The heavy wood of the bedroom door groaned as Esme backed away, her pulse hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Her jaw remained slack with shock as she retreated step by step deeper into her room.
Eli crossed the threshold without an ounce of hesitation, swinging the heavy door shut behind him with a dull, echoing thud.
He paused, casting a slow, appraising glance across the high ceilings and elegant furnishings before letting out a low, bitter whistle.
“Damn,” he muttered, shaking his head.
“This room is bigger than my whole apartment.” Esme’s heels caught slightly on the edge of the plush area rug as she kept her distance.
“What are you doing in here, Eli?” her voice trembled, tight with a mixture of fear and rage.
“How did you get up here?” Eli offered a effortless, casual shrug, taking another step into her personal space.
“My brother…
your husband…
was generous enough to grant me permission to stay here as a guest.
Family takes care of family, right?” Panic flared bright and cold in Esme’s chest.
“Get out of my room, Eli.
I’m calling Rowan.
Right now.” Eli paused, turning his head to look at her before breaking into a sharp, mocking laugh that held zero warmth.
“Go ahead and try.
Rowan is currently unavailable.
He’s gonna tied up in meetings.” Esme’s breath hitched, her eyes widening as the realization sank in that she was entirely alone in this wing of the estate with him.
“Get out,” she repeated, her voice dropping into a desperate whisper.
Eli’s expression shifted, the mocking amusement hardening into something ugly and resentful.
“So this was your plan all along, wasn’t it, Esme?” She tilted her head, genuine confusion cutting through her fear for a brief second.
“What are you talking about?” “Don’t play dumb with me!” Eli snapped, throwing his arms out wide to encompass the lavish room.
“All of this.
This massive house, the cars, this ridiculously huge room…
my brother’s fortune.
You used me as a stepping stone just to get close enough to catch his eye.” The sheer absurdity and malice of the accusation snapped something inside her.
Before her mind could even process the movement, Esme closed the distance between them and brought her palm cracking hard across his cheek.
The sound echoed off the high walls.
“Don’t you dare try to gaslight me, you fucking imbecile!” she spat out, pointing a finger directly at his face.
Her hand was shaking violently from the sheer surge of adrenaline rushing through her veins.
Eli slowly turned his head back toward her.
He didn’t look angry; instead, a slow, sickening smirk spread across his lips.
He looked down at her outstretched, trembling hand.
“Why the shaky finger, Esme?
Scared?” Esme caught herself, snatching her hand back and pressing it flat against her side.
Eli ignored her glare, casually strolling past her toward the king-sized bed in the center of the room.
He sank onto the edge of the mattress, bouncing slightly to test the firmness.
“Man, this bed is incredibly comfortable,” he drawled, casting a filthy look sideways at her.
“Do you two fuck each other here every single day?” Esme’s breath caught in her throat, a wave of intense nausea washing over her.
“You are disgusting.” “Oh, no?
What about over there?” Eli continued relentlessly, pointing a lazy finger toward the velvet chaise lounge by the window before his smirk broadened.
“Or do you guys just do it out in the hallway for the guards to hear?” “Shut up,” Esme hissed, her face burning with pure revulsion.
Eli stood up from the bed and began advancing on her again, his steps slow and deliberate.
Esme immediately scrambled backward until her spine hit the cold wall.
“How does he do it, Esme?” Eli asked, his voice dropping low as he cornered her, stopping mere inches from her face.
“What positions does he use on you?
You never let me experience any of that when we were together.
You selfish bitch.” Esme felt trapped, but as she looked into his eyes, the terror began to burn away, replaced by an overwhelming, white-hot fury.
Eli leaned in a fraction closer, his tone suddenly shifting into something terrifyingly soft and delusional.
“You still love me, Esme.
Right?
You have to.” Esme stared right back at him, her glare cutting through the small space between them.
“You have to be utterly insane to think that.” “We dated for six years!” Eli insisted, his voice rising with a strange, desperate franticness.
“There’s no way you just forgot about me!
I get it…
you did all this for my brother’s money.
And you know what?
I forgive you.” Esme’s eyebrows furrowed in utter disbelief.
She planted both hands firmly against his chest and shoved him backward with every ounce of strength she had left.
“You…
you forgive me?” She let out a sharp, breathless laugh that echoed loudly in the quiet room.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?!” Her laughter turned harsh and loud, cutting right through his ego.
“You foolish, good-for-nothing, thrown-away, abandoned excuse of a man!
You have zero purpose in this world!” Eli’s jaw tightened, his brow furrowing as his pride took a direct hit.
“You won’t speak to me that way, Esme…” “Oh, shut the fuck up, you absolute idiot!” Esme shouted, stepping directly into his personal space this time, completely disregarding the physical threat he posed.
“I’ll speak to you however I damn well please!
You want to know why?” She snapped her fingers right in front of his face.
“Because this is my husband’s house.
You are in my territory now.
So take your pathetic sob story and get the hell out of my room!” Eli stood frozen for a beat, genuine shock registering on his face as he stared at the woman he thought he could intimidate.
Slowly, the shock twisted back into a bitter sneer.
“I’ll make you pay for this, Esme,” he spat defensively.
“Pay off your own massive debts before you even think about threatening me,” she fired back, pointing directly at the door.
“Get out!” Eli sneered, turning on his heel and marching toward the exit.
He grabbed the handle, yanked the door open, and slammed it shut behind him with enough force to rattle the frame.
The moment the latch clicked, Esme rushed to the door, turned the deadbolt, and slammed the heavy security latch into place.
The instant the lock was secured, her legs gave out entirely.
She slid down the front of the door, her back dragging against the wood until she collapsed onto the floor.
Wrapping her arms tightly around her knees, she pressed a trembling hand over her mouth to muffle the violent, desperate sobs tearing through her throat.
Defending herself against that no good, monkey.
Thank youuuu