A week had passed since Elaine's last encounter with Dante in the hallway.
Her mind was more occupied by the thought of her boyfriend who didn't try to text her or even tell her why he is engaged to a woman when he was still with her.
He didn't even try to breakup with her least acknowledge her at the moment.
She also didn't try to call him again.
She had to move on from him but the reality was more difficult than any thought. He just didn't got engaged with any woman but her step sister.
"That bitch stole my man!" Elaine threw the glass she was holding on the floor in anger. "Not just that I can't mate him at all! All these years I thought my mate will wake up today, tomorrow… but why aren't we mates? If we were mates maybe Xylia's evil plans wouldn't have worked huhu.." Crying Elaine complained here and there.
"It's the curse we can't find our mate early. This generation is domed!" Udaya said.
"My mother and father mates at the age of 18. I am almost 25 and still no mate beside me…" Elaine sipped from her glass.
"Elaine! What are you doing? Stop drinking so much…" Udaya said, with worried expression.
"Enzo… Udaya… he…" Tears fell from her eyes as she didn't even finished her sentence properly.
Udaya already understood what she wanted to say as she sat in front of her best friend and shook the girl to reality.
"If she stole him from you then you should know that a man who can be stolen by any woman isn't for you!"
Elaine flinched at the raised voice of her friend only to blink at her words. "You are right!"
Udaya blinked ever so tenderly and smiled that her friend had still a brain to use but then she saw Elaine crawling towards her table and wrote something down on the notebook.
Curious, she glanced at the notebook only to find Elaine writing the dialogue down what she just told her. "Elaine!" She held her head in disbelief. "How can you?"
Elaine smiled at the note and smiled before looking at her friend. "Keep saying more interesting sentences."
"You are unbelievable." Udaya could only say this words as she stared at her friend.
Elaine didn't mind her friend's words as she was thinking where she will use this dialogue in her novel when her phone buzzed, displaying the caller's name.
"Snake emoji?" Udaya frown when she saw user name saved on Elaine's phone.
"Xylia…." She explained only for later to laugh.
"Oh my god. Snake suits her so much hahahaha." Udaya laughed.
However, with an exaggerated eye roll, Elaine answered the call, her irritation palpable even through the phone.
"Hello?" Elaine's voice carried a hint of impatience.
"Big sister, where are you?" A voice, dripping with saccharine sweetness, chimed from the other end. It was her stepsister, the very person Elaine had been avoiding.
Elaine let out an internal sigh, her frustration mounting. She listened as her stepsister continued, her words coated in an almost unreal sweetness. "Today is our father's birthday; don't you want to come?"
Father's birthday?
The words seemed to bounce off Elaine's consciousness, stirring a mix of emotions within her.
Confusion, detachment, and even a touch of bitterness.
She hadn't truly felt a connection to him; she hadn't truly considered him her father at all.
Despite her thoughts about her father, Elaine found herself listening to the pleas of her stepsister.
"Please, big sister, it would mean so much to him if you come…."
Elaine's fingers tightened around the phone, and a frown etched onto her features. She hang up the call before she would curse her to death.
"Will you go?" Udaya already heard Xylia's screaming voice from speaker so she looked at Elaine with a worried gaze.
Left with her thoughts, Elaine weighed her options.
"Elaine, you can't just sit here and let those bitches take your place," Udaya said, shaking Elaine by shoulder to give her some sense. "In a big event like this, you need to be seen. You deserve the recognition you've been denied all these years."
"If I don't go, father will be angry." Elaine murmured.
"And that's exactly what those even women want," Udaya shot back her tone fierce.
"They want him to think you're weak. That you don't belong. But you do, Elaine. You're Macron's eldest daughter. They sent you to your hometown so they could hide you. But no matter how hard they try to hide that truth. You are still Leigh's daughter."
Elaine's lip parted, her pulse fluttering beneath her skin. For a moment, she wanted to believe she still had a place in that glittering world that had long shut her out.
"Go out there. Let them choke on their own jealousy when they see you standing where you belong."
The very thought of her mother's hard-earned properties ending up in her stepfamily's hands gnawed at Elaine's sense of justice.
If she didn't attend the party tonight, she knew her stepsister would exploit her absence to further her agenda. Elaine couldn't allow that to happen.
