THE GRAVITY OF US

THE GALA

Chapter Five

The gala came to a close with a flash of champagne and applause, but Elowen still felt the throb of Rhys's kiss in her chest. Every word eluded her, and the donors whom she had to smile and sign and pose for were all blurred as she felt him on her lips, the taste of him, and the fact that she had been too desperately wanting more.Immediately, she needed air. She needed some distance from everybody. But when Rhys Moretti decided to follow you, there was no such thing as distance--Barcelona was a small city.Recommend Rephrase.275 characters original.0 tokens added.25 tokens remaining.Theater, she finally escaped into the stillness of the corridors, where she nearly bumped into Clara.Setting a special focus to what she is saying, Clara exclaimed, "El!" as if she had already noticed the distressed state of her best friend Elowen. "Your look is similar to that of someone who saw a ghost."Elowen smiled a bit at the playfulness of her friend. "I saw something like that," she replied. "I just need to... Think of a moment."Clara was about to say something but then a shadow fell on them.Marcus.Now he was alone, his smile since Mark had left was etched with seriousness. "Sister, a word."Elowen became tense. Clara squeezed her hand before she turned back again to the ballroom but her wary look assured her she'd be nearby.Marcus took her into the side chamber of the theatre where the tall windows gave a view to the Ramblas. He poured himself a drink and studied her for a long time. Unusually, he was patient with her. "You were reckless tonight."Her heart skipped a beat. "Pardon?" he said, looking for an explanation. "Do not pretend you don't know it." He swirled the whiskey in what seemed to be an unconcerned manner. "I saw you with him on the balcony."His mouth became dry. "You shouldn't have been watching." "Shouldn't I?" Marcus mirrored her earlier intonation, but his smile came out in a slow and dangerous form. "Rhys Moretti is not your hero, Elowen. He is a danger. To me. To the family. And, of course, to you."I think you made a mistake saying that," she whispered even though her voice trembled in fear of what she revealed to him.His eyes turned sharper. "Then let me prove it to you."He took out a slinky his eyes from his jacket, tossing it onto the table that separated them. Some papers slipped out; there were screenshots of emails, bank accounts, and contracts.Elowen's stomach sank.MORETTI TECHNOLOGIES: The name that appears on each page, is a one-direction business trip to the Swiss accounts. The shell companies that were used to reroute the funds are also stamped on the documents. The last piece of paperwork doesn't just bear the signature of the gallery but also the logo thoughts of Elowen's gallery stamp on it."What does this prove?" Her voice cracked.Marcus spoke in a way that was almost honeyed. "These are the things that prove it. He has been through dirty money through your gallery. You are the one who is signing all the needed documents. He is going to frame you, Elowen. You will be the one who would be sentenced while he escapes without a scratch."Her fingers radiated hellfire as she gripped the page. The digits, the names of who had signed—they matched what was there previously. They couldn't have looked more genuine."No," she said softly. "Rhys wouldn't—""Wouldn't he?" Marcus's eyes glistened. "Five years back, he allowed you to take the blame for a scandal he initiated. You believe men of his kind change? He wants you weak and independent. He wants to destroy you."The walls tilted. The memory of his kiss, the pain in his voice, the fury in his eyes—all of it collided with the hard truth that lay on the table and her hands.Insomnia had fanged the tempers of his siblings. His brother's whisper turned to poison. "Choose, Elowen. Blood or betrayal. The one you see is the other you can't have."Across the theatre, Rhys was near Adrian but his mind only searched in the corridors, where Febe the girl who he had been gripped by some thoughts, wasn't. A consuming restlessness had its hold on him, like something had burrowed under his skin, gnawing at him, and heaving sharp twinges of pain.Rhys's sullen expression reflected the weight of his words, prompting Adrian to say, "You should leave. You lying s**t or whatever you are ain't doing me any good by merely being here."Rhys replied with a deep growl, "I'm not leaving her."Adrian exhaled slowly, looking defeated. "Then tread lightly. You are playing Marcus's game now."Before Rhys had the chance to respond, Isabella came in. Worn red silk which hugged her shape gave her an emblematic look of a femme fatale. Her smile was so sugary that it felt like it was covering sheets of steel beneath it.```Rhys," she said in a low tone. "Your Elowen looked rather... distressed. I do hope you haven't broken her already.Certainly, Marcus had been just that convincing when he wanted to be, and you, darling, had left him all the weapons he needed to destroy Tim's strength.His eyes narrowed. "What do you know?"Isabella tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Only that Marcus is very convincing when he wants to be. And you, darling, left him all the weapons he needs."He left the space and moved closer to her, todos emitendo una especie de temerossis que causaba las palabras de ella. "If you've touched her, ..."No, I don't have to. Your past sins will do the work for me. Haven't you noticed? She already doubts you."Elowen fell to the ground in shock, the folder hugging her baby in a tight embrace. Her eyes watered, but she had to move herself through the lobby. Her lungs gasped for breath, she needed something—air was not enough, she had to see something that would add to her understanding of the reality. And at that moment she saw him.Rhys.Waiting by the grand staircase, grey eyes locking on hers the instant she appeared. Relief and hunger flared across his face as he started toward her."I was going to find you," he said, voice rough. "Elowen."Before he could say any other thing, frog-like, she shoved the papers against his chest. "Don't."His mouth dropped as he merely gazed at the papers turning into a live evidence of his lies.Her voice was shaky, but it sliced through the air like glass. "For the love of everything, tell me this isn't real."The crowd was dwindling and the whispers began to emerge. He studied the documents, then he inspected her, feeling an emotion between confusion and anger. "Where did you get this?"Answer me!" she hissed.His silence was the worst lie she's ever heard.The world turned on its head as the magnetism between them twisted and cracked into something cruel and jagged.Her hazel eyes sparkled but no tears fell. "I should have noticed. Five years, Rhys, and you never changed. All that time-I thought maybe-It was all a lie. I thought maybe you came back to destroy me. But that's just it."El—"He reached for her arm but she again yanked her hand, breaking, her voice. "Don't touch me!"The heels of her shoes hit the marble marble with every step she took down the stairs, leaving him behind with the folder, every eye in the room following her departure. Marcus stood on the balcony above with a glass of whiskey in his hand, smiling silently in triumph. Princess Isabella crept to him, looking devilish. "Checkmate?" she asked softly. "For now," Marcus murmured, even though his eyes were fixed on his sister's departing figure. In the depths below, Rhys was left behind amid the wreckage, still feeling the phantom of the kiss, while the betrayal was freshly carved in his chest.He crushed the folder in his fist, eyes flaming with Washington."For the first time, I'm not sure if fate had torn us apart only to..."