The Agent's Blood

Chapter 12.

"Miss, wake up!" Evander gently stroked Elena's cheek.

The girl groaned, disturbed, murmuring softly as she turned over, changing her sleeping position.

Evander suppressed a smile, finding her adorable.

He felt a slight awkwardness seeing Elena's smooth back, uncovered by the blanket. He desperately wanted to reach out, to touch that silken skin with his fingertips, to make the girl sigh again in his embrace.

Evander blinked, then shook his head, clearing away the heated scenes swirling in his mind.

"Why?"

Evander jumped in surprise at Elena's voice. He opened his eyes and saw her looking at him, a faint smile playing on her lips. Her waking face was captivating, without a trace of makeup.

"Oh, it's nothing!" Evander hedged, starting to get up, but Elena pulled his hand, making him fall back onto the bed.

"Wait a moment," Elena whined, resting her head on Evander's thigh. Her hand stroked his leg, while she herself tried to hold back a smile.

Evander understood, Elena was deliberately teasing him.

"May I say something, Miss?" Evander asked.

"If it's going to ruin my mood, you'd better not!" Elena replied lazily, hugging Evander's leg.

"Unfortunately, it will!"

Elena paused, then looked up at Evander. "What is it?" she asked.

Evander took a short breath, then... "Your mother ordered me to bring you home, to discuss your wedding with Mr. Julian."

Elena instantly sat up. Evander turned his face away, pulling the blanket up to cover the girl's chest and pushing it towards Elena.

"Isn't that still a week away?!" she snapped, annoyed.

Evander looked at Elena. "No, your mother said you will be married tomorrow!" he replied.

Elena froze in stunned silence. Her hands trembled as she covered her bowed face.

"Miss, calm down!" Evander said, taking Elena's hands and holding them.

Elena raised her face, her eyes filled with despair as she looked at Evander.

"I don't want to, Evan! Take me away!" she pleaded, beginning to sob uncontrollably.

Evander pulled Elena into his embrace. His chest felt tight. His heart rebelled, yet he was powerless.

"Calm yourself!" Evander said, touching Elena's head.

"I can only tell you that I will always be here for you, Miss," Evander whispered. He tightened his embrace around Elena.

The woman sobbed, weeping bitterly, lamenting her fate.

***

Julian smiled broadly seeing Elena arrive with Evander. His arrogant demeanor only intensified in Evander's presence, particularly.

Victoria and Alistair also seemed relieved to see their beloved daughter's arrival.

Upon reaching the edge of the room, Evander, knowing his place, stopped and stood guard from a distance. But this made Elena feel alone facing her parents and Julian. To her, they were all the same, merely imposing their will without asking about her feelings. Whatever the purpose of this marriage, Elena clearly felt she was being sacrificed.

Not wanting to cause an argument, Elena reluctantly sat beside Julian. At least, that's what Evander had told her. He had warned her not to object and to comply this one time.

Their relationship with Evander would end disastrously if they rebelled now. So, despite the pain, both had to let go of each other, especially Evander. He had to watch the woman he loved marry another man.

Julian immediately pulled Elena's waist closer to him, took her hand, and kissed it intimately.

Victoria and Alistair smiled at the sight.

"There's no longer any reason for you to postpone the wedding," Victoria chuckled. "Mother wouldn't want grandchildren sooner than expected!"

Elena glared, hearing this. How could her mother make such a joke? Her father also burst into laughter.

Julian chuckled. "Me too, can't wait to give the Montgomery family a grandchild," he jested, looking at Elena with a smirk. "Your daughter has truly grown into a very beautiful and tempting woman!"

Elena felt disgusted watching him. The mere thought made her nauseous. But unlike her father and mother, they laughed joyfully.

Evander, hearing from afar, clenched his fists, struggling to control his emotions. He watched the woman he adored being verbally harassed right before his eyes. Not to mention remembering what Julian had done yesterday.

"Tomorrow will be the grandest and most luxurious wedding of the year," Victoria said enthusiastically. "I can't wait to see the faces of those officials' wives gape at tomorrow's party!" she chuckled.

"And you will be the most expensive bride, darling!" she added to Elena.

They laughed again, boasting and mocking others, feeling as if they were the most powerful and could belittle anyone at will.

Elena remained silent. She considered all their words idle chatter, entering one ear and exiting the other. All of it made her want to scream and run.

Until she directed her gaze towards the Captain.

There, Evander was also looking at her. Unspeakable sadness and helplessness filled his eyes.

***

The wedding party was as grand and luxurious as Victoria had described. The power of money made everything easy, in just two days, such a massive wedding could be beautifully realized.

Super luxurious decorations and elaborate souvenirs were among Victoria's main priorities. She didn't want her reputation as the wealthiest and most powerful person to diminish in front of others, especially her friends from among the officials' wives.

And, of course, it cost a fortune, consuming digits upon digits of money.

Evander stood in front of the bride's dressing room. For some reason, his heart pounded along with hers. Inside, Elena was getting ready. The girl stood like a mannequin, allowing the makeup artist and designer to put on her wedding dress.

It was the wedding dress Evander had chosen.

Perhaps that was the only thing that made her smile today. And he couldn't wait to see his beloved's reaction.

Evander nodded respectfully to Alistair, who arrived to pick up his daughter. Finally, the room door opened, and Elena stepped out, guided by the bridesmaids.

Evander couldn't tear his eyes away. Seeing the woman of his heart in such a beautiful wedding dress. Her hair, usually flowing freely, was now styled into an updo and covered with a veil, adorned with a small crown. Through the thin veil, he could see Elena's beautiful face smiling at him.

A mix of emotion, sadness, and happiness swelled in his chest. Imagining if only that were their wedding moment. Evander could barely hold back his tears, seeing how incredibly beautiful and stunning Elena looked. A poignant moment where the girl should have been his bride.

Evander longed to leave, his heart rebelling and breaking at the thought of witnessing the moment his beloved became another man's wife.

Yet he couldn't leave, because his presence was precisely Elena's strength to endure.

That night, when they had found solace in each other, Elena had cried and pleaded,

"Stay with me, Evan! Because you are the only reason I'm holding on until now!"