chapter 94
Elena's POV:
"Enough," I replied, meeting his gaze steadily. "It's Lucas, isn't it?"
Something dangerous flashed in Sebastian's eyes—a confirmation that told me I wasn't the only one who'd recognized the hand behind this attack.
He crossed the room in three quick strides, settling beside me on the bed.
His hands reached for mine, engulfing them in warmth that contrasted sharply with the ice running through my veins. "Elena, why would Lucas Ashton accuse you of being a murderer?"
The concern in his voice should have been reassuring, but something in his tone made my chest tighten.
The pregnancy hormones, already making me oversensitive, combined with the fresh trauma of reading those comments to create a perfect storm of emotion.
"Do you not believe me either?" The words came out smaller than I intended, and I hated how my voice cracked on the last syllable. "You think there might be some truth to his accusations?"
"No, God, no." Sebastian's response was immediate and fierce, his arms pulling me against his chest before I could retreat into myself.
I felt the rapid beat of his heart against my cheek, the slight tremor in his hands as they cradled me. "I believe you, Elena. I will always believe you over anyone else. But I need to understand what he's trying to do, why he's targeting you specifically."
I let myself sink into his embrace, drawing comfort from his solid presence even as my mind raced.
After a moment, I pulled back enough to meet his eyes.
"The butler, he mentioned—Henry—he was kind to me during one of the worst periods of my life." My voice grew steadier as I found my footing in the memory.
"It was years ago, back when I was still living in the Sterling house and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Rebecca had punished me that day, denying me food since morning because I'd dared to ask Vivienne to return something she'd taken from me."
Sebastian's jaw clenched at the mention of my stepmother, but he remained silent, letting me continue at my own pace.
"I was so hungry I could barely think straight, and I'd ventured out to find something, anything to eat. I must have looked pathetic, lingering near the Ashton estate's service entrance."
A bitter laugh escaped me. "Henry found me there. He invited me inside, sat me down in the kitchen, and made me hot cocoa and biscuits. He never asked why I was hungry or why I was alone. He just... fed me."
The memory warmed something inside me even now, years later.
Henry's weathered face, kind eyes crinkled at the corners, the way his hands had shaken slightly with age as he'd set the plate before me.
"After that, whenever hunger became unbearable, I'd slip away to the Ashton estate. Henry always seemed to know when I was coming—there would be something warm waiting, as if he had a sixth sense for when I needed him most."
My voice hardened as I reached the next part.
"But then Vivienne found out. She'd secretly followed me to the estate one afternoon. Henry, kind as always, had welcomed her too, offering her the same warm hospitality he'd shown me. But the moment we returned home, she ran straight to Rebecca, reporting my 'unauthorized visits' and 'shameful begging.' After that, I wasn't allowed to leave the house unsupervised. My visits to Henry stopped."
Sebastian's hand had found its way to my hair, stroking gently as I spoke, grounding me in the present even as I relived the past.
"I didn't see him again for some time. But when I heard he was ill, I couldn't stay away. I risked being locked in the dark room—Rebecca's favorite punishment—and snuck out to visit him one last time."
My throat tightened as I recalled that final meeting.
"Thankfully, it was just a cold and fever, nothing serious. His smile was exactly the same. He was so happy that day, Sebastian. He kept talking about how Lucas's eyesight was improving, how the boy would finally be able to see properly again. He was planning what special meal to cook for the celebration."
My voice broke completely then. "I never imagined it would be our last conversation. When I heard about his death just days later, I couldn't understand it. How could someone who seemed so full of life, so eager for the future, simply be gone?"
The tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over.
"He was one of the few people who showed me genuine kindness during those dark years, and I would never harm him."
Sebastian's arms tightened around me, and when he spoke, his voice carried a weight of regret I'd rarely heard from him.
"I appeared in your life too late. You suffered too much before I could protect you."
He pulled back to cup my face in his hands, thumbs brushing away my tears with infinite gentleness. "But I'm here now, and I swear to you, no one will hurt you again. "
His expression shifted then, sharpening into something more calculating.
"Henry's death—there's something off about the timing. The very day Lucas regains his sight, his devoted butler dies mysteriously? And Lucas is too incompetent to find the real cause, so he lashes out at you instead?
" I'll find out what really happened to Henry, if only to repay the debt I owe him for taking care of you when I couldn't."
A new thought occurred to him, and his gaze intensified. "But why now? Why would Lucas suddenly dredge this up after all this time?"
The answer came to me with crystal clarity, and I felt my expression harden.
"I saw Vivienne yesterday. At the Maison Lucent offices."
I watched understanding dawn in Sebastian's eyes. "She was furious about losing the contract, especially to me. She made threats, said she'd take back what was 'rightfully hers.'"
A bitter smile tugged at my lips. "I suppose this is her version of taking action. If she can't have the spotlight, she'll try to destroy me instead. And Lucas? He'll do anything for her, apparently. "
Sebastian's expression turned predatory, and I recognized the look—someone had threatened what was his, and he was already planning their destruction.
"Then they've both made a grave mistake," he said softly, but his tone carried enough menace to make me shiver. "I'll make them both understand the consequences of provoking my wife."