Chapter 82

Chapter 82
Chapter82

Elena's black car drove smoothly through the dark night. Beside her, Nathan sat in silence, occasionally glancing at Elena, who seemed to be seriously staring at her cell phone screen.

"I thought you'd be relieved after Nuno was arrested," Nathan muttered at last.

Elena didn't answer immediately. She opened her contact list and selected a name labeled "Only If Desperate."

"You know I'm never really relieved before the game is over," she said quietly. "Nuno is just the surface. We haven't touched the mastermind yet."

She pressed the call button.

The connection was made.

A deep, heavy voice greeted her from the other side.

"Hello, Queen Elena."

"I need your help," she said quickly. "Starting tonight, I need you to monitor Isabella Lancaster. Discreetly, without making her suspicious. Where she goes, who she meets, even if she's just shopping—report it to me."

The detective paused for a moment before replying, "Does that mean I have to watch her 24 hours a day?"

"Yes, of course. But don’t let her get suspicious. I also want you to find out one more thing."

"What's that?"

"How the Lancaster Group can stand again without my investment. I'm sure there's something hidden behind all this."

"Copies of documents? Contracts? Bank transactions?"

"Everything you can find. I need proof."

"Okay," said the voice on the other side. "You'll get my first report tomorrow night."

The connection was disconnected. Elena put the phone in her lap and leaned back, taking a deep breath.

Nathan glanced at her.

"Are you sure this isn't going too far?"

Elena stared out the window, seeing her reflection in the glass.

"I can't just stay silent, Nathan. Isabella almost destroyed my good name, ruined my life, and—" Elena turned her head, looking at Nathan, "—I want her to feel what I felt."

Nathan nodded, then said quietly, "I see. So you still need Nuno?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah. We'll put him in a cell for now. But one day... I'll go to him again."

"Do you trust him to help you?"

Elena smiled wryly. "Nuno is like a virus. If you know how to control him, he can actually be your best weapon."

They were silent for a moment. The car continued to drive through the night.

In the distance, tall buildings came into view.

Elena looked at them like she was looking at a battlefield.

"This is just the beginning, Nathan. I don't just want to clear my name. I want to get back everything they took from me," she said coldly.

Nathan looked at her with conviction. "This storm will pass. And I'll always be there for you."

Elena turned her head, giving Nathan a long look.

"Thank you, Nathan," Elena said.

Nathan glanced at her for a moment. Then he looked at the road again, though his mind wasn't really focused. There was something he had been suppressing, and now it felt like it was rushing out of his throat.

"Elena," he murmured softly.

"Hmm?"

"Should we... well, I mean, our relationship..."

Elena frowned, turning to him. "What should we do?"

Nathan sighed softly, his hands clasping his own knees.

"We've been through a lot, Elena. You know how I feel about you. I mean it. And I don't want to keep touching you—continuing to be by your side—without a true bond."

Elena paused, her eyes staring intently at Nathan.

"Nathan, are you talking about marriage?"

Nathan nodded slowly. His face remained calm, but there was a nervousness that couldn't be hidden behind his tone of voice.

"I know the timing might be off. But I thought, if we can trust each other this much, why don't we just formalize our relationship? Let me have the right—not just as a friend or coworker—but as someone who actually stands by you. Legally and according to our beliefs."

Elena looked away, staring out the window. For a long time. Silence hung between them.

Nathan said no more. He didn't want to push. But his chest was beating wildly, waiting for an answer.

"Elena?"

She slowly turned around, her face not showing a smile, but there was tenderness there.

"You know, I never believed in the concept of marriage. To me, it's just an overused symbol to cover up lies."

Nathan looked down slowly, nodding. "Yeah, I know."

"But you're not like the others," Elena continued quietly. "And honestly... I'm tired of building fortresses. Every day I have to pretend I'm strong and patient."

Nathan looked at her, hope rekindled.

"Elena..."

Elena touched Nathan's fingers on her lap.

"If you're really ready... I'm ready too. We'll go to the registry office tomorrow."

Nathan looked at her with wide eyes. "Seriously?"

Elena gave him a small smile. "Seriously. After careful consideration, I think we should get married first. We should formalize our relationship legally."

Nathan laughed softly. In a spontaneous movement, he pulled Elena into his arms, holding her tightly as if he didn’t want to let go.

"God, you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this moment," he whispered in Elena’s ear.

Elena laughed softly, then pushed Nathan’s face back a little.

"Hm?"

Nathan looked into her eyes, then gently kissed her lips.

Their embrace was like a promise that didn’t need to be said in words.

After a few seconds, Nathan broke the kiss, looking at Elena with a face that seemed to have just been given life.

"Elena, or soon you’ll be Mrs. Drake Sebastian," he teased.

Elena pinched his arm lightly. "You think I’d take your last name?"

Nathan laughed. "Okay, okay. Whatever you want, Mrs. Queen."

Elena laughed too, more freely this time. "But do we need to have a wedding party?"

Nathan nodded. "Of course. But after you’ve gotten your revenge on the Lancasters..."

They were silent again, but the silence was now warm.

The car began to enter the exclusive residential area where Elena lived. The streetlights shone on their smiling faces.

Elena leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes briefly.

"Tomorrow, we start a new life. But today... let me be a vengeful woman first, okay?"

Nathan smiled. "That's fine. But starting tomorrow, I'll make sure you know what it’s like to be loved unconditionally."

Elena opened her eyes, then turned her head. Their gazes met onc
e more.

"But, I’ve already given birth to four children. Can I give birth to a fifth child as a descendant of the Sebastian family?"

Continued...