ELARA
I bit down the urge to ask Julian to quit the dramatics of calling this stranger "brother-in-law." The man looked familiar, but I didn't have time to place him because I saw, with immense pleasure, Shawn blanching.
A better idea to deal with him began to form—one to tide me over before the truth I had scheduled about him went live in a few hours.
As a kneeling Shawn looked between me and the stranger stepping further into the room, I put on a fantastic smile and beamed at the newcomer.
“Hey, honey…”
Shawn literally convulsed as he struggled to his feet. His hands were shaking; his lips were shaking.
“No, no. Elara, no,” he kept muttering, his eyes wide enough to make him look like a bug-eyed goblin. “Not him… Elara… You love me, and I love you… forgive…”
He was still ram
