Elena let out a cold chuckle. “I already stepped aside. Now that you see it’s hopeless, you expect me to convince Sir Whitmore to marry a girl whose name is in ruins? What will he think of me for painting her off on him?”.
Adaline clutched her daughter’s hand in panic. “Elena, I know this is hard, but your sister suffered so much out there. She has only this one wish–please help herl
“Sir Whitmore adores you,” Adaline continued, tears streaming. “If you beg him, he’ll agree. I’m begging you. Llena–your mother is begging you!” She tried to sink to her knees, still gripping Elena’s arm,
Adaline’s ashen face and theatrics were a perfect mirror of her true–born daughter, Annabelle,
Julian, livid, yanked Adaline upright. “Elena Bennett! You’re going today whether you like it or not?”
Elena met his glare, pronouncing each syllable, “Impossible.”
Julian’s eyes bulged in rage; his hand whipped out and struck her across the face.
A ringing filled Elena’s ears, muting all sound. She clutched the sideboard to keep herself upright.
As she pressed a hand to her throbbing ear, the memory of Julian beating her deal years ago overlapped the present.
Warm liquid trickled from the corner of her mouth. She wiped it, opened her palm, and saw blood.
Only after a long moment did any sound seep back into her world.
Julian snarled, “The Bennett family raised you for twenty years, treasured you, educated you–do you think you can ever repay that debt? Not in a lifetime!”
Elena remained silent, truthfully, she no longer had the strength even to open her mouth.
Lawrence Bennett pinched the bridge of his now. “Julian, we must keep today’s incident quiet. If word gets out, Annie’s career is finished,”
“I understand. I’ll handle it. Let’s get to the hospital, Julian replied,
The family hurried out, not sparing Elena a backward glance.
Only after they were gone did Elena allow herself to collapse onto the floor.
Numb, she staggered into the restroom. The swollen cheek and bloody lip reflected in the mirror looked utterly pitiful
A sudden knock sounded at the door.
Elena opened it. Standing outside was Simon Whitmore.
He lifted his gazes his dark eyes turned stormy. “Who hit you?”
Elena Bennett turned her head a fraction, coaxing a loose strand of hair forward until it draped across her cheek, and asked in a low, polite murmur, “Did you need something from me?”
She had no desire for him to witness just how disheveled she was.
He pressed his lips together; even his breathing had grown heavy, the rise and fall of his chest betraying the anger rolling inside him,
Biting hard on his back teeth, Simon Whitmore forced down the dark surge in his heart and said. “I’m here to pick something up.
Elena Bonnett asked in confusion, “is there really anything in my room you need?”
Chapter 74
Simon’s gaze settled on her. “Do you count?“”
Elena swallowed hard. “I’m not. Young Master Whitmore, please don’t joke about me like that.”
A faint tug pulled at Simon’s chest. He walked into the room, retrieved something from the table, and Elena, assuming he had come only to amuse himself at her expense, failed to notice what it was.
“Anything else, Young Master Whitmore?”
Without looking up
from his pho
his phone, Simon settled onto the sola instead of leaving, “In such a hurry to throw me out?”
Elena remained rooted to the spot and said nothing more.
E
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.