Chapter four
1733 Words
The morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, slowly pulling Elara from her sleep.
For a few seconds, she forgot where she was.
Then it clicked she is married, and she is staying with Kaelen.
Her eyes widened as she turned beneath the covers.
Kaelen was already awake.
He stood near the wardrobe, buttoning his shirt, his hair neatly combed and his expression as calm and unreadable as ever. Elara quickly looked away, but curiosity got the better of her.
She glanced at him again.
He looked completely different from the intimidating man she had seen the night before. Somehow, seeing him getting ready for the day made the reality of their marriage feel even more real.
She stared for a moment too long, admiring his dexy hot body
Without turning around, Kaelen said, Good morning"Are you planning to keep staring?"
Elara immediately looked away.
"I wasn't staring."
A faint amusement appeared in his voice.
"Then you must have been studying the wall behind me."
Her cheeks warmed.
"I was just looking."
"Of course."
Kaelen finished adjusting his cuffs and finally looked at her.
"Get ready."
Elara sat up.
"Why?"
"Join me for breakfast."
"Oh."
She suddenly became aware that she was still sitting in bed with her hair untidy.
Kaelen walked toward the door.
"Freshen up and join me downstairs."
He paused before adding, "And try not to fall asleep again."
Elara frowned.
"I wasn't going to."
"I'll believe you."
He opened the door and left.
Elara stared after him for a moment before burying her face in her hands.
"This man is going to drive me crazy."
She quickly got out of bed and headed for the bathroom, determined not to keep him waiting.
Elara entered the dining room and immediately stopped.
The breakfast was enormous.
She counted six different dishes.
Eggs.
Toast.
Fresh fruit.
Pancakes.
Pastries.
And several things she couldn't identify.
Kaelen was already seated at the far end.
He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows.
His tie was nowhere in sight.
His dark hair was neatly combed.
For the first time, I noticed he looks like the intimidating billionaire from magazine covers.
"Good morning," Elara said.
She took the chair opposite him.
A servant placed a cup of tea in front of her.
Elara stared at the food.
"Is all of this for us?"
"Yes."
She looked at Kaelen.
"You eat all this?"
"No."
"Then why is there so much?"
"Because the staff doesn't know what you'll prefer yet."
Elara frowned.
"Can't they just ask me?"
Kaelen took a sip of coffee.
"They can."
She smiled.
"Then I'll tell them."
He nodded.
For a few moments, they ate in silence.
Elara wasn't used to eating in complete silence.
At home, before her father was hospitalized he always tells me his schedule for the day but when he was hospitalized and with work in the restaurant I don't remember when I sat down for a proper breakfast .
Here, everything was quiet.
After the meal, Kaelen went to his home office and Elara went to the library two hours later, Kaelen walked in.
He was dressed in a black shirt and tailored trousers, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His expression was as unreadable as ever, and his presence seemed to change the atmosphere of the room.
Elara immediately sat up
Kaelen gave a brief nod before walking toward the armchair opposite her.
Let's talk
He sat down, placed a file on the table, and looked directly at her.
“We need to talk.”
Elara's fingers tightened around the book resting in her lap.
“Did I do something wrong?”
His eyebrows drew together.
“Why would you assume that?”
“I don't know. You just said we needed to talk.”
“Relax, Elara. You're not in trouble.”
She released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
“Then what is it?”
“Your job.”
Her smile disappeared.
“My job?”
“Yes. The restaurant where you work.”
Elara stared at him, wondering how he had even found out where she worked. Then again, considering the man she had married, she probably shouldn't have been surprised.
“What about it?”
“I want you to quit.”
Her eyes widened.
“Quit?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
Because I don't want Kaelen Valerius woman to be seen as a waitress and it's not safe
She blinked.
“Not safe? What do you mean?”
Kaelen leaned back in his chair, his expression serious.
"I can't tell you the details".
Elara frowned.
“I understand.”
“You're my wife. You don't need to keep working in an environment where your safety could be compromised.”
She lowered her gaze.
