The In-Law Mistress

Chapter 5

Elena froze, the air trapping itself in her throat. She stared in utter disbelief at the man who still hovered over her inside the narrow confines of the toilet stall.

She had never once expected that Julian Vance, the man who had ignored her existence for years and always looked down at her with an icy detachment, would voluntarily offer to help her exact revenge.

"Why do you want to help me, Julian? Aren’t they your family too? Victoria is your wife," Elena whispered, her voice trembling. Her eyes searched his face, desperately hunting for any sign of a lie.

The man didn't answer right away. His jaw clenched tightly. Inside his mind, flashes of Victoria’s betrayal with another man replayed on a loop, fueling the wrath he had kept locked away while meticulously gathering evidence of her infidelity.

Of course, he had no intention of exposing his marital problems right now. It wasn't the time.

"You don't need to know the reason," Julian replied coldly, though his intense gaze remained locked onto Elena’s eyes.

He leaned down slightly, bringing his face so close that the tips of their noses practically brushed. "Let's say I'm bored and looking for a game to play."

‘A game?’ Elena swallowed hard. The man standing before her was truly unhinged, treating the destruction of a family as mere entertainment.

Yet, amidst her lingering dread, Julian's offer sounded incredibly tempting. The deep-seated resentment she had harbored for years from being relentlessly oppressed by Beatrice and Victoria finally seemed to find an escape route.

"How ..." Elena paused, trying to gather the remnants of her courage. "How exactly are you going to help me?"

Julian let out a faint, dangerous smirk. The expression was dark, mysterious, and lethal on his handsome features. "I have my ways, Elena. Just give me your consent, and I will make them pay for you. Whenever I see fit."

The silence inside the cramped stall suddenly grew heavy with tension. Elena stared at Julian, weighing the absolute biggest gamble of her life.

If she stepped into this arrangement, there would be no turning back. But remembering how her father had just humiliated and insulted her in front of everyone shattered whatever little respect she had left for the family.

"Fine," Elena said, her voice suddenly turning firm as her eyes flashed with defiance against Julian.

"I agree. Make Beatrice and Victoria pay for every ounce of pain they put me through! If you can do that, I swear, I will submit to you completely, Julian. I will do whatever you command."

The smirk on Julian's lips widened. He was thoroughly satisfied to hear the vow spilling from his stepsister-in-law's lush lips. "A smart choice, sweetheart. Good, just wait and see. But remember, I will hold you to your promise later."

Julian pressed a brief kiss to Elena's forehead before unlocking the stall door. The man smoothed down his suit jacket, effortlessly sliding his cold mask back into place, and stepped out of the women's restroom first with a flat expression, acting as though nothing had transpired.

However, after walking just a few paces down the deserted corridor, Victoria was already standing there. The woman in the red dress had her arms crossed over her chest, her brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Julian? Goodness, what took you so long in the restroom?" Victoria asked in a demanding, spoiled tone. "Mom and Dad are already waiting inside."

"I had to take an important call from a business associate," Julian replied shortly and coldly, not even bothering to look his wife in the eye.

At that exact moment, the women's restroom door opened again. Elena stepped out with her head lowered, smoothing down the hem of her slightly wrinkled dress. Her footsteps faltered the moment she realized the two of them were still standing in the hallway.

Victoria turned her head, her eyes narrowing sharply as she glared at Elena, then shifted her gaze back to her husband. A sudden flash of suspicion crossed the socialite's face.

"Wait a minute! Why did the two of you come out at almost the exact same time from the exact same direction?" Victoria questioned, her voice rising with heavy suspicion.

Julian turned around slowly, meeting Victoria's gaze with a relaxed, indifferent look. There wasn't a single trace of panic on his face.

"Why? Are you questioning me, Victoria?" Julian countered, his tone dripping with sheer condescension. The man let out a cynical chuckle, then cast a disparaging look toward Elena, a look he deliberately manufactured to deceive his wife.

"Do you honestly think I am the type of man who would be attracted to a shabby, tasteless girl like her?"

‘What did he just say? A shabby girl? It seems he's forgotten that this 'shabby girl' made him groan in bed last night!’ Elena fumed internally. She was highly irritated to hear the mockery coming from the man who had just stolen her innocence.

Hearing her husband's absolute, dismissive answer, the suspicion on Victoria's face instantly evaporated. She smiled with immense satisfaction, feeling triumphant because Julian had just thoroughly degraded Elena right in front of her.

She knew exactly how incredibly high Julian's standards were. To an arrogant woman like her, Elena would never be on the same level as her billionaire husband.

"Of course not, Darling. I know your taste is far above that," Victoria purred, wrapping her arms tightly around Julian's arm once more. "Let's go back inside."

The three of them finally returned to the private dining room. Elena sat back down in her chair, her mind in complete turmoil.

The moment she placed her napkin over her lap, Richard's booming. Deep voice echoed across the table, instantly shattering the quiet of the dinner that had just commenced.

"Listen to me, Elena," Richard stated, staring at his daughter with a cold, threatening glare.

"If you ever dare to misbehave again after tonight, staying out all night and bringing embarrassment upon this family, I will not be lenient with you."

Elena looked up. Her hands clenching into tight fists beneath the table as she stared back at her father.

"I have already spoken with Mr. Henderson, my business associate from the shipping company. He has been a widower for five years now and is looking for a new wife," Richard continued ruthlessly.

"The next time you pull a stunt, I will marry you off to him immediately. At the very least, you can be of some use to my corporate alliances."