Chapter 30 Spineless
Just as Elena heard his voice, she froze, her entire body vibrating.
“Don't get out that door!" He snapped.
Elena turned her back against the door. "What now?"
Francis was holding one of the bills from the envelope up to the light and then he began to laugh. "You really thought you could play me, El?”
“I'm here, Francis, and I gave you what you asked, what more do you want?"
"You call this cash? It’s prop money! This is for motion picture use only."
Elena’s blood ran cold. "What? No, that’s impossible, I—"
But he wasn't done, he grabbed her neck and leaned closer, making her heart race.
"And this?" He reached out, his fingers hooking into the delicate gold chain around her neck.
"Francis, stop!"
With a violent jerk, he snapped the chain off her neck.
He held the small, heart-shaped pendant in his palm. He turned it over, revealing a tiny, pin-sized hole in the center of the gold.
"A micro-recorder," he sneered, his face twisted in rage. "And a lens. You were recording me?"
Elena’s breath hitched.
She'd been caught.
Before she could move, he yanked her back and slammed the door shut.
"You bitch!" Francis yelled, tossing the pendant across the room. "You thought you could trap me with these?"
He lunged for her, his hands grabbing her shoulders. "I was going to be nice, Elena. I really was. But now? I’m going to ruin you.”
Elena stood paralyzed for a second, her chest heaving, her fingers instinctively flying to the bare skin of her neck where the necklace had been ripped away.
“I'm sorry," she gasped.
"You really thought you were smarter than me?" Francis sneered as he stepped forward, closing the gap between them.
“I didn't know about the money," she begged, tears almost falling down her chin.
"You think because you married a man with a big bank account, you suddenly have a spine? You’re still the same little girl I used to play like a violin."
"Give it back, Francis," Elena whispered, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep it steady. "I'll replace it with real money, I promise."
"Oh, I know exactly what you're doing." He reached out, his hand moving slowly as he gripped her wrist.
He didn't pull her back into the room; he just held her there, looming over her. "You want to play games? Let’s play. You’re going to give me every piece of gold you’ve got on you right now. Consider it a down payment for my bruised ego."
"I... I gave you the money," she stammered.
"You gave me paper scraps!" he roared, his grip tightening until she winced. "The jewelry, Elena. Now. Or I don’t even wait for the blog cycle. I’ll send the first clip to Julian’s personal email before you even hit the lobby. Imagine that. Your 'perfect' husband watching his 'perfect' wife in the arms of a man who actually knows how to satisfy her."
The threat hit her hard and she shivered at the thought of Julian, with his cold eyes, seeing her at her most vulnerable, captured by a man as vile as Francis. The thought alone made her feel physically ill.
With trembling hands, Elena reached for her ears, unhooking the diamond studs Julian had gifted her just days ago.
Next came the gold bracelet and she slid it into Francis outstretched palm.
"Everything," he demanded.
She fumbled with the rings on her right hand, sliding off a vintage gold band and a ruby ring.
She had no idea if Julian would also notice that all her jewelry were gone. What would he think? Would he obsessively try to get the truth off her?
When she was done, her hands felt strangely light and naked.
Francis looked down at his hands, a satisfied smirk returning to his lips. "Better. But don't think this buys you a way out. You have forty-eight hours, Elena. Forty-eight hours to bring me five hundred thousand in real, spendable cash. No more tricks and no more toy cameras."
"Five hundred what?!” She snapped.
It wasn't supposed to mean much. But right now, when her family was bankrupt and struggling out of debt, it sounded like the entire world.
"Did I stutter, Elena?” He hissed menacingly.
Elena stepped back, terrified. “It's too much."
"You think it's too much for me? Isn't that how much we used to spend on one trip?”
“Not anymore. My family is in debt."
“Who cares?! Your husband is also a billionaire!"
"I can't get that much money that fast," she gasped. "Julian tracks everything."
"Then find a way. You’re a Vance, aren't you? Steal it from the company. Pull it out of your husband’s safe, I don't care." He leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. "If I don't have the money by Friday night, I'm sending every secret I have on you, including the ones you haven't even told Julian yet, straight to his desk. I’ll ruin your life, Elena. I’ll make sure the only place you have to go is back to the gutter where your family found you."
He shoved her away then, the force of it sending her stumbling back toward the elevator bank. "Now get out of my sight. You smell like desperation."
Elena didn't look back. She scrambled to get feet and picked up her now empty wallet, racing toward the elevators.
As soon as she got in, she hit the 'down' button repeatedly as if the plastic would move faster because of her panic.
When the doors finally slid open, she practically fell inside, pressing the button for the lobby and collapsing against the mirrored wall.
She looked like a woman who had just survived a wreck.
The elevator doors opened, and Elena sprinted across the lobby, ignoring the curious glances of the receptionists and other patrons.
She burst through the revolving doors and scanned the street. Mandy’s car was parked at the curb, just as promised.
Elena threw herself into the passenger seat at once and slammed the door. "Go! Just go!"