d ask a colleague or acquaintance, not your wife who you’d been sleeping next to every night.
Elara just nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak without her voice breaking.
Marcus turned his attention immediately back to Dante, already removing his suit coat and walking toward where his friend was sitting. He draped the coat over the back of a chair and pulled his tie off completely, tossing it on top of the coat.
Elara stood up. Whatever conversation these two needed to have, she didn’t need to be present for it. The men could talk without her hovering around making things more awkward than they already were.
“I’ll give you two some space,” she said, her voice steady despite the tightness in her chest.
Neither of them protested. Marcus barely acknowledged her words with a slight nod, already settling onto the couch across from Dante.
Elara walked down the hallway to her room and closed the door behind her with a soft click.
She pressed her back against the door and let out a long, shaky breath. Through the solid wood, she could hear the low rumble of their voices starting up. Dante’s calm tone. Marcus’s sharper, more defensive already.
She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, her hands folded in her lap.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a text from Mimi.
Mimi: You okay babe?
Elara: Yeah. Dante’s talking to Marcus now.
Mimi: Good. He needs to hear it from someone who’s not you. Let the men handle it.
Elara tossed her phone onto the bed beside her and lay back, staring up at the ceiling.
The voices in the living room rose slightly. Not quite shouting, but close. She could make out Marcus’s voice saying something sharp, then Dante’s calmer response.
She closed her eyes and waited.
