ELARA
Elara's eyes skimmed through the pages of the contract. A contract that meant selling away her freedom for the next three years of her life.
"Sign it or pick up the phone and tell your father you just watched his life's work turn to dust," he said, offering no words of warmth.
It wasn't a choice but a sacrifice. She let out a shaky breath, "I need time to think about this carefully."
"It's now or never, darling," he responded dryly.
She held the pen in hand, her own heartbeat thudding in her ears. "Save Aethel, save my parents," she muttered to herself feeling at loss.
She signed her name on it with trembling hands.
He took the contract, checked the signature with a satisfied nod, and filed it away in a briefcase.
Then he simply pulled out his phone and sent a one-word text: "Proceed."
Elara finds her voice hoarse and shaky. "What happens now?"
Kaelan met her gaze with a tiny smirk. "Now, you become my wife."
Elara, thinking she had a couple of weeks to mentally prepare, asked, "And when is this... wedding?"
Kaelan looked at her, a flicker of cold amusement in his eyes. "Tomorrow."
She laughed, a short, hysterical sound. "Tomorrow? That's impossible."
Kaelan's calm is unnerving. "What? There is more than enough time to prepare. There's a wedding dress, just the bride's missing."
The revelation hit her like a physical blow.
"There was someone else, wasn't there?. I'm just a stand-in."
"I'm glad we're on the same page," he said in a clipped tone. Kaelan continued, "My staff will have it adjusted and fitted to your body tonight. A team is waiting for you at the penthouse."
He said it with the same tone one would use to schedule a car detailing.
A driver walked in, turned on the ignition then backed out of the driveway.
"I can't," she muttered.
"Excuse me?" he lifted a brow at her.
"This is a lot to take in. I need time to myself to process all of this," she said honestly.
"But it's what you wanted, wasn't it? You were willing to pimp yourself out to me so what's there to think about?" his tone condescending.
"Mr. Vance, you know nothing about me so stop throwing baseless accusations in my face like that. I'm spending the night at my place, away from you and I'll be at your place by morning," there was finality in her voice.
He remained calm and handed her a thick, heavy binder. "Your first assignment. Study this. We have a press conference in the morning before the ceremony. I expect you to be word-perfect."
She took it from his hands, "My parents will have questions."
"I will handle them. Just focus on memorizing yourself with this. You'll move in with me after the ceremony and we'll talk more about our roles."
She just nodded tiredly.
"My driver will get you tomorrow. Be ready by 5."
He said then the car halted. It was only then she realized they had gotten to the neighborhood her apartment was.
"Thanks for the ride," she thanked without questions.
By the end of the evening, she was too stunned by the turn of events to even react anymore.
He hardly responded as she exited the car.
All through the night, she tossed and turned in bed. Trying to wrap her head around everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Everything was spiraling.
Her phone rang only a few times. Her mother sent a dozen texts saying Kaelan Vance had reached out.
#
True to his words, his chauffeur was in front of her door by 5.
The penthouse door opened. It was filled with a small army of people—a stylist with a garment bag, a seamstress with a pincushion, a makeup artist.
The assistant from the previous night approached her.
"Mr. Vance would like to have a word with you. This way ma'am."
She nodded and followed him.
"His parents showed up unannounced this morning and want to meet you so this is going to be your first act," David explained to her in a hushed tone.
She was a bundle of nerves. She had never met any other member of the Vance family before so she didn't know what to expect.
David opened the door leading to a more private living room and she was face to face with three members of the Vance family. All wearing dark expressions .
Elara strolled in like she owned the place, a bright smile on my face, "Hi baby," she called cheerfully and pressed a kiss on Kaelan's face then sat down beside him.
"Someone is here on time," he said with a slight chuckle and his mother eyed him suspiciously. He placed an arm around her waist and she leaned into him.
