ELARA'S POV
I didn't sleep all night.
I sat on the motel bed, staring at Kaelan's business card until the words blurred together. My phone lay next to me, screen dark and silent. Nobody called. Nobody texted. Nobody cared that I was gone.
At 3 AM, I opened my banking app.
Balance: $247.32
That was it. That was all I had in the world.
My stepmother had cut off my credit card. I checked three times, hoping it was a mistake. But no—the account showed "CLOSED BY PRIMARY HOLDER."
She really did kick me out of everything.
I pulled up my email next. Maybe I had job offers. Maybe someone needed me.
The inbox was full of wedding reminders. Caterers asking about final payments. The florist confirming delivery. The photographer sending a schedule for today's shoot.
MY wedding schedule.
I deleted them all. Every single one. Then I emptied the trash folder so I'd never have to see them again.
But I couldn't delete the memories. Those stayed in my head, playing over and over like a terrible movie.
At 5 AM, I gave up trying to sleep. I took a shower in the tiny bathroom. The water was cold, but I didn't care. Maybe the cold would wake me up. Maybe it would help me think clearly.
When I got out, I looked at myself in the foggy mirror.
Who was I without Liam? Without my family? Without my old life?
I didn't know.
And that scared me more than anything.
I got dressed in yesterday's clothes. They smelled like church flowers and rain. I needed new clothes. I needed a lot of things. But $247 wouldn't get me very far.
I picked up Kaelan's business card again.
Vance Tech Industries
I grabbed my phone and searched for it online.
The company website loaded. Pictures of tall glass buildings. Articles about innovative technology. Awards and achievements filling the screen.
Then I clicked on the "About" page.
A photo of Kaelan appeared. He wore a suit and stood in front of a massive window overlooking the city. The caption read: Kaelan Vance, CEO and Founder. Forbes 30 Under 30. Tech Innovator of the Year.
This man was rich. Powerful. Successful.
And he wanted to help me?
It didn't make sense.
I scrolled through more articles. One headline caught my eye: Vance Tech Wins Major Lawsuit Against Reed Industries
Reed Industries. That was my stepmother's family company.
I clicked the article. It was from two years ago.
After a lengthy legal battle, Vance Tech has been awarded $50 million in damages from Reed Industries for patent theft and corporate espionage. CEO Kaelan Vance stated, "This victory is about more than money. It's about justice."
So that was the connection. The "bad history" Kaelan mentioned.
My stepmother's family stole from him. And now he wanted revenge.
But why did he need me?
I checked the time: 6:47 AM.
If I was going to meet him, I needed to leave now. The address on his card was across town.
But should I go?
My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.
Your motel charges by the week. You have enough money for 3 more days. Then what? - K
My stomach dropped.
How did he know where I was staying? How did he know how much money I had?
I texted back: Are you watching me?
His response came immediately: I'm protecting you. There's a difference. 8 AM, Elara. Don't make me come find you.
Chills ran down my spine.
This man knew everything about me. My location. My bank account. Probably my whole life story.
I should run. I should get in my car and drive as far away as possible.
But something stopped me.
Maybe it was the medical records he'd given me last night—proof that Chloe was a liar.
Maybe it was the memory of watching Liam kiss her.
Or maybe it was the fact that I had nowhere else to go.
I grabbed my purse and walked out of the motel room.
The morning air was cold. The sun hadn't come up yet. Street lights flickered in the parking lot.
I got in my car and entered the address from Kaelan's card into my GPS.
Twenty-three minutes away.
My hands gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white.
I could still turn around. I could still say no.
But I pressed the gas pedal and started driving.
The city changed as I drove. Rundown buildings turned into nice shops. Cracked sidewalks became clean streets. By the time I reached the address, I was in the richest part of town.
A massive glass building stood in front of me. VANCE TECH INDUSTRIES glowed in silver letters across the top.
I parked and checked my phone: 7:54 AM.
Six minutes early.
I sat in my car, trying to build up courage. People in expensive suits walked past, heading into the building. They all looked confident and important.
I looked down at my wrinkled clothes and messy hair.
I didn't belong here.
A tap on my window made me jump.
Kaelan stood there, looking perfect in a gray suit. He motioned for me to get out.
I opened the door with shaking hands.
"You came," he said. Not a question. A statement.
"I'm still not sure about this."
"That's fine. Let me show you something first. Then you can decide."
He started walking toward the building. I hurried to keep up with his long strides.
We rode the elevator to the top floor in silence. The elevator was all mirrors and gold trim. I tried not to look at my reflection.
When the doors opened, we stepped into a huge office. Windows covered every wall, showing the entire city below.
