APARTMENT IN MONTMARTRE, PARIS
Elara had just closed her apartment door, still with trembling lips and turmoil in her chest from the kiss with Kael. The world felt like it was spinning too fast. Yet, the sight that greeted her immediately pulled her back to reality.
In the dimly lit living room, Alisha was sitting on the sofa with a mobile phone in her small hands. The screen's light illuminated her innocent, serious face.
"Yes, Papa... she's fine. She ate a lot of ice cream earlier," Alisha said innocently. Then she heard Elara's footsteps. "Oh, wait Papa, Mama is home."
Alisha jumped off the sofa and ran toward Elara, holding out the phone. "Mama, a call from Papa! He called a long time ago!"
Elara felt her heart stop for a moment. The hand that had just held Kael's now trembled as she took the phone from her daughter. She took a deep breath.
"Thank you, Sweetie. Now go play with Madame Claudette, okay? Mama needs to talk to Papa."
After Alisha ran back to her room followed by Madame Claudette, Elara took the phone to the small balcony. The Paris night wind suddenly felt piercingly cold.
"Hello?" her voice was hoarse.
"El." David's voice from the other end sounded tired yet warm. There was an awkward pause. "I... I've been trying to call several times."
"I was out," Elara replied, trying to sound normal. "With Kael."
"Yes, Alisha said." David was silent for a moment. "El... how are you? How are you feeling?"
That simple question suddenly felt like a knife. How did she feel? She had just kissed her ex-boyfriend while her husband was fighting from afar. She felt like the worst betrayer.
"I'm... coping," she finally answered, choosing the safest word.
"El, listen to me," David's voice became more intense. "I know this isn't easy for you. And I know asking Kael to watch over you is... a strange decision. But he is the only person I trust to truly protect you there."
Elara closed her eyes. "He's good to me."
"Yes, I know he would be good to you." There was something in David's tone that changed. "And honestly, El... I'm jealous. Very jealous."
Elara froze. "David—"
"I know, I know," he cut in quickly, his voice full of frustration. "I have no right to be jealous after what I've done. After the trust I destroyed. But hearing Alisha talk about you walking, eating ice cream, laughing together... it hurts, El. That should be me there. I should be the one making you laugh again."
Tears began to well up in Elara's eyes. "David, don't—"
"No, let me say this," David hissed, his voice full of emotion. "Every day since you left, I've lived with crushing regret. And now, knowing there's another man by your side—a man you once loved, who never hurt you—it's like an added torture."
Elara leaned against the balcony railing, her body weak. "You asked him to watch over me."
"Because I was more afraid of losing you forever than having to share your time temporarily," David answered, his voice breaking. "I'd rather you be safe and happy there, even if it's with Kael, than you being in danger or lonely."
That admission tore Elara's heart. David had let go of his ego, his jealousy, for her safety and happiness. Meanwhile, she had just...
"David, I have to admit—" Elara began, guilt almost making her confess everything.
"No," David cut in gently. "Don't say anything that will hurt more than what I'm already feeling. I don't need to know the details. All I need to know is... is there still hope for us?"
Elara cried silently. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I don't know, David. I really don't know."
"The evidence is almost complete, El," David said, sounding like he was struggling to hold back his emotions. "I have recorded confessions from Sofia. Photo metadata proving manipulation. Digital trails showing all of Natasha's threats. Even her 'Plan B' to destroy the company has been successfully neutralized."
"That's incredible, but—"
"But it's not enough," David finished her sentence, his voice full of understanding. "I know. Evidence can't erase the images in your mind. It can't erase your pain. I'm not asking you to forget, El. I'm only asking for a chance to prove that my love for you is greater than my mistake."
Elara looked at the dark Paris sky. In the distance, she could see the lights of the Eiffel Tower still flickering. "What do you want from me, David?"
"Time," he answered simply. "Give me time until everything is settled. Until Natasha is dealt with. Then... if you're willing, let me come to Paris. Let me see you. And if you decide it's truly over... I will let you go. With respect."
That promise—to let her go if that's what she wanted—made Elara sob. "Why do you have to be so good? Why aren't you angry? Why aren't you demanding?"
"Because I've learned recently," David answered, his voice soft yet full of conviction. "True love isn't about possession. It's about wanting the happiness of the person you love, even if it means that happiness is not with you."
The conversation ended with David's promise to send all the evidence tomorrow morning. When the call ended, Elara remained standing on the balcony, her body shivering.
From inside, she could hear Alisha laughing with Madame Claudette. That innocent laughter was like a reminder that life was still moving forward, of the responsibilities she still bore.
She looked at her hand—the hand that had just held Kael's, the hand that still remembered his touch. Then she looked at her wedding ring, which she had removed and stored in a drawer.
David gave her a choice. Kael gave her an escape. And her? She was trapped between them, with a divided heart and an uncertain future.
That night, Elara couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw David's regretful eyes on one side and Kael's understanding smile on the other. And the kiss under the fireworks—which should have been a moment of freedom—now felt like a new, heavier burden.
She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at her own reflection.
"Who do you want?"she asked the reflection.
But the reflection remained silent, only mirroring the same confusion that filled every corner of her heart.