Then he looked up at Elissa, torn between fury and something far more complicated.
He realized he had let his guard down.
Elissa had spent the past several days at Lion Bay, living quietly.
It was uneventful, even dull, but she looked after Locke well, and everything moved along without issue.
Still, whenever she faced him, her gaze turned cold.
He knew he owed her. That was why, after arranging the security detail, he told the bodyguards she could leave the house—but only if they stayed with her. What he didn’t expect was for her first outing to be today. And at this exact place.
He couldn’t figure out how she knew he would be here.
But one thing was clear—Elissa hadn’t shown up on a whim. She had planned this.
Now he had to figure out how to contain it.
“Ernest…” Linda’s voice wavered. She looked at him, alarmed by his silence. “You know her? Is what she said true? Is she really your lover?”
Ernest shut his eyes. His scalp tightened.
Then Elissa laughed.
“Elissa?” His eyes snapped open, landing on her without flinching.
That one word. The way he said it. Linda froze. “You really are lovers?”
The laughter faded. Elissa met his gaze. Her voice turned soft and quiet. “Ernest, Miss Harris is asking you a question. Why aren’t you answering? Just look at her—she’s trembling.”
Ernest stiffened. Then, without warning, he stepped forward, seized Elissa’s wrist, and yanked her toward the door. “Come with me!”
“No!” Elissa dug her heels in.
ｍ?ｅ ｕｄｔｅｓ ｎ ｌ?ｖｌ.
She hadn’t come here to leave quietly.
“Let go. I’m not going anywhere!”
Elissa sank her teeth into his hand, as if trying to rip the flesh from his bones.
“Ugh!” Ernest winced. Pain shot through his arm, and he let go.
“Linda!” Elissa rushed back and stood inches from Linda, her face blazing. “Listen closely. Every night, he’s with me. We share a room. We sleep in the same bed.”
Each word tore through her. But if she wanted to escape this nightmare, she had to burn everything down first.
Elissa’s hands shook; her voice caught in her throat. Her eyes were wide, shining with emotion. “He told me you’re a freak. That he won’t ever touch you. That he’ll keep me instead. He wants to build a family with me. He wants me to bear his children. Even if you get married, he says he’ll stay faithful to me.
Because he loves me. Only me.”
Color drained from Linda’s face as shock hit her like a physical blow.
She stumbled over her words, her voice barely a whisper. “You… You… You’re spinning lies!”
The accusation exploded from her throat in a desperate cry. “Ernest… Ernest!”
.
.
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