His collateral

Chapter 20

"Elena! Elena!" A light touch on her arm pulled her back to reality. "Where's your mind at? I've been calling you for the past few seconds."

Elena gave a half smile. "Sorry, I was a bit carried away. What were you saying?"

"Wine! Which wine do you prefer—red wine or champagne?" Sara's voice rose above the low jazz humming in the background. "You haven't placed an order for your meal either."

The waiter placed a leather bound menu before Elena. She picked it up, eyes sliding over the list of expensive meals with difficult names to pronounce.

She closed it. "I'll have the steak with red wine."

"How would you like it cooked, ma'am?" The waiter asked, jotting down her order.

"Medium rare, thank you," she said, handing the menu back to him. Her fingers tapped lightly on the table as her gaze returned to the direction she had been staring.

Earlier, she had excused herself to use the restroom and found a fire exit door in the corridor beside it, fully unlocked.

Just as, they arrived Lucien had stepped out several minutes ago, excusing himself to take an important call. If she was going to leave it had to be now. She might not get a better chance than this.

"And dessert, ma'am?" The waiter's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "We have a variety of ice creams, cakes—"

"Chocolate ice cream,” she answered, cutting him off. Her gaze remained unmoved.

"Of course, ma'am." The waiter nodded, placing a small basket of bread rolls and a dish of whipped butter beside it. "Please enjoy while your meal is being prepared." He bowed and left.

Sara picked a bread roll, dipping it into the butter. "This is lovely." She said, munching quietly. "You see that skyscraper over there?" She pointed toward the glass panelled wall overlooking the city's skyline. "That's the tallest building in the whole country."

Elena's attention shifted to the wall. A skyscraper taller than the rest stood in the center of the city, its colorful lights shimmering against the dark.

"I doubt that. There are buildings far taller than it. Last year I was in the southern region for a vacation and I saw several much taller." She replied, slightly absent minded.

"Vacation? With who?" Sara asked, dipping another bread roll into the butter. "Your ex-husband?"

Elena fell silent.

Sara's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry." She apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to bring up your painful past. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"It's fine." Elena shook her head. "It was a vacation to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary."

If only she could turn back the hands of time, she would have never created that memory with him. She had been so happy when he announced he had booked a private villa to mark four years of marriage and ten years of knowing each other.

Now looking back she realized she had been a fool all those years. She had loved a man who abused her physically and emotionally. Abandoned her dreams and her ambitions just to please a man who ultimately sold her off to save his own head. And then stood before cameras and publicly accused her of causing his company's downfall.

He should just wait until she was finally free. She would expose his true nature to the world and tear down every facade he had created.

"It must have hurt so much to be betrayed by someone you once loved." Sara said quietly. "I sincerely apologize for bringing it up."

Elena's head lowered, her voice cracking. "It's totally fine." She said, wiping the tears streaming down her face.

She had a degree in performing arts for a reason. She had to seize the moment.

She stood up. "Excuse me. I need to use the restroom." She said, sniffling.

Sara opened her purse and produced a wipe, handing it over. "Go ahead." She said in a remorseful tone. "Take as much time as you need to calm yourself."

"Thank you." Elena whispered, her pace quickening the moment she left.

A triumphant smile curved at her lips as she left the restaurant and entered the corridor leading to the bathroom.

The moment she turned the corner she bumped hard into someone, a bag dropped to the floor with its contents scattering everywhere.

Elena crouched immediately. "I'm so sorry." She apologized, gathering the scattered items.

"It's fine." The woman smiled, pushing her hair behind her ears. "It's not entirely your fault."

Elena collected the last of the items, placed them back in the bag and stood, handing it over. "Sorry again. I was in a rush and didn't see you coming."

"I said it's okay." The woman paused, eyes narrowing as she studied Elena closely. "Hold on. I think I've seen you somewhere before."

Elena dodged her gaze. "Excuse me. I'll be on my way now." She said, walking past the woman.

The sound of heels clicked desperately behind her. "Aren't you Elena Dalton? The ex-wife of the CEO of Jana?"

