Chapter 7 Who's That Guy?
Inside the soundproof Range Rover, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Elena sat in the middle seat, flanked by Eleanor, who kept a tight grip on her hand, and Daniel, who stared straight ahead with a hardened jaw.
Because he was curious about why Elena was so stubborn about the divorce, Daniel had joined his parents in their car, leaving his own vehicle to be brought home by a driver.
"Let me go! This is kidnapping!" Elena snapped, her voice rising an octave in frustration. She reached for the door handle, but the central locking system had already been engaged by Arthur from the front seat.
"I’m an adult, Father! You can’t just force me into a car like a child caught cutting class!"
Arthur remained unmoved. He simply stared at the streets of New York through the windshield, his face as rigid as a stone carving.
"Where are you taking me? Let me out right now or I’ll scream!" Elena threatened again, though she knew it was futile.
"We are going home, Elena," Arthur replied, calm but brimming with authority. His low tone was more intimidating than any shout. "To the Vance mansion. Not to Morgan’s parents' house."
"I don't want to go home! I have my own life!"
"What kind of life?" Daniel interjected with a cynical sneer, turning his head slightly toward his sister.
"A life in a city park with a filthy man whose stench I can practically smell from here? You’ve lost your mind because of Morgan, Elena. You're making a fool of yourself."
"Shut up, Daniel! You don’t know anything!" Elena fired back, her eyes flashing with rage.
The car continued to glide over the smooth asphalt toward the most prestigious area of Long Island. Eleanor finally let out a sigh, her fingers gently stroking the back of Elena’s hand.
"Elena, darling. Your father is right. We need an explanation," Eleanor said softly. "The news about Morgan and that woman, Marissa, is already public knowledge. Imagine how devastated we were to find out our daughter was abandoned on her wedding night without a single word. Why would Morgan just leave? What happened that night?"
Elena fell silent. Her anger slowly ebbed away, replaced by a suffocating tightness in her chest. She remembered Morgan's cold messages, the photo of the Rolex above the clouds posted by Marissa, and the hollow silence of the vast Morgan mansion. There were plenty of servants there, but what did it matter if she was alone without a husband?
"He never loved me, Mother," Elena whispered, her voice breaking. "This marriage was just a transaction to him. And for Father too, right?" She shot a sharp glance toward the front seat.
Arthur exhaled a long breath, his shoulders dropping slightly. "We will talk about everything at home. I want to hear the full chronology from your own mouth. I won't let the Vance family dignity be trampled upon, but I also won't let you ruin your future by associating with lower-class people like that man."
Elena turned her face toward the window, staring at the skyscrapers that blurred as tears began to well in her eyes. In her heart, she felt strangled by her family’s expectations.
She didn't know that at this very moment, a greater destruction was moving toward her family. Nor did she realize that the phone in her dress pocket was vibrating softly. A message arrived from an unknown number—though she knew exactly who the sender was.
\[ Don't cry, Miss. The chairs in my new apartment are much more comfortable than the ones in your father's car. I'm waiting for you tonight; don't forget me so soon. \]
Elena gasped, her chest heaving as her heart suddenly raced wildly. She quickly hid the phone screen against her thigh, terrified that Daniel or her mother would notice the glow from the device.
How could he possibly know she was crying? Was Elijah following her? Or did that man have eyes everywhere?
"Elena? Are you listening to me?" Eleanor’s gentle voice broke through her reverie.
Elena blinked, harshly wiping away a stray tear.
"I hear you, Mother. But there’s nothing left to explain. Morgan went to London with his mistress. He didn’t hide it—he flaunted it! He treated this marriage as if I were nothing more than a piece of furniture he could leave in a warehouse the moment the party was over."
"And you retaliate by cozying up to a vagrant?" Daniel cut in with a hollow laugh. "What kind of logic is that, El? You want to get revenge by lowering your own status?"
"He has a name, Daniel! His name is Elijah!" Elena shouted defensively. "And at least he didn't leave me when I was falling apart. He was there when the 'honorable husband' of your choosing preferred another bitch across the ocean!"
"Enough!" Arthur slammed his hand against the dashboard, instantly silencing everyone in the cabin. "We’re here."
The Range Rover rolled slowly through the massive iron gates emblazoned with the initial V. The Vance family mansion stood imposing before them, but to Elena, the grand building was nothing more than a golden cage ready to lock her back inside its rigid rules.
As soon as the car stopped, Arthur climbed out first, followed by a still-fuming Daniel. Elena was guided into the family room by her mother. The atmosphere inside was ice-cold. The wedding photo of Elena and Morgan, recently placed in the corner of the room, seemed to mock their current situation.
"Sit down," Arthur commanded. He stood before the unlit fireplace, arms crossed. "Now, tell me. What really happened that night before Morgan left? Was there an argument? And who was that man today?"
Berikut adalah terjemahan teks tersebut ke dalam bahasa Inggris yang intens dan penuh ketegangan:
Elena was just about to open her mouth when Arthur’s phone, Daniel’s phone, and Leo’s phone—who had just entered the house—all rang almost simultaneously. The barrage of notification sounds created a terrifying harmony.
Arthur frowned, fumbled in his jacket pocket, and answered the call.
"Hello? Yes, this is Arthur Vance. What?!" Arthur’s face, which had been flushed with rage, slowly turned ashen. His eyes shifted to Daniel, who was also staring at his phone screen with a look of horror.
"Father..." Daniel’s voice trembled. "Our shares in the cargo company... someone just started a massive short-selling spree. The cargo contract with the Morgan Group was unilaterally canceled due to 'dock security' reasons that were suddenly called into question by the port authorities."
"That’s impossible! I already bribed those authorities!" Arthur barked in panic, forgetting that Elena and Eleanor were standing right there.
"It’s not just that," interjected Leo, standing at the door with a pale, weak face. "The news about my hazing scandal at campus has gone viral. There’s a high-resolution video showing me punching someone, even though I wasn’t even there last night! The university just issued my expulsion letter."
Elena could only stare at her father and brothers, who were now pacing frantically around the living room, making calls left and right with voices filled with utter desperation.