Chapter 15 Chapter 15: What She Meant to Do to Me
I thought it was finished. That once the jewelry was chosen and the mirror had given its approval, I would be dismissed back into invisibility. Elara stood still for a moment, studying her reflection, then her gaze shifted—slow, deliberate—until it caught mine in the glass. There it was again, that particular look she wore when a thought settled and decided to stay. “Sera,” she said lightly, as if the word were an afterthought. “You’ll need a dress.” My stomach dropped. “Elara,” I began carefully, “there’s no need. I’ll be working. I can stay as I am.” I gestured vaguely at my uniform, hoping practicality might save me.
She turned fully then, one eyebrow lifting in mild amusement. “No,” she said simply. “You won’t.” She crossed the wardrobe, heels clicking softly against the floor, and stopped in front of one of the tall cabinets. “You’ll be seen tonight,” she continued, her tone conversational. “And I don’t allow sloppiness within my orbit.”
“I don’t need to be seen,” I said again, quieter now.
Elara smiled. “That wasn’t a suggestion.”
She opened the wardrobe doors, revealing rows of dresses arranged with ruthless precision—silk, satin, chiffon, colors ranging from pale to daring, each piece curated, controlled. She scanned them briefly before reaching in and pulling one free. It was dark, understated, elegant without trying to compete. She held it up between us. “This,” she said.
My breath caught. “Elara, I really—”
“You really will wear it,” she interrupted calmly. “I don’t repeat myself.” She tilted her head, studying my reaction. “Relax. I’m not dressing you to embarrass you. I wouldn’t insult my own taste like that.”
I hesitated, my fingers curling into my palms. “People will notice,” I said.
“Yes,” she replied immediately. “That’s the point.” She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “And before you spiral, remember this: you’ll be noticed because you’re with me. Nothing more.” Her gaze sharpened. “Don’t confuse proximity with importance.”
“I wouldn’t,” I said.
She smiled faintly. “Good. Then take the dress.”
I reached for it, the fabric cool and impossibly soft, the silk pooling over my wrists like something alive, when Elara stepped closer. Close enough that I could smell her perfume, feel the quiet pressure of her presence narrowing my space.
“Don’t make this difficult,” she said softly, but there was steel beneath it now. Her fingers brushed the fabric near my hands, not taking it yet—testing. “You hesitate too much, Sera. It makes people think you don’t know where you belong.”
“I do,” I said quickly. “I just—”
She tilted her head, eyes flicking to my uniform. “Then stop acting like the dress will hurt you if you put it on I promise,” she added lightly, “I will.”
Her hand lifted, not quite touching me, but close enough that my body reacted anyway—spine straightening, breath catching. “You don’t need permission,” she continued, voice smooth. “You need direction.” She reached for the zipper of my uniform, her fingertips grazing my wrist this time, firmer. “And I’m very good at giving it.”
“Elara,” I said, the word slipping out before I could stop it, sharper than I intended.
“Careful,” she murmured. “That sounded like resistance.”
Suddenly the knock came like a gunshot.
Elara’s hand stilled instantly. Her head turned toward the door, irritation flashing across her face before smoothing into composure. “Yes?” she called coolly.
The door opened just enough for Neille to slip inside, her eyes flicking quickly between us—the dress in my hands, Elara’s proximity, my too-still posture. She recovered fast. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said evenly, though her gaze lingered on me a fraction longer than necessary. “Mr. Simon wants to see you. Now.”
Elara exhaled slowly through her nose. “Of course he does,” she said, already stepping back. The shift was immediate—the tension snapped cleanly, like it had never existed. She smoothed the front of her gown, rolled her shoulders once, reclaiming herself. “Did he say why?”
“He didn’t,” Neille replied. “Just that it couldn’t wait.”
Elara’s lips curved into a thin smile. “It never does.”
She glanced at me once more, “Hold that,” she said, nodding at the dress still draped over my arms. “We’ll finish this later.”
Neille nodded and stepped aside, and Elara passed, The door closed behind her, the sound echoing louder than it should have. The silence barely had time to settle before Neille turned fully toward me, her composure cracking just enough to let concern show. “Okay,” she said quietly, folding her arms.
“What was that?” Her eyes flicked to the door Elara had just exited through, then back to me. “And don’t tell me ‘nothing,’ because I just walked in on something that was very much something.” I let out a breath I’d been holding for far too long, my shoulders sagging as the tension drained from me in a rush that left me lightheaded.
“She was going to make me change,” I said, voice low, almost embarrassed by the relief still buzzing through me.
“Right there. She’d already decided.” I looked down at the dress still draped over my arms, the silk suddenly feeling heavier than before. “If you hadn’t knocked—” I shook my head, unable to finish the thought.
Neille’s mouth tightened. “Yeah,” she said. “I figured. She gets like that when she’s in a good mood. That’s when you really have to watch her.” She reached out and took the edge of the dress, folding it more neatly. “But you’re okay now. She’s gone.”
“For now,” I said. Then the relief curdled into something sharper, colder. My stomach dropped all over again. “Neille,” I added, dread creeping into my voice, “she said something else.”
Neille stilled. “What did she say?”
“She said I’d be seen tonight,” I whispered. “That I’d be noticed because I’m with her.” I swallowed. “And before she left… she mentioned introducing me. To Auren.”
Neille’s eyes widened just slightly. “Introduce you?”
“Yes,” I said quickly. “I can’t let that happen.”
Neille stared at me for a long second, then blew out a slow breath. “Right,” she said. “That’s bad.”
“It’s worse than bad,” I replied. “I can’t be seen by him. Not like that. Not tonight.” My pulse thudded in my ears. “If he recognizes me—if he remembers—”
“He will,” Neille said bluntly.
“I know,” I said. “And Elara doesn’t know about that. If she puts the pieces together—” I stopped myself, fear tightening my throat. “I need your help.”
Neille leaned against the wardrobe table, thinking fast. “Okay,” she said slowly. “First of all, breathe. Second—Elara introducing you doesn’t mean it has to actually happen.”
“She decides everything,” I said.
“She decides what she notices,” Neille corrected. “There’s a difference.” She met my eyes. “If she’s distracted, if Simon pulls her aside, if Auren’s surrounded by people—she won’t think twice about you fading into the background.”
“That’s not enough,” I said. “She already chose the dress. She’s marking me.”
Neille winced. “Yeah. That part I don’t love.”
I lowered my voice further, stepping closer to her. “Please,” I said. “Just tonight. Help me stay invisible. Put me somewhere else. Give me a task. Anything that keeps me out of his line of sight.”
Neille studied me, then nodded once. “Okay,” she said. “Okay. I’ve got you.”
“You do?”
“I do,” she repeated firmly. “I’ll keep you in Carol’s wing or the service corridor during arrivals. If Elara asks where you are, I’ll say you’re handling something critical.”
“And if she insists?”
Neille’s lips curved into a thin smile. “Then I’ll make the problem louder somewhere else.”
I let out a shaky laugh before I could stop myself. “I don’t deserve you,” I said.
Neille snorted. “No one in this house does.” Then her expression softened. “But you’re not wrong to be scared. Elara introducing you to him isn’t kindness. It’s possession.”
I nodded. “That’s what it feels like.”
She squeezed my arm once, quick and grounding. “Then we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen. You trust me?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation.
“Good,” Neille replied, already straightening, slipping back into her competent-mask like armor. “Because tonight is going to be chaos. And chaos,” she added, reaching for the door, “is very easy to hide in—if you know where to stand.”