The Nation's President Picked Me Up From Prison-Chapter 28: Elyn: Too Funny for a Threat

When Madam Frey stands, her face beet red, Jean and the other guard immediately step to my sides.

The other executive hurriedly pulls Madam Frey back down and mutters, "This room has CCTV. Don’t make any fuss."

Madam Frey reins herself in and sits, though it’s clearly against her will.

"Elyn, don’t be like this," Mr. Lim says softly, but any gentleness he once offered has no effect on me now.

"I’m sorry, but my mind won’t change. I want to terminate the contract. Now."

There’s a long silence, and then the executives exchange looks, quiet sighs passing around the table.

"Fine," one of them says at last. "If that’s what you want."

Madam Frey adds, "But I assure you, Elyn, it won’t be easy for you to get back to stardom. Without us, you will rot. You think you can stand on your own after we brought you that fame?" She smirks, convinced she’s still holding power over me. "No. You’ll end up begging us to take you again. I promise you."

Seriously? I want to laugh. That’s too funny for a threat.

* * *

Finally, my contract with JZ is terminated, and I have full rights to my unreleased album.

This deserves a celebration!

"Can we have ice cream?" I ask Jean, who’s sitting beside me in the car. One guard is driving, while the rest follow behind in convoy.

Jean always wears that stoic expression. She’s intimidating in her own way, but not like the men. Maybe it’s the calmness in her features. She looks more like someone who always offers safety, not danger.

"We can buy you ice cream and have it at home," Jean replies.

"Can we just eat in an ice cream shop? If you guys don’t want to come with me, you can stay in the cars and I’ll eat alone. How about that?"

"As per the president’s rules, you are not to be left alone anywhere except in the house. That’s why you have a lady guard who can accompany you even to bathrooms."

My lips part. "Woah, isn’t that too much? I’m only the First Lady, not the president. Surely I don’t need that strict security."

Jean gives me a look that says, you don’t know a thing about politics.

"Trust me," she says, "you do."

"Are you afraid I’ll get kidnapped like in movies?" I grin, not taking her seriously.

When she stays silent, I keep going. "You don’t have to be so grim when you’re with me. We can talk, you know."

"We are not employed to chat with you, Mrs. Brandt."

With how uptight she is, I can’t help but think she’d pass as Greg’s sister.

"You can call me Elyn." I’ve told her that before.

"I value professionalism, so I’ll keep the formalities."

Whatever.

"How old are you?" I ask. "You don’t look much older than me. I’m twenty-five."

"Twenty-seven."

I nod. "Have you been working for the president for long?"

"Not that long. I was on his main security team for a few years."

"Do you hate me because you had to be transferred to my security team?"

She shoots me a sharp look. "Why would I?"

"Because you’re supposed to be working around the president, doing more important job, but you’re here... stuck with me."

"I’m still employed by the president, so it doesn’t matter much. Besides, work is work. What’s important is I’m getting paid."

Well, she’s got a point. I just assumed someone would prefer to work directly under the president’s wing. I figured those around him had more important jobs, or see themselves as more important people because they work around the president himself.

We stop by my apartment to get some of my things. This place is only one of my properties, but it’s the one that holds most of my belongings. It’s in the city and closest to JZ’s building, so it made sense I slept here most of the time.

Logan has his own apartment on the other side of the city, where he spends most of his time since it’s near his workplace. When he’s not abroad on business trips, that’s where he stays.

Once or twice a month (on good months) we go to his townhouse, our couple house, which sits on the outskirts of the city. I want to take a look at it, but I’m scared I won’t be able to handle it. It’s where he died, after all. Not now. Maybe someday, if I’m even allowed to be there once my fake marriage with him is exposed.

Jean doesn’t let me eat ice cream in a street-side shop, saying it’s too conspicuous and I might get swarmed by people who recognize me. Even though I told her I know a place that offers privacy, she doesn’t listen so I just stop arguing. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

But while we’re in my apartment, she buys me some ice cream.

I realize then that she isn’t that bad for a bodyguard.

She buys some for the rest of the security team too, though a few choose not to eat. While I enjoy mine by the glass wall overlooking the city, they’re busy packing the things I want to bring to Greg’s house. I don’t intend to move everything, of course, just clothes and essentials.

We’re on our way out of the apartment when Dahlia calls.

"How did the meeting go?" she asks.

"All good. My contract is terminated, and I have full rights to my unreleased album."

"Wow, you did a good job."

I chuckle.

"I’m happy for you, but... there’s a bit of a situation."

What now?

I’m celebrating my contract termination. Surely, the world isn’t ending?

Dahlia continues, "Hansley’s legal team reached out to me because they couldn’t contact you. They said they want a meeting with you."

I stiffen. A meeting with Hansley’s legal team? That doesn’t sound like good news.

"It’s been proven I had nothing to do with Logan’s murder, so what do they need from me?"

Jean glances my way when she overhears. She suddenly looks curious.

"I don’t know," Dahlia says. "But they said it’s urgent. What do we do?"