Chapter 113 up
“—Elara?”
The voice called from behind just as Elara stepped out of the consultation room. She turned on instinct. A woman stood a few steps away, wearing a simple cream coat, her hair neatly styled, her face carrying a gentle expression that was almost perfect—too perfect for a chance encounter.
“Selena,” Elara said quietly, her brow creasing. “What do you want?”
Selena offered a faint smile and approached with careful steps, as if afraid of startling her. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I just… wanted to make sure you’re all right.”
Elara straightened her back. Her hand moved reflexively to her abdomen—a small gesture that did not escape Selena’s notice. “I’m fine,” she replied shortly.
“I heard about your pregnancy,” Selena continued softly. “Congratulations.”
The word was spoken with precise restraint—warm enough to sound sincere, gentle enough to feel intimate. Elara gave a brief nod. She didn’t smile, but she didn’t reject it either.
“Thank you,” she said flatly.
Selena tilted her head, studying Elara with eyes full of sympathy. “A first pregnancy is never easy,” she said. “Especially under… pressure.”
Elara looked at her more closely this time. There was something in the way Selena chose her words—too deliberate, as though every sentence had been carefully weighed.
“What pressure?” Elara asked.
Selena smiled faintly. “Being the wife of someone like Clark is never simple.”
The name slipped from Selena’s lips effortlessly, without hesitation or weight. Elara felt her chest tighten. “If you came here just to talk about my husband, I don’t think we need small talk.”
Selena raised her hands slightly in a placating gesture. “I didn’t come to attack you. Quite the opposite.”
She stepped closer, then stopped at a respectful distance. “I know many people look at me with suspicion,” she said quietly. “And perhaps you do too. But today, I’m here as one woman to another.”
Elara let out a soft scoff. “That’s usually the line before the knife goes in.”
Selena laughed lightly, unoffended. “I understand why you’d think that.”
Her gaze flicked once more to Elara’s belly. “I truly care. Especially because I know… this pregnancy came at a difficult time.”
Elara’s jaw tightened. “You don’t know anything about my life.”
“That’s true,” Selena nodded. “Which is why I’m not judging.”
They fell silent for a few seconds. The corridor felt too narrow, too quiet. Elara felt the conversation should end now—yet her feet refused to move.
“What do you actually want, Selena?” she asked at last.
Selena took a breath, then spoke in a lower tone. “I don’t want you to be alone.”
Elara gave a bitter laugh. “I have a husband.”
Selena looked at her steadily. “That doesn’t always mean you’re accompanied.”
The words struck true. Elara didn’t deny it. She only turned her face away, staring at the window at the end of the hallway.
“I saw you leave the consultation room alone,” Selena continued gently. “Clark wasn’t with you.”
Elara clenched her fists. “That’s our business.”
“Of course,” Selena replied quickly. “I’m sorry if I crossed a line.”
She paused, then added, “I just want to make sure you’re not blaming yourself.”
Elara snapped her head back toward her. “Blaming myself for what?”
Selena hesitated—a hesitation that looked natural, almost fragile. “For things that aren’t your fault.”
The words sent a strange tremor through Elara’s chest. She remembered Clark’s silence. His averted gaze. Answers that were never complete.
“What do you mean?” Elara asked, her voice softer now.
Selena lowered her eyes briefly, then looked up again. “Elara,” she said carefully, “before you became pregnant… did Clark ever talk about inheritance?”
The question caught Elara’s breath mid-inhale. “Why are you asking that?”
“Because I know how important a child’s position is in a family like Clark’s,” Selena answered. “And I know how painful it is for a mother to have to question her own child’s place.”
Elara stared at her, her heart beating faster. “You know too much.”
Selena smiled faintly. “I only know what has happened before.”
Elara shook her head. “I’m not interested in gossip.”
“This isn’t gossip,” Selena said softly, but firmly. “It’s about a truth that was never fully told.”
Elara wanted to cut the conversation short. She wanted to leave. Yet her body remained rooted, as if something unseen held her there.
Selena took one step closer, her voice now almost a whisper. “You know, don’t you…”
Elara looked at her warily.
“…Clark once had an heir he kept hidden.”
The sentence fell slowly, but its impact was brutal.
Elara felt the world around her constrict. The sound of footsteps in the distance vanished. The air grew heavier.
“What are you saying?” Her voice was barely audible.
Selena didn’t repeat it. She only looked at Elara with eyes full of empathy—or something that closely resembled it.
“Not a child born of this marriage,” Selena continued quietly. “And not something he’s proud to talk about.”
Elara shook her head quickly. “That’s not true.”
Selena nodded gently. “I know you want to believe that.”
Elara swallowed hard. “Clark would never—”
“Never lie?” Selena interrupted softly. “Or never hide something to protect his image?”
Elara fell silent. Clark’s words echoed in her mind: Not everything from the past can be opened right now.
“You don’t have any proof,” Elara said, trying to steady herself.
Selena smiled faintly. “I didn’t come with proof. I came with a warning.”
“Why?” Elara asked, her voice beginning to tremble. “Why do you care?”
Selena looked at her for a long moment before answering. “Because I’ve been in the same position.”
The words jolted Elara. “What do you mean?”
Selena didn’t explain. She only said, “Women are often the easiest place for men to hide their secrets.”
Elara wrapped her arms around her belly more tightly. The poison worked slowly, seeping into every corner of her thoughts.
“If that’s true,” Elara whispered, “why am I only hearing about it now?”
“Because the truth usually surfaces when someone feels threatened,” Selena replied calmly. “And your pregnancy… changes many things.”
Elara looked at Selena with glassy eyes. “You want me to believe my child is in danger?”
Selena shook her head. “No. I want you to be prepared.”
Silence fell between them again. Elara felt her heartbeat stumble, uneven. Every doubt that had once been vague now had a shape.
“I’m not asking you to believe me,” Selena went on. “I just don’t want you to be blind.”
Elara took a deep breath. “You’re cruel.”
Selena smiled slightly, without pride. “I’m honest.”
Elara stared at her for a long moment, then said coldly, “If you think you can tear my marriage apart—”
“I don’t need to tear it apart,” Selena cut in softly. “The cracks are already there.”
The words were like fire poured onto oil. Elara turned away, ready to leave.
“Take care of yourself, Elara,” Selena called after her. “And protect your child.”
Elara stopped for a moment without turning back. Her hands trembled.
“There are many things Clark hasn’t told you,” Selena added. “And you won’t like all of them.”
Elara walked away without replying. But every step felt heavier than the last.
That sentence—Clark once had an heir he kept hidden—kept echoing in her mind.
Embedded. Taking root.
Like a small flame that had just been lit… and had no intention of going out.