ChapterTwo:TheLaurentFamily
1184 Words
Never in my life had I imagined Chloe and Adrian would betray me.
The images from Rêve replayed endlessly in my mind as I drove home. Chloe sitting comfortably on Adrian’s lap. Adrian looking more annoyed than guilty when he saw me. The people I trusted most had stabbed me in the back on the very day my life fell apart.
How long had it been going on?
Weeks?
Months?
Years?
The thought made me sick.
By the time I arrived at the Morel estate, my head was pounding.
I stepped inside and immediately found Celeste pacing across the living room.
The moment she saw me, she rushed over.
“Where have you been?” she demanded. “I’ve been calling for hours.”
I shrugged.
“My phone died.”
A lie.
But I wasn’t interested in talking.
Not to her.
Not after everything.
Celeste released a long breath.
“We’re having guests tonight.”
I kicked off my heels.
“Wonderful.”
“They’re here to see you.”
That got my attention.
Slowly, I turned toward her.
“I’m not interested.”
“Evelina—”
“I don’t care.”
Her jaw tightened.
“This isn’t about what you want.”
Of course it wasn’t.
Nothing was.
I laughed bitterly.
“Funny how nobody remembers that until it’s my life being ruined.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You need to stop acting like a child.”
I stared at her.
A child?
I had spent years cleaning up their messes.
Years carrying responsibilities that weren’t mine.
Yet somehow I was still the selfish one.
Something inside me snapped.
“Is that why you helped Isabelle disappear?”
The color drained from her face.
For a second, silence filled the room.
Then—
A sharp slap landed across my cheek.
My head snapped sideways.
Pain exploded through my skin.
I slowly turned back toward her.
Her hand was still raised.
Her eyes burned with fury.
“You will watch your mouth.”
I laughed.
A hollow, broken sound.
“So it’s true.”
“Enough.”
“No.”
The sting in my cheek was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.
“The night Isabelle disappeared, I saw you leaving her room.”
Celeste’s expression hardened.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I?”
The tears threatened again.
“You wanted your daughter free.”
Her breathing grew uneven.
“So you sacrificed me instead.”
“Evelina!”
I didn’t stop.
“She deserved a choice, but I don’t?”
Another slap never came.
Instead, she looked away.
And somehow that hurt even more.
“The Laurent family will be here shortly,” she said coldly.
My stomach dropped.
“The Laurents?”
“Yes.”
My heart skipped a beat.
Lucien Laurent.
The man I was being forced to marry.
The most powerful businessman in Europe.
A man surrounded by whispers and rumors.
A man whose name alone made people nervous.
I suddenly felt unable to breathe.
Why me?
Of all people.
Why me?
As if sensing my thoughts, Celeste answered.
“You were specifically requested.”
The words froze me.
“What?”
She folded her arms.
“The Laurent family asked for you.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
My pulse thundered in my ears.
Years ago, my father had convinced me that the Laurent empire was responsible for many of the problems threatening our company.
He had sent me digging.
Investigating.
Looking for dirt.
And like a fool, I had listened.
I had shared information with authorities.
Information connected to the Laurent organization.
Now the same family wanted me as their daughter-in-law.
Nothing about it made sense.
Unless…
Unless this wasn’t a marriage.
Unless this was punishment.
A cold shiver crawled down my spine.
I knew the stories.
Everyone did.
The Laurent family sat at the top of a business empire so vast that nobody truly understood its reach.
Luxury hotels.
Private investment firms.
Shipping companies.
Technology corporations.
Officially.
Unofficially?
The rumors were endless.
People whispered about corruption.
Political influence.
Power hidden behind elegant smiles.
Nobody could prove anything.
Because nobody dared challenge them.
At the center of it all stood Lucien Laurent.
The heir.
The future king of the empire.
A man known for being ruthless in business and merciless toward his enemies.
And somehow…
He wanted me.
My knees weakened.
I barely noticed when another figure entered the room.
Victor.
My father looked exhausted.
Older somehow.
His eyes met mine.
“I’m sorry, Evelina.”
His voice cracked slightly.
For a moment, I almost felt bad for him.
Almost.
Then I remembered he had sold my future without asking.
The sympathy vanished.
Without a word, I turned and ran upstairs.
Hours later, I woke to darkness.
For several seconds, I simply stared at the ceiling.
Then reality came rushing back.
The marriage.
Adrian.
Chloe.
Lucien Laurent.
My chest tightened.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
Before I could answer, the door opened.
Celeste stood there.
“They’ll be here in twenty minutes.”
Then she left.
Just like that.
No apology.
No comfort.
Nothing.
I sighed heavily and pushed myself out of bed.
There was no point fighting anymore.
Not tonight.
Not yet.
After showering, I slipped into a simple black dress that stopped just above my knees.
Elegant.
Comfortable.
Perfect for meeting the people responsible for ruining my life.
I tied my hair into a loose bun and applied a touch of lip gloss.
Then my eyes landed on the silver bracelet around my wrist.
Adrian.
The engraving still remained.
A + E.
The sight made my stomach turn.
Without hesitation, I unclasped it.
Dropped it into the trash.
And deleted his number.
Some things deserved to stay buried.
Voices echoed from downstairs.
The Laurents had arrived.
My pulse quickened.
Slowly, I descended the staircase.
The conversation below came to an abrupt halt.
Every eye turned toward me.
I froze.
The room suddenly felt too small.
Too warm.
Too suffocating.
“There she is.”
Celeste’s cheerful voice sounded fake even to me.
“Our daughter, Evelina.”
I resisted the urge to laugh.
A daughter when convenient.
A sacrifice when necessary.
Standing in the center of the room was an elegant woman with dark hair and warm eyes.
She smiled immediately.
“You must be Evelina.”
I nodded politely.
“I’m Vivienne Laurent.”
Her voice carried genuine kindness.
Beside her stood a tall, imposing man.
Armand Laurent.
His expression was unreadable.
Sharp eyes studied me carefully.
Assessing.
Judging.
Measuring.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
This wasn’t a social visit.
This was an inspection.
A business arrangement.
A transaction.
And I was the product.
I swallowed hard.
Trying not to show fear.
Trying not to break.
Trying not to think about the one person who wasn’t there.
Lucien Laurent.
The man who had chosen me.
The man responsible for changing my life forever.
And the man I had yet to meet.
- Writer
