Chapter 6

• Eloise
• Jennifer’s voice sliced through the music and chatter, too sweet to be sincere. She stood a few feet away, her sharp eyes scanning me like i was an unfortunate piece of art she had found in a trash bin. Her lips twisted in that familiar sneer as if she enjoyed the thought of watching me squirm.
• I clenched my jaw.
• “What is it supposed to take, years to move on?” I shot back, my voice steady despite the bile rising in my throat.
• “After the humiliation?”
• Jennifer’s smile faltered just for a second before it returned, colder than ever.
• “I think it's shameful, eloise. Coming here tonight, knowing you have a child to look after. Who's taking care of him?” Her words were deliberately loud, so everyone in earshot would hear.
• Her smirk widened when she saw the reaction it elicited from a few onlookers.
• I refused to let her bait me. Max was my priority, not her cruel games. But even so, her words burned in my chest. I squared my shoulders, my pulse steady despite the way her venom seemed to wrap around me like a vice.
• “You should be the one ashamed, Jennifer,” I shot back, my voice low but lethal. “For stealing my spotlight. For taking over my jewellery designs—my hard work—and passing them off as your own.”
• The crowd around us seemed to quiet, drawn into the tension between us. Jennifer’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, i could see the flicker of frustration flash across her face, before her lips curled into a smile that could only be called venomous.
• “You really don’t know when to stop, do you?” She took a step closer and before i could react, her hand whipped across my face, the sharp crack of her slap echoing in the suddenly silent room.
• My cheek stung and everything in me screamed to retaliate. I had been pushed too far and i was sick of playing nice. I stepped toward her, my hand rising, ready to slap her back with all the fury I had been holding in for years.
• But then a voice, cold and commanding, stopped me dead in my tracks.
• “Don’t you dare,” Lucian’s voice was low but full of authority, his hand gripping my wrist before i could make contact with Jennifer.
• His touch was uncomfortably familiar, as though nothing had changed between us.
• “Jennifer is right. Whatever she said... it’s true.” he said coldly.
• I froze, disbelief cutting through the anger that had surged up within me. He was siding with her? Even after everything?
• I pulled my wrist from his grip, my heart pounding in my ears.
• “You’re still defending her after everything she’s done? After she slapped me?” my voice cracked with raw emotion.
• Mike, who had been silent up until that point, stepped forward. His eyes were burning with anger and his jaw was clenched. He towered over Lucian, but his focus remained entirely on him.
• “How can you allow this kind of disrespect?” His voice was fierce, challenging. “You’re siding with the person who slapped her first. What kind of man are you?”
• Lucian’s face twisted with irritation, his lips curling into a tight, controlled line. “This is a family business, you should stay out of it.”
• Mike wasn’t having any of it. His eyes flicked between Lucian and me, before his gaze hardened into something that made me nervous, like he was about to do something drastic.
• “Family business? This isn’t about family! This is about the woman you humiliated and betrayed. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like this, not by anyone.”
• I could feel the tension rising, the silent war between them brewing in the space between us. It felt like everything i had ever feared—my past, the people who had hurt me—was crowding in, threatening to suffocate me.
• But before the argument could escalate further, my phone rang. The ringtone startled me and i quickly reached for it, my hands shaking as i checked the caller ID.
• It was Grandma. My heart skipped a beat.
• “Eloise, it’s Max,” her voice was shaky, strained with panic.
• “He’s not feeling well. I think he needs to go to the hospital. Can you come?”
• The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My breath caught in my throat. “I’m on my way, Grandma. I’ll get there as fast as i can.”
• Lucian, who had been watching the confrontation with a cool, detached expression, suddenly moved, stepping closer to me.
• His hand, almost gentle, grabbed my wrist as though claiming me once again. “I’ll drive you,” he said without hesitation.
• I blinked at Lucian, shocked by the sudden offer. What was he playing at? He had made it clear that we were nothing to each other anymore.
• “I don’t need you to drive me, Lucian. I’ll manage on my own.” My words were sharp, firm, but they didn’t seem to deter him.
• Before I could even protest, he reached for my wrist, his grip tightening. “I came here with my car. You can lead the way,” he said, his voice cold and commanding.
• His insistence made me freeze for a moment. What was happening? Why did he seem so determined to be involved in this? This wasn’t about concern for Max. I could see jealousy flickering in his eyes, the way he looked at me as if he still had some claim. But he didn’t—not anymore.
• Before Lucian could pull me another step, Mike’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.
• “That’s enough.”
• Both Lucian and i turned to him, startled. Mike’s eyes burned with a quiet but dangerous intensity. Without hesitation, he stepped between us gently, but firmly took my hand.
• “She doesn’t need your help, Lucian,” Mike said, his voice low and calm, yet it held a warning. His touch was steady, grounding, a stark contrast to Lucian’s possessive grip.
• “I’ll take her.”
• Lucian’s jaw tightened.
• “This isn’t your business, Mike,” he snapped, his voice laced with irritation. “This is about my son—my family.”
• Mike didn’t even flinch.
• “Then act like it,” he shot back, his voice rising slightly. “Because right now, you’re doing nothing but making this harder for her. If you really cared, you would step aside.”