EPISODE 25
ALTHEA
The engagement party should have felt easy.
It was beautiful enough for it to.
The resort had transformed the entire terrace overlooking the ocean into something soft and impossibly romantic.
White roses curled around the railings, candles glowed in floating glass bowls across every table, and above them, hundreds of fairy lights were strung between the palm trees like tiny stars.
The sea behind them was dark now, the waves rolling lazily against the shore, but the night itself felt warm.
Alive.
Music drifted through the air while waiters moved between guests carrying champagne and trays of food.
Aria had wanted perfection.
Of course she had gotten it.
“Stop fidgeting.”
Althea turned just enough to glare at Mira.
“I’m not fidgeting.”
“You’ve adjusted your dress six times in the last minute.”
“Seven,” Lucia said from beside them with a smile far too pleased with itself.
Althea shot her a look.
Lucia only lifted her champagne glass and smiled wider.
Tonight, she was dressed to provoke as usual.
At least not obviously.
Her dress was a dark emerald green, silky and backless, with thin straps crossing over her shoulders.
Her dark hair fell in soft curls down her back, glossy beneath the lights.
Mira looked stunning too,.
She wore a burnt orange dress with a halter neckline and a slit up one thigh, her curls pinned half-up and spilling over one shoulder.
Aria, glowing in the center of it all, wore pale blush pink.
Her dress hugged her waist before flowing softly to the floor, delicate and romantic in a way that suited her perfectly.
Her engagement ring was to die for matching her pink dress a blush pink marquis diamond with tiny diamonds spread round the band of the ring.Tiny pearls had been woven through the braid pinned around the back of her head.
And Althea—
Althea had made the mistake of letting Mira choose.
The dress was black.
Not plain black.
Dangerous black.
It wrapped around her body like it had been made for her, silk clinging to every curve before falling to the floor in a long smooth line.
One side of the dress was sleeveless while the other curved into a long fitted sleeve.
The slit started halfway up her thigh, revealing just enough skin every time she moved.
Her hair had been left down in soft waves, dark and glossy against her bare shoulder.
The makeup was subtle, but her lips were darker than usual, and the tiny silver earrings in her ears caught the light every time she turned her head.
“You look hot,” Mira announced.
“You look illegal,” Aria corrected.
“I hate both of you.”
“No, you don’t,” Aria laughed.
“No,” Mira agreed.
“Because if you did, you wouldn’t still be standing here waiting for Elias to walk in.”
“I am not waiting for Elias.”
“Sure,” Lucia said mockingly and Mira turned to her
“Get lost”Mira smiled sweetly with that Lucia walked off to God knows where
“I’m not.”
Then the entire table went quiet.
Althea frowned.
“Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“Because he just walked in,” Mira said.
Damn it.
She looked anyway.
And immediately wished she hadn’t.
Elias stood near the entrance with Ryan and Lucian, one hand in the pocket of his trousers, the other holding a glass.
He wore black too.
Of course he did.
A fitted black suit, no tie, the first few buttons of his shirt undone like he had done it absentmindedly.
His jacket strained slightly across his shoulders and his dark hair looked frustratingly perfect in that messy, careless way that should not have been attractive.
But it was.
Very.
Lucian was saying something to him, Ryan laughing beside him, but Elias wasn’t paying attention.
Because Elias was staring at her.
Directly.
Unapologetically.
And somehow, even from across the room, she could feel it.
His gaze moved slowly over her.
The dress.
The hair.
Her legs.
Then back to her face.
His jaw flexed.
“Oh my God,” Mira whispered dramatically.
“He looks like he wants to ruin his own life.”
Aria smirked into her drink.
“Honestly? Same.”
Mostly because if she didn’t, she might do something stupid.
“Don’t panic,” Aria said, clearly enjoying herself far too much.
“You only have to spend the entire evening beside him.”
Althea turned sharply.
“What?”
Aria blinked innocently.
“You’re maid of honor.”
“And he’s best man,” Mira added.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes,” two of them said together.
Before she could answer, Ryan’s voice cut across the terrace.
“Alright! Since our maid of honor and best man finally decided to show up, can someone tell them they’re supposed to stand together?”
The room erupted into laughter.
Althea wanted to disappear into the ocean.
Unfortunately, Elias was already walking toward her.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Too calmly.
Lucian and Ryan looked entirely too entertained as they followed behind him.
“Wow,” Lucian said as he reached them, looking at Althea.
“You look—”
“Don’t,” Elias said flatly.
Lucian blinked.
Then a grin spread across his face.
“Oh,” he said slowly.
“You’re jealous already.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Right,” Ryan said, clearly fighting a smile.
Lucian looked back at Althea dramatically.
“Anyway, as I was saying—you look incredible. Adrian is definitely going to lose his mind when he sees you.”
Elias’ expression darkened instantly.
Ryan took a slow sip of his drink, then leaned slightly toward Lucian.
