Chapter 70
Elodie’s POV
Cara had been quiet this whole time, but I could feel her piecing it together, who these people were, what they’d done to me.
“Ah, so they’re just a bunch of scumbags,” she muttered under her breath, loud enough for them to hear.
Then she grabbed my arm. “Come on. We’re leaving p>
“Elodie, wait p>
Logan’s voice stopped us at the door.
I closed my eyes for a second, gathering whatever strength I had left, then turned back.
He walked closer, his expression almost pleading. “Your aunt really does care about you, you know. She thinks about you often. And you and Sienna… you’re sisters. Family. This whole situation with Cole… your father just hopes something like this never happens again p>
I laughed.
It came out sharp and bitter, and I saw him flinch.
“Are you trying to disgust me on purpose?” I asked. “Is that what this is p>
“You p>
“Uncle, if she doesn’t want to be civil, then she doesn’t have to,” Sophia cut in, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. “And honestly, even if she *did* want to be sisters with Sienna, my sister wouldn’t want it. What’s *her* status compared to my sister’s p>
She looked me up and down like I was dirt on her shoe.
“You stopped my sister from getting into Cole,” Sophia continued, clearly enjoying herself now. “But you don’t realize, the more you target her, the more her husband falls in love with her p>
Each word was a knife twisting deeper.
“In fact,” Sophia said, her smile widening, “when Sienna’s husband found out you and your boss at Cole were bullying her, he immediately went after your company. And even though nothing came of it in the end, as compensation for what my sister went through, he gave our family a multi-billion dollar project p>
My blood ran cold.
“That project?” Sophia’s eyes gleamed with malice. “It’s the same one your brother-in-law has been desperately trying to get for months. Hahaha p>
I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood.
My fist clenched at my side.
Dante had given them a project. A massive project. One that the Bellini Pack had been negotiating for.
He’d handed it over to the Browns. To Sienna’s family.
To compensate her.
While I got nothing. While I was nothing.
Cara looked ready to explode. “Has Sienna even married Dante yet? You’re calling him her husband like they’re already together? How absolutely shameless p>
“Excuse me p>
“Enough, Sophia.” Logan pulled his niece back, though he didn’t look particularly upset with her. He just sighed and turned to me. “Elodie, Sienna is a genius in the AI field. She has important work to do. You need to control yourself and stop targeting her p>
Something inside me snapped.
“Are you done?” My voice came out flat. Dead. “If you’re finished, you can leave p>
Tracy, who’d been standing there silently this whole time, finally spoke up. “Elodie, how can you speak to your father like this p>
“Exactly!” Sophia chimed in. “You have no manners at all p>
I looked at them, all three of them and felt nothing but contempt.
“I have no manners?” I repeated slowly. “At least I don’t go around being a mistress p>
Sophia’s face went bright red. “You p>
Logan’s expression hardened. “That’s enough p>
“Yes,” I agreed coldly. “It is. You should go p>
He stared at me for a long moment, disappointment written all over his face. Like I was the one who’d let him down.
“Let’s go,” he said finally, turning away and then grabbed the custom bag of jewelry he had purchased and walked away.
They walked out, Sophia throwing one last venomous look over her shoulder.
The second they were gone, my legs gave out.
I grabbed onto the display case to steady myself, my whole body shaking.
After they finally and fully left, Cara turned to me, her eyes full of worry. “Elodie p>
I shook my head quickly, cutting her off. “I’m fine.” I lied. My lips trembling but I bit it hard, so it doesn’t wobble foolishly just like it does and would draw more of Cara’s pity.
I wasn’t fine. But saying it out loud wouldn’t change anything.
Logan Brown, stopped being my father the day he walked out on my mother and me. Of course. The day he chose his mistress over his family. In my heart, he’d been dead for years. Gone, perished and dead.
What hurt wasn’t him. Not really. I didn’t care about him anymore to hurt anymore about his existence and betrayal.
What hurt was knowing that because of me, Johnny’s company had been targeted. That Dante had tried to destroy Cole Corporation just to punish me for standing up to Sienna.
What hurt was the realization that over and over again, that Dante would do anything for her. Attack my friends. Hand over billion-dollar projects to her family. Protect her at every turn.
While I got nothing but his anger and indifference. He would do anything for his mistress, and forsake the woman he had pledged under the moon as his Mate and Luna, under the oaths of the sacred goddess to love, cherish and protect, he had forgotten me. A cruel liar.
Every time I thought about it, it felt like someone was twisting a knife in my chest. Slowly. Deliberately.
The pain was unbearable.
“Elodie Cara pulled me into a hug, and I felt her sympathy wash over me.
I forced myself to smile. “Really. I’m okay p>
I had to be okay.
I’d already made the decision to move on. To let go. To build a life that didn’t revolve around Dante and his cruelty.
I just needed time.
That’s all.
Time, and I could do this.
I could survive this. Yes, I could.
“Want to get a drink?” Cara asked gently. “I think you could use one p>
“No, thanks.” I stepped back, wiping at my face. “I’d rather just go home. Work on some data analysis. That helps me relax more than alcohol would p>
At home, buried in code and logic, I could forget. I could calm down. I could breathe.
Cara studied my face for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. But if you change your mind, call me. Any time. I mean it p>
“I will. Thank you.” I tried to force that stupid, everything-was-alright type of smile but failed. Cara didn’t comment on that but gently gave me a sadder one and gently squeezed my shoulders in reassurance that she got me and I’d be okay.
We walked to the parking lot together, and I was digging through my purse for my keys when my phone rang.
I glanced at the screen.
It was Liora.
My heart squeezed painfully that my steps froze on their tracks.