chapter 101
Elena's POV:
Marcus pulled away from the curb, and I watched the courthouse shrink in the rearview mirror.
"Tell me everything," I said, my voice coming out steadier than I felt. "About Henry. About what Vivienne did."
Sebastian's jaw tightened.
He'd been holding back during the trial, letting the lawyers handle things, but now I saw that dangerous edge creeping back into his expression.
"The maid she bribed finally broke. "
I looked at him, waiting. Sebastian continued.
"When Lucas was blind, Henry was his primary caretaker—always there, devoted. But there was also a maid who came occasionally to clean. She was there the day Lucas's sight returned."
Sebastian's thumb stroked over my knuckles, a gentle contrast to the ice in his voice. "She witnessed Vivienne and Henry arguing that morning. She couldn't make out the words, but Henry seemed agitated."
My stomach was already turning, knowing where this was headed.
"Later that same day, the maid saw Vivienne near the medicine cabinet. She watched her switch Henry's heart medication with something else."
His voice dropped lower, taking on that dangerous edge I knew too well. "When the maid tried to leave, Vivienne cornered her. Threatened her family, her job, everything she had. Then offered her money—enough to buy silence. "
"So she kept quiet..."
"For years. Until we tracked her down and offered her something Vivienne couldn't." His eyes met mine. "By evening, Henry was dead. "
I felt my teeth clench so hard my jaw ached. Pure, burning hatred coursed through my veins.
Vivienne had stolen my work, my identity, my life. But this? Murder? I'd underestimated just how far she'd go, how little human life meant to her.
"I can't believe she actually..." My voice shook. "She dared to take a human life. "
Sebastian pulled me closer, his arms forming a protective cage around me.
"Listen to me," he said against my hair, his voice low and fierce. "You're never going back to that house. The Sterling house is full of vipers. "
My chest tightened at the thought of Dad still living under that roof, surrounded by people who'd just been exposed as murderers and thieves.
I was about to voice my concerns when my phone buzzed in my purse. The ringtone—I'd set a special one for Dad, an old jazz tune Mom used to hum—made me fumble for it immediately.
"Dad?"
"Sweetheart." His voice was thick with emotion. "I just... I watched the whole thing. The livestream. Elena, I had no idea. The Madame Flower collection, that was yours?"
I closed my eyes, feeling tears threaten. "Yeah, Dad. It was."
"Oh, sweetheart." A shaky breath. "I'm so sorry. All these years, watching her parade around with your work, claiming credit, and I never knew. You were suffering right under my nose, enduring all of that alone, and I..."
His voice cracked. "What kind of father doesn't even know his own daughter is being robbed blind?"
"Dad, don't—"
"No, let me say this. I saw you up there today, saw you fight for what's yours, and I realized how much you must have endured. How much I didn't see, didn't protect you from." His voice cracked. "Your mother would be so ashamed of me."
"You did what you could. "I said firmly, even as my own tears started falling.
Sebastian's arm came around me, pulling me against his chest. I could feel his steady heartbeat through his shirt, grounding me.
"Listen," Dad continued, his voice dropping lower, more urgent. "Don't come to the Sterling house anymore, Elena. It's not safe for you here. "
My grip tightened on the phone. "Dad, then you should leave too. You don't have to stay there."
"Elena—"
"No, listen to me. You could leave the Sterling family. Start fresh somewhere else." I glanced at Sebastian, who was watching me intently. "I've earned some money now, Dad. From my perfume work. I can buy you a small house somewhere else, somewhere safe. You don't have to stay with those people."
Sebastian's hand found mine, squeezing gently in support of my offer.
There was a long pause. When Dad spoke again. "No."
"Dad—"
"Don't worry about me, sweetheart," he cut me off gently but firmly. "I've survived in that house this long, haven't I? I know how to handle Rebecca and her moods. You just focus on yourself, on your baby, on your new life. "
Sebastian's hand moved to my shoulder, rubbing gentle circles in a gesture of comfort.
"I should go," Dad said. "But Elena? I'm proud of you. So damn proud. And I love you."
"Love you too, Dad."
The line went dead. I stared at the phone in my hand, unease curling in my stomach.
The car glided to a stop outside our building, the gentle lurch pulling me from my worried thoughts. Sebastian was already out and rounding to my side before I could even reach for the handle.
He opened the door, offering his hand with that protective care he'd shown ever since learning about the pregnancy.
The moment I stepped out, cold air kissed my face, and I blinked in surprise.
Delicate white flakes drifted down from the grey sky, landing on Sebastian's dark hair and the shoulders of his coat. Snow. The first snow of the season, transforming the city into something softer, quieter.
"Careful," Sebastian murmured, his arm sliding around my waist to steady me on the potentially slippery pavement. "The ground might be getting icy."
"My mom loved snow," I said quietly.
She used to drag Dad and me out for walks whenever it snowed, no matter how cold. She'd spin in circles with her arms out, laughing like a child, while Dad pretended to grumble but smiled the whole time.
Sebastian didn't ask who. He just held me tighter.
"We were supposed to go skiing. The three of us. But Dad could never find the time, and then..." I trailed off. Then everything fell apart.
"When the baby comes," Sebastian said against my hair, "we'll take her skiing. All of us. "
---
Back in the penthouse, I sank into the sofa with a grateful sigh, kicking off my heels.
The warmth inside was a welcome contrast to the snow-chilled air outside. Sebastian disappeared for a moment, returning with a soft cashmere blanket that he tucked around me with practiced care.
"Better?" he asked, adjusting the blanket around my shoulders.
"Perfect." I snuggled deeper into the cushions, already pulling out my phone.
The comfort of home, of safety, of Sebastian's quiet attentiveness—it was exactly what I needed after the chaos of today.
My phone buzzed. A news alert.
BREAKING: Vivienne Sterling Charged with Murder of Henry Ashton
Below it, another:
Madame Flower Creator Elena Ross Vindicated: "Justice Delayed but Not Denied"
And then they started multiplying. Alert after alert, the narrative shifting in real-time.
No longer was I the gold-digging nobody who'd stolen Vivienne's life. Now I was the victim, the real talent, the woman who'd fought back.
"The internet is terrifying," I said when Sebastian joined me. "How quickly they turn. Yesterday, they wanted my head. Today I'm some kind of hero."