Episode5
1929 Words
Let's blame your clothes and white lotus behaviour yeah?” Elara said sarcastically.
“f**k you!”
“Gurl I am straight And if I wasn't I wouldn't want to bed a cheap s**t like you” Elara said.
“Elara watch your tongue!” Leo shouted.
“No you watch your tongue, Leo Vane!” Elara snapped. Feeling humiliated, Leo walked away with Sienna trailing him.
“You did well Elara” Evelyn whispered to her daughter-in-law.
After The Party Back In Their Penthouse
Elara was fast asleep when killian headed to the balcony with his phone. He made a call, when the line was picked, killian said “Release them” and ended the call. Then headed to bed.
The ringing of Elara's phone woke her up the next day. She woke up to find the side of the bed empty. She picked her still ringing phone to see that it's Jules calling. She picks up and says “Jules, this better be important”.
“It is, have you checked social media?”Elara exhaled “Jules you woke me up literally. I can't watch social media in my sleep so no”.
“Your ex's life is a mess now” Jules joyfully said. Suddenly Elara is fully awake.
“What...”
“Go check social Media” Jules said and ended the call.
“What the-”
Elara went online and started seeing random post like ‘Man behind the facade’ with hashtag Leo Vane. ‘I knew he was too good to be true’.
Confused by intrigued, Elara continued scrolling until she saw a post of the morning news. And Leo happen to be the man of hour for the day. She click it and the video started with a writing ‘The Man Behind The Playboy Facade’.
The Video started with the reporters talking about normal things and soon which the trending topic... ‘Leo Vane’.
“This morning at 5:30am, Video, documents and voice recordings were release all about different deeds. And everything points to the youngest heir of the Vane family. Leo Vane. Videos were released showing Mr. Leo using his position to coerce ‘private consultation’ from his junior female employees and using promotion as a way to silence them.
There were also evidence that shows Mr. Leo’s illegal doings with the Zhang's Syndicate, a chinese mafia organization known for their notorious works. “Untracked assets Mixed with the jewels shipped out of the country have been reported to the police anonymously with solid evidence.
And Lastly, there has been evidence of embezzlement. Evidence which were also handed to the police shows the amount of money embezzled from the company every month by Mr. Leo Vane.
As of now. Mr. Vane will be arrested and investigation will be done to prove that all the evidence given are not fabricated.
Thank you for listening to the 24 hours news. See you this evening”.
Elara just stared at this video after it ended and started to laugh like a mad man. Meanwhile, Leo moved around his penthouse restless. The room looks like it survived a war pillow thrown around, glasses broken on the floor, broken words etc. He picks up his phone and calls the family lawyer, Arthur Sterling. The moment the call connected he was already talking.
“Tell me something can be done about this, Arthur”
“Nothing can be done Mr. Vane. The police have solid evidence against you. We can only plead guilty if taken to court so we can lessen your jail time” Arthur said.
“The f**k Arthur! Are you that useless! I don't want to go to jail damn it”
“Nothing can be done about this Mr. Vane. As I said the police have solid evidence”
“What of money. Can't we buy their silence?” Leo asked.
“Mr. Vane, not all police officers can be silenced.
If the police officer is a righteous one and bribery will be added to your case” Arthur replied.
The fuz-” Leo was interrupted by a loud bang. “Who can that be?” Leo whispered and asked timidly “Who is there?”
His door was forcefully opened with police officers pouring in. “Mr. Leo Vane, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be used against you in the court of law” The officer said while cuffing Leo.
“The f**k, you can't do this! I need my lawyer” Leo snapped.
“We can do this Mr. Vane and you can call your lawyer at the station” Leo was taken away.
Sienna Rossi thought she was finally free. She was having a panic attack when she saw news thinking she will be next because she was 100% sure it was Leo's older brother's doing. But now she was happy that nothing about her was aired. But it seems like she rejoiced early because a second later she got a call from her mom.
“Hey Mom, why are you cal-”
“Have you see the news Sienna?”
What news?”
“I just sent it to check it out” her mom anxiously said.
In a trembling voice, Sienna asked her mom after she seeing whatever her mom said her.
“Mom what-what is this? Where did you find this?”
“It was on the afternoon news. Everyone is talking about it.”
