Chapter 12 The Detour
“Have all jewelry packed for Mrs. Elena Thorne at once!” the manager commanded the cashier. “Make a refund to the other ladies.”
Then he whipped around and stormed back to his office.
Camille and her mother were so stunned that Elena didn't even have to gloat. The look on their faces was all the satisfaction she could ever need.
“Thank you for your purchase, ma’am,” the store attendant said as she handed the boxes to Elena, and she smiled faintly as she was escorted to the exit.
Elena stepped into her car with a smile she hadn’t realized had settled on her face.
It stayed there as she started the engine, adjusted the mirror, and slowly pulled out of the boutique’s parking lot.
As the car rolled forward, she glanced through the wide glass windows of the store.
Camille and Madam Matilda were still inside.
They stood stiffly near the window, their expressions sharp and frozen, shock still etched across their faces.
Elena didn’t wave; she didn't even smirk.
She simply watched their shocked faces for a second longer, then drove away.
Her phone buzzed in her hand before she’d gone far.
It was her new husband.
She answered immediately. “How did you do that?”
His voice came through calmly. “Hello to you too, Lena. How's your day going?”
"I think you know how my day's going. Now tell me how you did that.”
“Did what?”
She let out a short laugh. “Don’t pretend. I know you're the only one I called about those necklaces and the earrings. Julian, they were expensive. Why would you pay triple the price?”
There was a pause, just long enough for her to hear soft background sounds and voices.
“Anything for my wife,” he said.
Her grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I did,” he replied without hesitation. “Do you need help getting home? I can come pick you up myself.”
She shook her head even though he couldn’t see it. “No. You told me you had an important meeting. Don’t leave it for me. I’ll be fine.”
Another pause. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll have the butler prepare something nice for lunch.”
“Yes,” she said softly. “That would be nice.”
“I'll see you at home,” he said softly, and then the call ended.
Elena lowered the phone and stared ahead.
She didn’t know how to feel.
If she had been shocked by Julian before, now she was stunned. He had promised to save her family from bankruptcy as if it were nothing.
He took her to a penthouse that didn't even look like an actual home but a freaking luxury hotel or fortress of some sort.
Now, he had just bought jewelry worth more than most people’s yearly income without blinking.
How rich is he? she wondered.
The thought unsettled her. And somehow, it reassured her too. Her arranged marriage would yield the result she wanted and truly save her family, adopted or not.
As she drove on her way home, she suddenly saw the road slowly become crowded and then traffic up ahead.
She frowned and tapped the brake gently. This road was usually clear around this time. She leaned forward slightly, peering ahead.
Up the road, orange cones were scattered across the lane, and cars were turning around one by one.
A man jogged toward her vehicle, waving his arm.
She rolled down her window partway. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said, slightly out of breath. “There’s a roadblock ahead. Construction work.”
She glanced past him. “This is the only road back to my house.”
“There’s a diversion,” he said quickly. “Just take a right here, then a left at the next junction. It’ll reconnect you.”
She hesitated. “I’m not familiar with that route.”
“It’s short,” he assured her. “You’ll be back on the main road in no time.”
She looked at the cars ahead again. More were already turning back.
“Alright, thank you,” she said reluctantly.
She reversed slowly, turned as instructed, and drove off.
Almost immediately, the streets changed as she cut through the quiet alley.
The buildings grew farther apart and slowly, the road narrowed until there were fewer cars and fewer people.
It was a long way home, but it was definitely better than getting stuck in traffic.
Elena adjusted her rearview mirror without thinking.
And froze.
A green van sat behind her, and she could recall the same van from earlier when she first left the traffic.
She told herself not to panic.
It’s probably just another driver redirected like you.
She took the next turn to the left, but surprisingly, the van followed.
Her fingers tightened around the wheel as she inhaled slowly and drove on. Another left came up. She took it.
The van followed again.
Her heart began to pound.
“That’s not right,” she whispered.
She checked the mirror again and noticed that the van maintained the same distance.
When she slowed down, she saw the van move slowly to the left, as if trying to avoid her line of sight.
Elena looked back and tried to make out the driver's face. But she could see that they had a baseball cap on.
Just as she was about to avert her gaze and speed off, she saw the driver lift his face, and a pair of cold eyes stared right back at her.
Her breathing quickened. “No. No, no.”
She reached for her phone, her hands starting to shake. Her thumb hovered over her father’s name, but she hesitated.
Maybe you’re imagining it.
Then she felt the impact come out of nowhere.
A violent jolt slammed her forward as something crashed into the back of her car.
Elena screamed as her phone flew from her hand.
Before she could recover, before she could even press the accelerator, she saw movement ahead as a blue van approached.
It was coming straight toward her.
Her eyes widened. “No!”
The second impact was worse than the first as both cars slammed into her at once.