Elias fell silent for some moments. A regretful smile appeared on his face.

"Yes, I did," he admitted without hesitation.

Elena’s heart skipped a beat.

Was he finally going to tell her the truth?

Hope and dread battled inside her. But his response crushed both.

"I left without explaining anything. But not anymore." His smile deepened. "Tonight, I’ll tell you everything."

His eyes shone with anticipation. "I have prepared a surprise for you."

Elena was tired of hearing lies. ’Men are all the same,’ she thought. ’They are all liars.’

She hid her resentment and forced a smile. "I prepared a surprise for you, too."

Elias’s eyes lit up.

"Really?" He looked genuinely excited. "I can’t wait to see it."

He hugged her tightly. "Now go back to sleep."

Elena should have pushed him away. She should have felt disgusted by his touch. But strangely, she didn’t repulse him. Instead, she found her body relaxing in his embrace.

She hated herself for it. She hated how much she liked his warmth, his scent, and the sense of safety she felt whenever he held her.

It made her greedy to be with him just a little longer. She wanted to enjoy this feeling before walking away forever.

Eventually, she drifted back to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When Elena woke up again, it was nearly noon. She sat up abruptly.

The realization dawned on her that she had actually fallen asleep in his arms. She pressed a hand against her forehead.

"How could I fall asleep so peacefully beside him?" she groaned, cursing herself under her breath.

Even after learning what she believed was the truth, she couldn’t help but want to be with him. Elias was like a drug.

His presence calmed her. His embrace made her feel protected. And despite everything, she couldn’t deny the attraction she felt toward him.

Her gaze swept across the room. "Where is he?" she wondered.

Elias wasn’t in the room. He had already left.

Her attention landed on the note on the nightstand. She picked it up.

’Sleep longer, my beautiful wife. I’m heading to the office. The driver will take you to the estate later. Don’t be late for the party. I’ve prepared a dress for you. I hope you will like it.’

Elena read the note twice.

’He prepared a dress for me.’

For a brief moment, something inside her softened. Then his photograph with another woman surfaced in the back of her mind.

The softness vanished. Annoyance twisted her features.

"No..." She folded the note. "I won’t let him fool me anymore. After tonight, we’ll go our separate ways."

That afternoon, she got ready for the party. She put on the dress Elias had prepared.

It was her favorite color. Standing before the vanity mirror, she stared at her reflection.

The gown hugged her body perfectly.

Intricate embroidery blossomed across the bodice like intertwined vines. The fitted waist accentuated her slender frame before flowing into layers of soft fabric that cascaded to the floor. Tiny crystals sewn into the embroidery, catching the light with every move.

Even Elena was stunned by how beautiful it was.

She reached for the dazzling diamond necklace that had been gifted to her by the mysterious man at the auction. She fastened it around her neck.

The diamonds sparkled brilliantly against her skin. Then her gaze fell on the divorce papers lying on the table.

"Tonight, I’m ending this marriage."

She folded the papers and shoved them into her bag before storming out of the house.

By the time she arrived at the estate, the sun had already set. Luxury cars lined the driveway one after another.

The guests started arriving, filling the estate with laughter and chatter.

The moment the car stopped, Elena stepped out. She held her chin high as she strode into the mansion.

The hall was already crowded.

Elena’s gaze swept across the sea of unfamiliar faces. She was searching for Elias.

Just then, someone collided with her.

Elena paused.

A little boy, around five or six years old, looked up at her with wide gray eyes.

The moment Elena saw him, her body froze. It was the same boy she had seen in the photograph with Elias.

’Elias’s son?’ her mind screamed. Shock exploded inside her mind. ’He brought his son here to the party?’

Her breathing turned ragged. She immediately remembered the surprise Elias had mentioned earlier.

’Is he going to introduce his other family to me? Is this the surprise he prepared for me?’

Her mind buzzed with questions.

"Sorry, Aunt." A sweet voice reached her ears. His innocent eyes blinked at her apologetically.

Something about him softened her heart. She knelt before him automatically and held his tiny hands in hers.

"Are you hurt?" she asked softly.

The boy shook his head. "No. But..." He looked at the stain on her dress. "Your dress is ruined. It’s my fault. I didn’t see you."

Elena looked down at herself. A smear of white cake cream stained the front of her gown.

For some reason, she wasn’t angry.

"That’s nothing."

"Elena." The familiar voice rang over her head.

She looked up.

Elias was walking toward them.

Her expression turned cold instantly.

Maybe he would misunderstand the situation and accuse her of hurting his son, just like Noah always had. Perhaps he would humiliate her in front of everyone and demand she apologize.

She stood up.

Elias frowned the moment he noticed the stain on her dress. "How did this happen? Who did this to you?"

Elena’s mouth fell open. A stunned silence enveloped her. She had prepared herself for accusation, humiliation, and anger. And what she saw was concern.

’What is going on? Is he not angry with me?’

She blinked, bewildered.

"It’s my fault," said Leo. "I wasn’t looking around and bumped into her." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

He hung his head down regretfully.

"Leo," Elias’s tone was cold. "Did you apologize to Aunt?"

"Yes, I did," Leo replied instantly.

"Good. Be careful next time. No running around."

Leo’s eyes shone as he smiled. "I’ll be careful."

"Now go find your great-grandpa." Elias ruffled his hair. "He has been looking for you."

"Okay." Leo hurried away.

Great-grandpa

The word struck Elena like lightning.

’That’s it. He is not even hiding it anymore. Maybe he is going to tell me everything about his hidden family.’

Elias turned to her, his face clouding with worry. "Your dress is ruined."

Elena cared little about the dress. She wanted to give him the divorce papers and leave. "It’s nothing." She took a deep breath. "Can we talk in private?"