What Loving You Cost Me

Chapter 6 - Please Don’t Let Anything Happen

Elizabeth

The gala was held at a hotel I had only ever seen in magazines.

It was a palace of glass and light. Even though I was married to a billionaire, I’d lived like a prisoner; I’d never seen anything this expensive.

I tensed up the moment we stepped out of the car. Hayley must have felt it because she slipped her hand into mine and squeezed.

"Just breathe," she whispered. "You belong here."

At the gate, the attendant leaned toward the window. "Name, please?"

"Elizabeth Lan—" I caught myself just in time. "Valdez. Elizabeth Valdez."

The woman nodded and waved us through.

Then the cameras started flashing.

Hayley was a model, and the photographers knew her instantly. Daniel stood beside her, tall and handsome, playing the role of the supportive fiancé. I stepped to the side, out of the light, and told myself I didn't mind being invisible.

But Hayley wouldn't let me hide. She grabbed my arm and pulled me beside her.

"This is Elizabeth," she told everyone who asked. "Daniel's sister. And my new best friend."

I smiled. Nodded. Shook hands with people whose names I forgot the second I heard them.

I could still feel Daniel’s eyes burning into the back of my neck. At one point, when Hayley turned to greet someone else, Daniel leaned in until his breath was hot against my ear.

"Why the hell did you dress like this?" he hissed.

I didn't give him an answer. I just forced a polite smile, excused myself, and headed for the bathroom. I needed to breathe.

I didn't go to the restroom. I found a quiet hallway that led to a balcony and stepped out into the night air. I leaned against the railing and looked at the city, trying to steady my heart.

Then I heard footsteps.

I jumped, spinning around because I expected to see Daniel’s angry face.

But it wasn't him.

"I didn't mean to startle you," the man said. He was tall, good-looking, and had a calm energy.

"I saw you come out here and wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine," I said. "Just needed air."

He smiled. "I'm Marcus."

"Elizabeth."

He leaned against the railing next to me, keeping a respectful distance. "I don't mean to intrude, but... I saw you from across the room. I couldn't help myself."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Your beauty," he clarified. "I was drawn to it."

It had been a lifetime since a man looked at me with admiration instead of just cold possession.

"Thank you," I said, a small smile finally reaching my lips.

We talked for a while. He asked why he’d never seen me at these events, and I told him I never really came to these things that I was here with Hayley.

"You know Hayley?" I asked.

His expression shifted slightly. "You know Hayley?"

"You know her?" I asked.

He laughed, but it sounded forced. "Obviously. She's a celebrity."

Something about the way he said it felt strange, but I didn't push.

I liked talking to him. He was attentive. He made me feel seen. Eventually, I told him I should head back before Hayley started looking for me. Marcus offered to get me a drink, and we walked back into the crowd together.

As we stood by the bar, I looked across the room. Daniel was trapped in a conversation with some businessman, but he wasn't listening. His eyes were locked on us. His face was a mask of pure, dark jealousy.

I had never seen him jealous before. Not once. And I realized... I liked it.

So when Marcus asked for my number, I didn't hesitate. I leaned in, smiling as I gave it to him, making sure Daniel saw every single second of it.

"There you are!" Hayley’s voice broke through the moment. She walked up, her eyes darting between me and Marcus. Her expression shifted into something surprised and awkward.

I sensed it immediately, but I just took my drink and gave Marcus one last smile. "It was lovely meeting you."

I turned to Hayley, acting like I didn't see the storm in Daniel's eyes. "Shall we?"

The gala ended faster than I expected.

Hayley was already on her phone before we reached the car, her eyes wide.

"Shoot," she said, looking up at us. "I have a flight to catch. Paris. In an hour. I completely forgot."

She didn't wait for a response. She kissed Daniel on the cheek, hugged me tight, and said she would see me later.

Then she was gone.

And it was just the two of us.

The moment the car pulled away from the curb, I sensed something was wrong.

Daniel had been drinking at the gala. I had seen him with a glass of whiskey more than once. Now, as he drove, he reached for a bottle in the console and took a long gulp.

My hands curled into fists on my lap. I didn't want to sit next to him. I didn't feel safe.

"You know you're not supposed to be drinking while driving," I muttered, my voice barely a whisper as I pressed myself against the door.

He didn't answer. Instead, he slammed his hand against the steering wheel with a force that made me flinch so hard my head hit the window. He didn't say a single word for the rest of the ride. He just drove, his breath coming in heavy, jagged bursts.

The front door slammed shut, and then Daniel's hand was on my arm, spinning me around. He pinned me against the wall, his body crowding mine, his breath hot and smelling of whiskey.

I gasped.

"What have you done to yourself?" His voice was low, rough. His eyes moved over my face, my dress, every inch of me. "How dare you walk out that door looking—"

He cut himself off, dragging a hand through his hair, pacing a small circle before trapping me against the wall again. He looked like a man who had lost his mind.

"You look like a w***e, Elizabeth," he said coldly.

The word stung like a slap.

"Allowing another man to touch you—"

I pushed against his chest, trying to clear some space between us but he didn't move.

"Another man to touch me?" I hissed. "Is that what you wanted to say? You call me a w***e for wearing a dress and some makeup, but you get to have a whole fiancée? You brought her here, Daniel! You forced her into my home, you kissed her in front of me, and you're calling me a w***e for talking to a stranger?"

His eyes darkened. His hand came up to grip my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"It’s different," he growled, leaning in until our noses were almost touching. "That is business. What you did tonight was a betrayal."

"Betrayal?" I laughed, and it felt like glass breaking in my throat. "You gave up the right to be betrayed the second you asked me to be your sister. You don't get to be jealous. You don't get to be angry. You threw me away, remember? You told me to prove my love by disappearing into the background."

I tried to move past him, but he ripped my arm back. Hard.

"Let go of me," I said, trying to pull free.

He wouldn't budge.

"I'm not done talking," he yelled.

I kept pushing, kept trying to get away. My only thought was to get to my room, to lock the door, to put distance between us.

In that moment, he yanked me a little too hard.

My heel slipped.

I hit the floor hard.

The impact shot through my body, and my hands flew to my stomach on instinct. A whimper escaped my lips as pain bloomed low in my belly.

My baby.

My eyes blurred with tears, but I could still see him.

He didn't help me up.

He didn't ask if I was okay.

He just walked out.

The door slammed behind him, and I was left alone on the cold floor, clutching my stomach, praying silently.

Please. Please don't let anything happen to my baby. The pain sharpened.

And for the first time that night, I was truly afraid.