"Fine. If they want a show… I'll give them one." Elaine smirked.
…
Hours later, Elaine stood before her mirror, the reflection of a transformed woman staring back at her.
She wore her mother's party dress tonight. It might be old but it was one of the custom made by Dior even now it was never shown wearing for common person.
She reached the venue on time.
The birthday party was held in a hotel ballroom, filled with laughter and the sound of music.
And there he was her father; Alison Macron, surrounded by well-wishers and acquaintances.
Elaine's gaze met his, and for a moment, she was back to the young Elaine wanting for her dad to pick her up from the village.
"Who is this stunning woman?" Someone asked.
"If I am not wrong she is Elaine?"
"I saw her once with her mother." Someone told. "It is my first time watching her again she has grown."
"Is it… is it Dior custom design of 2010? Omg!"
"I had seen custom made designs list from 2000 and yes that's must be Dior!" Another one answered truthfully.
A few glared at the dress enviously as they could only imagine seeing branded dress in real life.
"Same here. She is the legitimate child, right?" The person asked loudly, which was enough for people near him to hear him.
Elaine only smirked at her step-sister and step-mother, who were now glaring at the man who dared to speak.
The room fell quiet for a moment, the tension palpable.
"Happy birthday, Dad." She wished him standing just right in front of him on purpose.
Her words echoed through the grand hall, momentarily silencing the murmurs and whispers that had filled the air.
"Elaine…" Her father's voice trailed off as he drew near and hugged her in front of everyone making her shock.
For other's it might be normal but for her and her step family.
It wasn't!
"I thought I saw Meera tonight..." he wiped his nonexistent tears and said. "Come with me I will introduce you to my friends."
"Yes, dad?" Elaine replied with a smile.
Elaine's eyes scanned the room, taking in the faces of the esteemed guests, some of whom she recognised from her father's business circles while others were unfamiliar to her.
Despite the weight of their gazes on her, she held her head high, determined to make her presence known and her voice heard.
She followed him as he led her towards a group of well-dressed individuals, each one exuding an air of importance.
As her father began introducing her, Elaine took a deep breath, ready to make a lasting impression on these influential figures. She knew that this was her chance to prove herself and step confidently into her role in her father's business empire.
In that moment, Elaine realised she wasn't there for her father's affection or for the inheritance that dangled like a proverbial carrot.
She stood there as a testament to her mother's memory, a reminder that the past couldn't be easily erased.
"Mr. Macron, your first daughter is so beautiful. She must be with her mother."
"Haha, indeed she has her mother's features. Elaine, meet Mr. Smith. He is one of our most valued business partners."
Elaine extended her hand, a mixture of nerves and determination coursing through her veins.
She knew that this encounter was not just about impressing Mr. Smith but also about proving to herself that she was capable of carrying on her mother's legacy and making a name for herself in the business world.
"So, are you going to give your company to her?" Mr. Smith, known as a wise man, asked him directly.
Alison's expression changed a little bit, but he immediately covered it with a smile and answered.
"We will decide based on their progress who can handle the business world better." He paused and said, "Although she is..."
Elaine understood what he was going to say, so she interrupted him.
"Mr. Smith, it's really nice to meet you. I am a novelist and used to write books as a hobby. If possible, I will surely like to work with you in the future." She cleverly handled the situation and brought her hand forward for a handshake.
Mr. Smith, impressed by her quick thinking and confident demeanour, reciprocated the gesture. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Elaine," he said, his initial hesitation fading away.
"Your background as a writer could bring a unique perspective to our team. Let's discuss further how we can collaborate and make a lasting impact in the business world." Elaine smiled widened as she realised her interruption had turned the tables in her favour.
She could feel glares behind her, but she ignored them, thinking they must be her stepmother.
She didn't think a lot about her stepsister because she knew that woman must be somewhere in the hall trying to please a rich man for her use.
Even though Xylia was secretly engaged to her ex-boyfriend. She couldn't stand a chance in business world alone.
Alison introduced her to many people tonight while she smiled politely at everyone, engaging in small talk with various individuals.
It was a delicate dance, one she had mastered over the years.
As the introductions continued, Elaine's heart skipped a beat when her father's hand gently guided her towards a tall, impeccably dressed man.
"Elaine," her father began, his voice warm with pride, "allow me to introduce you to Alpha Dante Kim."