Chapter 71
Elodie’s POV
The faint smile I’d been forcing disappeared the second I saw Liora’s name on my screen.
I stared at it for two, maybe three seconds, my thumb hovering over the answer button.
Finally, I pressed it. “Hello p>
“Mommy!” Her voice was sweet, that little sing-song tone she used when she wanted something. “When are you coming home p>
I didn’t answer right away. Couldn’t.
Because the truth was, I didn’t know if I could go back there tonight. Didn’t know if I had the strength to walk into that house and pretend everything was fine.
“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked instead.
“I’m so bored! Daddy’s not here, and Aunt Sienna is busy, and the house is so quiet. Can you please come home and keep me company p>
Each word was a knife.
Daddy’s not here. Aunt Sienna is busy.
So I was the backup. The third option. The person she called when everyone else wasn’t available.
I closed my eyes, my hand tightening around the phone.
She missed the days when I’d sit with her and listen to her talk about her cartoons and toys. When I’d been her whole world.
Before Sienna.
Before everything fell apart.
“Mommy has some things to take care of tonight,” I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could. “Maybe another time, okay p>
The silence on the other end felt heavy.
I was her mother. I should drop everything and go to her. That’s what mothers did, right?
But I also had limits. Boundaries. And tonight, after everything with Logan and Sophia and that damn jewelry store, I just… couldn’t.
I needed space. Needed time to fall apart in private before I could put the pieces back together again.
“Oh Liora’s voice was small now. Disappointed. “Okay p>
The guilt hit me immediately, sharp and suffocating.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” I said, and I meant it. “If you need anything, anything at all, you can call me again, okay p>
“Okay p>
She didn’t sound convinced.
“Bye my sweet, little baby p>
“Okay… take care, mommy p>
She hung up before I could say anything else.
I stood there in the parking lot, phone still pressed to my ear even though the line was dead, and I felt something inside me crack.
Dante’s POV
When I walked through the door, Liora was sprawled on the couch looking miserable like someone had told her Christmas was canceled.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, setting my briefcase down.
She didn’t even look up, just buried her face deeper into one of those oversized throw pillows. “I called Mommy. Asked her to come home and spend time with me. But she said she was too busy p>
Her voice was muffled, but I caught the disappointment in it.
“Mm,” I said, walking over to the adjacent sofa and sitting down.
I pulled out my phone to check some emails that had come in during the drive. A new contract Albert needed me to review, some updates on the European Pack negotiations.
Liora shifted slightly, peeking at me from behind the pillow.
I kept my eyes on my screen. She’d be fine. She was just being dramatic, kids her age always were.
Elodie was probably off doing… whatever it was she did these days. Working at that company, making a point about her independence or something.
She’d get over it eventually. Come back. They always did.
I could’ve gone to my study to handle this work, probably should have, honestly. Better lighting, bigger desk, no distractions.
But something made me stay.
Maybe it was the way Liora kept glancing at me. Or maybe I just didn’t feel like moving.
Either way, I settled into the couch and kept working.
After a few minutes, I noticed Liora’s mood starting to lift. She sat up a little straighter, grabbed her tablet from the coffee table, and pulled up one of those puzzle games she was obsessed with.
The sound effects started almost immediately, little chimes and bloops that were mildly annoying but tolerable.
She was fine now. See? Didn’t need Elodie after all.
I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. She was completely absorbed in the game, her earlier sadness apparently forgotten.
Good.
Everything was fine.
I went back to my email, responding to Albert about the contract terms, and let the comfortable silence settle over the room.
_____________
When Logan and the others returned home, his sister Lauren was waiting in the living room, flipping through a fashion magazine with a glass of wine in her hand.
She looked up when they entered. “What took you so long p>
Logan set his briefcase down with a sigh. “I ran into Elodie p>
Lauren’s perfectly manicured eyebrows rose. “Oh? You saw her p>
She set her magazine aside, but her expression wasn’t one of concern for her stepdaughter. Instead, there was a calculating gleam in her eyes, the look of someone who’d just been presented with useful information.
“Did you talk to her about Sienna joining Cole?” she asked, leaning forward slightly.
Logan shook his head. “We discussed it briefly, but she wouldn’t listen p>
Lauren picked up her coffee cup and took a delicate sip, her lips pursing in distaste. “That girl really is something. I understand she’s upset that Sienna has captured Dante’s attention, but honestly, we’ve all met the man. He’s not the type to be tied down to someone like her p>
She said the word “her” like it tasted bitter.
“Elodie has nothing to offer except a pretty face,” Lauren continued, her tone dripping with condescension. “No real education, no particular talents, no substance whatsoever. Even if Sienna wasn’t in the picture, Dante would have divorced her eventually. It was inevitable p>
Logan nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful but agreeable.
Lauren set her cup down with a sharp clink. “This whole situation with Cole Corporation, Elodie blocking Sienna from that position, it’s nothing more than petty jealousy. She’s acting like a spurned woman throwing a tantrum because she can’t keep her husband interested p>
She laughed, the sound cold and mocking. “It’s pathetic, really. She actually thinks she’s accomplished something by keeping Sienna out. As if that changes anything. Dante will still choose Sienna in the end. Anyone with eyes can see that p>
Logan remained silent, but his lack of disagreement spoke volumes.
“And the worst part,” Lauren continued, clearly enjoying herself now, “is that Elodie doesn’t even realize how foolish she looks. She’s probably sitting somewhere right now, pleased with herself for this tiny, meaningless victory. While Dante gives Sienna everything she could ever want p>
She picked up her phone and scrolled through something, then smiled. “Speaking of which, did you hear? Dante gave our family that multi-billion dollar project. As compensation for what Sienna went through with the Cole situation p>
Logan’s expression brightened slightly. “Yes, Sophia mentioned it p>
“See?” Lauren spread her hands as if presenting evidence. “That’s the difference between my daughter and his wife. Sienna gets billion-dollar projects as apology gifts. What does Elodie get? Nothing. Not even his time p>
She leaned back against the plush sofa cushions, looking supremely satisfied.
“When you compare them, Sienna with her PhD, her accomplishments, her grace and intelligence, to Elodie, who has… what? A bachelor’s degree and the ability to make coffee?” Lauren shook her head pityingly. “There’s simply no comparison. It’s almost cruel that Elodie even tries to compete p>
Logan sighed heavily. “I know. But she won’t listen to reason p>
“She’s stubborn,” Lauren said dismissively. “Just like her mother was p>
The mention of Logan’s first wife, Elodie’s mother, hung in the air for a moment.
Logan shifted uncomfortably. Any mention of that woman always made the atmosphere tense.
“Anyway,” Lauren said, smoothly changing the subject, “what about CUAP? Did you find out anything about that programming language during your conversation with her p>
Logan shook his head. “No. But we can ask Sienna about it when she gets back. She’ll know how to handle it p>
Lauren smiled, her expression radiating confidence in her daughter. “Of course she will. Sienna always knows what to do p>
She picked up her wine glass and took another sip, already dismissing Elodie from her thoughts entirely.
“That girl,” Lauren murmured, almost to herself, “will learn eventually that beauty fades and temper tantrums accomplish nothing. And by the time she figures it out, Dante and Sienna will be married, and she’ll be nothing but a footnote in their love story p>
She laughed softly at her own words, clearly pleased with the image.
Logan said nothing, but he didn’t disagree.