His collateral

Chapter 23

The last drop of water trickled down as Elena turned off the shower. She stepped out, reaching for the bathrobe hanging on the rack as she hummed a soft melody. She wrapped a towel around her hair, patting it dry as she walked to the door.

In the room Sara sat before the vanity mirror applying mascara, her mouth open in that particular way people do when concentrating.

Elena smiled, an idea forming in her head. "Can I use your phone?"

"Sure. It's on the bed." Sara said, barely audible.

Elena walked to the bed, picked it up and drifted back toward the mirror. She lifted the phone. The camera shutter clicked several times.

"What are you doing?" Sara laughed.

Elena shook her head, hiding the phone behind her back. "Nothing."

Sara returned the mascara brush to its case. "Liar. I heard the shutter. Give me that." She reached for the phone.

Elena lifted it above her head, laughing. "I didn't take any pictures." She took slow steps backward.

The moment Sara stood she dashed to the bed, hiding the phone beneath her.

Sara jumped on her and they rolled across the sheets, laughing loudly. Then Sara's fingers found Elena's stomach.

"You win. You win." Elena cried, surrendering the phone. "I'm very ticklish, please stop." She laughed uncontrollably.

Sara climbed off her, sat at the edge of the bed and unlocked the phone triumphantly. "Serve you right." She smiled. "Aww. The pictures aren't that bad actually."

"You see. You tickled me for nothing." Elena said, her laughter fading as she joined Sara at the edge of the bed. "Look at this one. You look cute here."

Sara rolled her eyes. "More like funny. But I'll keep them. I don't want your hard work going to waste." She glanced at her watch. "The driver should be waiting downstairs. Get dressed quickly. We need to return to the estate before noon."

"Why before noon?" Elena asked, slipping off the bathrobe as she began humming again.

She reached into a shopping bag and pulled out a short black dress Sara had given her since she didn't have a change of clothes. She would have picked some clothes at the mall if she had known things would turn out this way.

"I don't know." Sara replied from the dresser. "Sometimes when Lu gives instructions I just follow them without asking questions because I wouldn't understand the explanation anyway." She paused, turning. "You've been humming that song for a while now. Do you enjoy singing by any chance?"

Elena's shoulders stiffened. She hadn't realized she was doing it.

A nervous smile appeared on her lips. "Yes. I studied performing arts. You could say singing is something I enjoy."

"Really?" Sara's eyes widened. She stood and walked toward Elena.

"What?" Elena laughed, slightly amused.

Sara stopped a few metres away, eyes carrying something Elena couldn't quite identify. "Could you sing the song you were just humming?"

"Why?" Elena laughed nervously.

"Just sing." Sara pressed.

Elena gave her an uncertain look.

"Please. There's something I need to find out."

"Okay." Elena agreed. "Just one line." She drew in a slow breath, clearing her throat. "You lock me away, when I needed you the most—"

"Wow. Wow, wait." Sara interrupted. "Were you a professional singer before all of this happened with your ex-husband?"

Elena scratched the back of her neck. "No. I wasn't."

"Why not? You have real talent. What were you doing all this time?"

Elena's chest tightened. The question hit somewhere deep. "I worked as head of the design team at jana until two years ago when I had to step back to focus on the family."

"What about before that? Before you met him. You chose to study performing arts for a reason."

Elena winced.

There was no before. She had met Jason in her first year of college and they had fallen in love with each other immediately. Over those three years she had abandoned the singing channel she had built with over a thousand subscribers because Jason complained she wasn't spending enough time with him.

After college she interned at a music production company that offered her a permanent position and promised to debut her if she worked hard. She quit after a year because Jason threatened to end things, accusing her of neglecting him.

The following year she came across an online audition for a girl group that later became hugely successful. She passed without difficulty. Jason had seemed happy for her too, until he heard she would have to leave the country.

He had driven to her apartment in a heavy storm, banging on her door at midnight, completely drenched. The moment she opened it he dropped to one knee, a ring held up between his fingers.

"Marry me." He had sobbed. "I can't live without you. Please don't leave me."

She had found the moment unbearably romantic. She had reached out her hand before she even thought about it.

That was how she missed her chance to become a star.

"I chose not to pursue it as a career." She smiled faintly, pulling the dress on. "Isn't this too short?" She changed the subject.

"It's perfect. It'll go well with the heels you picked." Sara replied, turning back to the mirror. "Should we have breakfast before we head back?"

Elena exhaled quietly, relieved Sara had let it go. "We can eat at the estate. Unless you're hungry now." She said, hoping Sara would agree. She didn't want to spend another minute in this city after what happened last night.

"We can totally do that." Sara shrugged. "I'm just worried about you though. You haven't eaten since yesterday morning." She stood. "Ready?"

"Almost." Elena said, unboxing the heels and slipping them on. "Done."

"You look breathtaking." Sara said. "Come see yourself."

Elena walked to the mirror and stopped.

She looked different. More different than she had in weeks. Was it the new haircut? She ran her fingers through it slowly.

Maybe she had cut it too short. Like Lucien had said.

Speaking of Lucien, she hadn't seen him since last night.

She turned. "Where is Mr. Black? I haven't seen him this morning."

A sly smile lit up Sara's face. "Why? Are you missing him?"

"No. I was just—" She stuttered. "I just—"

Sara burst out laughing. "Relax. I'm joking. He left early with James. Said he had important business to handle so we would have to return without him."

"Oh."

"He looked unusually irritable this morning though. So I know that wasn't the real reason."

Elena hesitated. "Do you happen to know why?"

Sara nodded slowly, looking away. "Yes. He gets like this every year around this time. It's a few days before our parents' death anniversary.”