"Impressive, right?" Kaelan walked to his desk. "This is what power looks like, Elara. This is what you could have."
"I don't want power. I just want—"
"Justice? Revenge? To make them hurt the way they hurt you?"
I didn't answer.
He opened a drawer and pulled out a tablet. He tapped the screen a few times, then handed it to me.
"This is a live feed from the Reed family estate. Your stepmother's house."
I looked at the screen. It showed the front entrance of the house where I grew up.
As I watched, a car pulled up. Liam and Chloe got out, laughing. They were still in their wedding clothes from yesterday.
They'd spent their wedding night at my family home.
In my old room, probably.
My chest hurt.
"Keep watching," Kaelan said quietly.
The front door opened. My stepmother came out, arms wide, pulling Chloe into a huge hug. She kissed Chloe's cheeks. She shook Liam's hand.
Then she said something I couldn't hear, but I could read her lips clearly.
I'm so glad that problem is finally gone.
Problem.
She called me a problem.
Kaelan took the tablet from my numb fingers.
"They're celebrating, Elara. Right now, while you're living in a motel with $200 in your bank account, they're throwing a breakfast party. They're toasting Chloe's success. They're relieved you're not part of their lives anymore."
Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
"So here's my offer," Kaelan continued. "Work for me for one year. I'll pay you well. I'll train you. I'll give you everything you need to transform yourself. And at the end of that year, you can face them as an equal—no, as someone better than they'll ever be."
"And what's the catch?"
"No catch. Just complete loyalty. You do what I say, when I say it. You trust me, even when you don't understand. Can you do that?"
I thought about my empty bank account. My motel room. My ruined life.
Then I thought about Chloe laughing in my dress. Liam kissing her. My stepmother calling me a problem.
"Yes," I heard myself say. "I can do that."
Kaelan smiled. "Good. Then let's begin."
He pressed a button on his desk. A woman walked in carrying a folder and a box.
"This is Sarah, my assistant. Sarah, this is Elara Reed. She'll be working with us starting today."
Sarah smiled warmly. "Welcome to Vance Tech, Miss Reed."
She handed me the folder. Inside were papers—employment documents, a contract, bank information.
"Sign these," Kaelan said. "Your starting salary is $75,000 a year. Your first paycheck will be deposited tomorrow."
I stared at the number. $75,000? That was more money than I'd ever made in my life.
"That's... that's too much."
"That's just the beginning. Sign the papers, Elara."
My hand shook as I picked up the pen.
Was I really doing this? Was I really signing my life over to a stranger?
But he wasn't really a stranger anymore, was he? He knew everything about me. He'd been watching me. Protecting me, he said.
I signed my name on every line.
Sarah took the papers and left. Kaelan handed me the box.
"Open it."
Inside was a phone. Brand new. Expensive.
"Your old phone is compromised," Kaelan explained. "Liam has tracking apps on it. So does your stepmother. This new phone is secure. Only I have the number. Use it from now on."
My blood ran cold. "They've been tracking me?"
"For months. How do you think they knew exactly when to stage Chloe's fake illness? They've been planning this, Elara. All of it."
I felt sick.
"There's something else." Kaelan's voice got darker. "I did some digging into Chloe's medical fraud. The doctor who helped her fake those records? He's done this before. For other people. Rich people who pay him to lie."
"So we can expose her?"
"Not yet. If we move too fast, they'll cover their tracks. We need to be patient. Strategic. We need to wait until we have so much evidence they can't escape."
"How long will that take?"
"As long as it takes." He looked at me seriously. "Can you wait? Can you play the long game?"
I thought about the video of my family celebrating. About Chloe's fake tears and real smile. About everything they took from me.
"Yes," I said. "I can wait."
"Good. Because I just got word of something interesting." Kaelan pulled up an email on his computer. "Chloe and Liam are planning a honeymoon. Guess where?"
"Where?"
"The Maldives. The same resort you and Liam were supposed to go to. She's using your reservation. Your booking. Everything."
My hands clenched into fists.
Kaelan leaned closer. "And here's the best part—she posted about it online an hour ago. Talking about how she's 'living her dream' despite her 'tragic illness.'"
He turned the computer screen toward me.
There it was. Chloe's social media post. Pictures of airline tickets. A caption reading: Even dying girls deserve happiness! So grateful for every moment! #BucketList #Honeymoon #BlessedLife
Comments flooded in.
You're so brave!
Enjoy every second!
What an inspiration!
I felt something snap inside me.
"When do we start?" I asked Kaelan.
His smile was sharp and dangerous.
"We already have."