… Evening …
Elara walked out with her handbag, still fuming from Daniel's confrontation late yesterday. His audacity had left a sour taste in her mouth. The way he'd tried to pull her into corporate espionage, acting as if their past gave him any claim, made her blood boil. She couldn't understand how someone could cling to a memory so tightly and expect others to fall in line with their schemes. Shaking her head, she reminded herself she was done with Daniel Storm and anyone who operated like him.
As she stepped out, she met Adrian, who was also on his way out. After their evening greeting and signing out, they walked together toward the gate. She was about to ask about his story when she noticed a familiar car parked outside, and a tall, majestic man with piercing blue eyes leaning casually against it, looking directly at her.
"Fred!" she jumped in surprise.
"Your boyfriend?" Adrian asked, raising an eyebrow. The man was handsome and likeable; it was easy to see why she was close to him.
"My brother, Fred" Elara corrected, smiling before running into his arms as Adrian waved goodbye.
"Surprise… surprise…" Fredrick opened his arms, and she buried her head in his chest, overwhelmed with emotion.
"You…" she choked out. "You went away for so long, I thought I'd offended you."
"Are you kidding me?" Fredrick gently ruffled her hair and held her face to his. "Little sis, I got caught up in work and didn't reach out enough. I know you've been through a lot since Charles' death."
"I don't want to go there. It was a lonely moment and I thank heavens I got Maddie… and my boss gave me sometimes of to grief" Elara wiped her tears and forced a smile. "You look different."
"You look amazing. I know you can handle anything. I love you, little bunny…" he said, smiling.
"Don't call me that! I'm a grown-up now!" she slapped him lightly on the chest.
Fredrick smiled and led her to the car. "How about we find somewhere to sit and talk?"
"Good idea!" she nodded, settling in as someone nearby observed them, hands resting on the car mirror, clearly dispirited.
… Lotus Hotel …
They settled down and were served fried chicken, rice, a bottle of wine, and a separate bowl of meat. Elara looked at her brother with warmth. Despite Sandy being their parents' favorite, Elara had always been Fredrick's favorite. Her maturity at handling everything was top.
"I'm staying with Maddie; it's going well since we both got jobs," Elara said. "It was hard to return to normal after Charles' death. My boss gave me three months off, and it helped. Maddie and I talk about him sometimes… to heal."
"That must've been hard," Fredrick said, placing his glass down and chewing thoughtfully. "You two are strong girls. You deserve the world. And from today onwards, I promise to be the most available big brother you'll ever wish for.
"Thank you, Fred." Elara's eyes clouded. "I love you."
"I love you little bunny." He flashed his signature smile.
"What about you? What have you been doing these three months? I haven't seen you since Charles' funeral."
"You know, Dad's company went bankrupt. I gathered some funds and restarted it. Now I'm running the new Grant company," Fredrick explained. "It's hard, but I'm determined."
"It's probably for the better that Dad lost the money. He won't have any shares in the future," Elara said. "But didn't he think the Storm family would help after Sandy married in?"
"That's what everyone thought. What pained me most was Dad standing by Sandy and throwing you under the bus to gain the Storms' favor. They let him fail. Daniel Storm has ability, but…" Fredrick trailed off. "I wonder what Sandy is thinking."
"They're both assholes," Elara said bitterly. "Yesterday, Daniel asked if I could be his inside eyes at Orion."
"And you said?" Fredrick asked.
"You know what I said! I won't sabotage another company for him," Elara replied. "I'm done with Dannie, for God. I don't care if he loses or wins Fred. All I want is to be me, a perfect version of me."
Fredrick paused. Their father had once hoped Daniel would succeed, which was why he supported Sandy over Elara, but she wasn't about to play along.
"I'm planning to move out," he finally said.
"Out of the compound? Why?" Elara asked.
"Mother's being dramatic, and Susan's morning sickness…"
"Morning sickness? Susan's pregnant?" Elara cut in, eyes wide.
"She's three weeks along," Fredrick confirmed.
"and you're telling me this now? You Idiot!" Elara chuckled. "I'm going to be an aunt, I need to prepare!"
"Well, we haven't met in three months, so…" he shrugged.
"And what is Mama doing to my future in-law?" Elara asked with a frown.
"She thinks Suzie is overreacting, but it's normal," Fredrick explained.
"Mama is being dramatic for nothing," Elara said. "This weekend, I'm busy with the party. Adrian wants me there, and Maddie agrees. I'll drop by next weekend. End of month, I'll be loaded and can bring gifts. You should come too."
"You don't have to, but I know you won't listen," he laughed. "I bought a house, we'll relocate next month."
"That's better. Send me the address," she nodded.
They finished eating when the atmosphere shifted. A domineering presence filled the hotel, the air turning cold. Silence fell. Elara turned to the entrance and her heart dropped. Maxwell Ranveer strode in, followed by two guards.
He passed by her, leaving behind a strong, intoxicating scent, and sat directly opposite. Their eyes locked for a second before she sighed and looked at her brother.
"Fred, can you meet me outside for a moment?" she asked. Fredrick immediately left.
Elara braced herself and walked toward Maxwell's table. They sat in silence for a moment before he cleared his throat.
"What brings you to my table?" he asked calmly.
Elara scoffed. "Mr. Ranveer, I didn't know you frequented a grade-two hotel. Are you jealous?"