Chapter 280

No.1

Elisa and Thorne reached the VIP elevator bank.Thorne pressed the call button, and a soft chime announced the car's arrival.

The polished steel doors slid open.

The elevator was not empty. August was inside,leaning against the mirrored back wall, his hands shoved deep in his tuxedo pockets. His eyes were dark and stormy, and he was staring directly at them.

He hadn't left. He had sent Allena away and come back to wait for her.

Elisa's body tensed for a fraction of a second,but she quickly masked it, her expression returning to one of cool indifference. She met his stare head-on.

No.2

Thorne moved instinctively, positioning himself slightly in front of her, a human shield. His gaze on August was cold steel.

"This is a private matter, Thorne. Between me and my wife," August said, his voice dangerously low,each word a command.

Thorne didn't budge. "She is my fiancée now,Chambers. Any issues you have can be directed to my legal team."

Elisa placed a light hand on Thorne's arm. "It's alright, L.," she said quietly. "I can handle this. I'll meet you upstairs."

Thorne studied her face, searching for any sign of fear or hesitation. Seeing only resolve, he gave a curt nod and stepped back, ceding the space.

No.3

Elisa walked into the elevator alone. The doors slid shut, closing her in with August, their reflections staring back at them in the polished metal.

The car began its silent ascent. The small,enclosed space felt instantly suffocating, the air thick with unspoken violence.

August pushed himself off the wall. He advanced on her, step by step, until she was backed into a corner. His height and size were overwhelming,a physical manifestation of his oppressive presence.

"What is this game you're playing?" he demanded,his voice a low snarl. "L. Thorne? When did you start sleeping with him?"

A humorless smile touched Elisa's lips. She tilted her chin up, refusing to be intimidated. "That's

No.4

none of your business. The contract between us is over."

"Over?" His laugh was a harsh, ugly sound."Until that divorce decree is in your hands, you are mine.You live as my wife, you die as my wife." His possessiveness, raw and absolute,filled the small space.

"That's pathetic," she shot back, her voice cutting."You didn't seem to remember you had a wife when you were letting your mistress try to force a proposal out of you in front of five hundred people."

He flinched, the truth of her words hitting him like a physical blow. A flicker of shame crossed his face before it was consumed by a deeper, darker anger.

"That was a strategic move to keep Allena manageable! But you... you actually put his ring on your finger!"

No.5

His hand shot out, grabbing for her left hand, his intention to rip the pink diamond from her finger.

Elisa reacted instantly, slapping his hand away with a sharp, violent motion. "Don't touch me! You make me sick."

A red mark appeared on the back of his hand.He stared at her, his eyes narrowing into dangerous

slits.A cruel, knowing smirk twisted his lips.

"You think he loves you? You think he can protect you?" he sneered. "Don't be naive. The Thatchers have been circling Thorne's family for months,trying to lock down a marriage contract. All of Europe is watching. My people saw Cyprian Thatcher himself having a very private dinner with Thorne's uncle just last night. You're a pawn, Elisa,a temporary piece he's moving on the board to counter me."

No.6

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "He's using you, Elisa. You're a shield.A temporary distraction. And when the Thatcher family decides to remove you from the board,you'll be crushed. You'll disappear without a trace."

Elisa's heart gave a painful lurch. She kept her face a mask of stone, but his words landed like shards of ice in her gut. "That's my choice to make," she said, her voice steady. "Better to be a shield for a powerful man than to drown in the filth of your family."

Ding.

The elevator arrived at her floor. The doors slid open.

She shoved past him, stepping out into the hallway.

No.7

Just as the doors began to close, her phone, inside her clutch, began to vibrate. She glanced at the screen, expecting a message from Alastair. Instead,an unknown New York number was calling. A cold knot of dread tightened in her stomach. Her grandfather was the only reason a New York number would be calling. She swiped to answer,her hand trembling slightly.

"Is this Elisa Wilder?" a harried, unfamiliar voice asked, the background noise a chaotic mix of beeping machines and urgent voices. "This is Dr.Evans from New York-Presbyterian. I'm calling about your grandfather, Phineas Wilder. There's been a critical emergency in his ICU ward,and the Chambers family just issued orders to halt his experimental treatments."

The color drained from Elisa's face. The world tilted on its axis.