EPISODE 8
ELIAS
The balcony had emptied almost completely, leaving only the faint hum of the ocean below.
I leaned against the railing, taking in the salty breeze, trying to find a fragment of calm.
But calm wasn’t meant for me tonight.
Not with her—Althea—just a few steps away, and definitely not with her there in casual jeans and a halter-neck top, hair loosely pinned up, effortless and infuriating at the same time.
“You always do that.”
Her voice cut through my thoughts like a blade.
I turned, exhaling sharply.
“Do what?” I asked, keeping my tone steady, though my chest was tight.
“Run.” Her words were simple.
Dangerous.
I narrowed my eyes.
“I’m not running.”
“No?” she challenged, stepping closer, arms loosely crossed.
Sunlight catching her curves, highlighting her calm beauty—doe-like hazel eyes, brown hair, the quiet strength she always carried.
“No.”
A few steps later, and I could feel her presence next to me.
Not touching.
Just… close enough to remind me of all the things I had tried to bury.
“Then why are you out here?” she asked.
Tilting her head.
Observing.
Studying me like she always did.
I exhaled.
“Needed air.”
She hummed softly.
“Right.”
Silence fell between us.
Thick.
Heavy.
Pressing into my chest.
“You look uncomfortable,” she said.
“Always?” I muttered, dryly.
“To me. Always,” she replied, calm, infuriatingly so.
Then she left leaving me in a turmoil.“Elias.”
Lucia.
She was closer than she should be, Her lips curved into a smirk that promised trouble.
I stiffened.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, gripping the railing.
Anger laced my voice.
“What kind of sick game are you planning?”
Lucia chuckled, a sound that made my blood boil. Find the original chapter at g.com.
“Oh, Elias… always so dramatic.” She leaned lightly against the railing, too close.
“I missed you. But I think… your mother missed me more.”
I stared at her, dumbfounded, heart hammering.
She had that way of making everything toxic, everything heavy.
She turned, giving me one last smirk before walking away, leaving me frozen in disbelief.
“Seriously?” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head.
And then the shouting started.
“Mira!” a voice called out, sharp and angry.
It cut through the quiet like a whip.
I turned to see the guys, Ryan, and Lucian, rushing toward the balcony.
Their expressions were a mix of surprise and curiosity.
Behind them, Althea tried to restrain Mira, whose fury was palpable.
Lucia, of course, was unbothered, standing a little straighter now, eyes flicking between all of us, poised, smug.
“I told you to stay out of my way!” Mira snapped, straining against Althea’s gentle hold.
“What’s going on here?” I demanded
“Your little doggy here needs to be put in a leash Eli don’t it or I don’t mind putting it on her for you”Mira warned and Lucia laughed
“Why are you hurling at my like a ragged doll your not even the one I was talking to”She cocked her eyebrows up and the I looked at Althea who was trying to hold Mira back
“I told you to stay out of my way! And anything that involves my friends is my way your asking for you lulu”Mira snapped, straining against Althea’s gentle hold.
“Careful,” Althea said calmly, trying to pull Mira back.
“Just breathe.”
Lucia tilted her head, lips curling into that infuriating smirk.
She stepped forward, deliberately brushing past Althea.
The contact was minor, but enough.
Althea’s hand went up to push her back gently, but Lucia, ever provoking, leaned forward just enough then Althea slipped and fell and with that Mira lost her patience.
Before anyone could react, Mira’s palm connected sharply with Lucia’s cheek, the sound echoing off the balcony walls.
“Oh, this is good,” Lucian muttered, leaning against the doorway, amused, watching the chaos unfold.
Ryan groaned behind him, muttering something as he smacked his forehead in disbelief.
I took a step forward toward Althea, instinctively, but she held up her hand, shaking her head.
I stopped.
“Althea—” I started, voice low, but before I could reach her, Aria appeared from the side, her hand gently on my chest, holding me back.
“Not now,” she said firmly.
“Let her handle it.”
“How dare you”Lucia hissed
“You want more huh?”Mira’s rage was still visible in every line of her body, but she let Althea guide her, a growl rumbling under her breath.
Then, like a shadow emerging in the chaos, Mom appeared, gliding to the center of the balcony.
Her face was serene, but her eyes… oh, her eyes could cut steel.
“Really,” she said, voice soft but commanding, “this is how you treat a guest? Both of you? You didn’t know how to conduct yourselves properly?”
”Thats how we treat guests who need a leash”Mira spat
“Mira”I warned even though my mom was infuriating she was still my mom
“This should be the first and the last time I see you treating Lucia like this”Mom warned but you could clearly see her anger and disdain was directed at Thea.
Althea’s eyes went wide.
She looked at me.
Shock, disbelief, a silent plea for some kind of explanation I couldn’t give.
Mira muttered under her breath, barely audible but loud enough for the moment to echo, “What a bitch.”
Lucia, of course, smiled, victorious, leaning against the railing now, clearly pleased with herself and the chaos she’d caused.
I wanted to explode, to scream, to tear into my mother for her audacity.
I wanted to protect Althea, to tell her that this—this whole farce—meant nothing, but my voice caught in my throat.
Althea, calm but trembling ever so slightly, stepped closer to Mira, giving her a small, grounding squeeze.
I could see the tension in her jaw, the restraint in her posture.
She was furious, terrified, and dignified all at once.
I clenched my fists, muscles tight.
My mother’s words rang in my ears, heavy with intent.
I could feel Althea’s eyes on me, burning with a mix of shock, hurt, and anger.
I wanted to take her hand, tell her she was mine, that none of this mattered—but Mrs. Laurent’s gaze pinned me and I knew this wasn’t over
“Mom”I started
“Let me finish Elias”
Lucia, still smirking, looked at me briefly, eyes sparkling with challenge.
I knew she was savoring this moment, the control, the chaos she’d sown.
“You really think this will work?” I demanded finally, voice low, dangerous.
“Do you know what you’re doing?”
Lucia’s laugh was soft, cruel.
“I think you already know.”
I wanted to grab her, shake her, make her understand that she didn’t get to play these games with me—or with her.
Althea, meanwhile, exhaled softly, regaining some composure.
She turned slightly to Mira, murmuring instructions to calm her, to step back.
Even in shock, she was the anchor Mira needed.
I looked at her, feeling a sharp pang of regret.
This was my fault.
I should have warned her.
I should have anticipated this.
But there was nothing to do now except hold steady, try to breathe, and wait for the storm to pass—or explode.
And I knew, deep down, this was only the beginning.
Lucia’s presence wasn’t just a disruption—it was a provocation, a test, a game she had planned meticulously.
And I was already losing.
Then mom lips curved in a faint, triumphant smile.
She turned her gaze toward me, and my chest tightened.
The words she chose next hit like a punch.
“Althea,” she said, cold as ice, “you should know your place. Lucia will become Elias’ wife.”