Chapter 4

ELARA

The moment I said it, a weight lifted off my chest.

Jasper's hands went still on my shoulders.

I brushed them off and got up to clear my bowl.

The alcohol had burned through whatever patience he had left for coaxing me. His face went cold.

"Elara, I go calm Tallulah down one time, and you want to break up with me?"

"Or is this about the hundred grand for the surgery? Marnie's fine. It's not like she's going to die without it." He scoffed, his voice dripping with condescension. "Are you seriously picking a fight with me over an illegitimate kid? I looked past your little slip-up. I've been more than generous to her."

Tallulah had actually convinced him my five-year-old sister was my secret daughter—and he'd swallowed it without a second thought.

At Marnie's name, my chest twisted and my eyes burned.

But I'd cried myself dry the day she died.

"Yes. It's about the hundred grand."

"Jasper, you bought Tallulah a villa worth millions without blinking. Was a hundred grand really that hard?"

At the mention of money, contempt flashed in his eyes. He kicked over the trash can.

"No wonder you kept saying you wanted to call off the plan. You're jealous. Tallulah was right—you're just another gold digger after my money."

I knew Jasper had grown up bouncing between foster homes with no family of his own. His fixation on money ran bone-deep.

I didn't bother defending myself. I just said, flatly, "You demoted me, but my workload never went down. You owe me the difference in pay. It's not much. A hundred thousand dollars."

A hundred thousand to buy out five years. A clean break.

With that money, I could give Marnie a proper resting place in London.

His eyes went cold as ice. "Elara, I've been swallowing my pride for almost two years, and it was all for you! If we're keeping score, you never would've made VP in the first place if you weren't my girlfriend. Once we're married, everything I have is yours anyway. What's the rush?"

"A hundred grand? Fine! Take it! A million, ten million—what do I care!"

He grabbed his phone and threw it at me.

I didn't dodge. It hit my cheekbone, and the cut from that afternoon split open and started to bleed again.

Jasper's pupils shrank. He took a step toward me.

I picked up the phone. The screen was still unlocked. I opened his banking app and transferred a hundred thousand dollars to my account.

"Thank you."

Jasper bit his lip, swayed, and collapsed onto the couch, curling into a ball with his brow furrowed.

I knew he was sulking. I just didn't feel like coaxing him out of it anymore.

I went into the kitchen, washed my bowl, put it away, and wiped the water off the counter.

He must have thought I was making him honey water, because he murmured with his eyes still closed, "Not too much honey."

I smiled to myself without a sound. Then I picked up my suitcase, opened the door, and walked out.

So this was what leaving looked like when you really meant it. No screaming. No slammed doors. I didn't make enough noise to wake a man who'd had a few drinks.

I checked into the first hotel I could find.

Then Tallulah sent me a video.

It was shaky, filmed from across a dim bar. In it, she sat drinking alone. Jasper burst in after her and snatched the glass out of her hand.

He was groveling. He actually knelt at her feet, begging her to take back some expensive gift.

"Tallulah, I'm sorry. I swear, at first I only got close to you to get back at you for Elara. She's just so rigid... so exhausting. But you—you're so pure. You never asked for anything. When you finally accepted a gift from me, I wasn't angry. I was happy. Like I'd finally coaxed a beautiful stray kitten into my arms. God, Tallulah... I think I've been in love with you this whole time."

All the delays, all the empty promises. They were just excuses for the fact that he'd already chosen her.

A text from Tallulah came right after, smug as anything: Don't forget to tuck Jasper in, Elara. And if he says my name in his sleep, try not to take it too hard.

The old me would have lost my mind.

Now, I just typed back: I'm sure you already know the door code. Come tuck him in yourself. Feel free to pick up the trash I just dumped.

Then I turned off my phone and slept better than I had in months.

The next morning, Fiona from HR came all the way to the airport to meet me.

That was when Jasper called.

"Why aren't you at work?"

That was strange. Did he really not know I'd quit?

Before I could say anything, he grumbled, "I was drunk last night. How could you call Tallulah to come take care of me? You're so jealous it's ridiculous. Do you like torturing yourself?"

"Look, it's her birthday today, but I'm not letting her steal the spotlight. I've decided to give you the VP job back first."

"Hurry up and get in here. I even sent my assistant to the hospital to bring Marnie over so she can keep you company. Happy now? As for the wedding... it might have to wait a little, but I promise you'll love it."

I knew him too well. This was Jasper handing me a way to back down without losing face. For him, it was a rare concession.

"Jasper. We're not married."

"Oh." I could practically see him curling the corner of some document between his fingers, a smug little smile on his lips. "I know you want to make it legal before the big wedding. Fine, I can live with that. City Hall, today?"

My voice was calm. "You're not listening. There isn't going to be a wedding. We already broke up."

Silence on the other end.

Then, suddenly, Leo's voice in the background, high and frantic. "Mr. Lennox, it's bad! Ms. Pryce's sister—"

Jasper snapped at her, irritated. "Forget about bringing Marnie. And cancel the VP announcement. So she wants to play the breakup card—does she think somebody's going to chase after her forever?"

"No, sir, that's not it! The hospital says Ms. Pryce's sister passed away! And HR says she resigned—she's flying to London today!"