Chapter 74
74
~Elara’s POV
I woke up the next morning feeling that warm, soft ache in my chest, the good kind, because yesterday had been… full. Full of him. And today, he had promised to come again.
Darlon dropped me off at the office, leaning over the console to kiss me one more time before I got out. “I’ll drop by soon,” he murmured.
“Promise?” I asked softly.
He smiled, eyes soft. “Promise p>
I walked into the building feeling like something light and warm was tucked under my ribs.
Work pulled me in immediately. Meetings. Samples. Deadlines. My team was already waiting when I stepped into the conference room.
We were adjusting proportions for the gala pieces, debating fabrics, sketching, re-sketching… my head was buzzing in the best way.
Then the door opened.
Ronan walked in, holding a cup of coffee with a smile that felt too polite, too smooth.
“Good morning, Miss Elara,” he said, giving a small bow. “Your coffee p>
I blinked. “Again? Ronan, you don’t have to do that p>
“I insist,” he said quickly.
I thanked him, took the cup, and sipped it while the meeting continued. It tasted normal. Maybe a bit sweeter than what I usually drank, but I didn’t think much of it.
After an hour, we wrapped up. I walked back to my office, rubbing my temples. My body felt heavy. My eyelids drooped.
“Maybe I’m just tired,” I muttered to myself.
Then the urge to use the restroom hit me suddenly. I rushed there, thinking it was just the stress or the coffee.
But the moment I stepped inside… something felt wrong.
My legs wobbled.
My thoughts blurred.
I leaned against the wall, trying to steady myself, even though my legs felt like they didn’t belong to me anymore. For a second, I thought the whole room tilted, but maybe it was just me. I blinked a few times, hoping my vision would clear, but it only made the dizziness worse. My breath came out shaky, too light, almost like it wanted to float away without me.
“Come on… stay awake I whispered to myself. It sounded strange, like someone else said it. My tongue felt heavy.
I pressed my palm to the cool wall, hoping it would ground me. It didn’t. My heart kept thudding in this slow, confused way, like it wasn’t sure what rhythm to follow. A weird heat crawled up my neck, even though the rest of my body felt cold.
I reached for my phone with fingers that didn’t seem to want to listen. They slipped once, then twice, and I almost gave up. But I forced myself to try again. Somehow, I managed to unlock the screen and click on the only Darlon’s number.
He picked up immediately, like he had been holding the phone already.
“Elara?” His voice was sharp with worry.
I swallowed, but my throat felt tight. “Can you… Come get me?” The words dragged out of my mouth slowly. Hearing myself talk like that frightened me. “I… I don’t feel right p>
“What’s wrong? Where are you?” His tone changed so fast, as he went from calm to full panic in a breath.
“In the restroom near… my office.” Even saying that felt like climbing a hill. I pressed a hand to my forehead, hoping the room would stop spinning. “Please p>
“I’m on my way. Don’t move, love. I’m coming p>
I wanted to tell him I would try, or that I was okay, or even just say his name. But all I managed was a soft sound before the phone slipped out of my hand and hit the floor with a dull thud.
I stared at it, or tried to, but my vision blurred again. Everything after that felt like someone had turned the world into thick fog. I couldn’t tell what was happening in real time and what my mind was making up. The cold tiles under me felt too far away, then suddenly too close, like I had sunk into them.
My knees buckled first, and I caught the wall on instinct. But even that didn’t keep me up for long. The strength in my arms left me all at once, like someone had pulled a plug. I slid down slowly, my body moving without my permission.
Then I noticed this strange pressure in my limbs, like someone had filled them with wet sand. Heavy… slow… unresponsive. I tried to wiggle my fingers, maybe lift my head, but nothing obeyed. My own heartbeat thudded loudly in my ears, mixing with something that might have been voices or maybe just the echo of my fear.
Then… footsteps.
Soft at first. Then coming closer.
A shadow fell over me, and I forced my eyes open just a little. The world was blurry, but I could still make out Ronan bending over me. His face wasn’t calm or collected. It was twisted in panic, something wild in his eyes.
His hands were on my shoulders, shaking me lightly.
The shaking made the world spin again, but I saw enough to understand. He was undressing me. He was touching me in that kind of way.
He was setting up his phone. Positioning it carefully. Angling the camera as if he needed the shot to look a certain way. Like he wanted someone to walk in and misunderstand everything. Like he wanted proof. A lie made real.
He wanted to frame me.
“No I whispered, though it barely came out. I tried to push his arm away, but my hand only twitched. “Stop p>
My body felt numb, like it belonged to someone else.
His breath hitched, and he leaned closer. “Just cooperate… please… I need this… I need something to hold onto… You can’t fire me again His voice cracked, frustration and fear tangled together. “I’m not a bad person. I just need something… anything p>
Then p>
A voice cut through the air like a blade.
“Move p>
One word. Sharp. Cold. Final.
Ronan froze instantly.
Even with my muddled senses, I knew that voice. That quiet fury sits under perfect control. My chest loosened, relief flooding me so fast it made me dizzy.
“Darlon I breathed.
A second later, he was there, pulling me into his arms, his warmth replacing the cold floor.
“I’m here, love. I’m right here,” he whispered, brushing my hair off my face. “Can you hear me p>
I nodded weakly.
He let out a breath that sounded like a prayer.
Then he looked up at Ronan.
And the air changed.
Darlon’s fist connected with Ronan’s jaw before the man could even raise a hand. Ronan crashed into the wall, sliding down with a groan.
“Security,” Darlon barked into his phone. “Restroom corridor C. Now p>
Two guards ran in seconds later.
“Arrest him. Every camera in this hallway and restroom. I want all footage pulled. Now p>
“Yes, Alpha p>
Ronan tried to speak. “It’s not p>
“Don’t speak.” Darlon didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to.
He lifted me gently, one arm under my knees, the other behind my back. My head fell against his chest.
“Stay with me, Elara,” he whispered urgently. “We’re going home. I’ve got you p>
I tried to answer, but the world dimmed again.
I heard him shouting, “Janae! Call an ambulance. Now p>
His voice trembled just slightly.
Then darkness took over again.