CHAPTER SEVEN JASON LOSES CONTROL
1619 Words
The internet exploded by morning.
Every news platform carried the same story.
Every gossip page repeated the same headline.
BILLIONAIRE ADRIAN KINGSTON MARRIES NEPHEW’S EX-FIANCÉE
THE KINGSTON FAMILY SCANDAL
ELENA WILLIAMS LEAVES CHEATING FIANCÉ FOR HIS UNCLE
Photos flooded social media relentlessly.
Elena crying inside the hotel.
Jason chasing after her.
Adrian standing beside her like a shadow no one could move.
And finally—
A blurry image of Elena entering Adrian’s mansion.
The comments were merciless.
Some pitied her.
Others mocked her.
But the worst ones accused her of planning everything from the beginning.
Gold digger.
Attention seeker.
Social climber.
Elena sat frozen on the edge of the bed, staring at her phone with pale eyes.
Every insult felt personal.
Every accusation reopened the wound.
She had never been the type to crave public attention.
Now strangers were tearing her apart for entertainment.
A knock sounded softly.
“Elena?” Mrs. Darlene called gently. “Breakfast is ready.”
Elena quickly locked her phone.
“I’m coming.”
But the moment she stood, dizziness hit her instantly.
Too little sleep.
Too much stress.
Too much pain.
She steadied herself against the dresser before forcing herself downstairs.
The mansion was quieter today.
Heavier somehow.
As if even the walls knew scandal had entered the house.
Adrian sat at the dining table already dressed in a dark charcoal suit, reviewing documents calmly while drinking coffee.
Unbothered.
Or pretending to be.
He looked up as Elena entered.
His eyes immediately narrowed slightly.
“You didn’t eat dinner.”
Elena paused.
“How did you know?”
“The tray returned untouched.”
Of course he noticed.
That strange awareness of his unsettled her more each day.
“I wasn’t hungry,” she admitted quietly.
“You need to eat.”
His tone wasn’t gentle.
It was firm.
Practical.
Like her wellbeing was now another responsibility he intended to manage.
Elena sat down slowly.
Mrs. Darlene placed breakfast in front of her before leaving discreetly again.
Silence stretched between them.
Finally Elena spoke.
“The internet hates me.”
Adrian didn’t even look surprised.
“The internet hates everyone eventually.”
“That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“No.”
A tiny frustrated breath escaped her.
Adrian calmly set down his coffee.
“Stop reading comments.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“That’s impossible.”
“It’s necessary.”
She looked away quietly.
“You don’t understand what it feels like.”
“No,” Adrian admitted calmly. “I understand exactly what it feels like to become public entertainment.”
That made her look at him again.
For a second…
Something dark flickered behind his eyes.
Gone almost immediately.
But enough for her to notice.
Before she could ask, his assistant entered the dining room hurriedly.
“Sir.”
Adrian’s expression sharpened instantly.
“What is it?”
“The Williams campaign investors are pulling out.”
Elena blinked.
“What?”
The assistant continued carefully.
“Three companies withdrew partnerships this morning after the scandal leaked.”
Shock crossed Elena’s face.
Jason’s fashion campaign.
The one she helped build.
The one he stole her designs for.
It was collapsing.
Adrian remained calm.
“How much damage?”
“Significant,” the assistant admitted. “Their shares are already dropping.”
Elena stared silently at the table.
She should have felt satisfied.
Maybe even happy.
Instead…
She just felt tired.
The assistant hesitated before speaking again.
“There’s more.”
Adrian’s eyes lifted.
“Jason Williams is downstairs.”
Elena froze instantly.
Again?
Her chest tightened painfully.
“I told security not to let him in,” Adrian said coldly.
“He forced his way past them.”
A dangerous silence settled over the room.
Then Adrian stood slowly.
“Interesting.”
Elena immediately stood too.
“I don’t want another fight.”
Adrian adjusted his cufflinks calmly.
“Then don’t participate.”
The confidence in his voice made her nervous.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway moments later.
Then Jason appeared.
Disheveled.
Angry.
Exhausted.
This wasn’t the polished, confident man from the engagement party anymore.
This was someone unraveling.
The moment he saw Elena, his expression shifted.
Relief.
Desperation.
Frustration.
“Elena.”
She instinctively stepped back slightly.
Jason noticed.
Pain flashed across his face before anger replaced it again.
“You blocked my number.”
“Yes.”
“You’re really doing this?”
Elena frowned faintly.
“Doing what?”
“This!” Jason snapped, gesturing around the mansion. “Running to my uncle because you’re upset!”
Upset.
That word again.
As if betrayal was a minor inconvenience.
