"You actually slept with him?" Elara's eyes
widened in shock. After a moment of stunned silence, a wave of amusement and
disbelief washed over her. "When did this happen?"
She'd known they were acquainted, but she never imagined
they'd moved straight to the physical. Damn, Chloe's got nerve.
"About two weeks ago," Chloe confessed with a low
chuckle, linking arms with Elara as they settled onto the plush sofa. "You
remember when I visited you in Oakhaven? That night I went out with friends, I
ran into that bastard ex of mine. He was all over some socialite but still had
the nerve to hit on me."
She shook her head in disgust. "Luckily, Ben and one of
your husband's other guys were there. I had Ben teach him a proper lesson. The
idiot assumed Ben was my new boyfriend, and honestly? I was so tired of his
ghosting, I just went with it. Later, I apologised to Ben, mentioned his
girlfriend... but he said he didn't have one. Typical, right?"
"And then what happened?" Elara prompted, feeling
a curious flush warm her own cheeks.
"Well..." Chloe met her friend's sparkling gaze, a
hint of blush colouring her own cheeks. "On the day I was leaving, Ben
gave me a ride. I just... I just told him straight out—since he was single and
I was single, I wanted to ask him out the next time we met."
"Date?" Elara was confused for a moment, until
Chloe gave her a resigned smile and pinched her cheek playfully.
"Oh, Elly, you sweet, simple girl," Chloe
clarified, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I mean a
shag."
She had neither the time nor the energy for the emotional
labor of a traditional relationship. If she fancied a man, and he was fit,
willing, and it was all consensual, she saw no harm in enjoying herself. No
strings, just pure, mutual satisfaction.
So far, she was quite pleased with their one encounter. It
was Ben's evasive behaviour since then that left her wondering. Was he not as
into it? It was frustrating.
"Chloe," Elara breathed, her cheeks pink,
"didn't you scare him off?"
Chloe recalled the way Ben's brow had furrowed in pure,
baffled innocence, and how his face had flamed scarlet. A chuckle escaped her.
"He bolted. Like a spooked deer. It was honestly priceless."
The mental image made Elara laugh until her shoulders shook.
Seeing this, Chloe cleared her throat, her tone shifting to
mock seriousness. "Alright, that's enough. You've got two minors growing
in there. We'd better change the subject before we corrupt them."
"Mhm," Elara agreed, taking a deep, calming breath
and gently stroking her noticeably rounded stomach. "They're over four
months now. It's wonderful, isn't it? Time is flying. Soon, you're going to be
a mother."
Chloe watched the profound tenderness in her friend's
expression and sighed softly. "It really is."
Elara looked up, a sweet smile gracing her lips. "Once
you and Ben are married, you can have one sooner too."
Chloe paused, then let out a light laugh. "Whoa, let's
not get ahead of ourselves. We'll cross that bridge if we ever get there."
She glanced at the ornate wall clock and deftly changed the subject.
"Anyway, I've officially wrapped things up at the Sarah Group. My last
project is finishing, and I'm ready to dive headfirst into Aeterna
Ventures."
She leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Elly, I'm telling you, I have a feeling Aeterna is going to be massive.
We are going to make a killing."
Elara blinked, emotion shimmering in her eyes. "I think
so too."
Chloe slid an arm around Elara's shoulders, giving her a
supportive squeeze. "We'll do it together."
After chatting more about the Aeterna Ventures team, they
headed back to the main living room.
Just then, Silas and Ben descended the stairs. The four of
them met in the spacious hall.
"Boss, I'll take my leave," Ben murmured, his gaze
inadvertently meeting Chloe's smiling, intense stare. He immediately lowered
his eyes and strode briskly past her toward the door.
Chloe's eyebrow arched in amusement.
"Elly, we'll arrange a proper Aeterna Ventures
celebration in a few days," Chloe said brightly. After exchanging a polite
nod with Silas, she hurried out after Ben.
Once the door closed behind them, Silas encircled Elara's
waist, his large hand settling possessively on her swollen belly. "Is
something going on between those two?"
At his question, Elara turned to him with a look of pure
surprise. "You're the one who told me Ben had a girlfriend. What could
possibly be going on?"
A distant memory surfaced in Silas's mind. His expression
faltered for a split second before he lowered his gaze to meet his wife's wide,
innocent eyes.
