Chapter 242
No.1
Elisa's words hit the air like a bucket of ice water.
August stopped moving. The crystal whiskey glass hovered inches from his mouth. The condescending mockery vanished from his eyes, replaced by a sharp, dangerous confusion.
His fingers tightened around the glass. His knuckles turned white.
"What decree?" August demanded.
He lowered his arm. The heavy base of the crystal glass slammed against the marble bar with a loud,sharp crack.
Elisa didn't flinch. She stood three feet inside the locked door. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, creating a physical barrier. Her dark eyes were completely clear and devoid of any warmth.
"Your mother intercepted the final divorce decree at the courthouse this morning," Elisa said. Her voice was a steady, emotionless drone.
She watched his face. She watched the realization slowly dawn on him.
No.2
"She threatened to cut off the funding for my grandfather's clinical trial," Elisa continued, her tone clinical and precise. "She ordered me to move back into this room tonight. She wants an heir to secure the trust."
August stared at her. His chest heaved slightly.
"If you want your precious mistress to have a legitimate future," Elisa added coldly, "you need to drive to Long Island tomorrow and get that piece of paper back."
August's thick eyebrows pulled together. A dark,violent shadow crossed his face.
He knew his mother. He knew Germaine's ruthless tactics. The interception of legal documents and the blackmail involving a dying relative were exactly her style.
A surge of absolute fury boiled in his chest. It wasn't anger at Elisa. It was anger at being managed. He was the CEO of the Chambers Group. He refused to let his mother treat his life like a chess board.
"I will handle my mother," August said. His voice was low, vibrating with suppressed rage. "I will ggo to the estate tomorrow morning."
Elisa's tense shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch.
No.3
That was all she needed. If August fought Germaine for the decree, the pressure on Kayden's secret would decrease.
"But tonight," August said, his tone shifting. "We have to play along."
He set the whiskey glass down. He pushed off the marble bar and took a slow step toward her.
"Brenda is definitely listening outside that door,"August muttered, his eyes scanning the heavy oak panels. "If we scream at each other, my mother will just escalate the situation tomorrow."
He took another step. He closed the distance between them.
He reached out his large, warm hand. He aimed for her wrist. He wanted to guide her toward the sitting area, to establish a physical truce for the night.
His fingers brushed the cotton fabric of her sleeve.
Instantly, a heavy, sickeningly sweet scent flooded Elisa's nasal cavity.
No.4
It was Baccarat Rouge 540. The expensive, highly recognizable perfume that Allena bathed in.
The scent was clinging to August's skin. It was mixed with the faint smell of hs sandalwood body wash.The hot shower hadn't washed it away. It was baked into his pores.
The physical reality of what he had been doing in Aspen slammed into Elisa's brain.
Her stomach violently convulsed. A wave of pure,somatic nausea rushed up her throat.
"Don't touch me!" Elisa gasped.
She recoiled violently. She threw her body backward,desperate to escape the smell.
She moved too fast. Her shoulders slammed hard against the solid wall next to the door. A familiar,sharp spike of agony shot up from her lower back,the ghost of her L4 and L5 vertebrae screaming in protest. She bit down on her lip, refusing to let the pain show on her face.
August's hand froze in mid-air.
No.5
He looked at her. He saw the way she was pressing herself into the wallpaper. He saw the pure, unfiltered disgust in her eyes. She wasn't looking at him like he was an enemy. She was looking at him like he was a rotting corpse.
His fragile ego shattered.
The attempt at a truce vanished. His face turned a dark,furious red.
"What is wrong with you?" August snarled. He dropped his hand.
"You reek of her," Elisa spat, her voice shaking with revulsion. "You bring your mistress's stench into this room and try to touch me. You are disgusting."
The word hit him like a physical blow.
August prided himself on his immaculate presentation. Being called dirty to his face was an intolerable insult.
He lunged forward.
No.6
He slammed both of his hands flat against the wall,
one on either side of Elisa's head. He trapped her completely. His massive chest hovered inches from her face. The heat radiating from his skin amplified the sickening smell of the perfume.
"Watch your mouth, Elisa," August warned. His voice was a low, dangerous growl. His hot breath hit her forehead.
Elisa was forced to tilt her head back to look at him.
She didn't shrink away. Her éyes locked onto his,burning with cold defiance.
"Did I hit a nerve?" Elisa mocked. A sharp, cruel smile touched her lips. "Hurry up and finalize the divorce.Then you can drown in that cheap smell every single day, and no one will care."
August stared down at her defiant mouth. His chest rose and fell rapidly. A chaotic, violent urge surged through his veins. He wanted to crush her arrogance.He wanted to force her to submit.
But the absolute disgust in her eyes was a wall he couldn't break.
No.7
He pushed violently off the wall.
He turned his back to her. He walked across the thick carpet toward the expensive Italian leather sofa on the far side of the room.
"Don't worry," August said. His voice was as cold as a winter storm. "I have absolutely no interest in touching you."