Chapter 67 The Restart
Elena was gasping as she got to the hallway.
Julian was so heavy that his weight was almost crushing her petite frame. She looked down at his cold, unmoving face one last time.
She had the Project Angel files in her hand, her finger hovering over his neck, but her heart failed her.
She didn't know if being stubborn would save him or kill him. She didn't know if she was looking at a man or a machine.
She was still contemplating when the sounds of footfalls got closer and the elevator doors opened again, this time, it was her father’s security team.
"Fine," Elena whispered, her voice breaking as the men entered the room.
“The master asks you one last time. Are you coming or not?"
"I'll go. Just... just help him."
The men picked Julian up with much difficulty and hurled him over their shoulders into the elevator.
Elena followed, looking at his unconscious form as they descended and finally stepped into the parking lot.
"Where's Mandy?” Elena asked worriedly, "where's my best friend?”
But Marcus just looked at her with a bored expression. "You don't have any friends, Elena. But if you're talking about the chatty little girl I met here, then she's been escorted to another motel. She's safe.”
Elena nodded and watched them carry Julian to the car.
Marcus didn't offer a hand. He watched as two large men in black suits lifted Julian’s limp body from the floor. They didn't use a stretcher. They carried him like a piece of furniture, his arms dangling and his head lolling back.
"Treat him like he’s human!" Elena screamed, rushing toward them. "He’s a person! Stop dragging him!"
Marcus stepped in her way, a cold, mocking laugh bubbling in his chest. "Human? Are you so sure of that, Elena?"
Before she could demand an answer, he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the car, shoved her into the back seat of the armored limousine, and climbed in beside her.
"Drive," Marcus commanded.
The ride back to the Vance estate was a nightmare.
Eva kept staring at her with a mocking smile but thankfully, she said nothing.
Elena sat against the far door, staring out the window, while Julian’s body was stowed in the trunk like luggage.
She felt sick. She felt like she had sold her soul back to the devil just to keep a ghost breathing.
When they finally arrived at the estate, the atmosphere was nearly suffocating Elena.
Marcus flung the door open and led her inside, his grip on her arm firm. He didn't head toward the bedrooms, instead he walked straight toward the library.
"Come to the study," Marcus said. "We need to have a discussion. Father to daughter."
"I want to see Julian," Elena snapped, pulling away. "Fix him. Whatever virus or disease you put in him, take it out. He’s not breathing right."
Marcus turned, leaning against the heavy oak door of the study.
He laughed again, that sound that made Elena’s skin crawl. "You really know nothing about your own husband, do you? You think it's a virus? You think it's that simple?"
"Just make him okay!"
"We will take care of Julian later," Marcus said, his voice turning cold. "But right now, you will listen to me. If you keep disturbing me, I will leave you with a dead man. Is that what you want? To be a widow before the merger is finalized?"
Elena went cold.
She followed him into the room and sat in the chair across from his desk.
"You will stay married to him," Marcus said, sitting down and lighting a cigar. "For the next three years, you will be the perfect, loyal wife. No more running. No more of such stunts you pulled in Savannah and no more police."
"Why, Dad?" Elena asked, her voice trembling with rage. "You know he’s been lying to me. You’ve been lying to me. Everything is a fake."
"Stop being emotional and listen to me," Marcus barked, slamming his hand on the desk. "I am your father."
"No, you aren't," Elena said, standing up. "You adopted me. You lied to me my whole life about who I was. You kept me as a worker and a servant to serve your wayward children who couldn't work!"
Marcus didn't even flinch.
He leaned back in his leather chair and blew a cloud of smoke toward the ceiling. "And what difference does that make? If anything, it should make you respect me more. I took you from literally nowhere, Elena. I gave you a life when you would have been abandoned in some poverty-stricken orphanage in the south of nowhere. I made you rich. I gave you a name that people fear."
Elena began to cry as she felt the pain of her father's betrayal. Or at least the man she always believed was her father. “All I wanted was for you to love me. I did everything right."
But Marcus didn't show an ounce of emotion. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a silk handkerchief, and threw it at her face.
"Wipe those ugly tears, Elena," he said, his voice disgusted. "You’ve never been pretty when you cry. Now, listen. You signed a contract and you are bound to that man. He is here to protect you, and he will not hurt you. No matter what you see, no matter what you think you know, Julian will never hurt you."
"How can I trust that?" Elena sobbed. "I told you he brought a strange woman to the house. There’s a hospital under our home! He’s a dead man with a whole past life he lied about ! How am I supposed to be a 'good little wife' to that?"
Marcus leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Listen to me, little girl. I was here long before you were born, and I know exactly what I am saying. Julian will never hurt you. He can’t. Now, you can go back home and be a good wife, or you can keep being stubborn and face the repercussions. And I promise you, the repercussions are much worse than a dead husband."
Elena felt trapped.
She looked at her father and realized she was a prisoner in his world. But she also realized that she was in danger. Holland’s men were still out there. Mandy was somewhere in the city, terrified. Without Julian, she was defenseless.
"Fine," Elena said, her voice hollow. "I will do it. I’ll keep up the act. Even though I know you’re both using me and I know every word out of your mouth is a lie."
Marcus waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, whatever. Enough with the emotional blackmail bullshit. What I want you to do is put your wedding ring back on and go back to your house tomorrow morning. You can come up with some dramatic story for the press. Tell them he was unfaithful, or he was cheating, or something equally silly. Couples do it all the time. Find a reason for the mess in Savannah, but know this, you will not leave that marriage. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Father," Elena said, her spirit feeling crushed.
"Good. Now go to the guest bedroom and sleep. Tomorrow, you leave with your husband."
Elena walked toward the door, but she stopped with her hand on the handle. "What did you do to him? Is he okay? Can I see him?"
Marcus smirked. He looked at her with a glint of amusement in his eyes. "For someone you claim not to love, it’s quite amusing how much you care about him. Let’s just say your husband is rebooting right now and he’ll be ready in the morning. Get some sleep, Lena. You need it."