Chapter 15: Unraveling Secrets
Elara stood frozen, her mind racing as Nadia's words hung in the air. The insinuation was clear—Lucien's past wasn't as simple as she had believed. But how deep did the lies go? How much of the man she had married was true, and how much of it was a carefully constructed façade?
Lucien's face had turned a shade darker, his jaw tight with barely restrained anger. He stepped in front of Elara, his body a protective barrier between her and Nadia. "I told you to leave, Nadia," he said, his voice cold, an edge of finality in his tone.
Nadia, however, didn't back down. She glanced at Elara again, her expression almost pitying. "You don't understand, do you? You think everything's fine, that you can walk away from the past. But Lucien's father…" She trailed off, her eyes flickering with something dangerous. "The things he's done—what he's involved in—it's all tied to this marriage. And it's not just business anymore. It's about power. About control. If you don't know the full story, you're just a pawn in his game."
Elara's heart pounded in her chest. Her hands clenched at her sides, her breath shallow. The tension between the three of them was unbearable, and for a moment, it felt as though the ground beneath her feet had been ripped away.
Lucien's voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding. "Enough, Nadia. Leave. Now."
But Nadia wasn't finished. She took a step closer, her eyes not leaving Elara's. "You really think you're the only one he's manipulated, don't you? You think you're the first woman he's used for his father's agenda?"
Lucien turned on her, his fists clenched at his sides. "I said leave!"
But Nadia didn't move. Instead, she smiled, almost a pitying smile. "You think this is just about a marriage contract? You don't know the half of it. But soon, you will." With that, she turned and walked away, her heels clicking against the floor as she disappeared down the hallway.
Lucien stood still for a long moment, his back to Elara, his posture rigid with tension. Elara didn't know what to say, what to feel. The air between them was thick with unspoken words, secrets that she wasn't sure she was ready to hear. Nadia's words had cut deep, and now, everything felt like it was slipping through her fingers. Was Lucien's past really as dark as she feared?
Finally, Lucien turned to face her, his expression a mix of frustration and something softer—guilt, maybe. "Elara, I—"
But Elara cut him off, her voice steady but laced with hurt. "What did she mean? What did she mean when she said your father was involved? That it's not just about a marriage contract? I need to know, Lucien. I need the truth."
For a long moment, Lucien didn't speak. His eyes flickered to the floor, to the space between them, as if searching for the right words. Elara waited, her heart pounding, every second feeling like an eternity.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and heavy. "Nadia's right about one thing. My father has always had control over my life. Over everything. This marriage... it's never been just about me and you. It was always about his legacy, his business, and keeping everything in line. He's involved in things that I can't even begin to explain. Things that I've spent my whole life trying to escape."
Elara's chest tightened at the weight of his words. "What kind of things? What has he done?"
Lucien ran a hand through his hair, his eyes distant as if the memories were too painful to relive. "He's made deals with people... dangerous people. People who don't care about right or wrong, just power and money. And I've always been in the middle of it. I've tried to distance myself from it all, to build something of my own. But every time I think I'm free, he pulls me back in."
Elara felt a sickening twist in her stomach. Her instincts had been right—there was so much more to Lucien than the cold, calculated CEO she had met. His father's influence had shaped him in ways she couldn't yet understand, and the thought that he had been trapped in this world for so long… it hurt. It made her question everything she thought she knew about him.
"But why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"
Lucien's gaze softened, his eyes searching hers, filled with an ache she couldn't quite place. "I didn't want to drag you into this. I didn't want you to see me as just another part of my father's world. I wanted you to see me as me—Lucien, the man you could love, not the son of a man who's tangled up in this darkness. But now, I realize I can't hide from it. Not anymore. If we're going to make this work, you deserve to know the truth."
Elara's mind raced. The truth was more than she had ever expected. And yet, here it was—Lucien, the man she had come to love despite everything, standing before her, exposed and vulnerable. He had been living in the shadows for so long, and now, she was caught in the light of it all.
"I don't know what to do with all of this, Lucien," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I don't know if I can be a part of it. This... this world of power and manipulation. It's not what I signed up for."
"I know," he said, his voice tinged with regret. "I never wanted you to be part of it. But it's part of me, whether I like it or not. And I'm not asking you to accept it, Elara. I'm asking you to trust me. Trust that I will do whatever it takes to protect you from it. To protect us."
Elara closed her eyes, her emotions swirling. She wanted to trust him, but the weight of everything was too much. "How do I know I can trust you, Lucien? After everything?"
Lucien stepped closer, his hands gently cupping her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Because I love you, Elara. I love you more than I've ever loved anything. And I will do whatever it takes to make things right."
Elara's breath caught in her throat as she stared into his eyes. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to let go of the fear, the doubt, and trust in the man standing before her. But the truth was, she didn't know if she was strong enough to face everything that was coming.
"I don't know what's going to happen, Lucien," she said softly. "But I need you to know... I'm not walking away."
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