Chapter 8 2011 O Damien stormed out of the basement , leaving Elara to the silence and the lingering scent of fear . She heard his footsteps fade away , and only then did she lean against the cold wall , slowly , painfully , pushing herself to her feet . For the next three days , she was a ghost in the mansion . She confined herself to her room , a self - imposed exile . The meals the staff brought were barely touched . The brilliant sunshine outside her window held no appeal . She wouldn't give Isabelle another shadow of an opportunity to frame her . True to his word , Damien didn't return . He spent those three days with Isabelle , and Elara watched their whirlwind romance play out on the glossy pages of gossip sites . There they were , his arm wrapped protectively around Isabelle's shoulders as she smiled , radiant and triumphant . When he looked down at her , his eyes were soft with an affection that could melt steel . On the day before the wedding , Elara sat at her desk . With a steady hand , she wrote down every one of Damien's preferences and idiosyncrasies on a clean sheet of paper . He hates cilantro , can't handle spicy food . Coffee must be Americano , no sugar . Shirts have to be ironed without a single crease . Can't sleep with any light in the room … When she finished , she folded the note neatly and called for Lucy , one of the п This is for you , " she said , her voice a soft whisper . " After the wedding german us . Lucy looked bewildered . " Ma'am , what is this ? " give it back to " whe . " A reminder , in case I forget , " Elara offered a faint smile . " You know how my memory has been lately . ' Though she found it strange , Lucy took the note dutifully . " Of course , ma'am . I'll keep it safe for bein Once Lucy had gone , Elara dragged a pre - packed suitcase from the depths of her closet . She took that had been her gilded cage for three years . Her gaze lingered on the wedding portrait on the wall . Damien , handsome as a god . And her , the woman in the priceless gown , with a smile that " last look are the room At the airport , her mother was already waiting . She carefully lifted the heavy frame from the wall , placed it face down on the desk , and walked out without was a perfect , bea a lie . backward glance . She handed Elara a debit card and a plane ticket . " Five million dollars . Not a penny less . From this day forward , you have no conne- ction to the Vance family . " THE O Elara took the card , her fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly . She looked up at her mother , who wouldn't even meet her gaze . " Thank you , " she said softly . Her mother's tone was ice . " You did your job well these past three years . You didn't cause any problems for the alliance . " She paus- ed . " Go . Go live the life you want . " Elara nodded and turned toward the security gate . At the final corner , she glanced back one last time . Her mother was already gone , her retreating back as final and absolute as if Elara had never been her daughter at all . But she felt no sorrow . She clutched the ticket in her hand , a warmth spreading through her chest , her eyes stinging slightly . This time , she would finally live for herself . She walked toward the boarding gate , her posture resolute , and never looked back . And at that very moment , in the Blackwood estate , a woman who looked almost exactly like her slipped into a wedding gown , quie- 2011 tly waiting for the dawn of her wedding day . Seraphina was back . 1 Whis AP 1 spaym 2011