"Mr. Vance, Mrs. Vance," she acknowledged. "It's nice to finally meet you. Kay has always been skeptical about having us meet because he is worried you guys won't accept me."
"Mother. Father. Meet my fiancee, Elara Sterling. El, meet my parents," Kaelan introduced.
"How long have you two been together?" Eleanor asked, her eyes scrutinizing the couple before her.
Kaelan was about to speak but she cut him off, "Let your fiancée speak."
"A year and three months," Elara responded calmly.
"When is his birthday?"
Kaelan momentarily froze but managed to play it off.
"17th August," her answer was confident.
"How often have you been to this penthouse?" his mother asked another question.
"Not as often as I should," she said vaguely and smiled at Kaelan.
"How many rooms are here?" her voice getting harder with each question.
"I don't remember but I've been to just three of them."
"Can you give us a tour of the places you're familiar with?"
"What's with the attitude, Mother? I thought you wanted to meet your soon to be daughter-in-law," Kaelan said in annoyance.
"Let her answer, Kaelan," Eleanor warned.
"Sir, the stylists will need a lot of time to prepare Miss Sterling," David walked into the slightly open door.
Eleanor gave Elara a hard stare while Alistair observed from the sidelines.
"You should go and get ready then. You can't be late to your own wedding," she spoke with that hint of warning still in her tone.
Elara's phone rang. The caller ID: Dad.
She was hesitant to take the call so Kaelan took the phone from her.
"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it," he said softly.
"Thanks," she responded with a smile. For the first time she imagined what it would be like if it wasn't all an act. "I should go and get ready," she told him. "See you around," she said to his parents and took her leave.
The wedding preparation was stressful, the process dehumanizing. She was scrubbed, plucked, styled, and laced into Isabella's wedding dress. It had been expertly altered to fit her perfectly, which somehow made it feel worse. She was a mannequin being dressed for a display.
When she looked in the mirror, she couldn't recognize herself. The woman staring back was too beautiful, too pristine, and utterly hollow. That was a stranger.
The door opened and closed softly. In the mirror, she saw Kaelan's reflection appear behind her. He was already in his tuxedo, the picture of cold perfection.
Elara's voice, barely a whisper, "I don't know if I can do this."
Kaelan didn't look at her, but at her reflection, assessing, "There will be a price to pay."
His cold hand gently lifted the veil away from her shoulder and he leaned in, his warm breath causing goosebumps to erupt on her skin. "We are going to have an interesting time together," he whispered into her ear.
Her eyes met his and he was smirking.
With him so close, his breath fanning her neck and his deep husky voice, she felt something she shouldn't. A tiny flutter in her chest.
His words filled her mind with more anxiety. She turned to face him, the delicate fabric of the dress whispering with the movement.
"My parents... they called again. They're grateful. They think you have actually taken a liking for me."
He met her eyes, his gaze unwavering and frigid, "It's just simple business. Nothing to be sentimental about. Sentiment is a liability. What they think is irrelevant. All that matters is what they see. And in a few hours, they will see a perfect union."
"This dress... who was meant to wear it? Does any of this ever feel like a nightmare to you?"
He took a single step closer, "A nightmare is chaos and fear. This," he says, his voice dropping to a lethal calm, "is a business arrangement. One you were desperate enough to accept. The time for second thoughts was before you signed the contract."
"The car will be here in fifteen minutes. The script is in your clutch. Do not deviate from it."
He turned to leave, his hand on the doorknob.
"Kaelan," her voice quivered.
He paused, glancing back over his shoulder, his impatience clear.
"What happens if I can't do this? What if I... can't go through with it?"
For a long, heavy moment, he was silent. With that chilling tone of his, he said, "Then I will call your father from the car and inform him that his daughter's sentimentality was more valuable to her than his company. I wonder how long his pride in you would last then."
He left, cl
osing the door with a soft click.
Elara was left alone again with the stranger in the mirror. Every fiber of her being screamed to run, to tear the dress, to hide.