Chapter 19 A Lukewarm Reunion
Elena sat at the corner table of the quaint café, her fingers wrapped around the warm cup of coffee, staring blankly out the window.
The chatter of the other customers in the place, as well as the clinking of cups and the hiss of the espresso machine—all of it was background noise to her thoughts.
She felt disconnected from everything around her, as if the world were moving in slow motion while she was trapped inside a bubble of worry and unease.
“Elena! Are you even listening to anything I said?”
Blinking, she shook her head and looked up at her friend, Mandy, who was leaning across the table with her fingers snapping impatiently.
“Yes, I can hear you,” Elena mumbled, forcing a smile.
Mandy rolled her eyes but grinned. “You’ve been so quiet! I thought you called me here because you wanted to talk to me.”
“Of course I wanted to talk to you, Mandy,” Elena replied, her voice softening. “You’ve been out of the country for so long with your modeling career. I’m just happy to see you back.”
Mandy’s eyes softened. “Of course I missed you too, Elena. But I was just surprised to find out you got married while I was away. And I wasn’t even invited to the wedding!”
Elena shifted in her seat and sighed. “It happened all of a sudden. Frankly, I wasn’t even planning it.”
Mandy raised an eyebrow. “I understand, but who is this handsome young man that you could just marry like that?”
Before Elena could respond, Mandy’s voice dropped, serious and a little warning. “Wait… wait. I heard a little rumor, and I have to find out if it's true. I heard he’s the most eligible bachelor in the city. He’s an enigma, and nobody really knows him—where he came from, how he built his wealth. And he’s into all this security stuff, bodyguards, tech. It’s almost unsettling.”
Elena let out a short, tired laugh. “I guess I don’t even know my husband myself. But yes, we are married.”
Mandy leaned back, her face concerned. “Are you okay? Are you sure everything is all right?”
Elena’s hand tightened around her coffee cup. “Yes, sometimes you have to make decisions for the good of everyone,” she said quietly, staring down at the table.
Mandy leaned closer. “But if you’re not happy, there’s always a way out. You don’t have to feel trapped.”
Elena swallowed hard. Her mind went back to her father’s company, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
There wasn't always a choice. And even when there was one, for the first time, she couldn't pick that choice. She was cornered, and she knew it.
She shook her head. “No, this is the only way. And I love being married,” she said, the lie slipping easily from her lips.
Elena couldn’t imagine anything more miserable than being married to Julian, who was a total stranger. But yet the way he treated her, the way he was so attentive, the way he had saved her family, made her feel like she had no choice.
“I think I'll let you rest now; you look tired,” Mandy noted.
“Oh, I've just had a busy day,” Elena gave another lie, hoping Mandy would let it slide.
Mandy’s expression softened again. “How about you come over to the spa sometime? I’ll treat you to a free session, all the bills on me.”
Elena’s eyes brightened just a little. “I guess I could do with a little self-care. I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Perfect! We’ll catch up soon. Do I need to drive you home? You could get some rest.”
Elena shook her head. “No, you don’t have to. It was nice seeing you. I’ll just finish my coffee and head home myself.”
Mandy leaned across the table and kissed her on the cheek. “It was really good reconnecting after all these years.”
Elena smiled, though faintly, watching her friend leave.
The café door swung shut behind Mandy, and suddenly she felt alone again.
Two years ago, Mandy had been traveling, building a career abroad, seeing the world, and now she was back here to meet Elena—married, living in a mansion that felt more like a cage than a home.
She stirred her coffee absentmindedly, her mind wandering to the complexities of her life.
Somewhere out in the parking lot of the café, Julian was waiting for her because he stubbornly insisted on being close to her to keep her safe, and she stubbornly insisted on meeting her old friend.
Meeting with Mandy was supposed to be a distraction from all her life worries. But it wasn't working out well so far.
Elena's life was becoming more like a melodramatic soap opera. She had just found out she was adopted, yes, but had spent years sacrificing for a family that didn’t even belong to her by blood.
Her brother and sister resented her presence, her father had adopted her but kept secrets about her origins, and now she was married to a man she barely understood.
Her biological parents remained a mystery. Who were they? Where were they? Did she even have any claim to that part of herself? The questions gnawed at her as she stared into the dark swirl of her coffee.
She thought about the sacrifices she had made—staying in this marriage for the sake of saving her father’s company, pretending to love a man she barely knew, covering up the bruises from her near-fatal run-in with the thieves.
This was all too much. No matter how sweet and nice her new husband was, she felt totally alone.
She wiped her hand across her forehead and felt a tear slip down her cheek without realizing it.
It was a waitress’s soft voice that brought her back. “Are you alright, Miss? You seem upset. Here, take this,” she said, handing her a neatly folded handkerchief.
Elena blinked, realizing she had been crying. She forced a smile. “Thank you, I'm just on my period, everything’s fine,” she said quickly, dabbing at her eyes.
She excused herself, rising from the table, and headed to the bathroom to wash off the mascara and reapply her makeup before more people noticed.
She splashed water on her face, letting the cool liquid calm her nerves. She leaned over the sink, gripping the edges tightly, trying to shake the heaviness in her chest.
When she lifted her face, she froze.
“You can’t hide, Elena. I knew I would find you again!”
Her heart leapt into her throat as she spun around with wide eyes.
Right there was the last person she wanted to see.
Her ex, Francis.