Elena
The car slowed to a quiet stop, and the silence inside it pressed heavily against my chest. I stared out the window, my fingers resting stiffly on my lap as the city stretched past in blurred shapes. Buildings seemed to melt into one another, as wet paint dragged across a canvas, and for a moment it felt like my life was doing the same thing, falling apart slowly, right in front of me, with no way to stop it.
My family.
Running away was not an option. No matter what had happened, they were still mine. When the rumors turned into something solid, something undeniable, it would reach them fully, and it would break them. Even if everything had gone wrong, they were still my family.
Weren't they?
"I need to go home," I said suddenly, my voice tighter than I expected.
Adrian remained still beside me, his presence calm and unreadable, as though nothing around him could shake him.
"Home?" he asked, his tone steady.
"To my family," I replied, my fingers curling slightly into my dress. "I have to explain. They need to hear the truth."
There was a brief pause before he spoke again.
"They won't support you."
I turned sharply toward him, my brows pulling together.
"You don't know that."
"I do," he said, finally looking at me, his gaze steady and certain. "Families like yours protect their reputation first. If sacrificing you saves their name, they won't hesitate."
His words settled heavily in my chest, quiet but painfully true.
Still, I shook my head, holding on to what little certainty I had left.
"They're my family," I said again, more quietly this time. "I have to try."
He watched me for a moment, then looked away.
"Fine," he said. "We'll go."
The Vale house stood tall and distant when we arrived, just as it always had, elegant and untouched. But today, something felt different. The air felt colder, the silence heavier, and even the light filtering through the windows seemed pale and unfamiliar.
I stepped forward slowly, my heart pounding harder with every step. Just as I raised my hand to knock, the door opened.
My stepmother stood there, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her expression sharp and unwelcoming. Behind her, my stepsister lingered quietly, watching, while further inside, my father stood still, his face unreadable.
No one smiled.
No one moved toward me.
Their eyes were already filled with judgment.
"How could you do this to us?" my stepmother snapped.
"I was set up," I said quickly, my hands lifting slightly as if I could stop everything from collapsing. "Please, just listen-"
"Listen?" my father cut in sharply. "The entire city has seen you in another man's bed hours before your wedding!"
"It's not what it looks like!"
"It looks exactly like what it is," my stepsister said coldly.
My chest tightened painfully, my breath turning shallow.
"I didn't plan this," I said, my voice shaking. "Someone trapped me."
My stepsister let out a faint smirk, her expression full of disbelief, as if she had heard this kind of excuse from me a hundred times before.
Then my father spoke again, and this time his words broke something inside me completely.
"From today... You are no longer a Vale." The world seemed to go still.
"Father-"
"Do not call me that," he said firmly. "We will handle the media. We will protect this family." His eyes hardened.
"But you... You will never step into this house again."
The words hit like a physical blow, knocking the breath out of me.
"I warned you."
The voice came from behind them.
I turned slowly.
Sandra.
My best friend stepped forward, her expression calm, almost distant. "I told you to be careful," she said softly. "But you never listen."
My chest tightened differently this time, something colder settling in.
"You knew?" I asked quietly.
She didn't answer. She didn't need to.
The silence said everything. The door closed soon after, the sound final and cold, and I stood there for a moment, staring at it as if it might open again.
It didn't.
Slowly, I turned and walked away, my steps heavy, my body numb.
No family. No fiancé. No home. Nothing.
The black car was still waiting just beyond the gate. Adrian stood beside it, his arms crossed, his expression unchanged, as if everything that had just happened had been expected.
"Why are you still here?" I asked.
"Because I knew how this would end," he replied.
I swallowed hard, the truth of his words settling deep inside me. "Do you need a ride?" he asked.
I hesitated for a moment, pride rising weakly before reality crushed it. Then I opened the door and got in. The ride was quiet. I didn't ask where we were going. I didn't have anywhere else to go anyway.
When the car stopped, I looked up and saw the tall glass building in front of us, its structure cold and powerful.
The Steele Empire.
Inside, everything felt controlled and distant. People moved carefully, their eyes following him with respect and something close to fear. I ignored the stares, keeping my gaze forward as the last bit of my strength drained away.
He led me into his office, where the city stretched out behind him through wide glass windows. He sat down calmly, completely at ease, while I remained standing, tense and uncertain.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked.
"I didn't," he replied. "You chose to come."
The words stung more than I expected.
Then he spoke again.
"I have a proposal."
My body went still, my fingers curling slightly. "What kind of proposal?"
"A contract marriage."
The words hung in the air, heavy and unreal.
"You marry me," he continued, his voice calm. "The scandal disappears. The narrative changes. You go from disgrace to a woman who chose a powerful man."
I stared at him, my chest rising slowly. "And what do you gain?" "Stability." A short, disbelieving laugh escaped me.
"You're a billionaire. What do you need stability for?"
He didn't answer.
That silence felt heavier than any explanation.
"You want to use me," I said.
"It benefits both of us."
My jaw tightened.
"I'm not something you pick up to fix your image."
"It's your best option."
"Do you think I need you?" I asked.
"I know you do."
Something in his voice made my chest tighten.
"And if I refuse?"
He stood and walked toward me slowly, each step controlled, deliberate. When he stopped in front of me, the air felt heavier, harder to breathe.
"Then you walk out that door," he said quietly, "and face the world alone."
My breath caught. Because I knew he was right. Still, I lifted my chin slightly.
"Maybe," I said. "But it will be my choice."
I turned and walked toward the door, my hand tightening around the handle as I paused for a brief second.
Then I opened it and stepped out.
Behind me, his voice followed, low and certain.
"You'll be back, Elena."
My steps faltered slightly.
Because deep down...
I already knew he was right.