Before Elena could respond, Adrian’s cold voice interrupted.
“Choose your next words carefully.”
Jason ignored him completely.
“Elena, you’re humiliating me publicly.”
Something inside her hardened instantly.
Humiliating him?
After everything?
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
“I humiliated you?” she whispered.
Jason dragged a hand through his hair aggressively.
“You know the media is destroying me right now?”
Elena stared at him in disbelief.
For the first time since the betrayal…
She truly saw him clearly.
Not the version she loved.
Not the version she defended.
The real Jason.
Selfish.
Arrogant.
Cruel.
Even now, he cared more about public embarrassment than her pain.
Her voice became very quiet.
“You broke my heart.”
Jason’s expression flickered briefly.
“Elena—”
“No,” she interrupted. “You don’t get to stand here acting like the victim.”
The room fell silent.
Jason looked stunned.
Because Elena rarely interrupted anyone.
Especially him.
“You cheated on me with my cousin,” she continued shakily. “You used my work. Lied to me. Humiliated me.”
Tears burned her eyes again.
“But somehow you’re still talking about yourself.”
Jason opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
For once…
He had no defense.
Elena’s breathing became uneven.
“You know what hurts the most?” she whispered.
Jason looked at her silently.
“I would have forgiven you.”
The confession shattered the room.
Even Adrian’s expression shifted slightly.
Elena laughed bitterly through tears.
“I loved you enough to forgive you.”
Jason stared at her.
Something raw crossed his face.
Regret.
Real regret.
But it came too late.
“You still love me,” he said softly.
The statement hurt because it was partly true.
Elena looked down painfully.
“Yes,” she admitted.
Jason stepped toward her instantly.
“Then come home.”
“No.”
The answer came from Adrian.
Cold.
Sharp.
Absolute.
Jason’s jaw clenched violently.
“This doesn’t concern you!”
“It concerns me the moment she became my wife.”
“She’s not really your wife!”
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
Adrian’s eyes slowly lifted toward him.
“Careful.”
Jason laughed harshly.
“What? Are you going to threaten me again?”
“No,” Adrian replied calmly.
Then his voice lowered.
“I’m going to destroy you professionally.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
Even Jason froze.
Adrian walked toward him slowly.
Controlled.
Terrifyingly calm.
“You built your campaign using her talent,” Adrian continued quietly. “You manipulated her loyalty while disrespecting her privately.”
Jason clenched his fists.
“This is personal for you now?”
Adrian’s expression remained unreadable.
“Yes.”
That single word stunned everyone.
Including Elena.
Jason stared at his uncle in disbelief.
Then suddenly laughed bitterly.
“You actually care about her?”
Adrian said nothing.
But silence itself became the answer.
Something shifted in Jason’s face instantly.
Jealousy.
Real jealousy.
For the first time, he looked genuinely threatened.
Not by the marriage.
By Adrian himself.
Jason turned sharply toward Elena again.
“You think he’ll love you better than I did?”
Elena’s chest tightened painfully.
Before she could answer, Adrian spoke calmly.
“She doesn’t need love from me.”
The statement surprised her.
Then Adrian looked directly at Jason.
“She needs respect.”
The room went still.
Because somehow…
That sounded far more meaningful.
Jason looked shaken now.
Unstable.
“You’re making a mistake,” he said quietly to Elena.
Maybe she was.
Maybe this entire situation was insane.
But one thing had become painfully clear.
Staying with Jason would have destroyed her completely.
Elena inhaled slowly.
Then looked him directly in the eyes for the first time since the engagement party.
“I deserved better than what you gave me.”
Jason’s face fell slightly.
And for the first time…
He looked like he finally understood what he lost.
But it was too late.
Adrian stepped beside Elena calmly.
Protectively.
Possessively.
“You should leave now,” he said coldly.
Jason stared at them both silently.
Then his gaze lingered on Elena one final time.
Not angry this time.
Broken.
Which somehow hurt her more.
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
The front doors slammed shut behind him.
Silence followed.
Elena stood frozen in place, staring at the empty doorway.
Her heart ached terribly.
Not because she wanted him back.
But because mourning someone still alive felt unbearable.
A quiet voice interrupted her thoughts.
“You did well.”
She looked up.
Adrian stood beside her, watching her carefully.
Elena let out a weak laugh.
“I feel horrible.”
“That’s normal.”
She blinked slightly.
Normal?
“You say painful things so calmly.”
Adrian’s gaze held hers steadily.
“Pain becomes easier to survive once you stop fearing it.”
The words settled deeply inside her.
Elena suddenly realized something important.
Adrian Kingston wasn’t protecting her from heartbreak.
He was teaching her how to survive it.
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