Several seconds of heavy silence passed.
"Did I say that?" His voice was a picture of calm,
feigned bewilderment.
"..."
Seeing right through his act, Elara was torn between
laughter and exasperation. Her hand slid around to the small of his back,
finding a patch of taut muscle through the fine fabric of his light blue shirt.
She gave it a firm, twisting pinch.
"Do you remember now?" she pressed, her voice a
mix of amusement and accusation. "Did you say it or not?"
The sharp sting made Silas wince internally. She really
doesn't hold back. A wry smile touched his lips. "Perhaps I was mistaken.
It might have been Ethan who had the girlfriend."
He remained impassive, his features relaxing as he savoured
the feel of her hand, which had now softened to massage the spot she'd just
assaulted.
"I don't usually pry into their personal lives,"
he added smoothly. "It's an easy thing to misremember."
Seeing him double down, Elara flashed a brilliant,
disbelieving smile and shot him a reproachful look, but she let the matter
drop.
For Silas, caught between her punishing pinch and soothing
caress, the combination was dangerously alluring. His body, which had endured
months of cold showers through sheer force of will, suddenly ignited with a
fierce, familiar heat.
Elara's heart skipped a beat as she met his gaze, which had
darkened with unmistakable intensity.
In the next moment, he swept her into his arms, carried her
into the elevator, and took her straight to their third-floor bedroom.
(Miles away in Italy, Ethan jolted awake from a deep sleep
with a loud sneeze. His eyes fluttered open as he muttered grumpily,
"Bloody hell, who's cursing me in the middle of the night?")
In the third-floor master suite, Elara's heart hammered
against her ribs as Silas laid her gently upon the bed.
As his powerful frame leaned over her, a wave of scorching
heat enveloped her completely.
"Baby," his voice was a husky, strained whisper
beside her ear, "I want you."
Silas was careful, propping himself up to avoid putting any
weight on her stomach. His restraint was palpable. "Is that alright?"
His hot breath against her skin scrambled Elara's thoughts.
Nervousness, shyness, and a flicker of keen anticipation warred within her. His
profoundly handsome face was mere inches from hers, his dark eyes blazing with
a fire that threatened to consume them both.
A large, warm hand came to rest gently on her abdomen.
"I'll be careful," he promised, his voice ragged with need. "I
won't hurt the baby."
"Then... you have to be gentle..." Elara's cheeks
burned as she felt the hard evidence of his desire pressing against her.
Though the most critical trimester had passed, the man had
treated her with extreme caution every night. Even in moments of fierce
longing, he'd never crossed that line, contenting himself with kisses that left
her breathless and aching for more.
Now, at over four months, the doctor had given the all-clear
for gentle intimacy.
"Always," he vowed.
The woman's soft, yielding whisper was his undoing. Silas's
Adam's apple bobbed heavily.
Their eyes locked. Elara's lashes fluttered as she reached
up and wrapped her arms around his neck...
The afternoon sun, filtered through the white gauze
curtains, bathed the room in a lazy, golden heat that seemed to swirl and pulse
with their rhythm.
A long while later, a gradual calm returned to the room. The
air was thick with the mingling scents of their passion, the only sounds the
man's faint, ragged panting and the woman's soft, sated sighs.
Having restrained himself for months, Silas had finally
allowed himself to indulge. A profound, bone-deep sense of fulfilment and
pleasure saturated his entire being.
"Baby, you're incredible," he murmured, drawing
Elara's smooth, bare shoulder close. His gaze fell upon the faint, love-struck
marks on her skin, and his throat tightened. He bent his head, pressing a
series of soft, reverent kisses to the sensitive flesh.
Elara, fearing he was ready for another round, quickly
pushed against his shoulder. "Silas, no more."
Once had left her thoroughly spent; a second time would
surely leave her bedridden for the rest of the day. His movements had been
achingly slow and gentle, true to his word, but the prolonged, teasing build-up
had left her teetering on a different kind of edge. If she hadn't finally
pinched him hard from behind, who knows how long he would have drawn it out.
Lifting his gaze to meet her flushed, utterly alluring face,
Silas captured her red, kiss-swollen lips in one last, tender kiss.
"Enough for now," he agreed softly. "Shall I carry you to soak
in a hot bath?"
