The Truth Is...I Love You

My life was like a castle of cards. A magnificent structure, only needing a flick of a finger to crumble its walls completely, rendering the once towering presence into nothing but a pile of spades and hearts. That was exactly how all my sixteen years of effort crumbled to dust right before my eyes. My vision narrowed on my cousin and grandfather standing in the spotlight, and the world just stilled. The thunderous sound of clapping, the flashing light of press cameras, and the clicking sound of their shutters—everything just faded into the background. All I could hear was the ringing in my ears and the pounding of my heart against my chest. I knew I was supposed to feel something. Gut-wrenching pain, anger... I wasn't sure. There was definitely supposed to be something. Instead, there was only this hollow feeling gnawing at me. I wasn't sure what it was or how to react to it. Luckily, while my mind remained lost, my body knew exactly what to do. I was basically on autopilot...clapping and smiling like I was the one being celebrated. Even when a hot pressure formed behind my eyes, no tears spilled out. Years of etiquette and elegance didn't let it out. A hand was raised, and the clapping ceased instantly. Only the sound of cameras remained in silence. My grandfather had always exuded the kind of power and pressure that commanded immediate obedience. Even in a room filled with the richest and most influential, his gestures and words carried a lot of weight. "The new CEO of Levaine Corporation will now give his speech." His voice boomed through the microphone, as hard and authoritative as his personality. My hands formed fists at my side so tight, my nails dug into my palms, forming half-crescent marks at the word "CEO." I almost stepped out. Almost answered to the title that had been my expected future. Or at least I thought it was. Three years ago, a long-lost cousin suddenly appeared at Levaine mansion in a mess of khaki shorts and long, untamed brown hair. And for some reason, rather than me, who had worked my ass off to be worthy of that title, it was given to the outsider who just showed up. With every word that fell out of Henry's mouth, the hollow feeling in my chest seeped into my blood and became molten anger. I took a deep breaths, letting all the tension flow to my stomach before releasing it through slightly parted lips as I repeated my mantra. I am Estella Levaine, and I will remain calm. I am Estella Levaine, and I will remain calm. I did this over and over again until the tension taut in my muscles loosened a fraction. And to make things worse, I was removed from the COO position a week ago for no good reason, but I hadn't questioned it because I thought it was in line with me being promoted to CEO. Everyone thought so. But I wasn't promoted, so I basically had no position in Levaine Corporation. It's amazing how someone could go from next CEO to unemployed in seconds. I clamped my teeth together in an attempt to still the emotions threatening to leak out. Smile now, think later. So l did. I smiled when my grandfather called me up to the front of the stage to take a picture with the "new CEO." Continued smiling when people who talked to me only asked about wine and fashion because I wasn't someone worth networking with anymore. I smiled happily and elegantly even as I silently drank glass after glass of champagne, hoping the headiness would dull some of the pain and anger that was building up inside of me. Thirty more minutes and I can leave without looking discourteous—not like anyone would notice. But as I sat there, waiting for time to slip by, something gnawed at me. I spent most of my years learning to read Charles Levaine. His expressions were practically ingrained into my memory, making it easy to spot anything amiss, even in my slightly drunk state. And I did. Three seats away from me, my grandfather looked his usual self—calm and completely in control. But something in his eyes caught my attention—a touch of impatience. Almost like he was expecting something. It made me uneasy. My instincts told me that something dangerous was about to happen, and if there was one thing I'd learned from years of business deals, it was this—trust your instincts. Forget courtesy—I needed to leave right now. But as I stood up, a male hand circled my waist. "Leaving so soon, darling?" His whisper was a smoky, low rumble that tickled my ear. The scent of jasmine and pine infiltrated my senses. I turned to see my captor, and my breath stilled in my lungs. My danger came in the form of a dark-haired, olive-skinned male with the face of a Greek god. Decked in a black suit, he looked so devastatingly handsome, it should be a crime. It wasn't his looks that hypnotized me, though. It was his eyes. Green eyes akin to that of pure emerald jewels. I recognized him from articles and the few times we've crossed