Chapter 6 Mr Vance!

Chapter 6 Mr Vance!
ELARA

My back hit the table edge and I fell to the floor in pain. Damon got up, his hands tightening around his glass.

“Why are you touching my fiancée, Aiden?”

But Aiden didn’t answer. His eyes stayed on me. He wasn’t angry, just neutral.

I looked more embarrassed.

“Are you okay, dear?” the Matriarch called out. I nodded, but deep down I was losing it.

I got up and a cousin made a remark.

“A tennis player with asthma? I don’t bet anything on her, Damon. I hope you’re making the right choice.”

“Let’s reschedule this introduction to tomorrow. I’m exhausted.” The Matriarch announced and with that, they all dispersed one by one.

Damon didn’t say a word to me but led me out, fuming with unsaid anger.

“You embarrassed me tonight,” he said in the hallway.

“Get your act together if you want this sponsorship. They can’t know it’s a contract marriage and you, be the perfect wife. I’ve seen you play and whatever Aiden sets his eyes on is perfect.”

This time I looked at him and realized what was going on.

Aiden had wanted to sponsor me, but Damon played smarter and contacted the organisation before him.

“If you don’t be the perfect girl, I would withdraw my sponsorship and you know what happens to girls like you.”

He threatened and walked away.

For some minutes, I stood left alone in the halls, hoping I had made the right decision.

“Why did you do it?” A chill voice questioned.

“Were you that desperate?”

I turned and met Aiden, standing in the dark corner.

I didn’t know how long he had been there, but I felt uncomfortable immediately. How did he know I would have an asthma attack? My inhaler, how did he get it?

Like he knew my thoughts, he handed it to me.

“Picked it up after the dog incident.”

I nodded, taking it from his hands. Our fingers brushed and I pulled back faster.

“Careful, you may fall again.”

Embarrassment washed up my face at his words.

“Don’t marry Damon. If you want to live and become a tennis prodigy, do everything not to marry Damon.”

"Just listen to me." He pleaded and I couldn't understand what was happening now.

Aiden Blackthorne, this was unlike you. You didn't care. The first time we met, you didn’t care about me. You were a cold monster. Why are you suddenly interested in me?

The question lingered in me as we stared at each other, not breaking contact.

Control. Aiden wanted control, and I wouldn’t give that to him.

“Why are you invested in my life? What do you want from me?”

He didn’t flinch and just spoke.

“I want you.”

“Don’t marry Damon, Elara.”

With that he turned and left.

When I got into the room, I saw Aria sprawled out on my bed.

I gently carried her to her room, which was next to mine. But she wouldn’t let go of my hand.

“Sleep with me,” she requested.

“I can’t do that. I’m not your mummy, nor your nanny. Go to bed, Aria.”

I felt uncomfortable doing that, but It needs to be for a reason.

“But you’re my mummy. Dad said you’d be my mummy.”

“I’m not your mummy, Aria, and I’m not going to marry your daddy. Go to sleep, angel,” I cooed, stroking her hair.

Tomorrow was a long day for me. I could predict what would happen.

I leaned forward and pressed my elbows on my knees.

The sponsor meeting, performance assessment with the Blackthornes present. I was excited and at the same time troubled.

Aiden was different this time, too different. I wasn’t going to marry Damon. I wouldn’t. Neither would I be with Aiden. He was my nemesis.

But I needed a strategy. I was in this alone.


When I woke up the next day, the sun was already up and Aria wasn’t in bed. I had dozed off and slept here, still in the dinner gown.

I sluggishly had my bath and changed into something more suitable from my bags.

Aria wasn’t in the room, so I guessed it was time for the Blackthorne's breakfast. The Matriarch had specific weeks where the family would come and bond together. She did this to try and keep them together, but they still kept falling apart.

I sluggishly walked to the dining area. This time it was in the house garden.

And once again, all eyes turned on me as I stepped in, but this time it was more of disgust.

Damon didn’t even look at me.