Sienna looked back at the news, Actress Sienna sleeps her way to the top. The headline wasn't what made her panic but the evidence the reporter had in backing her words. Pictures of Sienna and different directors in compromising positions and a video of her and director Walker, the director of her new movie entering the same hotel room.
“Mom, I-I will call you later, I need to my manager first” she hung up and called her manager.
“Jane, wha-”
“Sienna, how many times did I tell you to let me know whatever you do so we cover up for you. Now see what has happened” her manager snapped.
Sienna ignored what she said “What happen, my project are they-”
“Cancelled” Jane said. The agency call cancelled them.
The sponsoring company also withdrew. Your carrier is almost over, Sienna Rossi” Jane said and hung up.
“No, no no no. This can't be happening” Sienna said.
Within a day Leo was arrested and Sienna lost her carrer and she already knew who did it but she can't do anything about it.
A month later. killian and Elara have dancing around each other after everything settled down. Feeling lost, Elara once asked if the contract should be terminated, but killian refused. Elara realized a while back that she has fallen for killian and now she doesn't know if she can let go if the time come.
Today, killian came home to see Elara in the living room on a laptop instead off going to change first and sat infront of Elara.
“Oh you are back” Elara said.
“Yeah,” there was a long pause, “Can we talk?”
“About?” Elara asked. Killian inhaled.
“I know, this started as a marriage contract and you probably don't love me and want you your freedom.
But... I love you Elara. I have loved you before you met my brother, I loved you when you loved him and I love you now. And I am not saying this to cage you or make you feel obliged. I just want you to know.
If you want to leave, I will not leave stop you” killian said.
Elara was stunned by the confession. killian had loved her all this while? Even before Leo... wait before Leo?
“Where did you first meet me?”
“Vane-Nova Studios. You had a support-ing role in the one of the movies then”
Elara finally remembered that day. She accidentally spilled coffee on killian and she thought it was the end for her.
“I remember” she said.“I want the contract terminated” Elara said and while she stood. “Okay” killian said. Elara moved towards killian and straddled him. “And then I want a real wedding” she whispered before kissing him.
One Year Later: The Vane Charity Gala
The ballroom of the Blackwood estate was once again filled with the scent of lilies and expensive cologne, but the atmosphere had shifted. The "old secrets" that once haunted the halls had been aired out, replaced by a new, sharper era of leadership.
Elara stood at the top of the grand staircase, wearing a gown of midnight velvet. Around her neck sat the emerald diamond heirloom ,no longer a borrowed prop, but a permanent fixture.
"You're thinking about the coffee, aren't you?" Killian’s voice was low as he stepped up behind her, sliding a hand onto the small of her back.
"I’m thinking about how much it cost to dry-clean that suit," Elara teased, leaning into him.
"And how lucky I am that you’re a man who holds a grudge—or a crush—for a decade."
"It was an investment," he whispered.
Their moment was interrupted by a sharp, familiar voice. Evelyn Vane approached, looking more relaxed than she had in years.
"The board is waiting in the lounge, Killian. They’re still reeling from the merger, but
Elara’s social media strategy has the stocks at an all-time high. They’re terrified of her. I love it."
"I'll be there in a moment, Mother," Killian said.
As Evelyn moved toward the bar, a shadowed figure near the garden entrance caught Elara's eye. It was Leo. He looked gaunt, his designer suit hanging loosely on a frame thinned by legal battles and public shaming. He wasn't invited, but his mother’s soft heart had clearly left a side door unlocked.
He locked eyes with Elara.
There was no "white lotus" beside him; Sienna had long since moved to a small town under an assumed name to escape the paparazzi. Leo didn't yell this time. He just looked at the woman he had dismissed as "leftovers" the woman who now held the keys to the kingdom he had gambled away.
Elara didn't smirk. She didn't look away. She simply raised her champagne glass in a silent, polite toast the ultimate gesture of someone who had moved so far beyond him that he was no longer even a threat.
"Is he bothering you?" Killian asked, his eyes darkening as he noticed his brother.
"No," Elara said, turning her back to the garden to face her husband. "He’s just a reminder of where I started. But I’m much more interested in where we’re going."
Killian smiled, the cold CEO persona melting away just for her. "Then let’s go.
We have a company to run and a real wedding anniversary to plan."
They walked down the stairs together, not as a contract, but as a dynasty.
- Writer