paths in previous events. Xavier Hales. CEO of Hales Construction. The famous billionaire with a terrible reputation of debauchery and the business instinct of a shark. I blinked as I remembered his greeting, too stunned to remove his arm. "Darling?" "Mr. Hales," my grandfather pronounced. "It's good to see that you finally made it to this table. With the way you and Mr. Ross were talking, I thought I was going to wait all night." "I apologize, Mr. Levaine." His hand clamped tighter against my waist like a steel trap. I could read the unspoken words hanging between us. Play along. But what on earth was I supposed to play along to? "Well, you're here now." Grandfather stood up. "No need to wait anymore. It's time for my second big announcement of the night." A feeling of unease skittered down my spine as he clicked his champagne flute. "Everyone, if I can have your attention." The previous murmurs from the crowd withered into silence. "Good." A satisfied smile touched his lips. "I would like to formally announce the engagement of my granddaughter, Estella Levaine, and Mr. Xavier Hale." My smile fell as a stunned silence enveloped the hall, then a loud murmur erupted followed by the sound of clapping. Xavier freed me to shake a few hands. I vaguely remembered hearing words of congratulations floating around me, but I was too out of it to respond. My heart slammed so hard against my chest, turning the surrounding sounds to white noise. The hall was too hot. My dress was too tight, too sticky. Every breath I drew, worked hand in hand with the alcohol in my system to give me a terrible migraine. The restraints on my fury snapped in an instant, running wild in my veins. I just couldn't take it anymore. "What the hell is going on?!" My voice came out louder and sharper than I expected, ensuing another silence from the crowd. I could feel anticipation building in the atmosphere, but that didn't matter to me. My focus was on a grey-haired man who thought it was a good idea to discard me like a worn-out rag doll. "Estella, we are in the middle of an event." His tone was as calm and steady as rock, but his gaze had a healthy dose of disapproval and annoyance. "Sit down. We'll talk later." His answer was so calm and commanding, it spiked my anger to a level I didn't know existed. "No. We're talking about this right now." My tone was sharp and calm, but the silent hall carried my voice like an echo. He fixed me with a look, his blue-gray eyes a twin to mine. The meaning behind it was obvious. Do as I say. I'm not sure if it was the alcohol or my anger—or both, actually. But for the first time, I ignored his command as I leveled him a glare of my own. "Let me get the ball rolling." The click of my heels echoed as I stepped behind my chair into the space between two tables. "Why did you give my CEO position to someone else?" "Estella." He warned, the venom in his tone wrapped around a single word. But I'd already started, and I didn't plan on stopping. "Answer me." I ordered. He cast a wary glance at the crowd and the press, who had already started taking shots, before answering. "The position was never yours to begin with." The truth slammed into my gut, sobering me up immediately. My voice shook. "I don't believe you." Charles Levaine walked up to me till he was a few inches away, his presence becoming more intimidating with each step."It's the truth. I had been looking for someone to step up after me for years now. I was lucky when Henry showed up. He was perfect. I never saw you as a suitable candidate." I held his gaze, searching his eyes for a clue that he was lying. But I found nothing. Every breath felt like a thousand little icicles were dancing around in my chest. "Then... then why did you make me work so hard if you were never going to acknowledge it in the end? Why?" My voice turned cracked and quiet like a dying mouse. "I didn't ask you to do anything, and I didn't promise you anything. Whatever you thought you were doing has nothing to do with me." He shot back, his tone leaking out the disapproval in his eyes. I felt the hot pressure behind my eyes again, and the tears threatened to spill this time, but I wouldn't let it. I didn't want to be in this room, couldn't stand the sight of my grandfather anymore. So I mustered all the rage in my system and said my own personal truth. "I hate you." He blinked. Something like guilt fleeted through his gaze, but I wasn't sure. I didn't get a second look, I had already stormed past him towards the door. My navy blue evening gown fluttered around my legs as my golden curls bounced with each step. "Estella," my grandfather's firm voice made me halt. I gritted my teeth, hating myself for instinctively obeying him. "Leave now, and you are no more a member of the Levaine household." I threw one last icy glance over my shoulder and smirked before silently and proudly walking out of the hall.