There was something unsettling about the way he spoke, as though the decision had already been made and her opinion was merely a formality.
But she couldn't simply accept it.
“Kaelen, I appreciate your concern, but that job is important to me.”
“Why?”
“Because it's how I supported myself.”
“Past tense,” he corrected. “You don't have to do that anymore.”
Elara looked at him.
For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
He was right about one thing. The circumstances that had forced her to work long hours had changed. She no longer needed to struggle to find money for her father's treatment.
But giving up her job so suddenly felt strange.
It was one of the few things in her life that had always belonged to her.
“I understand what you're saying,” she replied. “But I don't want to feel like I have to depend entirely on you for everything.”
Kaelen studied her for several seconds.
“Is that what you think this is about?”
“Isn't it?”
He remained silent briefly before leaning forward.
“Listen to me, Elara. I'm not asking you to quit because I want to control every aspect of your life. I'm telling you to leave because I don't consider that environment safe enough for you anymore.”
She searched his face, trying to determine whether there was something behind his words that he wasn't telling her.
He was a difficult man to read.
“I'll think about it,” she finally said.
Kaelen seemed dissatisfied with the answer, but he didn't argue.
“Fine. Think about it.”
He paused, his gaze shifting to the book on her lap.
“What are you reading?”
Elara glanced down at the book.
“Nothing important.”
“Then why have you been staring at the same page for the last ten minutes?”
Her head snapped up.
“You've been watching me?”
“It's difficult not to notice when someone has been sitting in the same position for nearly an hour.”
Heat crept into her cheeks.
“I was thinking.”
“About what?”
She hesitated.
“Nothing.”
“Elara.”
The quiet firmness in his voice made her look at him.
“If there's something you want, say it. I don't enjoy playing guessing games.”
She stared at him, uncertain whether she should take his words seriously.
He wanted to know what she wanted?
No one had asked her that question in a very long time.
Most of her decisions had been dictated by necessity. When her father's condition worsened and the bills became overwhelming, her own dreams had gradually become less important.
She had stopped thinking about what she wanted because wanting things she couldn't afford only made the disappointment worse.
But now, sitting across from a man who could apparently solve financial problems without blinking, she found herself wondering whether she was allowed to dream again.
“What do you want, Elara?” Kaelen asked, his voice quieter this time.
She looked down at her hands.
“It's nothing.”
“Then it shouldn't be difficult to tell me.”
She pressed her lips together before finally gathering the courage to speak.
“I want to go back to college.”
Kaelen's expression remained neutral.
“College?”
She nodded.
“I was studying fashion design before I had to put everything on hold.”
“Why?”
“Because of my father's medical expenses. I couldn't afford the tuition anymore, and I needed to work. At first, I thought I would take a semester off and return when things improved.”
A faint, sad smile touched her lips.
“But things kept getting worse. Every time I thought I was close to saving enough money, something else happened. Eventually, I stopped making plans.”
Kaelen said nothing.
Elara continued, her voice growing softer.
“I've always loved fashion. I used to sketch designs in my notebooks during lectures. I even had a collection I wanted to create for my final project.”
She gave a small, embarrassed laugh.
“It probably sounds childish now.”
“Why would it sound childish?”
She looked up, surprised by the question.
“I don't know. It's just a dream I had before everything changed.”
“And you still want it?”
“Yes.”
The answer came out immediately.
For the first time since their conversation began, her eyes brightened.
“I really do. I know I might have to start again, and I know it won't be easy, but I want to finish what I started. I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what might have happened if I'd continued.”
Kaelen watched her in silence.
He had expected her to ask for money, a house, expensive clothes, or something else that people often associated with his wealth.
Instead, she had asked for the opportunity to return to school.
There was something about the quiet determination in her voice that caught his attention.
“Do you have your old academic records?”
Elara blinked.
“Yes, I think so. I kept most of my documents.”
“Good. Find them.”
She stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because you're going back to college.”
Her mouth fell open slightly.
“Wait. What?”
“You heard me.”
“But I haven't even checked whether I can still resume my programme.”
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