Chapter 51
The slam of the restroom door echoed behind him, but Elias barely registered it. He stood frozen at the entrance of the restroom, every muscle locked, his jaw clenched so hard it ached. The sight in front of him had cut deeper than anyone could have imagined. Jace, the man who was supposed to be his, pinned against the sink while Aiden was on his knees with his mouth wrapped around him.
For a moment, Elias could not breathe. His chest felt too tight, too heavy, like someone had shoved a fist through his ribs and twisted. He was not the type to crumble....was not the type to bleed where people could see either but the raw sting of betrayal seared through him.
Jace’s wide panicked eyes found him immediately. Their gazes collided. Jace’s lips parted, as though he was trying to explain. Elias turned away, jace seemed to have moved, pushing forward, desperate to follow him.
But Aiden’s hand shot out, stopping him. Elias caught it in the corner of his vision...the way Aiden leaned close, whispering something to Jace....
That was the breaking point for him.
Elias throat became tight, the burn behind his eyes fierce and unrelenting. He continued to move and did not stop. Elias had never felt this way before in his life.
~
For days, Jace tried everything. He sent texts until his thumbs ached, one after another,desperate, pleading, sometimes even angry, sometimes begging. His inbox was a graveyard of messages without replies from Elias.
Elias, please. I need to explain.....
It wasn’t what it looked like.....
Don’t shut me out please......
I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry.....
He had stopped counting after the hundredth. By now, it had to be over a thousand. Each message sat there, unread. Or maybe Elias read them and chose silence anyway. The thought twisted like barbed wire in Jace’s chest.
Jace couldn’t breathe without thinking of that moment. He hated himself for letting it happen. But more than anything, he hated the silence. Elias shutting him out hurt worse.
Jace told himself that how elias felt should not matter. That Elias was only a piece in his bigger plan. A pawn he was meant to use and discard anyway.
But then... why did his stomach twist every time he pictured Elias’s expression?
Why did his chest tighten every time his phone buzzed, only to find it was not him?
Why did the guilt eat so much at him?
He sat at his desk, work spread in front of him, though none of it registered. His phone lay beside his hand. He picked it up. Typed another message..... maybe the last one.
Elias, please. I did not want that. I am so sorry. I only want you.
He sent it before he could second-guess himself. Then, exhausted, he tossed his phone onto the desk and buried himself in the work he had been neglecting. He tried to drown himself in them and drown the guilt he was feeling.
A buzz. His heart leapt. He grabbed his phone swiftly.
A system update notification.
His throat tightened, and he let out a hiss and he shoved the phone aside. He exhaled hard trying to steady himself. But all he could think about was Elias and how badly he wanted him back.
~
That night, Jace stumbled into his tiny apartment, drained. His body was heavy, his mind wrung dry. He dropped onto the bed, his phone lighting up again.
Another notification.
He almost ignored it. Another useless update, probably. But something in him made him check.
And this time, his heart stopped.
Get dressed. My driver will pick you up by 9 PM. – E
Jace sat there, staring at the message. His pulse thundered. He scrambled up, nearly tripping over himself, and hurried to change.
~
The driver took jace to a private rooftop restaurant, lit by soft lanterns and the golden glow of the city skyline. Elias was already there, dressed sharply, a glass of wine untouched in front of him.
When Jace approached, Elias’s eyes lifted. For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then Elias exhaled slowly.
“I’ve had time to think,” Elias said, his voice low and even. “And I’ve realized something. If you even looked at another man, if you let yourself be touched… then maybe I did not make you feel secure enough in this relationship we have... That’s on me.”
Jace’s breath caught. “Elias... no. That’s not true. You don’t know how much I—”
But Elias raised a hand, silencing him gently. His gaze softened, though the steel never fully left. “I don’t want to lose you, Jace... I miss you. And I want this... us.... to work.”
Jace’s chest ached. He had never seen Elias like this.
He leaned forward, voice trembling. “I’m so sorry, elias. I should have stopped him... I should not have let it get this far. I don’t want him elias. I only want you.... I’ll prove it. Just… give me another chance.”
Elias’s lips curved faintly. “That’s all I needed to hear.”
~
The food arrived. Jace blinked at the sight of the dishes gourmet, elegantly plated with precision.
“I took the liberty of ordering ahead,” Elias said casually, his voice smooth.
Jace managed a small smile, shaking his head faintly. “I don’t mind.”
Elias’s lips curved just slightly. “Good. I knew you’d say that.”
Then they began to eat, the clink of silverware a quiet backdrop to their conversation.
But somewhere between the main course and the half-finished glass of wine, something shifted.
Jace blinked slowly, his fork heavy in his hand. His vision wavered for a fraction of a second before sharpening again. He pushed a breath through his nose, straightening in his seat. Long days at Crane Corp weren’t new exhaustion had become part of his daily routine now. He tried harder to fight the exhaustion.
His eyes dragged to Elias across the table. Elias was calm... too calm. His expression smooth as glass.
“Elias…” Jace’s voice cracked, softer than he intended. He pressed a hand against the edge of the table, trying to steady himself as the weight in his body grew unbearable. His chest heaved as he tried to form the words, fear threading through the haze.
“Did you…?” His throat was dry, but before the words could fully leave him, his body gave out.