The ride back to Rosewood Mountain Manor was steeped in a quiet
intensity. Silas spent the entire journey on the phone, his voice a low,
resonant baritone discussing mergers and acquisitions. Elara, lulled by the
steady hum of the car and the soothing cadence of his voice, leaned against the
window. The rhythmic sound was like a balm, and her eyelids grew heavy,
eventually fluttering shut as she drifted into a light doze.
He was still issuing quiet commands when the car glided to a halt before
the grand villa.
The click of the door opening startled her awake. Ben stood there, a
silent sentinel. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, Elara gathered her hat
and bag, murmuring a soft "Thank you, Ben," as she stepped out.
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, a question poised on her lips.
Did he have a girlfriend? The thought was for Chloe, but voicing it felt like
crossing a line. How could she explain her sudden interest in her husband's
bodyguard's relationship status without revealing her friend's impulsive crush?
Before she could decide, a prickling sensation ran down her spine. She
felt a shift in the air.
Ben sensed it too. Being scrutinised by the young mistress was
unnerving. His instincts screamed danger a second before a powerful, possessive
arm wrapped around Elara's waist, pulling her firmly against a solid, familiar
frame.
Silas had ended his call. His gaze, however, was not on her, but was
locked with icy precision on Ben, a silent warning flashing in their depths.
Ben stiffened, every muscle taut. He was a man who faced down armed
threats without flinching, but the quiet, jealous fury of his boss was a
different kind of peril.
Elara, swept into the villa before she could utter another word, found
her thoughts scrambling. If she couldn't ask the source, perhaps she could ask
his employer.
The moment the living room doors closed behind them, Silas finally
spoke, his voice deceptively calm. "Do you find Ben attractive?"
Elara froze, utterly bewildered. "What? He's… alright, I suppose.
He has delicate features. That baby face makes him look quite young." It
was an honest, off-the-cuff observation.
"How splendid," Silas drawled, the words dripping with a
dangerous, unreadable emotion. His arm around her waist tightened possessively.
"So, who do you find more handsome? Him or me?"
Elara stared at him, her confusion giving way to incredulous laughter.
"Are you being serious right now?"
He didn't blink, his intense gaze holding hers captive. He had never
been more serious.
After a long, charged moment, a giggle escaped her. "Silas, have
you looked in a mirror? With a face like yours, what man could possibly
compare?"
His brow arched, a predator not yet satisfied. "So, I am more
handsome than him?"
"What else could it be?" she retorted, mirroring his
expression with a playful lift of her own delicate brows. The fact that this
dominant, powerful man could feel a flicker of insecurity was both shocking and
endearing.
"Then why," he murmured, his voice dropping to a haunting,
intimate timbre, "were you gazing at him so intently?" His eyes
narrowed, the danger in them now unmistakable.
Understanding dawned, and a blush heated her cheeks. "I wasn't
gazing! I glanced at him twice because I wanted to ask him a question! Was I
supposed to talk to his shoes?"
Three seconds of tense silence passed before the tension in his
shoulders eased slightly. A soft "Hmm" was his only concession.
"Asking a question requires no particular focus on the man himself."
His arrogance was both infuriating and amusing. She pushed against his
chest, rolling her eyes. "For your information, I just wanted to ask if he
had a girlfriend..."
"He does."
The answer came swift and sharp, cutting her off before she could
finish. His tone left no room for doubt.
Elara's mouth snapped shut. Well, that settled that. She needed to warn
Chloe immediately.
"Never mind, then," she said, flashing him a bright, dimpled
smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's time for your
anti-inflammatory injection. The nurse is waiting in the medical wing."
She turned and headed for the stairs, throwing a breezy comment over her
shoulder. "Go on, I'll be there in a minute."
Silas stood with his hands on his hips, his narrowed eyes tracking her
retreating form. His wife was asking other men about their relationship status?
The very idea was unacceptable. Regardless of her reasons, it was a line she
should not cross.
When Ben entered the foyer moments later, he immediately recognised the
storm cloud that was his boss's mood. He kept a respectful distance.
