Chapter 119
As twilight deepened and the city lights flickered on, Eliana came down the stairs dressed for the evening and immediately drew the attention of the three Russell brothers.
She was wearing a delicate candy–pink gown, ethereal and light, which brought out the youthful softness still lingering in her features. Her naturally gentle eyes, curved like crescents, carried no trace of sharpness, lending her a kind of unstudied sweetness that lingered in the air around her.
Jayden stared at her, and for some reason, felt a sudden craving for something sugary.
Anthony, ever the straightforward one, didn’t bother hiding his reaction. “Eliana, you look absolutely adorable tonight.”
At that moment, she was like a piece of confection, irresistible, something any man would want to claim.
Caught off guard, Eliana cast an uneasy glance in Theodore’s direction, only to find his expression unreadable, his eyes fathomless. “If you’re ready, let’s go,” he said flatly.
“Okay.” Her voice was barely audible.
No sooner had she answered than Anthony spoke up with a teasing smile, “Heading out, the two of you?”
Theodore shot him a cold glance. “Not your concern.” Then, without another word, he pulled Eliana into his arms and walked her out with the kind of assertiveness that left no room for protest.
Once inside the Rolls–Royce, Eliana shifted immediately, putting as much space between them as the seat would allow.
From the moment the day began, he’d been pushing her around, dominating every decision, even forbidding a simple exchange with Anthony. The resentment simmered just beneath the surface.
Theodore glanced at her and saw it all–the puffed cheeks, the stubborn pout, the quiet defiance she made no effort to hide.
His gaze narrowed. “You planning to keep that face on when we’re in front of guests?”
He was doing it again, singing the weight of her identity as his wife to press her into submission. Ever since she’d acknowledged it in public, he treated the title like a collar, expecting her to wear it with grace, obedience, and a smile.
She swallowed her frustration.
“No guests in the car right now, are there? Then let’s wait till they show up.”
Theodore rubbed his thumb against his index finger, a gesture that hinted at restraint. He didn’t lash out and didn’t even touch her.
Instead, he turned to the driver. “To the new place. The Gilded Ford.”
“Yes, sir.”
Eliana assumed it was some refined venue, perhaps a high–end restaurant or gallery. But when they pulled up outside, she realized with a start that it. was a nightclub, one designed with unmistakable luxury, opulence stamped into every surface.
She turned to Theodore, her brows furrowing. “Why are we at a place like this?”
Eliana had grown up in a quiet, orderly world. Clubs, flashing lights, loud music… these things didn’t exist in her upbringing.
Luke had once called her dull for exactly this reason. He thrived on chaos, on thrills. She had never been that kind of girl.
Seeing her unfamiliarity with the place, Theodore asked, casually, “Never been to one?”
But according to Luke’s profile, he was someone who thrived on nightlife and social scenes. How could his ex–girlfriend have never set foot in a place like
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this?
The thought weighed down on Theodore. If only he’d met her sooner, he would’ve taken her to see all the light and spectacle the world had to offer.
Eliana misunderstood his look, taking it for mockery. She immediately bristled. “What, and you’ve been to these places a lot?”
Rumors always said he’d been devoted to Alice. If he said yes, then clearly he wasn’t as restrained as the world believed
But if he said no, then he was no better than her and had no right to judge.
Theodore smiled faintly, seeing right through her train of thought. “Let’s just get out.”
At that moment, in the spacious VIP booth, a crowd of impeccably dressed men and women, all either wealthy or well–connected, stood poised with champagne bottles and confetti cannons, waiting for the
Moment Theodore and Eliana appeared.
“They’re coming!” Felix whispered urgently as he rushed over from his lookout. “On my count. Five, four…”
Everyone held their breath. As soon as he hit “one,” they sprang from behind the sofas, raising their bottles and party cannons toward the approaching pair.
A series of pops echoed through the air.
The moment Theodore sensed something flying their way, he turned without hesitation and shielded Eliana with his body, taking the brunt of it himself.
The guests exchanged knowing glances, as if watching a scene unfold exactly as scripted.
Eliana, stunned by the sudden embrace, took a second to register what was happening. When she looked up and saw the confetti drifting down, she whispered, “I think… this might actually be a welcome?”
“It is,” Theodore replied, his voice calm, though his heart was anything but.
He remembered the chandelier incident all too clearly, how he had chosen to protect Alice and left Eliana behind. He wouldn’t let himself make that
mistake again.
Felix chuckled from the side. “Theodore, you trying to smother her?”
Eliana gently pushed him back and lifted her head, revealing her face at last.
There was a moment of collective surprise. Though many had seen her in gossip headlines days earlier, meeting her in person was something else entirely. She was more poised and more grounded than the media had portrayed.
“No wonder you were guarding her like a crown jewel,” said Ashton, the owner of The Gilded Ford, stepping forward with a teasing smile. “You look young. Are you even of legal age?”
“I’ve graduated college and have been working for over two years,” Eliana answered without flinching.
Ashton let out a low laugh. Of course they knew she worked at Starlight Media. If not, the rumors involving Raphael wouldn’t have made sense.
He was only teasing because she looked so unassuming.
But it was her directness that struck them. In a world where everyone had grown up navigating schemes and power plays, that sort of simplicity felt oddly disarming.
After a round of introductions, Eliana was led away by a woman draped in jewels and designer couture.
Theodore, meanwhile, was quickly surrounded by a circle of men. After being off the radar for two years, his reappearance had naturally made him the
center of attention.
Eliana took a seat, and within moments, someone handed her a wine glass.
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She looked up. The woman had long, dark waves cascading over her chest and a languid smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes with a tit she gestured toward the bottles on the table. “Pick your poison.”
Eliana hesitated as everything on the table was alcohol.
The woman let out a soft scoff. “What, playing innocent now? Who joins the adult world without learning how to drink?”
The woman beside Eliana intervened. “Vivienne, don’t start. You’re already tipsy,”
“I haven’t even had a drink,” Vivienne Hartley replied, eyeing Eliana coldly. “I just can’t stand women who act all pure and demure to win sympathy. Vie all know what kind of person she really is.”
The implication hung in the air, and the atmosphere turned noticeably tense.
“Ignore her,” the woman next to Eliana said gently. “If you don’t drink, just order a soft drink. No one’s going to force you.”
Vivienne clicked her tongue. “A soda? That’s adorable. What’s next, warm milk and bedtime stories?”
Eliana couldn’t help but feel puzzled. This was their first meeting. Why such blatant hostility?
Sensing her confusion, the woman leaned closer and explained in a low voice, “She’s Vivienne Hartley. Only daughter of a real estate tycoon. Also Alice’s best friend. So yeah… she’s not going to like you.”
Then she extended her hand and introduced herself. “I’m Harper Reynolds, Ashton’s girlfriend. Just call me Harper.”
AD
