Elara's POV,
"I'm Seraphina, Lucien's wife." She beams, and my brain falters.
It's really too early for this, I think, and maneuver past her towards the stairs. Lucien's wife? Oh, please.
"You must be Elara." She continues. "I heard about you from the kitchen maids. The gold-digger who's trapped Lucien with a baby."
I freeze for just a second and turn to her with a grin. "You talked about me with the maids? You must be a fan."
"A what?" She fake-laughs, lifting a hand to her mouth like some sort of medieval princess. "I didn't know Lucien's new favorite trait in women is being funny." She sneers, and I roll my eyes, then turn my back to continue going to the kitchen. She follows me.
"Where's the baby?" She asks when we get to the door, and I purse my lips, scanning the place for coffee.
In the Kórvac's mansion, there's a separate, smaller kitchen where no maids or cooks invade. Only for the family. That's where I thought I was going. Who was this bitch anyways? So noisy.
"There is no baby. You should listen to your gossip well." I almost sigh in ecstasy when I sight the coffee mixer. "You say you're Lucien's wife?"
"Yes, Seraphina Deve…"
"Oh, I know who you are." I interrupt, putting the mug under the mixer. I turn to look at her and give her a quipped smile.
"But you lied because you're either stupid...or you think I'm stupid." Her face twists into something ugly, then she straightens her back.
"I was meant to be his wife." Her voice is sharper now, and I raise a brow. "We were engaged."
I just smile. She continues. "Until you cam along with a baby! Lucien was mine."
There's silence when she finishes.
"Go on." I turn to get the coffee, inhale its scent and sigh, satisfied, "I'm waiting for the part you believe."
"Shut up, you're just a gold digger." She spits out, and I click my tongue.
"You really thought that was clever?" I give her a small, pitying smile. "That's unfortunate."
I take a sip of my coffee as she falters for what to say next.
"But really, whatever helps you sleep."
And with that, I leave without turning to look back at her.
~ ~
"Hello, Mummy. Did you miss me?" My son runs to hug me, and I return it, breathing in his coconut scent.
"Yes, baby. Did you behave for Daddy when he picked you up?" I ruffle his hair, and he grins, showing me all his missing teeth.
"Daddy took me out to get sundaes." He beams. Oh, he must see his daddy as some idol. "I was so full, I couldn't get up."
He rubs his tummy, licking his lips, and I laugh. I look up, avoiding Lucien's gaze (I hadn't seen him in about a week, even at work), to see Seraphina searching for something out in the courtyard. My eyes instantly sharpen.
What is she doing back here? I thought she was gone forever.
"That's so great, Asher." I stand, taking his hand. "Now run along to your room. I have something to discuss with your father."
His eyes brighten. "I'm so happy you and Daddy are now friends." His smile brightens as he looks at Lucien, who can't stop looking at me apparently. "I want you both to tuck me in this night."
Without waiting for an answer, he skips out.
I exhale, then roll my eyes when I see Seraphina coming towards us with the fakest smile I've ever seen, and glare at him.
"Oh, look, your wife is here."
I grit out, and he chuckles, stepping in too close to me, "You sound jealous, Solis."
His voice sends shivers down my spine, and I smirk up at him, my eyes gleaming wickedly. "Jealous? Of a doll? Darling, I gave you a son."
"Indeed." He licks his lips, infuriatingly slowly, and bends to whisper. "Last week, we would have made a daughter if you hadn't dared me not to touch you. I swear, I'm the strongest man alive, given you looked so ravishing right under my nose and I couldn't do a thing."
He sticks out his tongue and licks my ear. I yelp, moving farther away from him, and at that instant, Seraphina comes in.
"Lucien." She purrs out. "It's been a while."
Reaching out, she hugs him in the most intimate way ever, and he returns it. I roll my eyes away from the sickening pair.
"Oh, hi, Elara." She beams at me. "We met last week, I believe."
She stretches out her hand to shake mine, which, for the sake of civility, I shake.
"And it wasn't long enough of a time." I grit out, and she laughs, looking pointedly at Lucien.
"You're so funny." And her voice is so annoying. "Lucien, I still haven't met your child."
"Because it isn't necessary," I grumble out, and she bites her lips.
"I was talking to Lucien. It's his child."
My eyes twitch. "It? He! And he's also my child."
"I believed we could become friends, Elara."
"You believed wrong, sweetheart." I drop my voice; her eyes narrow. "Just like how you believed you were his wife."
She swallows, looking everywhere but Lucien. "I wanted to test you. Lucien and I are great friends, aren't we?"
She loops her arm through his, and his eyes flicker to mine for a second, giving me a challenging look. God, I hate him.
"Unfortunately." I dust off imaginary dust off my dress and grunt, "There's a great deal of a difference between a friend and the mother of his child, or should I say, wife?"
"You aren't married yet, you gold digger." She let go of Lucien's arm to point at me, and that was her mistake.
I grab that wrist and squeeze it tight enough to look like it was about to break.
"Call me a gold digger one more time." I bend the wrist a little, and she shrieks, "I'll strangle you with your own guts."
I push her off, and she stumbles back, holding her wrist. "You bitch! Do you know who I am? You'll pay for this."
She storms out, and Lucien gives me a questioning look. I bite out, "I really question your taste in friends, you know?"
"So you are jealous." He says huskily, and I scrunch my nose up, then turn around to leave.
"You're so delusional. It hurts."
The sound of his mocking laughter follows me to my room.