Killian watched as Elara walk away,the cool night air doing little to ease the fire burning inside him. His mind was still reeling from the confrontation, the way Elara had walked away without another word. But even more infuriating was Sienna's smug expression, her eyes dancing with satisfaction.
"You should have seen her face, Killian." Sienna's voice filled with amusement as she sip the champagne in her glass, her gaze locked onto his with a knowing glint. "She looked so—what's the word? Ah, yes. Devastated."
Killian gritted his teeth, curling his fingers into a fists at his sides. "Do you think this is a game, Sienna?" His voice was sharp, but his eyes betrayed the war raging within him.
Sienna took a slow sip of her drink, remaining unfazed. "Oh, Killian. Don't be so dramatic. It was bound to happen. The truth always comes out, no matter how well you try to bury it."
His jaw tensed. "You had no right to speak to her."
She curled her lips into a smirk. "No right? Darling, I had every right. After all, I was the one you loved first."
Killian stepped forward, towering over her, his presence suffocating. "Loved," he repeated, his voice low, venomous. "Past tense, Sienna."
She tilted her head, watching him, studying the cracks he tried so hard to hide. "If it were truly in the past, why are you here, burning with rage? Why does it bother you so much that I spoke to her?" Why didn't you run after her?All this is because you still love me, don't deny it, after all you din't marry her because you love her and she knows it,so let's get back together and stop playing hard to get.
Killian didn't answer. He didn't need to. The silence between them was answer enough.
Sienna took a step closer, her perfume intoxicating, her presence suffocating. "You can tell yourself whatever you want, Killian. But we both know the truth." She reached up, her fingers grazing his jaw, her touch featherlight. "You never stopped loving me."
Killian grabbed her wrist, his grip firm but not harsh. "You don't get to play with me, Sienna."
She chuckled, completely unbothered. "Oh, but Killian," she purred, "I always have."
His fingers tightened for a fraction of a second before he released her, stepping back. He turned on his heel without another word, leaving Sienna standing there with a victorious smirk on her lips.
But as he walked away, he knew her words had already taken root in his mind.
Killian arrived home late. The mansion was quiet,everywhere was unusually quite. He loosened his tie, taking a deep breath as he walked into the dimly lit living room.
Elara was standing near the fireplace, with her back to him, her posture rigid. She didn't turn when he entered, but he knew she was quite aware of his presence.
"You're late," she said, her voice cool, detached.
Killian ran a hand through his hair, irritation flashing through him. "I didn't realize I had a curfew."
Elara finally turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "You were with her."
Killian smirked, though there was no humor in it. "are you Jealous?"
She let out a breathless laugh, shaking her head. "No am not. Just disappointed."
Something about her tone irritate him. He stepped closer, studying her with a sharp gaze. "In me? Or in yourself, for expecting something different?"
Elara met his gaze head-on. "I expect nothing from you, Killian. You made it clear from the beginning that I'm just a pawn in this game of yours."
His lips curled into a smirk. Good"Then you finally understand."
She didn't flinch. Didn't react. And that annoyed him more than he cared to admit.
"You married me to escape from your poverty stricken life," Killian continued, his voice laced with authority. "I married you to control the narrative. That's all this is. That's all it will ever be."
Elara held his gaze, and for a moment, he thought she would argue, fight back. But instead, she simply nodded.
"Good," she said softly. "Because I won't make the mistake of forgetting again."
Killian should have felt victorious. Should have relished in the fact that she finally accepted her place.
But instead, her words felt like a slap to his face.
The fire crackled between them, filling the silence. She turned back to the flames, dismissing him, making it clear the conversation was over.
And for the first time in a long time, Killian felt like he was losing control.
He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, his voice lower now. "You don't get to shut me out, Elara."
She exhaled slowly, then turned her head slightly to look at him. "I never had you to begin with, Killian. How can I shut out something that was never mine?"
His stomach twisted. He didn't like the way she spoke, the quiet finality of her words. He had expected anger, maybe even tears. But not this. Not indifference.
Killian prided himself on always being the one in control. But as he looked at Elara now—calm, composed, unshaken—he realized something had shifted. And it upset him more than he was willing to admit.
"Elara," he said, his voice quieter, measured. "We remember have an arrangement. That hasn't changed."
She gave him a slow, almost pitying look. "No, Killian. It hasn't,at least I still know my place."
The silence stretched between them, thick with everything they weren't saying.
He wanted to say something more, to remind her that this marriage was his to dictate. That she was here because he allowed it. But the words wouldn't come. Because deep down, he knew something had changed. And for the first time in his life, Killian wasn't sure if he was still the one in control.
---
Killian's jaw tightened as he stepped closer, his voice dropping into something cold, dangerous. "Don't fool yourself, Elara. You don't get to decide how this ends. You are mine, and whether you like it or not, you'll stay exactly where I put you."
Elara met his gaze, without flinching, a ghost of a smirk tugging at her lips. "Maybe that's where you're wrong, Killian." She turned on her heel, walking away without hesitation, her voice carrying over her shoulder.
"I won't be anyone's pawn anymore—not yours, not Sienna's, and certainly not this damned high society's."