Silas turned, his gaze piercing. "Contact Ethan. Have him arrange
for a new female attendant for Mrs. Thorne. She must be meticulous, steady, and
highly skilled. I want her here by tonight. Starting tomorrow, you are relieved
of your duties accompanying Elara."
The order was given without room for argument. Ben nodded sharply.
"Understood, Sir."
As Ben turned to leave, Silas's cool voice stopped him. "Ben.
You're twenty-eight this year, correct? Not a boy anymore. When do you plan to
settle down with a girlfriend?"
The question was so unexpected it took Ben a full second to process it.
His expression hardened. "Sir, I have no need for a woman." To him,
they were complications, distractions—a belief forged in the fires of a painful
past.
"Don't be so absolute," Silas said, his tone laced with a
meaning Ben couldn't decipher. "When you meet the right one, you'll find
you have every need for her."
Ben merely gave a tight-lipped nod, his face a mask of cold resolve, and
exited.
Upstairs, Elara changed into comfortable loungewear and immediately
picked up her phone.
[Elara: Chloe, bad news. I asked my husband, and he said Ben definitely
has a girlfriend.]
Chloe's reply was almost instantaneous, a voice message that popped up
in less than fifteen seconds.
Chloe: "Pfft, figures! Well, bullet dodged! Thank goodness I didn't
message him and make a total fool of myself. Okay, deleting him right now. Anyway,
I'm joining the new project team tomorrow—it's supposed to be a real
fire-drill—so talk soon, yeah? Cheers!"
Her voice sounded light, unaffected. Elara typed back a quick reply.
[Elara: Okay, good luck with the new team.]
In her rented apartment, Chloe stared at her phone after sending the
message. With a decisive tap, she pulled up the contact saved as "Icy
Doll-Face" and deleted it. A small, wistful sigh escaped her. So much for
that. It seemed the universe was determined to keep her single. Oh well. Time
to focus on what really mattered: money. Once I buy my luxury villa, I'll fill
it with male models, she thought, a wicked grin spreading across her face. Now
that's a life goal.
It was then that Elara's attention was caught by a notification from the
Aeternum Corp's internal network. The headlines were impossible to ignore:
#Aeternum Intern's Tragic Downfall! Betrayed by Lover and Best Friend!
#Gold-Digging Bestie Leaps from Intern to CEO's Mistress!
#The Real Story: How a Pretty Face Landed the 'Old Uncle' CEO
Elara's delicate brows shot up. An incredulous laugh bubbled in her
throat. The writer certainly had a… vivid imagination. In just one brief
appearance, the entire office had woven a dramatic saga around her.
"What has you so amused?" Silas's voice came from the doorway.
He had entered her sitting room, drawn by the sound of her laughter. The sight
of her, curled on the sofa and smiling at her phone, was one he cherished.
"You'll never guess," she drawled, a mischievous glint in her
eye as he sat beside her. She handed him the phone. "See for yourself,
Uncle Thorne."
His outstretched hand stilled. A helpless, exasperated smile touched his
lips. "Must you call me that?"
Elara grinned, her dimples deepening. "It has a certain ring to it,
don't you think? I think I'll keep it."
"Who else would dare call me that but you?" he chuckled
softly, before his eyes dropped to the screen. His expression darkened
instantly. "Do my employees have so little work that they have time for
this?"
He scrolled through the lengthy, highly-viewed post, his jaw tightening.
"It seems Joseph is too focused on external investments and has neglected
his core duty of managing internal affairs." His voice was a low,
dangerous rumble.
Before Elara could respond, he had his phone to his ear. "Ethan.
Put Joseph's pay rise on hold indefinitely. He has a pest problem to clean up
in his own department."
He listened for a brief second. "Understood." Ethan's reply
was crisp from the other end.
Hanging up, Silas tossed his phone aside and cupped Elara's cheek, his
thumb stroking her skin. "Do not engage with this foolishness. Rumours are
silenced by the wise; this slander is merely their form of envy."
Elara looked into his commanding, confident eyes, and her smile
softened, her gaze sparkling like the night sky. The initial sting of anger
she'd felt was gone. The writer knew nothing, had no proof, and was nothing
more than a clown performing for an audience.
She was above it. She was Mrs. Thorne. And that was the only truth that
mattered.