"Mm," she agreed, feeling the uncomfortable
stickiness of dried sweat on her skin. She obediently wrapped her arms around
his neck. "Carry me."
That sweet, trusting voice was a fresh torment. Silas sighed
inwardly. This single, careful session had barely taken the edge off his
craving. He had held back so much, yet his wife was looking at him as if he'd
been insatiable. He hadn't even truly let go.
Patience, he told himself. Just wait until the little ones
are here...
Over half an hour later, they emerged from the steam-filled
bathroom, clean and refreshed. Yet, a deep, pleasant ache had settled into
Elara's bones, and she collapsed onto the bed, not wanting to move a muscle,
her hand instinctively going to her belly.
At four months pregnant, her stomach had bloomed
dramatically. Last week's scan had revealed a posterior placenta, which the
doctor warned could cause significant back and hip pain—a discomfort she was
now feeling acutely.
Silas emerged from the dressing room, buttoning a fresh,
crisp white shirt over his damp, toned torso. The sight of his muscles
disappearing beneath the fabric made Elara's mouth go dry. She licked her lips,
the memory of tracing the contours of his chest still vivid on her fingertips.
He sat on the edge of the bed, brushing a stray lock of hair
from her cheek before leaning down to press a kiss there. "Rest if you're
tired. I'll wake you when dinner is ready."
No sooner had they finished their bath than she'd complained
of hunger, specifically craving his homemade cheese and meat sauce spaghetti.
Her appetite had become voracious lately, yet she'd grown incredibly
particular. Since he'd cooked it for her once, it was all she wanted. She
hadn't tired of it after three days straight.
"Okay," Elara murmured, nuzzling his palm like a
contented cat. As Silas began to rise with a smile, she suddenly reached out
and caught his hand. "Silas..."
"Hmm?" He looked down, his eyes soft with
affection.
"Once the baby is here," she said softly,
"let's go visit my parents together."
Every year on the anniversary of her parents' passing, she
visited their graves in her mother's hometown. This year, confined to the
hospital, she hadn't been able to go.
"Of course," Silas said, his voice firm and
gentle. "We'll go together."
Elara had known launching Aeterna Ventures would mean a
heavy workload. Transitioning from a junior analyst to the Director of her own
fund came with immense responsibility. When news came through that Aeterna
Ventures had successfully secured the deal with the coveted AI software
startup, she was in a video conference with Molly.
A triumphant smile broke across her face. After she shared
the news, Molly offered calm, professional congratulations before revealing her
next move: Aeterna Ventures was already in talks to invest in two other
world-leading AI startups.
One of them had just turned down an offer from Julian
Cohen's Ark Fund and had been successfully poached by Molly with a
significantly more lucrative proposal.
With Elara at the helm and Chloe now on board, the Aeterna
Ventures team now boasted three expert fund managers, backed by Molly's
formidable strategic mind. They weren't playing small; their goal was to become
the undisputed leader in the industry.
Infected by Molly's unwavering confidence, Elara felt a
surge of conviction and drive. After finalising Aeterna Ventures' next steps,
they ended the call.
Scrolling through her phone, she saw the flood of industry
congratulations. The analysis had already shifted from dissecting Aeterna
Ventures' proposals to scrutinising her, Elara Thorne, the formidable new fund
manager.
She smiled, unimpressed by the media circus. She had her
eyes on a much bigger prize.
Hayes Group, CEO's Office
Robert Hayes stared intently at the financial news flashing
on his phone screen. The headline was about Aeterna Ventures, but his focus was
locked on the accompanying photo of Elara. Her face, so strikingly similar to
Evelyn's—her mother, his secret, unrequited love—made his heart clench and his
hand tremble.
Suppressing the tremor, he stabbed the intercom button.
Soon, a man in his forties entered the office. "Mr.
Hayes?"
Robert took a deep, steadying breath and handed him the
phone. "Find out everything about Aeterna Ventures. I want a complete
dossier on its structure, its backers, its strategy. Everything."
The man took the phone, his eyes briefly scanning the image
of Elara, whose resemblance to the late Evelyn Hayes was, indeed, shocking.
Robert retrieved his phone, his gaze dropping back to the
screen. A dark, possessive fascination gleamed in the depths of his eyes as he
stared at the woman who was a living ghost of the one he could never have.