“Someone’s got real competition.”
Lucian looked delighted.
Althea, unfortunately, felt her face warm.
And because the universe hated her—
“Competition for what?” Adrian asked.
He appeared beside her in a fitted navy suit, clean and effortless as always.
His hair was pushed back neatly, and when he smiled at her, it was warm.
Familiar.
Safe.
“You,” Lucian answered immediately.
“Lucian,” Ryan warned, already laughing.
“What? I’m just saying. Half the men here have been staring at Thea all night.”
Elias’ jaw clenched.
Adrian glanced at him once.
Then back at her.
“Well,” Adrian said softly, offering her his hand, “can you blame them?”
Mira choked on her drink.
Lucia looked seconds away from applauding.
And Elias—
Elias looked one second away from murder.
“Actually,” Aria interrupted brightly, appearing between them before the situation could somehow get worse, “I need Althea.”
Althea had never loved anyone more.
“For what?”
“For the engagement toast seating chart thing.”
“That is not a thing.”
“It is now.”
Before Adrian could respond, Aria grabbed her wrist and dragged her away.
The second they were out of earshot, Althea turned to her.
“You’re evil.”
“I’m brilliant.”
“You left me there!”
“You were fine.”
“I was not fine!”
Aria laughed.
“You should have seen his face.”
“Whose face?”
“All of them, honestly. Adrian looked ready to flirt with you until the end of time. Lucian was enjoying himself way too much. Ryan looked like he was watching reality television.”
“And Elias?”
Aria’s smile faded just slightly.
“He looked angry.”
Althea looked down.
Because she knew exactly what that looked like.
She knew the sharpness of his jaw when he was trying not to react.
The darkness in his eyes.
The way his fingers tightened around his drink.
She hated that she still knew.
The party continued around them, louder now, warmer.
Music floated through the terrace while people danced, laughed, talked.
Parents had begun arriving too.
Ryan’s parents were exactly like him—easy smiles, loud laughter, teasing everyone around them.
Lucian’s mother was glamorous and intimidating, though somehow still very sweet.
Aria’s parents were impossible not to love.
Then Elias’ mother arrived.
Mrs. Laurent stepped onto the terrace in an elegant midnight blue gown, diamonds glittering at her throat.
Her dark hair was swept into a perfect twist and she carried herself the same way she always did—with effortless superiority.
Interesting.
Mrs. Laurent greeted everyone with practiced smiles before her eyes landed on Althea.
And stayed there.
“Well,” she said lightly as she approached, “doesn’t everyone look lovely tonight.”
“Mrs. Laurent,” Aria said politely.
“Darling.”
Her eyes shifted back to Althea.
“That dress is certainly… bold.”
Mira nearly choked.
Althea smiled sweetly.
“Thank you.”
“I suppose not everyone is raised to understand subtlety.”
“Mother,” Elias said sharply from behind them.
Too late.
Because now everyone had gone quiet.
Mrs. Laurent only looked amused.
“I was only saying—”
“That you don’t like her,” Adrian interrupted smoothly as he stepped beside Althea.
“We’ve all known that for years. You don’t have to keep finding creative ways to remind us.”
The silence after that was deadly.
Mrs. Laurent’s smile froze.
Lucia stared.
Aria looked impressed.
And for the first time all evening—
Althea almost smiled.
Mrs. Laurent recovered quickly.
“I simply think family matters.”
“It does,” Adrian agreed.
“Which is why the people who love Althea are more than enough.”
ELIAS
I hated the way mother talked about Althea’s parents death making her feel inferior even though I hate Adrian I was glad her someone up for her but Thea was mine my woman mine to defend and honor then I quickly came to to her
Althea looked at him in surprise.
The air tightened.
Elias’ hand at Althea’s waist shifted slightly.
Not pulling her back.
But grounding.
And then— he spoke.
“She’s not alone.”
The words cut through the tension.
Althea stilled.
I didn’t seem to notice.
“She has family,” he continued, his tone steady, almost certain.
“Her grandmother—”
Silence.
Immediate.
Total.
It didn’t ripple.
It dropped.
Heavy.
Wrong.
Althea’s breath caught.
Sharp.
Painful.
She stepped back before she could stop herself.
“Excuse me,” she said quietly.
And then she walked away.
No scene.
No explanation.
Just gone.
Mira stared after her, then turned slowly to Elias.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she snapped.
Aria’s expression wasn’t any softer.
“Elias…”
He frowned slightly, confusion flashing across his face.
“What?”
Lucian looked at him like he had just said something insane.
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
Ryan let out a disbelieving breath, shaking his head.
“Thea’s grandma died. Three years ago. A week after her graduation.”
The words hit like a physical blow.
Elias went still.
Completely still.
Then— the glass slipped from his hand.
It shattered against the floor.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Lucian let out a quiet, stunned laugh and turned to Ryan.
“Elias doesn’t really know shit.”