He only glanced once, then deliberately looked away.

I kept walking towards them anyway and then someone scoffed. It was the same thing.

This family had never liked me in my past life. Even with my fame, they didn’t want anything to do with me, to them I was a gold digger.

I looked up at Aiden’s seat and beside him sat a familiar lady. Once our eyes met, I felt a sharp headache. She smiled at me, but I didn't return the gesture.

She looked too familiar,but yet I didn't know who she was.

I pushed down every thought and reached for the chair near the end of the table when the woman from last night’s voice sliced through the air.

“Oh my,” she said lightly, dabbing her lips with a napkin. “Is that what you’re wearing for breakfast?”

I paused but didn’t react. Everyone was quiet and listened to her speak.

“Damon,” she continued, “you really should brief your… guests about dress code.”

I didn’t expect anything from Damon, he was too of a weakling. She tilted her head at me.

“It looks like you borrowed this from the help.”

There was a little laughter this time.

“Or you borrowed from the orphanage donation box,” the cousin from yesterday muttered.

My fingers curled against my palm. I had been called worse, a street rat, a charity case, a leftover kid, but words didn’t kill. Cars and people did. I knew that for sure.

But still, for some reason heat crawled up my neck. I was embarrassed.

“I don’t know what Damon sees in weak sportswomen. Son, open your eyes.”

A man across from her snorted into his glass. The snort pissed me off more than the other statement and I said, calmly, surprising myself,

“If the food still tastes the same, I don’t think the dress matters.”

The table went quiet for half a second.

Then another laugh followed.

“Feisty,” the woman said. “How adorable.”

Before I could reply, a chair scraped loudly against the floor. Everyone turned. It was Aiden and he wasn’t amused like the others. He looked tired and irritated.

“If you’re done,” he said, voice low and steady, “can we eat?”

No one answered.

He glanced around the table.

“This is breakfast. Not a fashion trial.”

“She’s Damon’s fiancée. That should be enough.”

I stared at Aiden, but he wasn’t looking back at me and my eyes met with the familiar woman. She flashed me a smile again.

While staring at her, something felt wrong. Like she had harmed me before, but I couldn’t remember.

We ate in silence, not saying a word to each other.

“We would be getting married in three weeks,” Damon announced and kept eating.

“You’re not getting married to her,” Aiden countered and all eyes turned to the brothers.

“And who are you to say that?” Damon replied, rising to his feet. But Aiden didn’t say a word back to him.

“Answer me, Aiden.”

Damon yelled, banging his fist on the table. He didn’t bother or care about his young child who watched everything.

My face held guilt but my heart screamed with excitement as the brothers fought themselves.

Soon, I felt a strong grip on my hand from Damon and this act triggered Aiden.

“Let her go, Damon,” Aiden said coolly. You could hint tiredness in his voice, but Damon’s hold on me tightened.

“I won’t. What’s so special about an orphan girl? What do you want from her?”

By this time, the family was tense and the Matriarch was wheeled to her room to avoid seeing this unfold.

“Let me go, Damon,” I pleaded, but his grip only got stronger. I looked at Aiden, begging for help.

Damon was overreacting. I had signed a contract to marry him and he would be my sponsor, so Aiden’s threats should mean nothing to him, unless he was hiding something.

“Damon, can we eat? I will marry you." I blurted out.

The only way to win the brothers was to put them at loggerheads with themselves.

Everything seemed to be happening too fast, but I would stop that.

We went back to having breakfast with Aiden not eating as always when I heard a rustle outside the hallway.

A man stepped in and smile lit my face.

It was my father and original sponsor, Vance. The man who had adopted me.

For the first time since I woke up, I felt emotions.

And by him stood Ivy and my coach. My
heart skipped on seeing him stand before me alive.
His lifeless body from my past flashed before my eyes.

"I have come to take my daughter, Damon, please release her to me.” He said and I nodded knowing who was behind this, a man who doesn't take no for an answer. Aiden.