"You have the wrong person." Elena said, hastening her steps. She had to get out of here before she attracted any more attention.

Just as her hand closed around the handle of the fire exit door her shoulder was yanked back hard.

"It's you." The woman said, gripping her shoulder. "Isn't this you?" She held her phone up close to Elena's face. A picture of her and Jason at an event glowed on the screen.

Elena looked away, shaking her head. "That's not me. You have the wrong person."

The woman scoffed. "I'm not blind. How dare you try to deceive me?" She sneered.

Elena's eyes swept around her. Onlookers had begun to gather, drawn in by what was unfolding. She swallowed hard.

Not now. Not when she was this close.

"Ha. I caught you." The woman laughed.

Elena's expression hardened, her chin lifting as she met the woman's gaze directly. "What do you want?"

The woman's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "What do I want?" Her voice faltered. "You should already know why I'm confronting you."

Elena crossed her arms. "I don't."

The woman laughed, cold and mocking. "I expected nothing less from a thief. Refund my money before I call the police on you."

The whispers of the onlookers grew louder, some chuckling, others lifting their phones to record.

Elena drew in a sharp breath. "What money are you talking about?"

"My money. My hard earned money." The woman's voice broke. "I bought shares worth fifty million in Jana's stock two months ago. That was my life savings. My first attempt at investing."

Elena's chest tightened with pity. It was unfortunate that she had lost such a significant amount. She genuinely felt for her. "I'm sorry for your loss. But I have nothing to do with it." She turned to leave.

"Liar." The woman grabbed Elena by the hair. "How can you afford to eat in a restaurant like this? You embezzled the company funds and then served your husband divorce papers.”

"Let go of my hair." Elena yelled, yanking the woman's hand away with effort. She straightened herself. "I'm letting this go because of what you've been through. But don't confront me again if you see me. I may not be so courteous next time." She turned and pulled the fire exit door open.

She had barely taken a step when something cold pressed against the back of her head. She froze, her heart slamming hard against her chest.

"Take another step and I'll put a bullet through your head."

Loud gasps filled the corridor.

Elena raised her hands slowly, turning carefully. The woman stood with a gun, her expression dark and unraveling.

"I didn't embezzle the company funds. I had no access to it." Elena said, her voice trembling.

The woman laughed loudly. "Negotiating now are we? A moment ago you were all pride and defiance." She moved closer.

Elena’s back pressed against the wall. "We can discuss this calmly." She pleaded.

"The only thing I want to hear is that you have my money. Anything else and I can't promise I won't pull this trigger. It's fully loaded."

"I don't have your money." Elena shivered. "He lied to the media. He lied to all of you. I had nothing to do with any of this."

"Save that explanation for the devil when you meet him tonight." She c****d the gun. "I would rather rot in jail for killing you than watch you walk away free."

Elena's eyes swept the corridor. Everyone had retreated to a safe distance. No one moved to help. A tear slipped down her face.

Was this it?

The end of her life. She hadn't even found her sister yet. In the end Jason had taken everything from her. She closed her eyes, more tears flowing.

A gunshot fired. She braced for the pain.

Seconds passed. Nothing came.

Her tear-blurred eyes slowly opened to find a man wrestling the gun from the woman's hands. More shots rang out and people scattered in every direction.

Elena slid down the wall to the floor, hands pressed over her ears, eyes shut tight as she trembled.

Then silence.

Heavy footsteps approached and stopped directly before her. She couldn't bring herself to open her eyes.

"Are you alright, Elena?" A voice whispered.

She stilled. "Mr. Black."

"Open your eyes." He said gently, pushing her hair away from her face.

Elena's lids fluttered open. Lucien was crouched before her, watching her with an expression she had never seen on him before. It was soft. Sincere and unguarded.

"Mr. Black." She collapsed into his arms, sobbing quietly.

He pulled her close, one hand patting her head with a gentleness that contradicted everything she knew about him. "It's over now." He said softly. "It's over.”