"You need to sign it. Don't tell me you've forgotten. Just last month we agreed that after your marriage, you would transfer half of your shares to Selena," Sephina said sharply, her voice leaving no room for argument.
"A month ago?" Elena tapped her chin as if trying to recall. "Oh, yes. You said if you let me marry Reed, then I would hand over half my shares after the wedding."
"Exactly. So sign it," Sephina insisted.
Elena's lips curved into a mocking smile. "Mrs. Cross, perhaps your age is catching up with you, because you're forgetting the exact wording. The agreement was about me marrying Reed. But I did not marry Reed. So that condition no longer applies. And if you mean marriage in general, my certificate proves I have been married for over a year and a half already, long before that little bargain you made. So your demand is meaningless. I hope that is clear enough."
"You're not as easy as I thought," Sephina sneered. "But you won't walk out of this house until you sign these papers."
At her signal, three guards appeared and blocked the doorway.
Elena glanced at them, then back at Sephina. "I would suggest you let me leave."
"And I suggest you sign," Sephina shot back arrogantly.
With a sigh, Elena started walking forward.
"Do you think these guards won't touch you just because you are a Cross? They obey me," Sephina snapped.
Elena stopped in front of them, dropped the handle of her suitcase, and gave a cold smile. "I was wondering the same thing. Will they try to stop me just because I share your name? Either let me go, or I will find my own way out."
"What are you waiting for?" Sephina barked. "Drag her back and make her sign."
The guards rushed forward. But in less than a minute, the room fell silent. To everyone's shock, all three men were already on the ground, defeated before they could even lay a hand on her.
Every pair of eyes widened in disbelief.
When had Elena learned to fight like that?
She dusted off her hands and looked at Sephina. "Did you really think I survived that nightmare you sent me to by wasting my time? Killing bugs would not have kept me alive."
Sephina stared, speechless, at the granddaughter she thought she could control.
"You have gone too far this time," Jay Cross thundered. "If you walk out without signing those papers, don't ever think of coming back here."
Elena's eyes burned as she met her father's glare. "I tried to see you all as my family. That is why I was willing to leave quietly, even if it meant giving up the house that belongs to my mother. But not anymore. Keep enjoying your little reign while it lasts, because soon I will take back what is mine."
Just then, a man entered, taking in the tense scene and the three beaten guards staggering away. His sharp eyes caught Elena's last words, filled with defiance.
Before she could speak, Selena ran to him with tears streaming down her face. She clutched at his chest, sobbing. "Reed, Elena said I was trying to seduce you. Please believe me, I never…" She broke into pitiful cries.
Reed gently wiped her tears and let her lean against him without pulling away. His voice was cold as he turned to Elena. "I know you did not, Selena. And Elena, listen well. By hurting her, you will not win me back. Stop tormenting her. She will be my wife soon. And if you lay a hand on her again, I will not forgive you."
The words cut deep, but Elena kept her composure.
He was the reason she had survived those years in exile. The only one who reached out, promising she would be safe and cared for when she returned. He had kept that promise, showering her with care and love, making her believe in him. And because of that, she had given her heart to Reed and agreed to marry him when he asked.
Moreover, she believed she had hurt him and broke his trust by this unexpected marriage of hers. Though she did nothing intentionally and was shocked herself, she couldn't blame him for not trusting her. Any man would feel cheated on.
"Got it," Elena replied and walked out of the home, with her bag in hand and pain in her heart.
Elena spotted her car in the parking lot. Among all luxury cars parked in there, she had the simplest and ordinary brand one which she bought with her own money and never felt ashamed of using it.
Elena returned to Mia's home, where the latter was desperately waiting for her. The moment Elena entered, Mia rushed to her, grabbed the bag from her, and asked, "Nat, tell me that certificate is fake."
"It's not fake." Elena looked at her helplessly. "I am truly married to Damien Hendrix."
"Did you check properly?" Mia asked as she followed Elena to the drawing room.
"I did, and nothing can change the fact that I am married," Elena replied, sitting on the couch, unusually calm.
Mia observed her. "Hold on for a while, Nat." She hurried to close the windows of the apartment and then pulled something from the drawer chest.
The next moment, the apartment echoed with angry screams from Elena. Mia had already stuffed her ears with earbuds and let out a sigh of relief, "Just in time." Not minding her frustrated and screaming friend, Mia went to the kitchen, poured cold water into a glass, and pulled out an ice cream pack. She returned to the drawing room. "Three... two... one..." Elena had stopped screaming.
Elena's face was red, her hair disheveled, and she breathed heavily. Mia offered her a glass of water, which Elena accepted quickly and emptied. "Your favorite flavor," Mia offered her the ice cream pack. Elena accepted and started eating while Mia sat next to her.
Once Elena looked calm, Mia asked, "What are you going to do now?"
Elena stabbed the spoon into the ice cream pack as if it were a knife, her expression murderous. "I am going to kill Damien Hendrix." She pulled the spoon out and stabbed it again. "That scoundrel, jerk..." she continued to curse with every single cuss word she knew.